Harbor Freight Tools Recalls 4-Gallon, Battery-Powered Backpack Sprayers Due To Fire And Burn Risk
Harbor Freight Tools in concert with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently announced the recall of the Bauer 20V Cordless 4-Gallon Backpack Sprayer. According to the recall, the sprayer pump on the backpack can leak chemicals into the battery compartment causing the battery to overheat. This poses a potential fire and burn injury hazard.
The sprayer is a chemical sprayer product powered by a 20V rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The unit allows a consumer to wear the backpack and continuously spray liquids. The product is roughly 21 inches tall x 13 inches deep x 15 inches wide.
The CPSC is advising consumers to immediately stop using the recalled sprayers and contact Harbor Freight Tools for instructions on returning the sprayer hose and wand to the nearest store for a full refund. Consumers will be given a gift card as compensation for having purchased the recalled item. Consumers should flush the sprayer with water and cut the sprayer hose and wand off the product with scissors. Any consumer who is unable to return the sprayer hose and wand to a Harbor Freight Tools store should contact the company using their toll-free number or email address to request a prepaid shipping label. Harbor Freight Tools is contacting all known purchasers of the product directly.
Harbor Freight Tools has received eight reports of the battery overheating, including reports of the unit smoking, melting, and starting on fire. No injuries have yet to be reported.
Product liability lawsuits and batteries overheating
In most cases, when a battery overheats, it is due to a defect with the unit. In the case mentioned above, you have a product that leaks chemicals into the battery compartment which, in turn, causes the unit to overheat and poses a significant fire hazard. Already, users have reported that the product smokes, melts, and starts on fire. This poses a significant risk to any user that uses the product as intended.
In the case of this product, a consumer can be injured simply by using the product in the way that it was designed. When this happens, and a consumer is actually injured, they don’t have to prove that the company that manufactured the product was negligent. It’s assumed based on the fact that the product is defective. This is known as strict liability. Companies are strictly liable for the products that they produce. Consumers who are injured when using the product in a manner that could be generally anticipated by the company that manufactured it can file product liability lawsuits against the company without having to prove that the company was negligent. They only need to establish that injury resulted when they used the product in a way that was designed.
Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today
Halpern, Santos & Pinkert files product liability lawsuits on behalf of Florida residents who have been injured due to a dangerous or defective product. Call the Florida personal injury lawyers at our office today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your injuries right away.
Source:
cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Harbor-Freight-Tools-Recalls-Bauer-4-Gallon-Battery-Powered-Backpack-Sprayers-Due-to-Fire-Hazard