Chainsaw recall notice: Greenworks, Kobalt and Snapper 80-volt and 82-volt cordless chainsaws

This page sets out what three records say about one recall: Greenworks, Kobalt and Snapper cordless electric chainsaws with 80-volt or 82-volt batteries, recalled in the United States and Canada on February 1, 2018. The records are the CPSC recall record, the Health Canada notice and the recall list on the site of Greenworks Tools, called the importer's list below. The wider list of saw recalls is in the guide to chainsaw recalls and safety notices. Each record is described in our own words, and the notices linked below are the record.

The fault as the notices describe it

The CPSC record says the chain brake guard can fail and allow the chainsaw to keep operating, which it calls an injury hazard. Health Canada gives the mechanism: in a kickback, an affected chain brake guard could fail to activate the micro switch that is meant to stop the motor, so the chain could keep moving. It calls this a risk of laceration to the user or a bystander. The CPSC record lists no injuries. Health Canada says that as of January 18, 2018 the company had received no reports of incidents or injuries in Canada or the United States.

Which saws

The CPSC record says the recalled saws have a 16 or 18 inch bar and an 80 or 82 volt lithium-ion battery. The model number is on the warning label under the switch handle. The CPSC record and the importer's list agree on these models, and the importer's list adds more model numbers.

Brand and product	Models in the CPSC record	Models on the importer's list
Greenworks Pro 80V 16 inch brushless	CS80L211	CS80L211, CS80L01
Greenworks Pro 80V 18 inch	CS80L00	CS80L00, GCS80450, GCS80420, CS80L210
Greenworks Commercial 82V 18 inch	GS 180	GS 180
Kobalt 80V 18 inch	KCS 180, item 419015 without battery, item 670251 with battery	KCS 180, same two item numbers
Snapper XD 82V 18 inch	SXDCS82, item 1696773	SXDCS82, item 1696773

The importer's list gives date codes 01/15 to 10/17 for every model above. Health Canada names two Canadian products with model numbers of its own: the Kobalt 80V 18 inch as KCS 180B-06, and the Greenworks Pro 80V brushless 18 inch as GCS80450 for the bare tool and GCS80421 with battery and charger.

Remedy

The CPSC record gives one remedy: owners are to stop using the saws and ask Hongkong Sun Rise Trading for a free repair. It lists the remedy type as repair. Health Canada gives the same instruction and names Greenworks Tools as the contact for the repair. The importer's list adds a repair kit line for the Kobalt model.

Numbers, dates and where sold

United States

Recall date: February 1, 2018, CPSC number 18090. The importer's list gives its own recall number, 18-090.
Units: 48,100.
Sold: Lowe's and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Lowes.com and other sites, January 2015 through October 2017.

Canada

Posted: February 1, 2018, identification number RA-65446, a joint recall with the CPSC and Hongkong Sun Rise Trading.
Units: 866 of the Kobalt model and 1,252 of the Greenworks Pro model. The CPSC record gives 2,100 for Canada.
Sold: the Greenworks models from September 2015 to October 2017, and the Kobalt model from September 2016 to October 2017.

Who is named

The CPSC record and Health Canada name Hongkong Sun Rise Trading as the distributor, of China. The CPSC record names Changzhou Globe Co. Ltd. as the maker, and Health Canada names Changzhou Globe Tool Group Co. Ltd. The same distributor appears in the 2020 notice for a different saw, described on the page for the Kobalt 12 inch cordless chainsaw recall.

To correct or remove an entry, write to the address at the foot of this page.