Ryobi is launching a new 40V cordless power tool battery belt, OP40HBA, allowing users to pack greater electrical energy capacity off the tool.
Basically, this means longer runtime, and the weight is carried by your body.
The two battery ports can work with all Ryobi 40V batteries.
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Additional features include a battery selector on the tool adapter, an LED indicator for showing the charge capacity status of the battery in use, adjustable shoulder strap, and a foldable design for compact storage. The shoulder straps are removable, in case you want to wear just the hip belt.
The Ryobi 40V belt power supply weighs 5 lbs (presumably without batteries).
The power supply should work with all Ryobi 40V handheld cordless power tools.
Price: $199
ETA: June 2023
Discussion
The way I see it, there are two benefits for something like this. First, it keeps some weight off the tool, which might help reduce fatigue.
Second, maybe it’ll save you a long walk back to the charger or wherever you keep your fully charged batteries, although I’m not sure how much of a difference it will make.
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The premise is that it gives you longer runtime with less interruptions.
Obviously there are some tools this probably shouldn’t be used with; it seems optimized for handheld tools, such as a cordless leaf blower. It seems like it will be very awkward to attach this to something like a cordless shop vacuum.
MM
Looks like a great idea. Bigger OPE uses bigger and bigger batteries and with something like this you can not only carry more runtime on your person, but you also spread the weight out more. One thing I’ve learned from using brushcutters is that the fancy shoulder harness (as opposed to just a strap) is well worth the money.
I had been using a Sthil FS240R for several years (highly recommended!) and I had just stuck with the basic strap that it came with. I saw that Sthil offered fancier options but I didn’t feel they were worth the money. Then last year I had some work to do that required a more serious machine so I shelled out for an FS 561. That came with a much nicer harness than the 240R and it made me a believer. It was less tiring to use the 561 with that harness than it was to use the 240R with a basic strap, even though the 561 is substantially heavier and more powerful. Now I use that harness with the 240R as well, it is night-and-day compared to the strap.
However, this does seem expensive! $200 feels high given the Ryobi brand and the fact that this likely has minimal functional electronics inside. Does this perhaps include a battery?
TomD
Milwaukee should make one of these that takes MX Fuel and powers the M18 OPE.
MKY
Stuart –
“It seems like it will be very awkward to attach this (to?) something like a cordless shop vacuum.”
Peter
Its the newest craze, corded cordless tools!!! 😉
Joe H
I have a cordless phone charger, that plugs into the wall. That’s Corded Cordless right?!
Peter
Okay maybe not that new then.
Mopar
Seems it would be great for the line trimmer. But not for $200 for essentially a harness, a few battery connectors and some wire.
Steve
I lije the idea, but if you are right on the 200$ price tag, then ouch. Ryobi is usually pretty value priced. For a blower and weed wacker, I’d get one if Big Red had one…
Bonnie
Seems like a sensible thing that any prosumer OPE tool lines should be adding in the next few years. But as others have said… $200 for a harness and an extension cord seems ridiculous.
Nate
Here I was thinking Ryobi was copying EGO:
https://egopowerplus.com/backpack-link/
Which is also $200 for a harness and an extension cord.
Big Richard
Yeh for $200 I will walk back to the garage to grab another battery. I have to grab a fresh beer anyways. Now if this thing held a few beers as well……
Jack D
LOL. I was literally thinking the same thing. There’s room on the thing for a beer or two…
Nate
Ryobi should combine this with a green beer helmet. There’s a lot of room in their $200 price for that.
Koko The Talking Ape
Nice idea, but I imagine you could make one yourself from a tool belt and some wire. I’m told you can get the electrical connectors for the batteries and tool from etsy or ebay.
I might add some kind of breakaway connection so a dropped tool doesn’t pull you off a ladder or something.
Incidentally, that sure is a fat cord in the pictures. 4 gauge? I know they want to minimize resistive losses, but that seems like overkill, especially since the thing is so expensive.
Eric
It’s probably a pair of 10 or 12 gauge wires with a really heavy jacket.
Ct451
I did make one but my main objective was to mix and use batteries from different brands. I started with one for 12v tools to run off 5ah lead-acid batteries then I added a cut-off circuit that lets me use li-po batteries and then i added adapters that fit in specific brands. A couple I bought on eBay and a few i made from the tool batteries after the cells went bad. It was actually easier to make this setup than trying to replace cells inside the original package. I used Xt60 connectors rated for 60amps and 10-gauge wire. I don’t understand why the made the cable come out where it does straight down the middle. At least add a couple of Velcro loops to bring to either side.
