Along with the new Ryobi 18V One+ HP compact brushless power tools that were introduced recently, Ryobi also introduced new more “compact” 18V compact 1.5 ah batteries. These are the new more compact batteries you can expect to receive if you purchase the new compact drill and/or impact driver as a kit. The model number for the new battery is PBP002 .
As you can see in the above image, you’ll see the new slimmed down more compact battery on the left and a standard compact battery on the right.
They are a little bit shorter in height and while the front to back length is about the same, the bottom front and back of the battery has been tapered for an even more compact appearance. Although as seen in the first above image, the difference isn’t that big but I do commend Ryobi for making it as compact as possible even if only by a little bit. The new compact 1.5 ah battery also features a battery fuel gauge, and while fuel gauges are new to Ryobi batteries, they did make it larger for better visibility.
As of right now, the new compact 1.5 ah batteries are only found inside kits with the new One+HP compact brushless series power tools but you can’t purchase by themselves. What do you guys think of the new more compact battery?
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No review or pics online so far has shown the back side of the stalk where the extra 2 contacts are located for the “Lithium+HP” batteries. Does this compact battery have these additional contacts?
It does not have them, it’s also not labelled as Lithim+HP, just regular old 18V Lithium.
Well I guess the next question is do these new Revolution tools have the extra contacts to use this feature on the Lithium+HP batteries? I thought the extra contacts to the battery’s BMS circuit board were designed for brushless motors to utilize the battery in some way that’s different from the normal brushed tools? I’ve seen youtube videos of comparisons between the batteries that have this feature and those that don’t.
Good question. I am reviewing all of the new One+ HP compact brushless series tools so I’ll add a mention regarding the extra pins, if they have them or not for each individual tool review. I reviewed the impact driver so far and have added the answer to your question in that review https://toolcraze.net/ryobi-18v-one-hp-compact-brushless-1-4%e2%80%b3-impact-driver-psbid01k-psbid01cn-honest-review/
I looked at the battery connections for the new brushless impact and it does not have the special connections. I added an image in that review so you guys can see for yourself.
Ryobi says this about the two extra pins:
“HP communication technology paired with Brushless tools maximizes performance in all applications”
However not all brushless tools use ‘HP Performance”:
“HP Performance does not apply to Brushless Lawn & Garden Products”
So if I had to guess I would say the BMS circuit board in a Lithium+HP battery will allow a greater current draw on a tool that ‘communicates’ with it via the extra stalk pins and requests this. It may be the new compact tools don’t need greater than normal current draws to achieve their performance goals?
Honestly, I think the whole special battery for better performance on brushless tools is baloney and marketing. You’ll only find marketing like that on Ryobi’s and Ridgid’s (octane) cordless systems but you won’t find that you need special batteries with extra pins on any other cordless system.
Yeah for Ryobi this all stems from their decision to not move to slide-ons and new tools when LiON replaced the old NiMH and NiCD. A LiON slide-on is electrically connected directly to the tool. The tool determines how much to draw. When Ryobi batteries were converted to LiON along with keeping the old tools they had to add to the battery a BMS (battery management system) circuit board that electrically sits between the battery and the tool. If this board senses too much current is being drawn then it disconnects the battery (also if the battery runs too low, which LiON can’t handle).
I have no inside info about exactly what the extra pins on the HP battery are for. But I’m guessing the HP brushless tools want to draw more current than a non-HP battery will supply. So the tool tells the BMS that it should let more current flow. This is why on the youtube videos where the HP tools are tested with HP and non-HP batteries there is usually (but not always) some percentage of improvement with the HP battery.
Ryobi has to carry some baggage to maintain the one battery forever thing. Their tools are going to be remain certain size. But for us DIY’ers I get it. I don’t use my tools every day and they last forever.
Well it appears theses new “HP” tools have arrived at my local Home Depot. Picked the drill / impact combo kit PSBCK01K. Neither the batteries nor the tools have the extra contacts at the back of the battery post. So I’m not sure where Ryobi is coming from labeling these as “HP” tools
Not sure but you could ask them directly in their Facebook page and see what you come up with. I did review both of those cordless tools, the new HP compact brushless impact and drill if you want to check out my reviews on them and how they compare to similar models. Click on the Review’s tab at the top of this site or use the search bar for either model.