toolboy's Corner: All Projects



Over the years I've modded a number of Ryobi tools and chargers in order to create a new tool. I've mentioned some of these elsewhere on the website, but thought it might be a good idea to show them all in one place. I don't actually remember when each of these was created, but if I have an idea I'll make a guess. They're arranged roughly in chronological order (oldest first).

Craftsman 12v flashlight converted into 12v Power Supply

This project predates my dive into Ryobi. The Craftsman 12v line was manufactured by Ryobi and the batteries were interchangeable after a small "hack". Both had a stem style battery (like the Ryobi 18v), but one was keyed with a plastic tab which prevented them from fitting into the competitor's charger or tool which lacked a slot for the plastic tab. But if you filed off the plastic tab it would work just fine! I mounted a cigarette lighter socket in the lens where the bulb would normally be. Sorry no photos, I disassembled this for parts to make the next project. Constructed before 2000.

P700 flashlight converted into 12v Power Supply

I used a 7812 linear voltage regulator (12v, 1A) and mounted a cigarette lighter socket in the lens where the bulb would normally be. Sorry no photos, I disassembled this for parts to make the next project. Constructed in 2004 or 2005?

P703 flashlight converted into 12v Power Supply

To increase the power from the previous version I used a MC78T12C (12v, 3A) and mounted a cigarette lighter socket in the lens where the bulb would normally be. Constructed in 2008?

     


P104 Battery into Battery "Shell" / Timer

This is a special gizmo for timing exactly how long a Ryobi 18v battery powers a tool before it dies.



Ryobi Multivolt Charger into regulated 12v @ 15A Power Supply

Inside is a 24v to 12v @ 15A DC-DC step-down converter with an input voltage range of 13v-28v. Constructed in November 2009. This was ten years before Ryobi released their 150W Inverter.

           


P150 Fuel Gauge into USB Battery Bank

Two wires were lap soldered to the battery terminals then fed to a tiny DC-DC converter for the 5v output. This worked as intended, but it was top heavy and didn't "click" to the battery so it would easily topple over and disconnect if treated roughly. Constructed early in the summer of 2013.

     


P215 Charger into USB Battery Bank

Constructed in a hurry the night before heading to an all-day tournament with my daughter's travel softball team. There isn't much to this device. I cut the traces on the board to disconnect the contacts from the electronics and enlarged the hole on the back to snugly fit an automotive 12v USB adapter which was rated for 12-24v input and 18W output! This unit sits very solidly and the battery "clicks" in. Constructed later in the summer of 2013.

P116 Charger into USB Battery Bank

This is my favorite of the USB Battery Bank projects. The key to this is that it's relatively compact, it sits nicely on a battery, clicks to lock, and it contains two panel mounted USB ports. I did use a tiny DC-DC converter for the 5v output, and because all of the family's devices were Apple I installed a couple of 2-resistor voltage dividers to wire the USB data lines to enable high speed charging of Apple devices (>500mA). USB A/pin 2 (D-) requires 2.8v, so use 51K and 43K 5% resistors. USB B/pin 3 (D+) requires 2.0v, so use 51K and 75K 5% resistors. Constructed in 2013 or 2014. It's slightly bulkier than Ryobi's P743 Portable Power Source, but hey, I was using mine 6-7 years before Ryobi released the P743.

                 


P113 Charger into 12v @ 15A Power Supply

Inside is a 24v to 12v @ 20A DC-DC step-down converter with an input voltage range of 13v-28v. In addition to the panel mounted cigarette lighter socket, I added an output on Anderson PowerPoles. I'm not certain when this was constructed but probably between 2012 and 2014.

     


Ryobi 40v into 12v @ 30A Power Supply with USB

I gutted a Ryobi OP400 charger and installed a 36v-to-12v @30A DC-DC Step-Down Converter and a 2-port automotive USB adapter. This unit provides enough juice to power my Bestek 300W Pure Sine Wave Inverter. Constructed in the fall of 2018. This unit was short lived because Ryobi released their 300W Inverter about six months later and running my 300W Inverter was the main purpose for this unit.

     


P107 to battery "shell"

I gutted a P107 and added Anderson PowerPoles for the + and -, then added banana sockets for the other two contacts. I use this when performing diagnostic testing of chargers and for powering 18v tools with my 18v Extended Runtime Battery Bank (below). Constructed in the fall of 2019.

     


OP4015 to 40v battery "shell"

I gutted an OP4015 and added Anderson PowerPoles for the + and -, then added a banana socket for the other contact. I use this when performing diagnostic testing of chargers and for powering 40v tools with my 18v-to-40v Adapter (below). Constructed in the fall of 2020.

     


Ryobi 18v to 40v Adapter and Extended Runtime Battery Bank

This device allows two to six 18v batteries to be combined and used as either one 40v battery or one big 18v battery. Use with a battery "shell" and an extension cable to provide power to a Ryobi 18v or 40v tool. Constructed November 2020.

     


Ryobi 40v to 18v Adapter

These devices allow one Ryobi 40v battery to be used with an 18v One+ tool. Constructed January 2022.

     


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Last revised 07-Apr-2022
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