Mopar
I’m guessing part of the reason for the fat cord is the battery selector switch is on the tool adapter. Meaning if they are simply using a selector switch they need to run at least 3 high current wires (2 positive and 1 negative) as well 2 smaller gauge wires x2 for each battery’s BMS circuitry. So I’m guessing 6-8 wires total. Even if you did the switching electronically, you would still need 2 power wires, 2 BMS wires, and 2 or 3 logic wires. Probably not worth the cost/complexity to do that over just using a heavier switch and 1 heavier gauge wire.
Mopar
I think I would happily trade off having the battery selector switch mounted on the vest where it could be easily reached while wearing for the smaller wire to the tool.
fred
It seems similar in concept to Makita’s backpack power supply:
https://www.amazon.com/Makita-PDC01-Portable-Backpack-Supply/dp/B085VQ4WHC
and to EGO’s:
https://www.amazon.com/EGO-Power-BH1001-Backpack-Link/dp/B07GL9YT3B/
Koko The Talking Ape
Interesting! That Makita looks especially capable, since you can take the shoulder straps and frame off the battery carrier, and you can load up to four batteries.
The Ego looks expensive for what it is, and I don’t know why it doesn’t have a hip belt. Backpackers know a hip belt adds a huge amount of comfort and load-carrying ability.
James+C
Ryobi already has one of those, too:
https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/46396040299
JQ
My guess is they kept the circuitry that swaps what battery is pulled from with each trigger press and cut out all the charging logic.
Basically, the half-priced/half-functional homeowner version instead of something for a professional ground crew. Not a bad concept.
Aaron+S
That makita one will let you use your 36v pin nailer for months at a time!
Munklepunk
Hmm. Makita.
eddie sky
Get one of those smaller Ecoflow power stations, configure a backpack for it, and plug your corded tools in! And pull a wagon with solar panels on it to keep it charging! LOL…
MM
And as with DC Solar, the panels on the wagon won’t provide enough juice to power the tools so there must be a diesel generator present for backup.
Nate
Ryobi should combine this with a green beer helmet. There’s a lot of room in their $200 price for that.
Bobcat
Didn’t Makita come out with a vest
Saulac
“First, it keeps some weight off the tool…” but why the adapter looks so big? Is it truly just some connectors and wires like some said, or there is something in the adapter? How big is the cable to ensure the very amp draw in some situations?
Also would keeping too much weight off affect the balance of some tools?
Robert
The cord look like is was stolen from poor Eeyore. Seems with it being that long it would get in the way and kill some of the OPE benefit of cordless electric. Semi-cordless?
Bonnie
I assume it’s for compatibility with other OPE tools with batteries mounted farther away from your hip.
Rey G.
Check out the diy quad milwaukee backpack power supply on YT. Looks like it can mix any capacity M18 with a low voltage shutoff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ9UiD-OTbk
Jason
First of all I didn’t know you could embed YouTube videos. Second of all that’s awesome.
Stuart
You can/can’t.
Sometimes in comments they render as links, other times they render as embeds. I haven’t seen any patterns as to how to control this.
Aaron SD
Is the connector on the tool also a battery? Else the belt just gives one extra battery which doesn’t seem worth $200. Even at two extra sends a bit excessive and no additional functionality – you still have to manually switch to a fresh battery.
It’ll be a lot cheaper to use a regular backpack and throw in batteries than this.
Nathan
hell of alot cheaper than the other back pack battery additions. go price the stihl kit.
It’s a great idea and I bet Milwaukee will have one soon. Blowers especially eat batteries. I could see another use on large construction where they use impact wrenches on steel work. Today I see quite a few running air have swapped to cordless devices and you see giant batteries on them. picture having a vest setup to take the weight off the tool.
the price if it includes the batteries is pretty reasonable. I hope Dewalt is watching that. would really help their blower shine well the flexvolt one.
josh Morris
Seems like they missed the ball but came real close to crushing it.
2 batteries seems like 1 or 2 too few.
If you have a larger property for a blower 2 batteries is gone quick.
And if its trying to target commercial stuff the 2 batteries wont go a whole lot farther for weed trimmers and hedge clippers and such
Just seems like they severely limited their audience by having only 2
Ezequiel Gonzalez
Close but no cigar!!! Instead of two battery connectors it should have three. That way you can use it with one, two or three batteries. Remember now they have big 12 ah batteries. One of them should be enough, well balanced in the central connector, but if you have the smaller batteries , then two or even three. Mainly a trimmer accessory…. but the price is too high, I would not pay more than 100 dollars for a brand new one, and no more than 60 dollars, used at ebay.