Ryobi 40V Power Cleaner: What's New With This Model And How Much Does It Cost?
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Alongside its famous range of DIY tools, its home landscaping range, and its outdoor recreation products, Ryobi also sells plenty of cleaning tools. Some are top-selling items most fans of the brand will know, while others are more obscure tools many people might not know exist. Its previous-generation 40V HP power cleaner was one of the more widely known cleaning tools in its range, having racked up more than 770 reviews at Home Depot. However, user opinion was decidedly mixed. Some were impressed, but a significant proportion of buyers were not happy with its performance and reliability.
Enter Ryobi's new 40V HP Brushless 1000 PSI 1.0 GPM Cordless Cold Water Electric Power Cleaner, which aims to address some of the older model's shortcomings. As with its predecessor, the $189 tool is part of the brand's 40V HP range. It is, however, much more powerful, offering up to 1,000 PSI compared to the previous generation tool's 600 PSI. Its flow rate is also improved, with the new tool peaking at 1.0 GPM (gallons per minute) according to Ryobi. In contrast, the old tool topped out at 0.7 GPM.
The new cleaner has two power modes that allow users to prioritize either cleaning power or runtime. Ryobi claims that an 8Ah battery should deliver half an hour of runtime on max power mode, while a 4Ah battery will last 14 minutes on the same setting.
The tool comes with all the accessories you'll need to use it
Batteries and water famously don't mix well, but Ryobi has fitted the power cleaner with a water-resistant battery cover to ensure that the battery's connectors are protected from accidental splashes. On its own, the tool weighs 5.71 pounds, but it's worth keeping in mind that the 40V battery will add extra weight. Both the 6Ah and 8Ah batteries weigh around 4 pounds, making the tool and battery combined weigh just under 10 lbs.
Anyone planning to use a 1- or 2-liter bottle as a water source will also have to factor in the weight of carrying that around too. Ryobi says that its included bottle adapter works with most bottles of either capacity.
Users can also draw water from a five-gallon bucket, for which Ryobi includes a 20-foot siphon hose with the tool as standard. Also included are 15- and 40-degree nozzles, a turbo nozzle for speedy dirt removal, and a shoulder strap. The nozzles attach to a ¼-inch nozzle coupler, which the brand states is compatible with most common pressure washer accessories.
The kit isn't available yet, but the standalone tool is probably a better bet
At the time of writing, the tool is only available standalone, but a kit with a 2Ah battery and charger is listed as "coming soon" on Ryobi's website. The brand's kits are often a good way to save money compared to buying each item separately, but this particular kit might be one of the few Ryobi products that's worth steering clear of. Ryobi doesn't give a runtime estimate for the 2Ah battery, but given that a 4Ah battery lasts only 14 minutes on full power, a 2Ah battery probably won't cut it for most people.
This latest 40V power washer has only been out for a short time and, as a result, there are still too few reviews to deliver a reliable verdict on whether it fully addresses the power and reliability issues of its predecessor. Nonetheless, the tool appears to offer meaningful improvement in cleaning power, although it's still far less powerful than Ryobi's gas-powered pressure washers.