Ryobi Pet Stick Vac Uses Dual Rollers For Better Cleanup
Ryobi has been in the stick vacuum business for several years now. While its beginnings may have been humble, the Ryobi 18V One+ HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac targets higher performance with multiple improvements.
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Ryobi 18V One+ HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac Performance
As part of the HP Brushless line, Ryobi’s Pet Stick Vac uses a brushless motor in conjunction with a High Performance battery to produce better suction power than previous designs. How much better?
With 75 inches of water lift, it has twice the suction of Ryobi’s earlier models.
Adding to the vacuum’s pickup efficiency, a dual roller bar system is an enhancement over the single-roller systems we’ve used in the past. It starts with a plush roller in the front and a traditional brush roller in the rear.
In practice, the combination is an interesting one. We vacuumed several messes, including sawdust/chips, damp sand, cereal, and dog hair. Across a single pass moving forward, there was an obvious improvement over Ryobi’s earlier models, but there was still debris left behind. However, when we started running the head forward and back, the combination of plush first (forward) and then brush first (backward) cleaned things up in a hurry.
One of the interesting things we learned while testing it against an earlier model was seeing how the original collected most of the dog hair but actually pressed some of it into the fibers, leaving it behind. The Ryobi HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac didn’t. It pulled the hair away from the carpet and sucked it into the canister with relative ease.
Pet Rated
Ryobi’s Pet Rating is more than just the additional suction power we experienced. The vac as a whole is made with pet owners in mind. It includes everything from the performance to the accessories and even the filters so you can effectively collect pet hair and dander.
Whether it’s pet hair or long human hair, you’re going to need to clean the rollers from time to time. Access is easy by using a coin, slotted screwdriver, or another flat-ish object to turn each roller and unlock it. From there, just slide it out the side and cut away the hair wrapping around it before replacing it.
While the process is straightforward, I’d love to see tool-free access to the rollers.
Runtime
If you buy the kit, you get a 4.0Ah High Performance battery to work with. Using the lowest settings on hardwood, you can get up to an hour of work done. Flipping over to the highest power settings with both rollers going, we were able to run continuously for 17 minutes.
Noise
While Ryobi doesn’t specifically rate this vac as part of its Whisper Series, it is noticeably quiet. The actual decibel rating is 73 dB(a) and running it side-by-side against one of the original models, you can really hear the difference.
Ryobi 18V One+ HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac Design
Canister
The canister holds 0.21 gallons (~0.8 liters) and that’s a little higher than the 0.5-liter canisters we frequently see. Still, with how well this vac collected debris, we’d love to see a high-capacity version that gives us the possibility of cleaning the entire house without stopping to empty.
On the topic of emptying, it’s super-easy. A single button releases the canister from the front, and another springs open the base to drop the contents out.
The vacuum uses a cyclonic filtration system that captures up to 99.9% of allergens. However, hair can get up around the filter. If you’re not able to get your fingers in there to easily pull it out, just pop the top open and pull the filter out to gain access.
If You Don’t Stand For Something…
With the dual roller bar attachment on the end, the Ryobi HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac can stand on its own—hallelujah! When you’re finished vacuuming, feel free to let it stand in the corner. If you’d still prefer for it to be off the ground, there’s a wall hanger you can install that doesn’t take up much space.
Conversion and Accessories
Like many stick vacs, you can remove the primary head and use this model with attachments and keep the long reach or remove the shaft and use it as a hand vacuum. Ryobi includes several standard accessries, plus a motorized mini beater bar. That accessory makes cleaning vehicles, furniture, and other areas more effective, especially when hair is involved.
Here’s the full list of what comes with the vacuum:
- Dual roller bar (primary head)
- Mini motorized beater bar
- Crevice tool
- Micro crevice tool
- Dust brush
- Wall mount
Additional Highlights
- Front LED lights show you debris on hard floors and illuminate dark areas
Ryobi 18V One+ HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac Price
The model we’re looking at is the PBLSV717 and it’s available without a battery or charger for $249 or with a 4.0Ah High Performance battery and charger for $299. Either way, you get all the accessories.
As with all Ryobi products, it’s available at Home Depot. However, it’s not in stores at the time we’re writing, so plan to order from Home Depot’s website.
The Bottom Line
What a difference! Between higher suction, more capacity, and a dual roller bar system, the Ryobi HP Brushless Pet Stick Vac is a far more capable model than we’ve seen from Ryobi in the past. It’s more effective on both carpet and hard floors and while any home will benefit from using it, those of us who need to pick up long human hair and pet hair will see the greatest improvement.
Check out Ryobi’s entire line of cleaning products here!
Specifications
- Model: PBLSV717
- Power Source: Ryobi 18V One+ battery (High Performance recommended)
- Motor: Brushless
- Runtime: Up to 60 minutes with 4.0Ah High Performance battery)
- Canister Capacity: 0.21 gallons (0.8 liters)
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Warranty: 3 years
