Homelite® handheld power blowers/vacuums
CPSC Recall #00-096 — April 10, 2000
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 00-096 |
| Recall Date | April 10, 2000 |
| Remedy Type | Inspect, Repair |
| Units Affected | About 200,000 |
Where It Was Sold
| 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. |
Product
Homelite® handheld power blowers/vacuums
Description
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 numbersUT08052UT08052AUT08052BUT08052CUT08057UT08057AUT08057BUT08058UT08058AUT08058BUT08059UT08059AUT08059BUT08066UT08066AUT08066BUT08067UT08067AUT08067CUT08069UT08069BUT08070RUT08071RUT08076UT08076AUT08084UT08085UT08086UT08089UT08090UT08091UT08105UT08107UT08108 Serial numbersHT2130001 through HT3659999HA0010001 through HA3659999MA0010001 through MA3659999MB0010001 through MB0459999Home 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 John Deere Consumer Products at (800) 242-4672 anytime.
Hazard
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.
Incidents & Injuries
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.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should stop using these power blowers/vacuums immediately and contact their nearest Homelite® service dealer for a free inspection and repair.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Inspect, Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Inspect, Repair) at no cost to you.
If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.