Ryobi PBP002 battery review

Ryobi’s 1.5 Ah batteries have never had the best reputation. But all of my experience was with earlier model. I bought into the Ryobi tool line around 2009 and I’ve accumulated a few batteries and chargers over the years. So I usually just buy the tool alone and use the better, heavier duty batteries. But last year I purchased a tool bundle that included a pair of the new PBP002 1.5 Ah batteries. Is the Ryobi PBP002 battery any good? Read this review to find out.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Ryobi PB002 battery

First: with a tool that needs significant power, like a drill or a saw, the PBP002 battery usually isn’t the one you want. Not only does it not last very long, it also doesn’t deliver a lot of power. If I need to drill in a tight space and I either can’t or don’t want to deal with a big heavy battery, one of these batteries can do the job, provided I’m only drilling one or two holes. The light weight is really its only advantage.

For this reason, I find it better for yard tools. It works well enough in a weed trimmer or hedge trimmer, and by the time it gives out, you’re probably ready for a short break anyway.

I did try these batteries with the circular saw they came with to see what they could do. It was able to cut 1×4 lumber adequately with this battery. But it struggled to cut 2×4 or 2×6 lumber. I had to switch to at least a 3 Ah battery to cut thicker lumber without the saw bogging down and fighting me to the point that it felt unsafe.

I’ve been using the kit to do some work in my basement, cladding some walls with reclaimed lumber. I’ve mostly used these batteries to power the work light. Since the work light is LED-based, it can run most of the day on the PBP002 battery on a single charge. I also noticed the light shuts off before it has fully drained the battery, which is a good thing for the battery’s longevity. I have long believed part of the problem with Ryobi batteries is they don’t like to be fully discharged.

How long it took for my Ryobi PBP002 battery to misbehave

That said, even though I went easy on them, using them mostly to power lights and recharging them right after I ran one down, it didn’t take long for one of these batteries to start acting up. About a month, in fact.

One Saturday, I spent a few hours cladding a section of wall. After I finished, I checked the battery, and it had two bars left. That wasn’t going to be enough to get me through the next day, so I threw the battery on the charger and forgot about it for the night.

The next morning, I went to the garage and noticed the telltale two lights blinking on the charger. Those two lights generally indicate the battery is defective. I unplugged the battery, waited a few seconds, then plugged back in. I saw the green light flash that indicated the battery was charging. Usually that means everything is okay. So I got on with other things, and a couple of minutes later, when I glanced over at the charger, both lights were blinking again.

I’ve had better luck charging finicky batteries with the old fashioned dual-chemistry Ryobi charger that they don’t bundle with tools anymore, the one I got 15 years ago. So I tried the battery with that charger. That charger didn’t complain, although it definitely took its sweet time charging the battery. After several hours, it had only charged it to three bars.

Curious, I pulled the battery and tried it in one of my newer chargers. That time it worked, didn’t complain at all, and when I checked again in 30 minutes, the battery was back to four bars. Then I put the battery in my light and it worked fine.

But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a problem. A large number of the people who end up owning one of these batteries will get it as part of a tool bundle with one or more tools and a charger. They probably won’t have a dual chemistry charger from 2009 to use to recondition one of these batteries. And even if they do, there is a reasonable chance they won’t know that trick anyway.

For what it’s worth, Home Depot still sells a very similar charger to the one I use to revitalize batteries, but you may have to order it. The stores in my area don’t carry it in-store. It costs around $58.

What the reviews on Home Depot’s site have to say

Reading the reviews on Home Depot’s own product page seems to back up my experience. Right around 95 percent of the reviews are positive. But I see a pattern in the 150 or so negative reviews. They mention batteries being dead on arrival, not charging after a few uses, or not charging after 12-18 months of moderate use, soon after the warranty ended.

Now, a 95% satisfaction rate doesn’t sound bad. So what’s going on here? Am I an edge case here?

The first thing to consider is many of the 5-star reviews carry the note that it was collected as part of a promotion. What’s that mean? It means in exchange for a review, the reviewer had a chance to win something. This encourages people to submit a review soon after the purchase, which tilts the odds in favor of a positive review since the product probably won’t be DOA. Note that it took my battery 30 days to start acting weird.

I’ve found from my own brief experience in product marketing that if you offer an incentive and a good first impression, people will give you a positive review. It may not last, but you got your review.

And some of the 4-star reviews note that they bought a battery, it failed, and Ryobi replaced it. That’s legit. Some people have a one-strike-yer-out attitude, but the majority of people will forgive a mistake if you make it right.

The concern is if one of these batteries fails out of warranty. Check the packaging of course, but mine do carry a three-year warranty. So if it fails within three years, you can get Ryobi to replace it.

Alternatives to the Ryobi PBP002 battery

So it only took 30 days for one of the batteries to start acting weird, and I won’t call that a promising start. I won’t write them off just yet. But there are two alternatives that I still think are a better value for your money.

I haven’t had these problems with Ryobi batteries rated at 3 Ah or more. I also haven’t had these problems with knockoff batteries rated at 3 Ah or more. The knockoff batteries aren’t as good as the Ryobi batteries with the same rating, but a knockoff 6 amp battery costs about the same as these Ryobi PBP002 1.5 amp batteries, and they are much better and more reliable. I still have knock-off batteries I bought in 2019, and they work fine.

I’ve had problems now with two different generations of 1.5 amp Ryobi batteries. The heavier duty batteries will wear out eventually, but I’ve never had a problem until the batteries were well outside their warranty period.

Ryobi tends to evoke strong opinions. I usually trace the negative opinions back to the batteries that came with the tools, inevitably a 1.5 amp battery, and that battery failed early.

So while I think you can probably get three years of use out of these new 1.5 amp batteries, even if it means using the warranty, I have three other ideas for you. Because if there’s one thing better than having a warranty, it’s not having to use it.

Buying higher-capacity Ryobi batteries on sale in the late spring or fall

If you can, wait to buy your batteries until May or November. Ryobi Days, which typically starts in May and lasts into July, usually includes deals on the larger capacity batteries while supplies last. The batteries tend to sell faster than the tools, so buy in May or June if you can. There may not be any left in July.

And of course, there’s likely to be a Black Friday sale on Ryobi batteries the day after Thanksgiving. The caveat with this option is supplies are more limited. In 2023, I wandered into the store that afternoon, and the batteries had all sold out. So either order early or get to the store early.

Buying aftermarket compatible batteries

There’s a third option the rest of the year, which is good. Sometimes you need something sooner. The third option is knockoff batteries. You will get a lot more for your money that way. A 5- or 6-Ah knockoff battery costs about the same as a Ryobi PBP002. Most listings offer several capacities of batteries in the same listing, so that’s why you’ll see a price range.

They don’t perform like a genuine Ryobi battery with a comparable amp-hour rating would, so I do like having at least a couple of those Ryobis around. But the aftermarket batteries deliver more power and longer life than the PBP002 for about the same money, and they’re reliable. I think that’s a good deal.

For general use, I just use whatever battery I have that has a full charge. Then when I need maximum power, I use a genuine Ryobi high-capacity battery. And that’s been working well for me for more than a decade.

Thank you

Thank you for reading this far. I write about four times a week, typically about DIY, old and new computers, 80s nostalgia, and vintage electric trains. If you enjoy this type of content, you can follow me on Pinterest or Facebook, or subscribe to my RSS feed. And if you don’t mind doing me a favor, if you enjoyed one of my blog posts, would you share it with a friend? Shares over social media, hangouts like Discord or Slack, discussion groups, news aggregators, or even old-fashioned e-mail are the most effective way for me to reach new readers. Thanks again.