The newest member of Ryobi’s One+ 18V family is the P720 Ryobi Hybrid LED work light. The 20-watt LED light features 1700 lumens of light output. It runs off of either a standard power cord or your Ryobi One+ 18V battery. Neither are included, but any extension cord works beautifully and you’ve already got a couple of Ryobi cordless tools like the One+ Jigsaw, right?
The first thing that I noticed when I took the Ryobi One+ Hybrid Work Light out was the massive LED chip at the center. I’ve got a 2500 lumen LED work light from Husky that operates on 40 separate LEDs. Not the Ryobi Hybrid; just one massive LED.
Ryobi P720 Hybrid LED Work Light Observations
Compared to a flashlight, the Ryobi Hybrid work light’s LED is very shallow. This produces a much wider throw. Turning the light on, that’s exactly what I got. From inside the house, it lit up the entire wall plus a significant portion of the side walls from 8-feet away. You get around 150 degrees of LED beam spread. If you check out the throw near the ground, you’ll notice it is rectangular like the design of the housing. Realistically though, the light cast is so wide, it very difficult to tell that it isn’t circular.
The 1700 lumens of the Ryobi Hybrid LED Work Light does an effective job of illuminating dark work spaces without having a blinding hotspot.
You’ve got several mounting options to get the light into place for the best light output for your job. The head pivots 360 degrees vertically from its standing position. It can also be hung by the J-hook that’s also found on the Ryobi One+ Hybrid Fan. The cord retainer grooves allow for a wide variety of hanging applications, but my favorite is the ability to hang it on a chain-link fence. The hole in the base of the light just so happens to fit the threaded screw of a tripod.
Ryobi One+ Hybrid Work Light Specifications
- Model: P720
- Power Source: Ryobi One+ 18V battery or 120 volt AC
- Light Output: 1700 lumens
- Max 18V Run Time: 4 hours using a 4.0 amp hour battery
- Weight: 2.95 pounds
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $69.00
Ryobi P720 Hybrid LED Work Light Features
- 360 degree vertically rotating head
- Mount or hang using J hook, screw hole, cord retainer, or attach to tripod
- Use either a Ryobi One+ 18V battery or extension cord for power
Looking at several different light placements for work situations, I found that I could effectively light up over 100 square feet of wall space and be well inside my comfort zone of a safe amount of lighting. One test that I tried just for kicks was… illuminating. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself!) I aimed the light directly at the white ceiling of the room I was working on to see what the reflected output would. The result was very much like having ceiling light on of near 30 watts. Everything in the room was lit well enough to see all possible obstacles, though a little short of what I would be comfortable working in.
I do have just one complaint regarding the Ryobi One+ Hybrid Work Light. The on/off switch position. It’s very easy to press, but a little too easy. Combined with its placement near the handle, I tend to accidentally turn it on when carrying it. My knucklewill bump it and if I happen to be looking down at it while there is a battery installed… well, it’s a really bright light.
Comparing the Ryobi Hybrid LED Work Light to the Competition
I took a look around to see what other work lights would line up in the same class as the Ryobi Hybrid LED Work Light in terms of size, light output, run time, and price. Most of the other lights in this category use integrated Lithium-ion batteries, which is understandable considering you’re not going to invest in a battery family that has only one member.
If the Ryobi Hybrid LED work light is the only tool you’re going after from the Ryobi One+ family, it’s going to lose some of it’s value. You still get a great light that runs on any extension cord. The downside is that it’ll cost you well over $100 for a 4.0 amp hour battery and charger. If you’re already in the Ryobi One+ system, the light offers a ton of value. Other cordless lights on the market start around $100 and go up from there significantly as they approach the performance of Ryobi. Run time was the other limiting factor for competing lights. Of course, you’re nearly unlimited with corded power. Most of the other lights I found ran between 2-1/2 and 3 hours per charge. The Ryobi One+ Hybrid Work Light is getting 4 hours from it 4.0 amp hour battery.
Conclusion
I’ve got to say that I’m loving the new ONE+ Ryobi P720 Hybrid LED work light. The combination of real performance with portability when I need it makes me long for what Ryobi might come out with next in the Hybrid line. Simply as a work light, the output and throw are outstanding for a light this size. The variety of mounting and hanging options makes it extremely versatile no matter what job I’m working on. The fact that I can run it on an extension cord for a virtually unlimited time or several hours on the battery means that I’m never without light when I need it. $69 to add it to my existing Ryobi One+ tools? Yes, please!
To check out all of the tools available in the Ryobi One+ family, be sure to visit their website!
