Manual Push Mowers (unpowered)

68YOM FROM HOME FOR EVAL OF MULT COMPLAINTS.REPORTS 2 WKS OF WORSENING R UPPER NECK PAIN WHICH RADIATES INTO CHEST & THEN CENTRAL CHEST WHICH RADIATES THROUGH TO MID BACK. HE FEELS THIS IS ALL MSK RELATED FROM MOWING THE GRASS WITH A PUSH MOWER. DX: BILATERAL NECK PAIN; CHEST PAIN

74YOM BROUGHT TO THE ER WITH GENERALIZED WEAKNESS. HE STATES HE WAS MOWING THE LAWN, USING A PUSH MOWER, BECAME WEAK AND FELL TO THE GROUND. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET UP AND HAS BEEN LYING ON THE GROUND SINCE THAT TIME. EXAM NEGATIVE FOR TRAUMA. DX: FAILURE RENAL ACUTE; RETENTION URINARY ACUTE; WEAKNESS GENERAL; UNSPECIFIED B CELL LYMPHOMA; DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2 WITH DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY

36YOF WAS USING A PUSH MOWER WEARING FLIP-FLOPS WHEN SHE ACCIDENTALLY GOT HER LEFT GREAT TOE. DX: AVULSION OF SKIN OF TOE, OPEN FRACTURE OF LEFT GREAT TOE

59 YOF WITH HIP PAIN AFTER PUSH MOWING DX: PAIN

58YOF C/O HAND PROBLEM. PAIN AND SWELLING NOTED TO LEFT HAND AFTER GETTING HAND CAUGHT IN LAWN MOWER PART. PATIENT HYPEREXTENDED ARM AND HAND USING MANUAL PUSH MOWER. ACCIDENT OCCURRED 2 DAYS PRIOR. MILD BRUISING AND SWELLING NOTED. RADIOGRAPHS NEGATIVE. DX: CONTUSION OF LEFT HAND

52YOF WAS USING PUSH MOWER TO MOW HER LAWN, HAS LOW BACK PAIN.DX: LUMBAR MUSCLE STRAIN.

80YOM WAS MOWING THE LAWN WITH A PUSH MOWER WHEN HE DEVELOPED CRAMPING ALL OVER DX: DEHYDRATION

65YOF WAS USING A PUSH LAWN MOWER WHEN SHE DEVELOPED PAIN IN LEFT SHOULDER DX:LEFT SHOULDER PAIN

71YOF, C/O RIGHT KNEE PAIN UP TO HIP, CUTTING GRASS W/ PUSH MOWER UP HILL TWISTED RIGHT KNEE DX: RIGHT KNEE SPRAIN, RIGHT GROIN STRAIN

34YOM WAS CUTTING HIS GRASS WITH PUSH LAWNMOWER WHEN HE TWISTED HIS ANKLE DX:STRAINED ANKLE

69YOF WAS OUTSIDE MOWIMG GRASS WITH PUSH MOWER WHEN DEVELOPED SEVER PAIN ACROSS CHEST DX:CHEST PAIN

55YOM PT MOWING LAWN ON AN EMBANKMENT WITH PUSH MOWER, PUSHING IT DOWN EMBANKMENT, PT'S FOOT SLIPPED ON WET GRASS & WENT UNDER THE MOWER DX: PARTIAL TRAUMATIC AMPUTATION OF LEFT GREAT TOE, INITIAL ENCOUNTER; PRE-DIABETES, ANXIETY, NEUROPATHY

8/2/2021: The consumer’s 17 year old son was using the mower and attempting to adjust the height of one of the wheels. The engine was still running, but the rotor did not stop as designed. The son released the lever and expected that the blades would stop turning. The son reached under the mower to adjust the wheel, when the mower’s blade caught his left middle finger. The son sustain blunt force to the tip of his left middle finger. The son said that the mower was not running at full speed, but the blades definitely were turning. The son was taken to the ER. X-rays were taken and a splint was applied to this finger. Nothing was broken, but the doctor indicated that there could be nerve and or tissue damage to the end of the finger. The finger would have to be examined at a later time to see further damage developed. The problem seems identical to what’s stated in CPSC Recall# [REDACTED].

