If you’re a Ryobi fan, you probably have a wide collection of its bright-colored tools you’ve slowly collected from Home Depot. Over the years, the company has released hundreds of tools and accessories, mainly under the 18V ONE+ tool line, and some of them are better than others. While there’s a good reason many of its products end up discontinued, here are a few I wish could come back.
Ryobi 12V Auto Hammer
A compact tool that hammers for you
Ryobi has a long and storied history in tools, with the first power tool released in the 1960s. Since then, a lot has come and gone. Almost everything on our list will be recent items, many of which you’ll want once you learn about them.
As the name suggests, this fancy little tool has a magnetic head that holds nails and hammers for you, making quick work of nails and such in tight spaces. The Ryobi 12V Auto Hammer (model JG001) is a compact, discontinued cordless tool I wish would make a comeback.
It features an equally hard-to-find Ryobi 12-volt battery and delivers around 3,600 BPM from the hammering mechanism with the push of a trigger. While different, a somewhat similar tool is available in the Milwaukee Palm Nailer. Sadly, this tool never made a comeback, but who knows, maybe it’ll return with the new compact Ryobi USB Lithium line of tools. They’re occasionally available on eBay, too.
Ryobi Garage Door Opener with Battery Backup
Ahead of its time, but it didn’t last
Did you know that Ryobi used to make an ultra-quiet garage door opener packed with smart and useful features?
The Ryobi garage door opener (models GD201 and GD126) wasn’t your typical opener. The system worked like most garage doors, with a quiet 2HP belt-drive motor system, but it also featured a lithium-ion battery backup in case of power outages.
Ryobi had a Wi-Fi-equipped system with app controls and several modular tool attachment points. You could add a fan, a Ryobi Bluetooth speaker, a tire inflator, and other items to the system, making it an all-in-one garage solution. Reviews were extremely mixed, but if the company could bring it back, I’m sure it would be a hit today.
Unfortunately, that’s unlikely after Ryobi lost a major patent dispute in 2018 with the Chamberlain Group, the leader in garage door technology. Once that happened, the entire line was discontinued. Sales were blocked until 2023, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Ryobi 18V Hybrid LED Cable Lights
A string of lights with endless possibilities
Next up on my list is the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Hybrid LED Cable Lights, which is actually a tool I own and absolutely love. I wish this would make a comeback, as I’d buy a few more in a heartbeat.
This tool came with three rugged LED light pods that delivered 1,500 lumens, all connected by a 30-foot cable. The LED pods have strong metal handles, built-in cord management hooks, and they’re amazing. I have some strung up in the garage, but they’re great for a worksite, tailgate, backyard, and so much more.
The best part about these lights is that they’re part of the Ryobi Hybrid system. You could plug them into a regular outlet, or power the entire string with an 18V battery pack. If I weren’t afraid of ruining mine, I’d take them camping. I love Ryobi hybrid tools, and you can never have too many lights.
Ryobi 18V Uproar BR RC Truck
Seriously, Ryobi used to offer an RC truck
While this isn’t a tool, it’s still something that Ryobi discontinued that I think we can all agree would be cool if it made a return. I’m talking about the Ryobi 18V Uproar RC truck kit.
Ryobi sold this fun RC truck, and it was available at Home Depot. It’s not technically a “Ryobi” truck with Ryobi colors and branding, but the company sold it themselves, and you could toss any 18V battery inside and have a blast.
According to Ryobi, the Uproar BR RC truck could reach a top speed of around 20MPH, had decent suspension, and was about 10 inches tall and 23 inches long. I don’t know about you guys, but I have plenty of spare battery packs, and I’d buy this just for fun. You can find some neat videos about it on YouTube.
Ryobi 18V ONE+ Protip Handheld Paint Sprayer
A versatile tool for all your painting needs
If there’s one discontinued Ryobi tool that fans really enjoyed, it’s the Protip Handheld Paint Sprayer. It’s frequently mentioned on Reddit as a tool buyers wish could return to store shelves.
Don’t get me wrong, you can buy all sorts of different paint guns and sprayers, including similar tools from Ryobi. However, this one was popular for its cordless design, easy one-handed use, and the Protip design that didn’t get clogged like every other paint sprayer you’ve ever used.
Rumor has it Ryobi faced lawsuits over this item, too, although everything I found online mentions electrostatic sprayers, not a regular paint sprayer like this one. Either way, the Protip sprayer is a once-popular tool that now sits in the Ryobi graveyard.
Ryobi 18V ONE+ Xenon Hi-Beam Flashlight
Once super bright, but now dim
Last but certainly not least, I wanted to highlight the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Xenon Hi-Beam Flashlight. What makes this flashlight unique is right there in the name—Xenon—the same technology found in many car headlights. As you can imagine, this thing was incredibly bright.
Powered by an 18V ONE+ battery pack, this light delivers 2,800 lumens and featured a lock-on button, so you didn’t have to continuously hold down the trigger. It lasted about 90 minutes per battery pack, but it got very warm if used for extended periods.
Ryobi offers a wide selection of lighting solutions these days, including this similar handheld 18V LED spotlight, but nothing quite compares to the Xenon Hi-Beam of old.
Gone but not forgotten
Considering Ryobi has been making and selling tools for decades, including 30 years of the 18V ONE+ line, many tools have come and gone. These certainly aren’t the only discontinued Ryobi power tools people loved, but they’re a few I wish would make a comeback. Another honorable mention is the Ryobi Air Grip Laser Level that suctioned to your wall.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
