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Pole saw recall notice: Kobalt 40-volt 8-inch cordless pole saw

What the CPSC, Health Canada and the importer say about the 2020 Kobalt 40-volt 8-inch cordless pole saw recall: the switch fault, the item numbers and date codes, the numbers sold and the remedy.

Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.

This page sets out what three records say about one recall: the Kobalt 40-volt lithium-ion 8-inch cordless electric pole saw, recalled in the United States and Canada in September 2020. The records are the CPSC recall record, the Health Canada notice and the recall list on the importer's own site. 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

Both the CPSC record and Health Canada say the switch can fail while the saw is under a heavy load. The unit then keeps running after the trigger is released, which both call a laceration hazard. The CPSC record counts 65 reports of saws continuing to run, with no injuries. Health Canada, dated August 2020 in its text, gives 50 incident reports in the United States and none in Canada, also with no injuries. The two counts differ, so both are shown.

Which saws

  • Product: Kobalt brand 40-volt lithium-ion 8-inch cordless electric pole saw, with "Kobalt" printed on the side of the unit.
  • Item numbers in the CPSC record: 796791, 1083769, 970801, 812419 and 812424. The importer's list gives the same five numbers.
  • Date codes: the CPSC record says 01/01/17 to 02/28/19, made from January 2017 through February 2019. The importer's list says 01/17 to 02/19.
  • Where the numbers are printed: the CPSC record says the item number and date code are on the side of the guide bar near the oil cap.
  • Model number: Health Canada lists one model, KPS 80, with the item number 832431 in its UPC column. The CPSC record and the importer's list give no model number.

Remedy

The CPSC record gives one remedy: stop using the pole saw immediately and contact Hongkong Sun Rise Trading for a free repair, and lists the remedy type as repair. The importer's list gives the same instruction. Health Canada tells consumers to stop using the product and contact Hongkong Sun Rise for more information, and notes that Canadian law prohibits redistributing, selling or giving away a recalled product.

Numbers, dates and where sold

United States

  • Recall date: September 23, 2020 in the CPSC record, number 20192. The importer's list shows September 28, 2020.
  • Units: the CPSC record gives "About 106,400", and Health Canada also gives 106,400 sold in the United States.
  • Sold: Lowe's stores nationwide and online at Lowes.com, March 2017 through October 2019. Health Canada gives the sale period as March 2017 to November 2019.
  • Injuries reported: none.

Canada

  • Posted: September 23, 2020. The notice calls it a joint recall with the CPSC and Hongkong Sun Rise Trading.
  • Units: 120 sold in Canada.
  • Injuries reported: none.

Who is named

The CPSC record names Hongkong Sun Rise Trading Ltd. as the distributor and Changzhou Globe Co. Ltd. as the maker, both of China. Health Canada names the same two firms, gives the maker as Changzhou Globe Tool Group Co. Ltd., and adds Greenworks Tools Inc. of Newmarket, Ontario as the Canadian importer. The same notice date also covers a Kobalt 40-volt 12-inch cordless chainsaw, described in the Kobalt 12 inch cordless chainsaw recall notice.

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

Sources