The mower’s front deck has rubberized material across the front, which connects to the plastic caps near the 2 front wheels. This rubber material has deteriorated over time and is breaking. Additionally, the metal portion of the deck, where the rubber connects to it, has developed rust and is also deteriorating. This rust has occurred on the front and rear metal deck portions of the mower. Most of the rust has developed on the front of the deck and smaller amounts on the rear. Furthermore, the front wheels have become imbalanced as a result of this issue, and the deck can no longer be adjusted. 8/23/2021: The consumer called the manufacturer and reported his concerns. Their rep. (name unknown) told him that they would take a look at it, but the mower is no longer under warranty, so he may have to pay for any repairs. The rep. told him that the maximum warranty is 3 years. The consumer has agreed to take the mower to a local manufacturer’s authorized technician, who will examine it. The consumer said that debris could fly out and injure someone during use. He also believes that the manufacturer has designed the mower in this fashion to use less metal and save cost.

The main blade bolt sheared off my lawn mower this morning and the blade came loose while I was mowing my lawn. How exciting. Even though I was not struck by the flying blade, I am quite glad I always wear steel-toe boots when mowing. Looks like my MTD lawn mower (model 11A-549Q755 (2008)) had a defective "blade adapter" - the cast iron part above the blade which allows mounting the blade to the motor shaft. The blade adapter is missing a big chunk out of one side - from the discoloration, the chunk was missing when it was originally installed. This appears to be an original casting defect - when the part was cast, it cracked and this part came off. The defective blade adapter was installed anyway instead of rejected. This missing chunk looks to be very important for securing the blade to the shaft. Without a properly functioning adapter, much more force is imparted on the blade bolt itself. It was inevitable that the bolt would eventually shear. The assembly is such that this defect is not visible when the mower is assembled, or even during normal blade removal/replacement. Fortunately, I was not hurt in this incident. However, mower blades detaching at full speed represent a real hazard.

The 'trailing shield' on my mower fell off and was chopped to bits on my mower... only 4 months after the 2 year warranty expired. The guard exists to prevent rocks, etc. from coming out from under the mower and hitting the operator. It should not have broken so soon and shouldn't be made from a hard plastic that can't handle being bent back and forth during normal operation of the machine. In several decades of using mowers this has never happened to me before.

Blade seized and dislodged from bottom of mower. Blade hit mechanism that puts mower into self drive mode.

The consumer stated that she purchased a weed eater mower that she purchased and she is stating that it does not work properly. The consumer stated that she believes that this product poses a safety hazard to the consumer. The consumer stated that every time she tries to mow her lawn the weed eater gets stuck. The consumer stated that she has to stick her fingers where the blades are located to get the weed eater to work again. The consumer believes this poses a laceration hazard and the product should be investigated. The consumer stated that she spoke to the manufacturer and they referred her to the retailer.

Caller's address is a second address where he lives 6 months out of the year and also works various repair projects for those living around him. He returned to this address in April 2012 to find that his neighbor/friend had left a push mower on his deck. The model has handle stubs that push into blade area for storage. Plastic molding fits at back of deck w/two 18" long handle stubs, the U shaped handle portion bolts to the stubs. The problem being reported with this option is that the caller's neighbor/friend had purchased one of these mowers, the seller didn't put the screws/stubs in when assembling mower. The first few times the purchaser used the mower it worked well but when he took it out of the garage maybe the fourth time, the handle began going down into the cutting area because the screws/stubs were not in place. Caller and his neighbor/friend are satisfied with retailers reaction to problem because the mower was replaced with a different design/model and those remaining in stock were removed. Caller states that if CPSC will send In Field representative he would be happy to accompany that person to display and discuss the safety issue. Caller contacted the manufacturer around June 12th, 2012, doesn't know the name of the person he spoke with. He believes that the female in parts department avoided his safety issues and questions. He is reporting that this is a very dangerous design that needs to be revised. When handle approaches a moving blade and chances that a piece could become sliced off then it could fly out and injure the user or those near the mower. He would request that production of this design be ceased immediately and the mower become recalled. I have talked to [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] in addition to the local Home Depot. These mowers are shipped in boxes with the handle stubs locked in the bottom position with the locking screws. They all stated that they had problems with people trying to

Purchased a Toro high wheel walk behind self-power mower on 9/3/2021 from home depot. Seven months later I tried to get warranty service on my toro walk behind mower and was told I needed to take it to their service center. The closest one was over two hours round trip for a broken rear plastic shield (Part #120-5218 BAFFLE-REAR/retail cost about $18). This shield is so thin it shattered while mowing my lawn and propelled small to medium plastic shield pieces from underneath the metal housing with pieces hitting my jeans. Toro conveniently doesn't have any "authorized" repair shops in our city. They refused to send me a replacement $18 plastic part (Part #120-5218 BAFFLE-REAR), two year warranty still has over a year left. A very poor design that results in very sharp thin plastic edges breaking during operation. Sincerely, [REDACTED] [REDACTED]