FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2000
Release # 00-096 |
John Deere Recall Line: (800) 242-4672
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
John Deere Contact: Ray J. Hornak, (919) 877-0877 |
CPSC, John Deere Consumer Products Inc. Announce Recall of Homelite® Handheld Power Blowers/Vacuums
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), John Deere Consumer Products Inc., of Charlotte, N.C., is voluntarily recalling about 200,000 Homelite® handheld power blowers/vacuums. The fuel line location can cause it to contact the edge of the engine shroud, causing the line to prematurely wear. This can result in a gasoline leak, presenting a fire hazard and causing burn injuries to consumers.
John Deere Consumer Products has received two reports of the fuel line leaking from these power blowers/vacuums. There have been no reports of fires or injuries.
These gasoline-powered, handheld power blowers/vacuums are red and black. The Homelite® logo is written on the inlet cover door. They can be identified by the following UT and serial numbers on a sticker attached to the unit near the blower tube:
| UT numbers |
| UT08052 |
UT08052A |
UT08052B |
UT08052C |
UT08057 |
| UT08057A |
UT08057B |
UT08058 |
UT08058A |
UT08058B |
| UT08059 |
UT08059A |
UT08059B |
UT08066 |
UT08066A |
| UT08066B |
UT08067 |
UT08067A |
UT08067C |
UT08069 |
| UT08069B |
UT08070R |
UT08071R |
UT08076 |
UT08076A |
| UT08084 |
UT08085 |
UT08086 |
UT08089 |
UT08090 |
| UT08091 |
UT08105 |
UT08107 |
UT08108 |
|
| Serial numbers |
| HT2130001 through HT3659999 |
HA0010001 through HA3659999 |
| MA0010001 through MA3659999 |
MB0010001 through MB0459999 |
Home center and hardware stores including the Home Depot, Eagle Hardware and Ace Hardware, sold these blowers/vacuums nationwide from August 1998 through January 2000 for about $150.
Consumers should stop using these power blowers/vacuums immediately and contact their nearest Homelite® service dealer for a free inspection and repair. To locate the local service dealer or for more information, call Johon Deere Consumer Profudcts at (800) 242-4672 anytime.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov
CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.