Ryobi VC120 User Manual

OPERATOR'S MANUAL
12 Volt Cordless Hand V ac
Model No. VC120

THANK Y OU FOR BUYING A R Y OBI HAND V AC

Y our ne w hand vac has been engineered and manufactured to Ry obi’s high standard f or dependability , ease of operation,
and operator safety. Properly cared for , it will giv e you years of rugged, trouble-free perf ormance.

CAUTION: Carefully read through this entire operator's manual before using y our new hand vac.

Pa y close attention to the Rules f or Safe Operation, Warnings, and Cautions. If you use your hand vac properly and
only for what it is intended, you will enjoy years of safe, reliable service.

Thank you again for buying Ryobi products.

SAVE THIS MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

■■

■ T a ble of Contents / Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2

■■

■■

■ Important Safety Instructions .........................................................................................................................2-4

■■

■■

■ Symbols ........................................................................................................................ ................................... 5

■■

■■

■ Features .........................................................................................................................................................6-7

■■

■■

■ Operation........................................................................................................................................................7-9

■■

■■

■ Accessories ....................................................................................................................................................10

■■

■■

■ Maintenance ....................................................................................................................................................11

■■

■■

■ Parts Ordering / Service ..................................................................................................................................11

■■

INTRODUCTION

This VC120 hand v ac is a 12-volt hand v acuum that allows f or easy clean up . Your hand vac comes with a removable
battery pack and charging assembly to keep the hand vac charged and ready to use.

WARNING:

Do not attempt to operate this tool until you have read thoroughly and understand completely all instructions,
safety rules, etc. contained in this manual. Failure to comply can result in accidents involving fire, electric
shock, or serious personal injury. Save operator's manual and review frequently for continuing safe
operation, and instructing others who may use this tool.

Look for this symbol to point out important safety
precautions. It means attention!!! Your safety is involved.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WHEN USING AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE, BASIC PRECAUTIONS SHOULD
ALWAYS BE FOLLOWED, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:

WARNING! To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury:

WARNING:

Electric Shock could occur if charged outdoors or
on wet surfaces.

WARNING:

Read and understand all instructions before using.
Failure to follow all instructions listed below, may
result in electric shock, fire and/or serious personal
injury.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

■ Do not allow children to operate hand vac or play
with hand vac as a toy. Close attention is necessary
when used near children.

■ This hand vac is intended for household use ONLY.

■ Use this hand vac ONLY for its intended use as de-

scribed in this manual. Use only the attachments rec­ommended in this manual.

■ Do not use charger with damaged cord or plug. If
hand vac is not working properly , has been dropped,
damaged, left outdoors, or dropped into water , return
to your nearest Ryobi A uthorized Service Center.

2

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

■ Do not abuse cord. Never carry charger or base by
the cord or yank to disconnect from electrical outlet.
Grasp charger, not the cord, and pull to unplug. Do
not allow cord to hang over edge of table or counter
or to touch hot surfaces.

■ Do not use an extension cord unless absolutely nec-
essary . Plug charger directly into electrical outlet.

■ Do not handle charger or hand vac with wet hands.

■ Do not use for wet pick-up. hand vac is for dry pick-

up only.

■ Do not use hand vac outdoors or on wet surfaces.

■ Do not put any objects in ventilation openings. Do

not use with any opening blocked: keep openings free
of dust, lint, hair, and anything that may reduce air
flow.

■ Keep hair , loose clothing, fingers, and all parts of the
body away from openings and mo ving parts.

■ Keep e xhaust aw ay from f ace, e yes , and hair during
use.

■ NEVER vacuum materials such as hot coals, ciga-
rette butts, matches, etc.

■ Do not use without dust bowl and filter in place.

■ T urn off all controls before unplugging from or plug-

ging into an electrical outlet for charging.

■ Use extra care when using on stairs.

■ Do not use to pick up flammable or combustible liq-

uids such as gasoline or use in areas where such
liquids may be present.

■ Do not use to pick up hard objects such as nails,
screws, coins, etc. Damage or injury could result.

■ This hand vac does not have to be plugged into an
electrical outlet, therefore it is always in operating
condition. Be aware of possible hazards when using
your hand vac or when changing accessories.

■ USE ONL Y THE CHARGER PRO VIDED WITH Y OUR
HAND VAC. Do not substitute any other charger . Use

of another charger could cause batteries to explode
causing possible serious injury.

■ DO NOT PLA CE HAND V AC NEAR FIRE OR HEA T .

The batteries inside the hand vac may explode.

