CPSC, Weed Wizard Acquisition Corp. Announce Recall of Weed Trimmer Heads With Metal Chains

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.

Firm no longer in business. Recall remedy no longer available. Discard the product. Do not donate or resell.

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.