The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·02532·Announced 2002-04-10

Country Home Products Recalls DR Whisperlite Cordless Electric Lawnmowers

Country Home Products is recalling about 19,700 DR Whisperlite cordless electric lawnmowers because a wiring problem may disable safety functions, posing a risk of injury.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product where injury has not yet been reported as serious or fatal, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for potential lacerations or serious injury.

Plain-English summary

Country Home Products, Inc. is recalling about 19,700 DR® Whisperlite® cordless electric lawnmowers. The recalled units were sold nationwide from January 2000 to October 2001 for approximately $350. The lawnmowers are 30 inches long without a bag, 38.5 inches high to the handlebar, and 18 inches wide with a 14-inch cutting width. They feature "DR®" printed on the top of the red or yellow plastic housing and "Whisperlite®" on a label on the front of the plastic housing.

The recall is due to a wiring problem on the lawnmower's circuit board that may cause some safety functions to become inoperable. Specifically, the mower may continue to operate after the Operator Presence Control Bar is released, and the blade may continue to spin for an extended period after the mower has been shut off. Contact with a moving lawnmower blade can result in lacerations or serious injury to the hand or foot. Country Home Products has received up to 300 reports of circuit board failures, with one incident resulting in a minor finger injury.

Consumers with a recalled lawn mower should immediately stop using it. Country Home Products is sending a repair kit to all registered users of a Whisperlite® mower. If you have not received a repair kit by May 1, 2002, consumers should contact Country Home Products to request a free repair kit. Consumers may contact Country Home Products toll-free at (800) 673-1225 Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET.

The recalled product

Product
DR® Whisperlite® lawnmower
Manufacturer
Country Home Products, Inc., of Vergennes, Vt.
Category
Consumer Product — Lawn Mowers
Hazard
Affected units
19,700

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same manufacturer · Country Home Products, Inc., of Vergennes, Vt.

See all →

Same hazard · laceration

See all →