■ DO NOT CHARGE HAND V A C IN A DAMP OR WET
LOCATION. Do not use charger outdoors.

■ Your hand vac should be charged in a location where
the temperature is more than 50°F but less than 100°F.

■ Under extreme usage or temperature conditions,

battery leakage may occur . If liquid comes in con­tact with skin, wash immediately with soap and
water, then neutralize with lemon juice or vinegar .
If liquid gets into your eyes, flush them with clean
water for at least 10 minutes, then seek immedi­ate medical attention. Following this rule will reduce

the risk of serious personal injury.

■ Do not abuse the cord. Never use the cord to carry

the charger. Keep cord away from heat, oil, sharp
edges, or moving parts. Replace damaged cords
immediately. Damaged cords may create a fire .

■ A battery operated tool with integral batteries or a

separate battery pack must be recharged only with
the specified charger for the battery . A charger that
may be suitable for one type of battery may create a
risk of fire when used with another battery. Use bat­tery only with charger listed.

BATTERY 1311148
CHARGING ASSEMBL Y 1411141

■ Use battery operated tool only with specifically
designated battery pack. Use of any other batteries

may create a risk of fire. Use only with battery pack
listed.

WARNING:

Batteries vent hydrogen gas and can explode in the
presence of a source of ignition, such as a pilot light.
To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, never
use any cordless product in the presence of open
flame. An exploded battery can propel debris and
chemical. If exposed, flush with water immediately.

Service

■■

■ T ool service must be performed only by qualified

■■

repair personnel. Service or maintenance performed
by unqualified personnel could result in a risk of in­jury.

■ When servicing a tool, use only identical replace­ment parts. Follow instructions in the Maintenance
section of this manual. Use of unauthorized parts

or failure to follow Maintenance Instructions may cre­ate a risk of electric shock or injury .

WARNING:

To reduce the risk of electric shock, use indoors
only.

3

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING:

A damaged battery is subject to explosion. To
avoid serious personal injury, properly dispose of
a damaged battery.

■ Save these instructions. This manual contains im-

portant safety and operating instructions for your
cordless hand vac and charger . Following this rule

will reduce the risk of electric shock, fire, or serious
personal injury .

■ Before using battery charger , read all instructions

and cautionary markings in this manual, on bat­tery charger , and pr oduct using battery charger.

Following this rule will reduce the risk of electric shock,
fire, or serious personal injury.

WARNING:

To reduce risk of injury, charge only nickel-cadmium
rechargeable batteries. Other types of batteries
may burst causing personal injury and damage.
Following this rule will reduce the risk of electric
shock, fire, or serious personal injury.

■ Do not expose charger to rain or snow . Following
this rule will reduce the risk of electric shock, fire, or
serious personal injury.

■ Use of an attachment not recommended or sold
by the charger manufacturer may result in a risk
of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons. Follow-

ing this rule will reduce the risk of electric shock, fire,
or serious personal injury.

■ To reduce risk of damage to charger body and
cord, pull by charger plug rather than cord when
disconnecting charger. Following this rule will re-

duce the risk of serious personal injury.

■ Make sure cord is located so that it will not be
stepped on, tripped over , or otherwise subjected
to damage or stress. Following this rule will reduce

the risk of serious personal injury.

■ An extension cord should not be used unless
absolutely necessary. Use of improper extension

cord could result in a risk of fire and electric shock. If
extension cord must be used, make sure:

a . That pins on plug of extension cord are the same

number, size and shape as those of plug on
charger.

b. That extension cord is properly wired and in good

electrical condition; and

c. That wire size is large enough for AC ampere

rating of charger as specified below:
Cord Length (Feet) 25 ' 50 ' 100'
Cord Size (AWG) 16 16 16
Note: AWG = American Wire Gage

■ Do not operate charger with a damaged cord or

plug. If damaged, have replaced immediately by a
qualified serviceman. Following this rule will reduce

the risk of electric shock, fire, or serious personal
injury.

■ Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp

blow , been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any
way; take it to a qualified serviceman. Following

this rule will reduce the risk of electric shock, fire, or
serious personal injury.

■ Do not disassemble charger; take it to a qualified

serviceman when service or repair is required.
Incorrect reassembly may result in a risk of elec­tric shock or fire. Following this rule will reduce the

risk of electric shock, fire, or serious personal injury.

■ To reduce the risk of electric shock, unplug

charger from outlet before attempting any main­tenance or cleaning. Turning off controls will not
reduce this risk. Following this rule will reduce the

risk of electric shock, fire, or serious personal injury.

