In a news release Tuesday, Friskars Brands, Inc., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced the voluntary recall of lawn trimmers due to burn, fire and laceration hazards posed by myriad issues.
Subject to recall are approximately 2,200 Straight Shaft and Curved Shaft Friskars SmartPower String Trimmers manufactured by the Madison, Wis.-based company. The fire and injury hazards stem from several issues: Engine vibration while the trimmers are in use can lead to wear on the fuel line, which can lead to a propane fuel leak; the Straight Shaft trimmer’s propane canister can crack at the neck during use; lastly, high temperatures may build near the plastic cutting guard of the Curved Shaft Trimmer, which could cause the guard to deform and fall off.
There have been no reported injuries in connection with the defects.
Both affected trimmers are black, silver and orange and use propane fuel. They display the word “SmartPower” near the pull-start handle and on the lower shaft. The engine cover and plastic cutting guard display the company name “Friskars” The model number for the SmartPower Propane 4-Cycle Straight Shaft String Trimmer is 67016935, and the model number for the SmartPower Propane 4-Cycle Curved Shaft String Trimmer is 67036946.
The trimmers affected by the recall were sold from January 2011 to July 2011 in The Exchange (also known as Army and Air Force Exchange Service or AAFES) stores and online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Powerequipmentdirect.com and SureSource.com for between $220 and $280.
Anyone who owns one of the recalled trimmers is urged to immediately stop using the gardening equipment and contact Friskars to arrange a full refund.
I hope that no one has been harmed through the use of these trimmers. As a Fresno personal injury lawyer, I urge anyone who has purchased the trimmer to stay safe by ceasing to use it right away.