Can Ryobi Batteries Be Refurbished Or Rebuilt?

Ryobi is one of many tool manufacturers that has gone all-in on battery power. From lawn care equipment to versatile drills and saws, it's easy for just about anyone to build out a Ryobi cordless collection. Of course, you'll need batteries to power said collection, which is both a blessing and a curse. Batteries are pretty reliable and make for a less cumbersome, cord-bound experience. However, there's the drawback of needing to charge them after routine use, and they are prone to malfunction over time.

If your Ryobi battery dies or experiences some kind of functional issue, you might wonder if you can rebuild or refurbish it. Lithium-ion batteries can get pricey, and it's not hard to find replacement parts for Ryobi tools. Unfortunately, Ryobi doesn't offer rebuilding or refurbishing batteries, and attempting either yourself is incredibly dangerous. It's common for lithium-ion batteries to catch fire, as the liquid electrolyte inside is highly flammable. With exposure to a high enough temperature, it could even explode. Even if it doesn't, it can heat up to temperatures well over 700 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in serious burns.

There's also the option of taking it to a third-party professional to have your Ryobi battery rebuilt. Still, that idea is every bit as expensive as it is risky.

There are folks who have made it their mission to try and understand lithium-ion batteries. In doing so, they've made businesses out of repairing them for those in need. There are plenty of people who claim they can resurrect worn down Ryobi batteries, even offering different rates depending on the battery type and rebuild level. On paper, it might seem like a great idea, but in reality, you're likely better off just getting ahold of Ryobi and seeing what your battery warranty covers.

For one, there's the matter of quality. These aren't official Ryobi repair techs, so they most likely don't know the ins and outs of these batteries as much as someone from the company would. The quality of their work could lead to further repairs or to the hardware store to get a new unit entirely. 

Cost is a consideration as well. It can run close to $100 depending on who you go with and what kind of battery needs to be fixed. Worst case scenario, you might end up spending more on the repair than you would a new battery, or at the very least, spend a bit less for the repair but have the battery quality dip significantly.

Even though it can be a major hazard to crack open a Ryobi battery, some have gone ahead and done so to perform their own repairs. Users on Reddit recalled their experience, along with the positives and negatives. 

"Ryobi batteries are pretty easy to swap out/upgrade and it's well worth it. The 2 hard parts are searching for the best cells (Sanyo have been consistently the best I've found) and soldering them together," wrote user u/Ibmeister. In another thread, u/admiraljkb advocated for battery repair as well, making sure to note that doing so without proper preparation, experience, and tools can make it difficult and dangerous.

There are plenty of YouTubers who have documented their experiences refurbishing Ryobi batteries, too. electronicsNmore opened up their Ryobi battery and replaced the non-functioning cells with fresh ones, and demonstrated how to test the repair afterward. Try to HELP you on YouTube managed to fix up an old Ryobi battery using laptop battery cells. 

But it cannot be stressed enough that performing any of these tasks is incredibly dangerous. For the safety of you and those around you, the only real option is to get a new battery unit entirely, either buying one brand new or seeing if your warranty covers a free replacement.