Harbor Freight Drill Master Recall Issued Due to Risk of Burns, Fires

An estimated 1.7 million cordless 18-volt drills manufactured and sold by Harbor Freight may be prone to overheat, posing a serious risk of burns for consumers, property damage or fires.

A Drill Master recall was announced by Harbor Freight and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on December 1, following more than two dozen consumer complaints of the drills overheating, including at least six burn injuries to consumer hands and several incidents of property damage.

Harbor Freight indicates that the internal switching mechanism may become stuck in the “on” position, causing the drill to overheat and potentially catch fire. As a result, consumer are being urged to stop using the drills immediately, carefully check for overheating and return them as soon as possible.

The recall includes an estimated 1.7 million Drill Master 18-volt cordless drills with item numbers 68239 and 68287. The drills with item number 68239 were sold individually, whereas drills with item number 68287 were sold as part of a kit that included a flashlight.

Both recalled drills are black with a red switch and were sold with an 18-volt rechargeable battery pack. Customers can locate the item number on a black label on the right side of the drill beneath the serial numbers.

Harbor Freight announced that similar model drills with item numbers 69651 and 69652 are not included in the recall nor are the flashlights sold with the recalled 68287 item numbered drills.

The drills were manufactured in China under Harbor Freight Tools, of Camarillo, California where they were sold at Harbor Freight Tool stores nationwide, Harbor Freight catalogs, and online at www.harborfreight.com from May 2011 through September 2015 for about $35 for the drill only and $46 for the drill kit including flashlight.

Customers are being asked to stop using the recalled drills immediately and return them to the nearest Harbor Freight Tools store to receive a free replacement drill. For further questions or concerns about the recall customers may contact Harbor Freight Tools Customer Service at 800-444-3353 or visit them online at www.harborfreight.com and navigate to the “Recall Safety Information” tab.