The 3 must-have Ryobi tools you can't find at Home Depot

Published Sep 24, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Cory Gunther is a senior author and Newsletter Editor at Valnet, covering cutting-edge tech, Android, and more for How-To Geek. He's covered Android, cars, and technology for over a decade. When he's not reviewing the latest gadget, you can find him off-roading in his Toyota truck, fixing said truck, or doing something outdoors with friends and family. He's covered CES, SEMA, and MWC and reviewed countless phones, TVs, speakers, EVs, e-bikes, and more. Before Valnet, Cory worked for GottaBeMobile. His writing has also appeared on SlashGear, InputMag, and AndroidCentral. He's written over 9,000 articles. Ryobi fans are a passionate bunch, and most of us own several of the company's tools. As many of you know, Ryobi products are sold almost exclusively at Home Depot in the U.S., but here are a few must-have tools you'll have to seek out elsewhere. Before the year 2000, when Techtronic Industries (TTI) bought Ryobi, you could find variations of models at other hardware stores, like Lowe's, but that's no longer the case. Now, pretty much the only places to buy a Ryobi are Home Depot, resellers like eBay, or the TTI-owned Direct Tools Factory Outlet. These days, there are limited-edition and must-have collector's tools, as well as discontinued items that won't be found at your neighborhood Home Depot. That, or specialty items available only online. Ryobi 18V ONE+ Hybrid Cable Lights I love these string lights and want more I absolutely love my Ryobi 18V Hybrid Cable Lights (P785), and I wish I could find another set for sale. They were officially discontinued, and no one knows why. Reviews were extremely positive; they have a cult following of owners and are beloved on Reddit, but we can't buy them anymore, and we never got a version 2. So, what makes these so great? Imagine having three bright, durable, capable LED lights that are all daisy-chained together, which you can put in the garage or a shed, take camping, or string up in the backyard. That's what these offered, and the entire kit ran off a regular 18V battery or an extension cord. They were part of the popular Ryobi Hybrid series. Each LED pod had a durable design with a metal handle and built-in hooks, 1,500-lumen output, and a 10-ft cable that connected to the next pod. Overall, it delivered 30ft of lighting perfect for any situation. I've owned mine for nearly seven years, and they're still going strong. Every review on the Ryobi website asks for them to come back. If they ever do, I'm buying two more. For now, your only bet is to find them for sale on eBay, Poshmark, or even Reddit. Limited Edition Ryobi 18V HP Compact Drill The black design is only half the story For those unaware, early Ryobi 18V tools had a dark blue colorway before the bright neon-green color we all know and use today. However, earlier this year, to celebrate its 30th anniversary of the 18V ONE+ line, Ryobi released several limited-edition black tools. They instantly sold out, became collector's items, and scalpers were flipping them on eBay for twice the regular price. Ryobi's "Blackout" drill is an 18V ONE+ HP Brushless drill and driver, and it's the most compact HP Brushless model they've ever released. You can see the size comparison in the image gallery above. It's not just the neat blackout color fans want, but the compact design combined with brushless power. More importantly, Ryobi sold it as a kit with a black battery and charger, all for only $99. Other blackout items include a vacuum, a leaf blower, and a fan. For now, unless you get lucky at Home Depot, the only place to find the Ryobi Blackout drill is on sites like eBay, where people are unfortunately selling the kit for upwards of $500. Sigh. I still have several old blue tools, but they don't fetch the same top-dollar price as the new collectible black drill. Ryobi 18V ONE+ Xenon Hi-Beam Flashlight A very bright and focused beam of light Credit: Ryobi While I could ramble on about finding Ryobi garage door opener parts on eBay, or finding the weird 12V Auto Hammer at 3rd party tool resellers in small towns, the last item I wanted to mention was the wild Ryobi 18V Xenon Hi-Beam Flashlight (P716). There are newer, better, and brighter Ryobi flashlights available today, like the crazy 3,000 lumen LED Spotlight for $59, but nothing quite compares to the old Xenon that came out in 2010 and 2011. Yes, the same Xenon Hi-Beam technology found in vehicles once appeared in Ryobi tools. This flashlight had a 35-watt Xenon/HID high-intensity bulb, ran on a regular 18V battery pack, and was incredibly bright. And sure, newer models like the Spotlight above are brighter, and the Xenon got ridiculously hot to the point it'd turn itself off, but the Xenon had a very direct, narrow, deep throw. Just like the high beams on your vehicle, this thing cuts through dirt, fog, and air, delivering a warmer yellowish color. Having a bright spotlight certainly has its benefits, but most of the options these days aren't nearly as focused and offer a wider throw. I see the Xenon hit eBay occasionally for around $20–$35, and one day I'll buy one. Keep your eye out While these aren't necessarily must-have tools for DIY repairs or projects, they're wildly popular in many Ryobi circles; it's just a shame they can't be found at Home Depot. Another item is the excellent Ryobi bucket-top vacuum, which is rarely found in stores. I have one, and it's great. If you absolutely love your cable lights as I do, want that Blackout drill for your collection, or need an obscure tool, you'll probably need to wander around the web to find it, rather than the aisles of Home Depot.