Sno-Tek recall response and background

BRILLION, Wis. – Ariens Co. has responded to a press release and recall alert issued yesterday by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada for 1,800 Sno-Tek machines due to a missing safety shield above the side mounted electric starter.

The safety shields were installed on the majority of the engines in question prior to sale, according to Ariens. The work was completed in November of 2010 while the machines were still in the distribution channel.

“Ariens Company received a number of engines that did not have a guard as required by our specifications. We immediately stopped sales and installed guards,” says company president Dan Ariens. “We take any potential risk of injury very seriously and acted swiftly to prevent injury. We are confident that by our response, these units have been repaired and made safe for consumers.”

Upon discovering the missing shield, Ariens engineers notified the engine manufacturer, Liquid Combustion Technologies (LCT), and all dealers, retailers and distributors of the products, according to the company. The engine manufacturer notified the CPSC and the companies worked together to quickly address the problem.

“We want Ariens customers to remain confident in the Sno-Thro® brand which has been a mainstay in snow removal since 1960,” says Ariens.