FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2003
Release # 04-043 |
Company Phone Number: (877) 784-5161
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
|
CPSC, Bachtold Brothers Inc. Announce Recall of Brush Cutters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of product: Weed and Brush Cutters
Units: 63,600
Manufacturer: Bachtold Brothers Inc., of Gibson City, Ill.
Hazard: The operator can come in contact with the rotating blade, even when disengaged, by pulling on the front of the mower deck while the engine is running, posing a serious injury hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: The company has received eight reports of laceration injuries.
Description: The recalled Weed and Brush Cutters have an orange or green body and include the W-24 models, sold under the Bachtold Whipper, DR Field & Brush Mower, and B-800 (with a 77-100 deck) brand names. The brand name is printed on the drive box between the engine and the left wheel. DR All-Terrain Field & Brush mowers manufactured by Country Home Products are not included in this recall.
Sold through: The brush cutters were sold through Country Home Products' catalogues, as well as independent distributors nationwide, from January 1978 through April 2001 for between $950 and $1,600.
Manufactured in: United States.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the units immediately and contact Bachtold if you have the Whipper or B-800 models or contact Country Home Products if you have the DR Field & Brush model to receive a free repair kit. The repair involves the installation of a mechanism that will shut down the engine if and when the operator takes his/her hands off the handlebar.
Consumer Contact: Call Bachtold Brothers toll-free at (877) 784-5161 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or Country Home Products toll-free at (877) 595-3668 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Consumers also can log on to www.bachtoldbros.com or www.weedcutterrecall.com
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.