A convenience feature on certain Kobalt batteries has prompted a major recall of yard equipment after it was tied to a possible fire hazard.
The action affects both tools and battery packs, putting homeowners on alert in the middle of lawn-care season.
What happened?
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Greenworks Tools is recalling Kobalt-branded 24V and 48V yard power tools that use certain lithium-ion batteries with USB-C charging ports. If those batteries are charged through the USB-C port while still attached to the tool, they can short-circuit and create a fire hazard.
Affected products listed by the CPSC span a broad mix of equipment, including mowers, blowers, trimmers, chainsaws, pruning saws, a bristle brush, and a power cleaner. The notice also says some battery packs were sold separately, and the recalled USB-C battery sizes are 3.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 6.0Ah, and 8.0Ah.
Before the recall was announced, Greenworks told the CPSC it had received 34 reports of batteries smoking, sparking, or catching fire during USB-C charging while inserted in a tool. At the time of the notice, no injuries or property damage had been reported.
The products were sold nationwide at Lowe's stores and on Lowes.com from January 2026 through May 2026, with prices ranging from $20 to $482. The agency identified the company as Greenworks North America, LLC, doing business as Greenworks Tools, of Mooresville, North Carolina, and said the recalled items were made in China and Vietnam.
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Why does it matter?
Because the recall includes commonly used yard tools such as blowers, string trimmers, and mowers, it affects equipment many households rely on. The warning centers on not using the USB-C charging option while the battery is still connected to the tool.
While no damage to property or injuries were recorded as of the notice, that doesn't take away from the potential dangers of the faulty batteries.
Recalls can look like one-offs and isolated incidents, but the sheer number of them means there is a pattern of potential hazards in consumer products. These risks can be magnified for products sold through third-party vendors.
What's being done?
The CPSC says consumers should immediately stop charging these batteries through the USB-C port while they are inserted in the tools. Greenworks is providing free replacement batteries that do not have that port.
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To participate, customers should contact Greenworks and complete the form on the company's recall page. They will then receive replacement batteries, a charger adapter, a warning label for the tool, a revised manual, and a prepaid label with instructions for returning the recalled batteries.
This recall applies only to items sold with the USB-C battery packs. People who own Kobalt yard tools should carefully review battery size, packaging, and model details before using that charging feature again.
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