I have a bunch of Milwaukee M18 and M12 tools, but I'm tempted to buy a Ryobi fan since they're cheaper. Is it safe to use an adapter to run my M18 batteries on a Ryobi fan? I'm less worried about the fan itself and more concerned about potentially damaging the battery.
3 Answers
Yeah, you can definitely use a Milwaukee battery for a Ryobi fan with an adapter, but just be careful not to drain the battery too much. If you let it drop from two bars to one and don't run it down completely, you should be fine. I’d suggest recharging it when it hits 2 bars just to be safe. If you forget to turn it off and over-drain it, you could mess up the battery for good, which isn’t ideal. You might want to look into Ridgid batteries for adapters since they have better protection built in.
If you don't absolutely need it to be cordless, consider just getting a Ryobi tool directly. They have good products powered by their own batteries or can work with outlets—plus, you might end up saving money by just getting a couple of their batteries for tools like nail guns.
Also, make sure to take off the adapter when you're not using it. They often have USB ports that can drain the battery even when you're not running the fan.