Toro Power Sweep Blower Recall: Risk of Injury from Plastic Shooting Out

Toro Company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have announced a Toro Power Sweep Blower recall due to a defective internal plastic part, which could break. At least 28 people have reported suffering injuries from small pieces of broken plastic being projected out of the blower.

The Toro recall impacts approximately 900,000 electric blowers sold between 2000 and 2002 throughout the United States at retailers such as Lowes, Home Depot, K-Mart and Target.

An internal rotating component in the Toro Power Sweep Blowers, known as the impeller, has been found to be defective and prone to break. This could result in small pieces of plastic being propelled out of the blower, posing a risk of serious injury to the operator or bystanders.

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At least 162 reports of broken impellers have been received by Toro Company, and 28 of these reports involved injuries such as cuts, bruises and other injuries caused by the Power Sweep Blower.

Owners have been advised to stop using the recalled blower and to contact Toro directly at (888) 279-3191 for a replacement.

The recalled Toro Power Sweep electric blower is model number 51586, with serious numbers between 000055100 and 220255609. A decal on the blower reads “TORO Power Sweep” and the decal on the opposite side contains the model and serial number.

The impeller is a black plastic fan, which can be viewed through the air inlet screen on the bottom of the unit.

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3 Comments

  • MichaelDecember 15, 2020 at 8:28 pm

    My toro powersweep blower just exploded in my hand.chuncks of impeller all over the place.

  • BillNovember 19, 2014 at 3:43 am

    Wow, I just found this while looking for parts for my blower. I was looking for a replacement impeller. Last weekend mine just exploded while I was blow drying the door handles after washing my car. A little trick I learned many years ago since they continue to drip after being washed. My Power Sweep blower blew chunks of plastic out of it like a gun shot. It ricocheted off my Cadillac and smacked[Show More]Wow, I just found this while looking for parts for my blower. I was looking for a replacement impeller. Last weekend mine just exploded while I was blow drying the door handles after washing my car. A little trick I learned many years ago since they continue to drip after being washed. My Power Sweep blower blew chunks of plastic out of it like a gun shot. It ricocheted off my Cadillac and smacked me right in the forehead. No blood but it felt like getting punched in the skull! Found a big piece of the impeller after it ricocheted off of me This is no joke. If you have one quit using it. I'm contacting Toro tomorrow and have the old parts/debris if needed, I hope they make good on this...my forehead is still sore.

  • DebFebruary 4, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    I was injured by this type of bower. I was using it to blow dirt and leaves off our deck when it shot apart There was a loud bang and then a sharp pain in my leg. Lucky for me I had long pants on and the grand kids were not out on the deck.

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