Ryobi Tek4 Electronic Tools
By Tracey Kampen
Ryobi Tek4 Cordless Power Tools are powered by a cutting-edge Lithium-Ion battery
which Ryobi claims can outlast 6000 AA alkaline batteries. It can be recharged up to 2000 times and uses environmentally-friendly technology. It can be used in all of Ryobi’s 4V tools and it is the power source for the new 10-item family of Tek4 tools. With a suggested retail price of $12.99 you might want to consider a battery for each one of these tools that finds its way into your tool chest.
You have two choices to choose from to charge the batteries: the Energy Star certified Standard Charger, with a charge time of three to five hours which is great for overnight charging, or the Rapid Charger, which provides a full charge in a mere 30 minutes. The convenience of the rapid charger does cost more; the standard charger has a suggested retail price of $11.99 while the 30 minute rapid charger retails for $39.99.
The new Tek4 High Intensity LED flashlight
is a comfortable, compact size that is easy to handle and carry. The light is very intense and truly bright. You will want to forgo the traditional habit of looking at the light source, but if you find yourself in a dark corner, one of these will provide all the light you need. That powerful light comes out of a small package. It’s only six ounces in weight, yet that light will last for six hours of continuous use. It’s 4 ¾ inches long and excluding the clip, it is almost 1 5/8 inches in diameter at the widest point.
Has your iPod, mp3 player, cell phone or Blackberry ever run out of power before the end of the day? It must have happened to the guys at Ryobi because they have developed a portable power source powered by their Tek4 battery. Pop a battery into the Portable Power Source and it will give you up to 80 hours of additional audio runtime. Simply use one of the supplied adaptors to connect to your device and use it to charge the batteries on your electronics. 
The Flashlight and Portable power source have a solid, well-made feel to them. The bodies are made of aluminum with an over-molded rubber grip surface. 
The battery compartment is accessed via a screw-on end cap and the portable power supply has rubber cover to protect from dirt and debris when not in use making both water, dust and impact resistant. It would be nice to have a battery included with this, but the convenience a product like this provides makes up for it. It’s similar in size to the flashlight and comes with a cable and a variety of adapters to hook it up to your favourite electronic device. If you like your music but keep running out of power, you can use the Portable Power Supply to power your I pod for extended run times as well by using your I pod connection cable and one of the included adptors..
The items we checked out from the new Tek4 line from Ryobi are well thought out, solid and well made; they are designed to be kind to the environment by eliminating a lot of waste, and the colour makes it easy to find in a toolbox or crowded shop.
The new Tek4 line is available exclusively at Home Depot.