About 170,000 RedMax gas-powered backpack blowers are being voluntarily recalled due to a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says. Owners should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
RedMax has received five reports of units that have caught fire when hot exhaust gases from damaged mufflers ignited grease, oil or debris around the area of the fuel tank. No injuries have been reported.
The muffler support bracket can break, creating an opening in the muffler body. Hot exhaust gases can then escape from the muffler and could melt the fuel tank or ignite grease, oil or debris around the fuel tank, posing a fire hazard.
The RedMax gasoline-powered backpack blowers are red and black with a white fuel tank. Model numbers EB6200, EB7000, EB7001, and EB7001RH can be found on the body of the blowers along with “RedMax,” “Zenoah,” and “Komatsu.”
The blowers were sold by RedMax dealers nationwide from December 1996 through December 2005 for about $530, and were manufacturerd in Japan and the United States.
Owners should stop using the backpack blowers immediately and contact RedMax for a dealer location nearest to them to schedule a free inspection and a free repair if necessary. Consumers who have registered their equipment will receive direct notification about this recall from RedMax.
For more information, call RedMax at 866/217-4152 or visit http://www.redmax.com.
Also, Shindaiwa recalling about 87,000 backpack blowers due to a risk of fire, the company says.
Tualatin, Ore.-based Shindaiwa received one report of fire, though there have been no reported injuries. The blowers should not be used, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The backpack blower's muffler support bracket could break, creating an opening in the muffler body, the company says. Hot exhaust gases could escape from the muffler and melt the fuel fuel tank or ignite grease or debris around the fuel tank, posing a fire hazard.
The gasoline-powered backpack blowers are red and black with a white fuel tank. Model numbers EB630 or EB630RT are printed on the body of the blowers along with the name "Shindaiwa."
The units were sold by Shindaiwa dealers nationwide from July 1999 through February 2006 for about $545.
The company says users should contact Shindaiwa for the closest dealer location to schedule a free inspection and a free repair if necessary. Owners who have registered their equipment will receive direct correspondence from Shindaiwa about the recall.
For more information, contact Shindaiwa at 800/521-7733 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, or visit the company's Web site at http://www.shindaiwa.com.