Recalled weed and brush cutters posy injury risk

WASHINGTON (AP) _ An Illinois company is recalling 63,600 weed and brush cutters after receiving eight reports of injuries from the blades. <br><br>The cutters pose a serious injury hazard to operators,

Tuesday, December 2nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ An Illinois company is recalling 63,600 weed and brush cutters after receiving eight reports of injuries from the blades.

The cutters pose a serious injury hazard to operators, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday. The user can come in contact with the machine's blade, even when disengaged, by pulling on the motor deck while the engine is running.

The cutters are manufactured by Bachtold Brothers Inc. of Gibson City, Ill. The recall includes the W-24 models, sold under the Bachtold Whipper, DR Field & Brush Mower and B-800 (with a 77-100 deck) brand names. All the models have either an orange or green body. The brand name is printed on the drive box between the engine and left wheel.

The cutters were sold through Country Home Products' catalogues and by independent distributors nationwide between January 1978 and April 2001 for $950 to $1,600.

DR All-Terrain Field & Brush mowers manufactured by Country Home Products are not included in the recall.

Consumers are urged to stop using the cutters immediately and contact Bachtold Brothers for a free repair kit for the Whipper or B-800 models or Country Home Products for the DR Field & Brush model. The repair involves the installation of a mechanism that will shut down the engine if the operator takes his or her hands off the handlebar.

Consumers can contact Bachtold Brothers toll-free at 1-877-784-5161 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday. Country Home Products can be reached toll-free at 1-877-595-3668 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. EST Monday through Friday and between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday. More information is also available on the companies' Web sites at www.bachtoldbros.com and www.weedcutterrecall.com.