High Speed, Low Temps: Ryobi 40V Misting Air Cannon Review

Ryobi’s Largest Misting Fan Offers Cooler Conditions This Summer

Ryobi has several fan models across its 18V, 40V, and USB Lithium battery systems. In the 40V world, the brand has recently extended its offerings with an 18-inch hybrid model. What’s better, it’s the first misting fan on this platform! I got my hands on the Ryobi 40V 18-inch Misting Air Cannon so I can help you decide if it’s the right model to keep you cool this summer.

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Pros

Hybrid power—can be used with battery or cord
Extendable handle
Two water feeding methods
Strong airflow

Cons

A bit on the bulkier side

Ryobi 40V Hybrid 18-inch Misting Air Cannon Performance

The Ryobi RY40MF01 fan is the third-iteration Air Cannon in the 40V line, and the first 40V Air Cannon with a misting function. It features an 18-inch blade that delivers up to 5000 CFM of airflow and reaches top airspeeds of 800 FPM.

These figures are slightly lower than we see in Ryobi’s largest 40V fan, the RY40HF0. However, that’s to be expected, as the 20-inch drum on that model enables a higher air volume than the 18-inch RY40MF01.

Airflow Testing

I took this fan into our enclosed shop to test its airflow efficacy in each setting.

Low Speed: Effective cooling up to 10 feet.
Medium Speed: Effective cooling up to 25 feet.
High Speed: Effective cooling up to 45 feet.

At the highest speed, without the misting function activated, I could still feel the airflow effectively across the entire length of our shop, or around 45 feet. If you’re outside with wind and other factors at play, your results may vary.

Controls

This fan’s controls are really simple and consist of only two buttons. The power button lets you toggle between the three airflow modes, and likewise for the misting button. There are LED indicators under each button so you can quickly identify your current setting at a glance.

Runtime

As a hybrid fan, you can either hook up a 40V Ryobi battery for portable power or plug in an extension cord for all-day runtime.

Using a 6.0Ah battery, Ryobi estimates runtimes of up to 24 hours on the lowest setting and 3.25 hours on high. If you’d like longer cooling, you can bump up to a 40V 12.0Ah battery for up to 6 hours on high or 41 hours on low.

Ryobi 40V Hybrid 18-inch Misting Air Cannon Design

The 18-inch Ryobi misting Air Cannon follows the same design cues as the 20-inch non-misting iteration that was released in 2024. It’s equipped with a wheeled frame that holds two 6-inch all-terrain wheels to easily move it between areas. You do need to attach the wheels yourself with a screwdriver, but it’s a simple installation that only uses four included screws.

I like that the handle on this fan folds up and down. I prefer this design over the 20-inch model’s handle. It can fold up when you want to wheel the fan around, but tucks back down and out of the way for a more compact form factor. With the handle folded down, it has a width of 32.2 inches and stands 25 inches tall.

To round off the design, the Ryobi 40V 18-inch Misting Air Cannon features a 140° vertically pivoting head to direct air and mist in any direction.

Misting

This fan has two water supply methods to access the misting function. You can either hook it up to a standard garden hose with the onboard hose connection or pump water directly from a bucket using the siphon hose. The hoses wrap around the body of the fan and can be secured with the integrated plastic clips. Both methods feed into the fan’s four misting spouts on the face of the fan.

I had no issues using the siphoning method, but the garden hose method was a little bit trickier. You may need to lower your water pressure for the misting function to work when connected to a hose if your hose has a flow on the higher-pressure side.

Ryobi claims the misting function cools temperatures by up to 15°F within a 20-foot range. I tested the fan outside in the Florida sun at the highest speed (and the highest mist setting), and I definitely experienced cooler conditions from around 20 feet away in direct airflow.

How Does it Compare?

As the third entry into Ryobi’s 40V Air Cannon lineup, here’s a side-by-side look at how it compares to the other two models in this series—the 20-inch RY40HF01 and the 14-inch RY40HF02.

	Ryobi RY40MF01 (this model)	Ryobi RY40HF01	Ryobi RY40HF02
Blade Diameter	18 inches	20 inches	14 inches
Max Airflow	5000 CFM	6300 CFM	2000 CFM
Max Airspeed	800 FPM	710 FPM	640 FPM
Runtime	24 hrs (6.0Ah battery)	17 hrs (6.0Ah battery)	20 hrs (6.0Ah battery)
Misting	Yes	No	No
Power Source	Hybrid (40V battery/power cord)	Hybrid (40V battery/power cord)	Hybrid (40V battery/power cord)

Ryobi 40V Hybrid 18-inch Misting Air Cannon Price

This fan retails for $289 as a bare tool. While it is a hybrid model and doesn’t require a battery for power, be sure to pick up a Ryobi 40V battery and charger if you plan to use it away from a power outlet and aren’t already on that battery system.

Ryobi backs your purchase with a 3-year warranty.

The Bottom Line

As Ryobi’s second-largest Air Cannon on the 40V platform, and also the system’s first misting fan, there’s a lot to like about this model, both on paper and during testing. It’s around $40 more expensive than the 20-inch hybrid Air Cannon; however, with the RY40MF01’s added misting function, that price increase makes sense, and I think it’s worth it, considering the heat relief it offers.

If you’re after a solution for cooling a larger area, like a workshop or outdoor patio, this model is worth considering. However, if you just need something for personal cooling, there are several smaller, budget-friendly models on both the 40V roster and 18V One+ platform to choose from.