■ Do not use charger outdoors. Following this rule
will reduce the risk of electric shock, fire, or serious
personal injury .

■ Disconnect charger from power supply when not
in use. Following this rule will reduce the risk of elec-

tric shock, fire, or serious personal injury .

DANGER:

Risk of electric shock. Do not touch uninsulated
portion of output connector or uninsulated battery
terminal.

■ Save these instructions. Refer to them frequently
and use them to instruct others who may use
this tool. If you loan someone this tool, loan them
these instructions also. Following this rule will re-

duce the risk of electric shock, fire, or serious per­sonal injury.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

4

SYMBOLS

Important: Some of the following symbols may be used on your tool. Please study them and learn their meaning.

Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the tool better and safer.

SYMBOL NAME EXPLANATION

V Volts Voltage
A Amperes Current

Hz Hertz Frequency (cycles per second)

W Watt Power

min Minutes Time

Alternating Current Type or a characteristic of current

n

0

.../min Revolutions or Reciprocation Per Minute Revolutions, strokes, surface speed,

The purpose of safety symbols is to attract your attention to possible dangers. The safety symbols, and the
explanations with them, deserve your careful attention and understanding. The safety warnings do not by
themselves eliminate any danger. The instructions or warnings they give are not substitutes for proper accident
prevention measures.

No Load Speed Rotational speed, at no load
Class II Construction Designates Double Insulated Construc-

tion tools

orbits etc. per minute

Safety Alert Symbol Indicates danger, warning or caution. It

means attention!!! Your safety is in­volved.

Wet Conditions Alert Do not expose to rain or use in damp

locations.

SYMBOL MEANING

DANGER: Failure to obey a safety warning will result in serious injury to yourself or to others. Always

follow the safety precautions to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury.

WARNING: Failure to obey a safety warning can result in serious injury to yourself or to others.

Always follow the safety precautions to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury.

CAUTION: Failure to obey a safety warning may result in property damage or personal injury to

yourself or to others. Always follow the safety precautions to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and
personal injury.

NOTE: Advises you of information or instructions vital to the operation or maintenance of the equipment.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

5

FEATURES



















































































KNOW YOUR HAND VAC

See Figure 1.

Before attempting to use your hand vac, familiarize your­self with all operating features and safety requirements.

WARNING:

Carefully read through this entire operator’s manual
before using your new hand vac. Pay close attention
to the Important Safety Instructions, Warnings and
Cautions. If you use your hand vac properly and only
for what it is intended, you will enjoy years of safe,
reliable service.

Your hand vac has been shipped completely assembled.
Inspect it carefully to make sure no breakage or damage
has occurred during shipping. If an y parts are damaged
or missing, contact your nearest Ryobi Authorized Ser­vice Center. Included with your hand vac should be one
battery pack, charger, cre vice tool, brush attachment, fil­ter, and this oper ator’s man ual.

WARNING:

If any parts are missing, do not operate your hand
vac until the missing parts are replaced. Failure to do
so could result in possible serious personal injury.

SWITCH

Your hand vac is equipped with a conveniently located
ON/OFF switch on top of the handle. This enables you to
turn the hand vac on and off while still holding the handle.

BRUSH ATTACHMENT

The brush attachment allows you to vacuum upholstery,
drapes, etc.

CREVICE TOOL

The crevice tool allows you to vacuum in tight places.

WARNING:

Do not allow familiarity with your hand vac to make
you careless. Remember that a careless fraction of
a second is sufficient to inflict severe injury.

DUST BOWL RELEASE BUTTON

CREVICE TOOL

DUST BOWL

BRUSH

AT TACHMENT

CHARGING ASSEMBL Y

6

ON/OFF SWITCH

HANDLE

BATTERY PACK

Fig. 1

FEATURES

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

HAND VAC VC120

Motor 12 Volt, DC
Switch On/Off

OPERATION

WARNING:

If any parts are missing, do not operate unit until
the missing parts are replaced. Failure to do so
could result in possible serious personal injury.

CAUTION:

To prevent damage to battery pack, remove battery
pack from charger immediately if no LED comes on.
Return battery pack and charger to your nearest
Ryobi Authorized Service Center for checking or
replacing. Also, if you are removing battery pack
from charger and no LED is on, return both battery
pack and charger to your nearest Ryobi Authorized
Service Center. Do not insert another battery pack
into charger. A defective charger may damage a
battery pack.

