Weed Wizard trimmer heads
CPSC Recall #00-104 — May 2, 2000
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 00-104 |
| Recall Date | May 2, 2000 |
| Remedy Type | Dispose, No Remedy Available |
| Units Affected | About 2.7 million |
| Manufactured In | United States |
Where It Was Sold
| Home centers |
| mass merchants |
| discount stores |
| hardware stores and television advertisements nationwide sold Weed Wizards with metal chains from May 1987 through April 2000 for between $19 and $25. The replacement chain kits were sold from January 1992 through April 2000 for about $8. |
Product
Weed Wizard trimmer heads
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Weed Wizard Acquisition Corp., of Bradley, Mich., voluntarily recalled about 2.7 million Weed Wizard trimmer heads with metal chains and about 857,000 trimmer replacement chain sets. The end link of the trimmer's metal chain can rapidly and unexpectedly detach during use, propelling the link into the air at a high velocity. If the metal link strikes the user or a bystander, it can penetrate skin and bone, causing injury or death.Weed Wizard and CPSC have received 47 reports of metal links detaching from trimmers, resulting in 41 injuries, including the death of a 3-year-old girl in Alabama who was struck in the head by a metal link. The injuries included users and bystanders being struck by metal links in the head, neck, legs, ankles and feet, resulting in penetration wounds and lacerations.The Weed Wizard being recalled replaces the string trimmer head with a metal chain trimmer head on a gas-powered weed trimmer. Only Weed Wizard trimmer heads with metal chains are part of this recall. They were sold with white replacement heads and black chains, yellow heads with black chains or yellow heads with silver chains. There is no writing on the Weed Wizard trimmer heads, but the packaging reads "Weed Wizard", "The Solution to Trimmer Line Problems", "Fits 99% of All Gas Trimmers" and "MADE IN U.S.A."Home centers, mass merchants, discount stores, hardware stores and television advertisements nationwide sold Weed Wizards with metal chains from May 1987 through April 2000 for between $19 and $25. The replacement chain kits were sold from January 1992 through April 2000 for about $8.Consumers should stop using the Weed Wizards with metal chains immediately and discard or destroy the product. The firm is out of business and a remedy is no longer available.Consumers can also view a video clip about this recall (transcript). This is in "streaming video" format.
Hazard
The end link of the trimmer's metal chain can rapidly and unexpectedly detach during use, propelling the link into the air at a high velocity. If the metal link strikes the user or a bystander, it can penetrate skin and bone, causing injury or death.
Incidents & Injuries
Weed Wizard and CPSC have received 47 reports of metal links detaching from trimmers, resulting in 41 injuries, including the death of a 3-year-old girl in Alabama who was struck in the head by a metal link. The injuries included users and bystanders being struck by metal links in the head, neck, legs, ankles and feet, resulting in penetration wounds and lacerations.
Remedy Instructions
Firm no longer in business. Recall remedy no longer available. Discard the product. Do not donate or resell.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Dispose, No Remedy Available 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 (Dispose, No Remedy Available) at no cost to you.
Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.
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.