Harbor Freight has recalled over 100,000 19.2V cordless drills last week due to a flaw in the trigger switch design that can cause it overheat and potentially lead to a fire and burn hazard. There has been one report of a drill overheating and burning through the handle, leading to minor injury to the user.
If you purchased a drill that looks like this between April 2008 and May 2012, stop using the drill, remove the battery from the tool, and contact Harbor Freight about a free replacement.
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The model number, 96526, can be found on the yellow label on the left side of the drill.
[email protected] or (800) 444-3353, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT Mon-Fri.
More Info(via USCPSC)
Steven B
Reminds me of the Kawasaki drill recall from June (sold only at Costco May 2011 – Feb 2012, 45,000 units). Seems to be the same issue – makes me wonder if it is the same manufacturer – only mild differences in the case. See http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12740.html
Of course, I just noticed your ‘related posts’ showing that recall. Which is probably where I found out about that one! Keep up the good work, Stuart!
AndrewC
I wonder if these drills had UL stamps on them- the designation that Underwriters Labs have tested the item and deemed it safe. Almost all electrical equipment we buy in the US has this UL tag somewhere on it. The exceptions are some items you get from Harbor freight, or other places that sell cheap tools. I know that other cheap drills like GreatNeck drills were caught will unauthorized UL codes on them. I also believe that Consumer Reports tested some basic power tools many years back (can’t remember if it was a sander or circular saw or what) and found that the Harbor freight brands (Chicago electric or something similiar) didn’t have UL markings and had the potential for starting a fire. To me, this is just one of the caveats of buying a cheap tool.
Mike
Its low end garbage,can we really be surprised?