Product Recall: Black & Decker GH1000 Grasshog XP String Trimmer / Edgers
About 202,000 Black and Decker hedge trimmers are being recalled due to being a projectile and laceration hazard as well as a burn hazard. There have been 707 reported incidents as well as 58 injuries. Sounds like this “made in China” but branded in the USA product is a real winner.
Here is the latest information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission news release:
Hazard: The trimmer/edger’s spool, spool cap and pieces of trimmer string can come loose during use and become airborne projectiles, posing a laceration hazard to the user as well as bystanders. The trimmer/edgers can also overheat posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Black & Decker has received 707 reports of incidents, including 58 reports of injuries. Serious injuries included cuts to two consumers’ legs that required medical attention. Minor injuries included bruises, lacerations, and facial injuries such as a welt and broken skin over a consumer’s eye. There were also reports of property damage, including two broken windows.
Description: The Black & Decker GH1000 Grasshog XP String Trimmers/Edgers are electric-powered. Trimmer/edgers with date codes 200546 through 200645 (representing manufacture dates of November 14, 2005 through November 6, 2006) are included in this recall. The date code is located on the underside of the trimmer/edger’s handle. Only trimmers with black spools caps are included in the recall. Those with orange spool caps are not included in the recall.
Consumers are advised to stop using the string trimmers / edgers described above immediately and contact Black & Decker for a free repair toolkit.
You can phone Black & Decker at 1 (888) 742-9158 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
More information is available at the Black & Decker Customer Center online or you can download the Safety Recall Notice PDF directly.
This entry was posted on Saturday, July 21st, 2007 at 4:27 pm and is filed under Tools, Garden, Lawn Care, Safety, Back Yard, Product Recalls. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
on July 22, 2008 at 6:22 pm Earl Wagner Jr wrote:
When working with it out of the box, I liked the high action and power of this weedeater, Once the cap blew off 1 time after about 2 months of owning and used about 10 times, Its been a headache of respooling about 7 times and tantrumly thrown after the 7th respooling and still blowing apart at the bottom. I came across the recall notice. Will further update comment after I receive my ” Fix It Parts” from the company. As of this moment I would not recommend this product. I would appreciate if someone with the newer model ” orange cap version” or the repaired with > “fix it parts” would reply to comment. CHINA CRAP SHIT RUINING COUNTRY Thought B&D was USA or would not have purchased to begin with.
on August 15, 2008 at 6:10 pm Ed Vander Ryd wrote:
Hi,
I too was enraged by the flawed design. As a last resort I looked on the web to see if others had similar experiences. What a surprise to find that a recall had been initiated. I applied for the retrofit parts and received the kit within a short time, complete with a new spool of line. Installation was a snap and the product has not flown apart since.
My new problem is that the plastic drive gear has melted after getting the whip caught in some heavy weeds.
The gear is not available as a separate part. The rubber drive belt is fine. The aluminum idler gear on the motor shaft is fine. The motor is fine. In order to get the melted gear replaced, on has to purchase the entire motor assembly to the tune of $60. .
This is ridiculous!
I’m sorry to see B&D product fail in such a way. I thought that they had good products until now.
on February 26, 2009 at 1:45 pm JRenfro wrote:
This at first glance is an awesome tool, it is light, easy to use and eats up grass like no tomorrow. It also eats trimming twine just as quickly as it does grass. I can’t make it through my yard with a single spool of twine and I don’t have a large yard at all.
Compared to other trimmers I have owned in the past, this machine ranks very low in satisfaction. The time saved with the power and features is more than lost in dealing with changing spools/twine. I’d recommend another tool. Mine IS NOT one of the recalled units!