CHARGING ASSEMBL Y Item No. 1411141
BATTERY Item No. 1311148

Charger Rating 120V, 60 Hz, AC Only
Charger V oltage 12 Volt
Charger Rate 3-6 Hours

Note: During the two year warranty period, if the
charge indicator light (LED) fails to come on or goes
out while charging battery pack, return charging as­sembly and battery pack to your nearest authorized
service center for repair or replacing.

■ After normal usage, 3 hours or less of charging time
is required to fully recharge battery pack. Note: If
battery pack is completely discharged, 6 hours or
longer of charging time is required to fully recharge
battery pack.

■ The battery pack will become slightly warm to the
touch while charging. This is normal and does not
indicate a problem.

■ DO NOT place charging assemb ly in an area of e x-
treme heat or cold. It will work best at normal room
temperature.

■ When battery pack has been charged, disconnect
charging assembly from power supply and remove
the battery pack. This practice will increase battery
life.

CHARGING YOUR HAND VAC

The battery pack for your hand vac has been shipped in
a low charge condition to prevent possible problems.
Therefore, you should charge it overnight prior to use.

NOTE: Batteries will not reach full charge the first time
they are charged. Allow several cycles (vacuuming fol­lowed by recharging) for them to fully charge.

TO CHARGE

See Figure 2

■ Charge battery pack only with the charging assembly
provided.

■ Make sure power supply is normal household
voltage, 120 volts, 60 Hz, AC only.

■ Connect charging assembly to power supply.

■ Place battery pack in charging stand. Align raised rib

on battery pack with groove in charging assembly.

■ Press down on battery pack to be sure contacts on
battery pack engage properly with contacts in charg­ing assembly. When properly connected, red light on
charging assembly will turn on.

.

CHARGING
ASSEMBLY

BATTERY PACK

CHARGE

INDICATOR

LIGHT (LED)

Fig. 2

7

OPERATION

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR RE­CHARGING HOT BATTERIES

When using your hand vac continuously, the batteries in
your battery pack will become hot. You should let a hot
battery pack cool down for approximately 30 minutes be­fore attempting to recharge.

NOTE: This situation only occurs when continuous use of
your hand vac causes the batteries to become hot. It
does not occur under normal circumstances. Refer to
“Charging Your Hand Vac” for normal recharging of bat­teries. If the charger/charging assembly does not charge
your battery pack under normal circumstances, return
both the battery pack and charger/charging assembly to
your nearest Ryobi Authorized Service Center for elec­trical check.

TO INSTALL BATTERY PACK

See Figure 3

■ Place the battery pack in your hand vac. Align raised
rib on battery pack with groove in hand vac’s battery
port.

■ Make sure the latches on each side of the battery
pack snap in place and that battery pack is secured
in hand vac before beginning operation.

.

CAUTION:

When placing battery pack in your hand vac, be sure
raised rib on battery pack aligns with groove in hand
vac's battery port and latches snap in place properly.
Improper assembly of battery pack can cause
damage to internal components.

ON/OFF SWITCH

See Figure 4.

Follow these steps to turn the vacuum on and off.

■ To turn the vacuum on: Slide switch tow ard the front
of the vacuum.

■ To turn the vacuum off: Slide switch tow ard the back
of the vacuum.

ON/OFF SWITCH

TO TURN ON

TO TURN

OFF

TO REMOVE BATTERY PACK

See Figure 3

■ Locate latches on side of battery pack and depress
both sides to release the battery pack from the hand
V ac.

.

BATTERY PACK

LATCHES

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

8

OPERATION

CLEANING YOUR HAND VAC

See Figures 5, 6 and 7.

WARNING:

Never use your hand vac without dust bowl and filter
properly in place.

The dust bowl should be checked, emptied and cleaned
periodically to obtain maximum dust collection.

TO REMOVE DUST BOWL

See Figure 5.

■ Depress the release button located on top of hand
vac. Pull dust bowl down and out as shown to sepa­rate from motor housing.

PRESS RELEASE BUTTON

PULL DUST BOWL

DOWN AND OUT

TO REMOVE

■ Shake or lightly brush any dust or dirt off filter.

■ Empty dust bowl and wash if necessary. Make sure

dust bowl is completely dry before reattaching to hand
vac.

TO REATTACH DUST BOWL

See Figure 7.

■ Position the two sections as shown. Align slots on
bottom of dust bowl with tabs on bottom of motor
housing then snap the two sections together.

SLOTS

TABS

Fig. 7

Fig. 5

■ Remove the filter by simply pulling it out of dust bowl.

