Ryobi Air Cannons Tame Florida Summer Heat
When the Ryobi Air Cannon showed up in our shop, I immediately thought of a few places I'd want to use it – if it had the airflow to match its size. It looks like a small drum fan, but is much larger than most battery/hybrid offerings from other brands. With temperatures already hovering in the mid-90s, it's a breeze to place the Ryobi P3340.
advantage
- Hybrid: Ryobi One+ 18V battery or AC
- 2,400 CFM maximum airflow
- excellent runtime
- Quiet operation, suitable for indoor use
- Includes 4' AC power cord
shortcoming
- no major disadvantages
Performance
air flow
How satisfied you are with your Ryobi Air Cannon depends on what you expect from it. Compared to other battery and hybrid fans from the major power tool makers, the P3340 is largely ahead of the curve.
The 18" drum contains an approximately 16" blade that pushes up to 2400 CFM. No other model in this class of cordless construction site fans that we know of has such a large diameter and airflow.
The electric blower can only go down to about 24 inches and close to 3200 CFM. Ryobi's hybrid models won't give you that level of airflow, so you're looking at performance somewhere between a cordless fan and a small blower fan.
When I used the fan indoors, there was plenty of air flow at low speeds, and good airflow up to 12 feet away. At high altitudes, I can get meaningful airflow up to 20 feet away. This is a very solid guide.
Have a 10' x 10' back porch? When you watch the kids play in the backyard, keep it low-key. Do you have projects in your garage? Medium keeps a 16-foot area cool. Working on a construction site? High can cover the whole room.
run
For the runtime test, I used a 4.0 Ah battery to see how long it would run in all 3 modes.
- Low: 7 hours 12 minutes 20 seconds
- Medium: 2 hours 46 minutes 7 seconds
- High: 1 hour 45 minutes 3 seconds
If you use Ryobi's newer 5.0 Ah, 6.0 Ah or 9.0 Ah batteries, you get even more. If we do a little math, here are the runtime numbers for the 9.0 Ah battery pack:
- Low: ~16 hours 15 minutes
- Moderate: about 6 hours and 15 minutes
- High: ~4 hours
Ryobi Air Cannon Hybrid Fan Key Features
Hybrid
Powers with any Ryobi One+ 18V battery, the included 4ft extension cord, or a longer extension cord.
top handle
As a larger fan, the Ryobi P3340 is heavier than other cordless options. A top handle makes its 14.8-pound weight easier to move.
swivel head
The drum rotates 220º (including the downward angle), and you can direct the air in any direction by rotating the drum or turning the fan.
installation options
When you take your Ryobi Air Cannon with you, it will sit on the frame most of the time. But when you know you're going to use it in the same place around your home or shop, it's worth screwing around in those places.
The keyhole has an extra-large opening to help make setup easier. Considering its weight, that's a good thing, especially if you want to hang it overhead. Whether you're hanging it overhead or against a wall, be sure to drive the screws into the studs so it doesn't rip your drywall or plaster.
price
The Ryobi Air Cannon with 4-foot AC power cord is $149 at The Home Depot. Since no one else has a fan of this size, it's hard to make a direct comparison. Cheap 24-inch drum fans start as low as $90, but decent ones can run you upwards of $129. Cordless and hybrid fans start at around $40 and go up to around $180.
In fact, this is a tool unlike any other of its kind, and $149 is a solid price for what you get.
the bottom line
The Ryobi air cannon sparked an executive-level skirmish in our office, which I won. Don't tell Clint, but I got him one for Father's Day, hoping that will calm things down.
Compared to other battery/hybrid options, the P3340 moves a lot of air and has solid runtime numbers, especially when you step up to Ryobi's higher-capacity battery pack. When you have access to AC power, the Ryobi can keep you cool on the porch, garage, job site, during a power outage…even in the attic.
Hurricane season is upon us on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts—what are you waiting for?
Ryobi Air Cannon Hybrid Fan Specifications
- Model: Ryobi P3340
- Power: Ryobi 18V One+ battery or AC
- Low Speed: 1,200 CFM
- Medium speed: 2,000 CFM
- High Speed: 2,400 CFM
- Decibel (sound) level: 63 dBA
- Fan Diameter: 18″
- Depth: 19.8″
- Height: 19.08″
- Width: 13.37″
- Weight: 14.8 lbs
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $149