5 Ryobi USB Lithium Tools Worth Buying A 3AH Battery For

If you've even casually perused Ryobi's official web store lately, you are likely well aware that the Techtronic Industries owned tool brand has developed a device to meet the needs of virtually any job a DIYer can fathom. The brand has many tools available these days, spreading the options over several different battery platforms. 

Those platforms are all all rechargeable lithium-ion in nature, of course, with Ryobi's 18V and 40V battery families making up the bulk of the brand's more powerful offerings. If you've got a smaller job which doesn't require that level of battery powered punch, Ryobi's USB Lithium lineup may be more than serviceable option, as it now features dozens of tools that generally operate in the 4V corner of the cordless power tool marketplace.

Like its 18V and 40V siblings, batteries in the USB Lithium product family are shareable throughout the lineup. They are also available in different Ampere Hour (Ah) ratings, though Ryobi keeps the options to either 2Ah or 3Ah. Batteries in the former category are the most common in the USB Lithium family, with several of those tools available in kits that include at least one 2Ah power pack. Sometimes you need to extend the performance and potential runtime of your device, and in those scenarios, upgrading to a 3Ah battery can help. Here's a look at a few USB Lithium tools that might benefit from a 3Ah battery.

If you're unsure how Ampere Hours work, they essentially measure the current a battery can provide over a specific amount of time. So, a 3Ah battery should provide 3-amps of power for a full hour. If you want that sort of upgrade for your Ryobi USB Lithium tool, a 3Ah battery will cost you $34.97, just $10 more than the 2Ah model, and if you're using the brand's USB Lithium Rotary Tool, it could be well worth investing that modest sum to upgrade. 

You'll need to add that to the overall cost of the tool itself, of course. The $59.97 tool only sells it as a kit, which also includes a 2Ah battery and charger. Still, the 2Ah battery combined with a 3Ah upgrade could provide you all the time you need to tackle longer jobs that require a little low-grade etching, grinding, carving, polishing, or cutting. The rotary tool features a quick-change head, a lightweight compact design for easy one-hand usage, and five variable speed settings that produce anywhere from 5,000 RPM to 25,000 RPM. It's also backed by a 2-year manufacturer's warranty.

Those features have no doubt contributed to the tool's 4.8-star user rating, with most users praising the tool for its mix of power and versatility. While runtime is not regularly mentioned as a concern, if you're looking to put this tool to heavy-duty use, upgrading to a 3Ah source just seems smart.  

Like Ryobi's USB Lithium Rotary Tool, the brand's USB Lithium Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is only sold as part of a kit. It also comes with a 2Ah battery, though in this case two are included as they are both required for the vacuum to function. Even still, a handheld vacuum is one of those tools you can easily use for extended periods, and if you're trying to limit how many times you need to swap and charge those batteries — Ryobi claims about 14-minutes per charge with the 2Ah battery packs — adding a couple of 3Ah power pack to the mix could only aid in that endeavor.

It might just be nice to start with 3Ah batteries then switch over to 2Ah when the need arises too. At $99.97, this is the most expensive tool listed here, so adding two 3Ah batteries might make for an expensive purchase. But for what it's worth, customers seem pretty happy with it, rating the tool 4.5 stars while mostly praising for its suction power and ease of use.

As opposed to most of the tools listed here, this one comes with a charging dock so you don't necessarily need to remove the batteries to keep them powered up. The set also includes interchangeable heads, one for upholstery and a 2-in-1 job for crevices and dust. So, if you've got the money to spend, this vacuum kit paired with 3Ah batteries could be a game-changer in your cleaning routine. 

With the Bluetooth speaker market booming, even many tool-focused outfits like Ryobi offer various models to their customer bases. While Ryobi's speakers fall far short of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy, they're hardly among the worst. If you're already invested in its USB Lithium family of tools, it could make a lot of sense to keep it in the brand with a device like this Compact Ryobi Verse Bluetooth Speaker when you find yourself in need.

With a tool only sticker price of $89, it's not an overly expensive option to add either. There is a kit version of this speaker that adds a 2Ah battery and charging cable for an additional $10. But for our money, it could be smarter to forgo the kit and instead buy the speaker solo and buy a 3Ah battery along with it. After all, most of you already have a charging cable handy, and upgrading to 3Ah may go a long way in ensuring your battery life doesn't become an issue when you're looking to kick out the jams on a work site, at a tailgate, or during a casual hang on the backyard patio. 

As for the speaker itself, Ryobi touts studio quality sound from the device at a Bluetooth range of  250-feet. The speaker is also IP64 rated for water and dust resistance, and its Verse status means you can connect it to other Ryobi Verse speakers if you want to boost the sound at your next party.   

When it comes to Ryobi's battery powered yard care offerings, conversations tend to converge on its 18V and 40V tool families. That is largely because heavy-duty yard work tends to require a little more power than a 4V tool can generally supply. But that level of power isn't always necessary in the yard, and if you've got some light trimming and clipping to do with your shrubbery, Ryobi's USB Lithium line has a 2-in-1 Shear and Shrubber tool that could prove useful.

That tool is sold as part of a kit, with $59.97 also buying you a 2Ah battery and a charging cable. On a full charge, that 2Ah battery pack will get you about 35 minutes of runtime. Depending on the greenery you've got in place around your house and yard, half-an-hour of power may be perfectly fine. If you've got a little more going on in your green spaces, you might be wise to add another battery to the mix, and if you're doing that, you may as well pony-up ten extra bucks for a 3Ah model that'll add a little extra runtime to the equation.

The tool itself is well-liked by customers too, who've rated it at 4.8-stars and praise it for its lightweight build, versatility, and its easy-switching head. They appreciate the effectiveness of both the shear and shrubber heads too, though some did go on to point out that this tool is designed only to handle smaller trimming jobs.

Scrubbing devices don't often get the proper power tool treatment. There are a few scenarios in which such tools could really benefit from the powered approach, and an indoor-outdoor scrubber is pretty high on that list. It's not surprising then that Ryobi features a pair of those devices in its USB Lithium lineup, one being a highly-rated compact handheld build, and the other an equally well-liked Telescoping Model that could prove as useful around the outside of the home as it is on the interior. 

The tool is powered by a single USB Lithium battery, with Ryobi including a 2Ah pack in its $74.99 sticker price. Given what the tool is designed for and how long you're likely to be using it, one 2Ah battery hardly seems like enough to get the most out of the tool. With that in mind, buying a 3Ah battery feels more like a necessity than it does a luxury. Either way, customers who've bought the tool seem to agree it works well, rating it at 4.7 stars on its product page, with small time complaints ranging from the lack of a physical owner's manual to the device's pole being difficult to use in tight spaces.

The pole itself ranges from 27-inches to 47-inches, meaning you can use the scrubber to clean anything from shower tile to brick and stone fixtures, and even some second-story windows. The tool also comes with individual heads designed for each purpose.   

With dozens of powered devices to choose from in Ryobi's USB Lithium family of tools, narrowing things down to the five items listed here required the careful consideration of a couple of key factors. As battery longevity is one of the primary selling points for upgrading to a 3Ah power pack, we first focused on tools that might be commonly used for extended periods, as they might benefit most from even a little extra runtime. We also considered user reviews in our selection process, ensuring only items that have been field tested and well rated to at least a score of 4.5 stars made the cut.