Toro snowblower nationwide recall after amputation concerns
Snowblowers can cost an arm and a leg, but usually not your arm and leg.
Toro, the longtime American manufacturer of gardening and lawn equipment, has issued a recall on some 6,700 snowblowers due to amputation risks, reported CNN Business on Friday.
The Power Max 826 OHAE Snowthrowers, which cost about $1,200 and have model number 37802, are the potentially hazardous machines, noted the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Toro Power Max Snowthrower and contact a Toro authorized dealer for a free repair,” the commission wrote in a recall statement.
The machines were sold at Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Toro authorized dealers.
The recall issue involves the auger, the rotating corkscrew-like part of the machine that picks up snow and chucks it through a discharge trough.
The augers could potentially fail to disengage when the control lever is released, which keeps them moving when they’re supposed to stop, according to the recall notice.
“The firm has received five reports of incidents related to auger failing to disengage when the control lever is released,” wrote Toro. “No injuries have been reported.”
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For those owning affected machines, Toto advises to cease use before contacting an authorized dealer for a free repair.
From 2001 to 2016, there were approximately 92,800 snowblower injuries in the U.S., according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine. The most common injury involved fingers, followed by hands. Most of the accidents involved lacerations, fractures and amputations.
