Are Greenworks 60V And 80V Batteries Interchangeable & Can They Work On Ryobi Tools?

Though it's largely recognized as one of the most reliable push lawn mower brands out there, there's much more to Greenworks. The brand has a deep catalogue of other lawn appliances, power tools, and even things like scooters and electric go-karts. Greenworks also offers several different lines of batteries, ranging from 24 to 82 volts, to power its cordless tools. 

The reason for such a wide range of voltages is that various tools require different levels of power to work. That means you'll have to attach a 60V battery to a tool that needs 60 volts to run. If you have a 60V tool and an 80V battery, or an 80V tool and a 60V battery, these combinations won't work. 

There are some exceptions to this voltage-matching rule. DeWalt's Flexvolt tool and battery system, for example, is designed to power both 20V and 60V tools with the same battery. However, this won't come in handy with Greenworks tools. That's because you generally need to attach a battery from the same brand of the tool you are working with for it to function properly.

The Greenworks and Ryobi offerings appear quite similar. They're both sold in green and black colors, and the brands sell a lot of the same tools and batteries. Not to mention, Greenworks and Ryobi tools are actually produced by the same company. With that in mind, it would be plausible that fitting a 60V, 80V, or any other voltage Greenworks battery into a Ryobi tool could do the trick. In reality, using a 60V Greenworks battery with a Ryobi tool won't work because Ryobi doesn't even have 60V tools or batteries. Their offerings jump straight from 40V to 80V.

For the 80V system, the two green brands still can't quite come together. When inspecting the 80V battery offerings for Greenworks and Ryobi, it's clear that these batteries are noticeably different. They attach to their respective brands' tools in different ways, making them physically incompatible. 

There are ways to use one major brand's battery with tools from a different brand, namely by using a third-party battery adapter. However, this is not recommended for multiple reasons. For one, a Greenworks-Ryobi adaptor is hard to find. Even in the chance that you could get your hands on one, using it could damage your tools and batteries because these types of devices are designed to override safety measures that prevent things like overheating. In the end, Greenworks 60V and 80V batteries just aren't compatible with Ryobi tools.