See Figure 6

DUST BOWL

.

HAND VAC

FILTER

BATTERY PACK

Fig. 6

9

ACCESSORIES















































ADDING ATTACHMENTS

See Figures 8 and 9.

The brush attachment and crevice tool have been pro­vided with your hand vac. These attachments can be easily
snapped into place on your hand vac.

Follow these steps to add attachments.

■ Turn off the vacuum.

■ Insert attachment into front end of vacuum, snap-

ping it into place.

TO INSTALL

TO INSTALL

TO REMOVE

CREVICE TOOL

Fig. 9

WARNING:

The use of attachments or accessories not listed
can be hazardous.

BRUSH ATTACHMENT

TO REMOVE

Fig. 8

10

MAINTENANCE

WARNING:

When servicing use only identical Ryobi replacement
parts. Use of any other parts may create a hazard or
cause product damage.

Avoid using solvents when cleaning plastic par ts. Most
plastics are susceptible to damage from various types
of commercial solvents and may be damaged by their
use. Use clean cloths to remove dirt, dust, oil, grease,
etc.

WARNING:

Do not at any time let brake fluids, gasoline,
petroleum-based products, penetrating oils, etc.
come in contact with plastic parts. They contain
chemicals that can damage, weaken or destroy
plastic.

BATTERIES

The battery pack for your hand vac is equipped with nickel­cadmium rechargeable batteries. Length of service from
each charging will depend on the type of work you are
doing.

The batteries in this tool have been designed to provide
maximum trouble free life . However , like all batteries, the y
will eventually wear out. Do not disassemble battery pack
and attempt to replace the batteries. Handling of these
batteries, especially when wearing rings and jewelry, could
result in a serious burn.

T o obtain the longest possible battery life , we suggest the
following:

■ Store and charge your batteries in a location where

the temperature is above 50°F b ut less than 100°F.

■ Never store batteries in a discharged condition. Re­charge them immediately after they are discharged.

■ All batteries gradually lose their charge. The higher
the temperature the quicker they lose their charge. If
you store your vacuum for long periods of time with­out using it, recharge it every month or two . This prac­tice will prolong battery life.

WARNING:

Do not attempt to modify this tool or create
accessories not recommended for use with this
tool. Any such alteration or modification is misuse
and could result in a hazardous condition leading
to possible serious personal injury.

WARNING:

Any repairs requiring disassembly should only be
performed by a Ryobi Authorized Service Center. For
the repair center nearest you, call 1-800-525-2579.

DISPOSAL OF THE EXHAUSTED BATTERY

Y

C

C

L

E

RBRC

Cd

Ni

.

.

8

2

2

E

8

8

R

1

.

8

0

0

Consult your local waste authority for information regard­ing available recycling and/or disposal options. For more
information on battery recycling call 1-800-8BATTERY.

To preserve natural resources, please
recycle or dispose of properly. This
product contains a nickel-cadmium
battery. Must be disposed of prop-

7

erly. Local, state, or federal laws may

3

prohibit disposal of Nickel-Cadmium
batteries in ordinary trash.

BATTERY PACK PREPARATION FOR RECY­CLING

WARNING:

Upon removal, cover the battery pack’s terminals
with heavy duty adhesive tape. Do not attempt to
destroy or disassemble battery pack or remove any
of its components. Also, never touch both terminals
with metal objects and/or body parts as short circuit
may result. Keep away from children. Failure to
comply with these warnings could result in fire and/
or serious injury.

11

OPERATOR'S MANUAL
12 Volt Cordless Hand V ac
Model No. VC120

• SERVICE

Now that you have purchased your tool, should a need ever exist for repair parts or
service, simply contact your nearest Ryobi Authorized Service Center. Be sure to
provide all pertinent facts when you call or visit. Please call 1-800-525-2579 for your
nearest Ryobi Authorized Service Center. You can also check our web site at
www.ryobitools.com for a complete list of Authorized Service Centers.

• MODEL NO. AND SERIAL NO.

The model number of this tool will be found on a plate attached to the motor housing.
Please record the model number and serial number in the space provided below.

• HOW TO ORDER REPAIR PARTS

973000-076
6-02

WHEN ORDERING REPAIR PARTS,
ALWAYS GIVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

• MODEL NUMBER

• SERIAL NUMBER

VC120

RYOBI TECHNOLOGIES INC.

1428 Pearman Dairy Road Anderson, SC 29625
Post Office Box 1207 Anderson, SC 29622

www.ryobitools.com

Phone [phone]