About 2.2M Stanley, DeWALT, Craftsman Sledgehammers Recalled Amid Reports of Head Detaching

Nearly 200 incidents of sledgehammer heads unexpectedly detaching during use have been reported, resulting in at least two injuries.

A recall has been issued for more than 2 million Stanley, DeWALT and Craftsman fiberglass sledgehammers, which may have a dangerous design defect, which allows the weighted heads to separate from the handle during use, posing a serious injury risk for users and bystanders.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the massive sledgehammer recall on April 20, following at least 192 consumer reports of the sledgehammer heads detaching from the handles, resulting in at least two head and facial injuries.

The recall impacts certain DeWALT, Stanley FATMAX and Craftsman fiberglass sledgehammers. The recalled sledgehammers weigh between two and 12 pounds and are between 14 inches and 36 inches in length.

The Craftsman sledgehammers are red and black in color, while both the DeWALT and Stanley sledgehammers are yellow and black. The heads of the recalled DeWALT and Craftsman sledgehammers are marked with their product model numbers and the handles of the Stanley sledgehammers have a sticker with their model numbers.

A full list of the affected sledgehammer models and their model numbers is included in the recall notice.

About 2.2 million of the recalled fiberglass sledgehammers were distributed nationwide from November 2013 through November 2022 in hardware stores including Home Depot and Ace Hardware, and online at Homedepot.com, AceHardware.com and Amazon.com for between $16 and $26. An additional 53,000 sledgehammers were recalled in Canada.

Consumers are urged to discontinue using the defective tools and provide their contact information to Stanley Black & Decker for a refund. Stanley Black & Decker can be contacted by phone Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET at 855-418-3032.

For more information, consumers can also visit https://stanleyblackanddecker.com/sledgehammerrecall, www.dewalt.com, www.craftsman.com or www.stanleytools.com at the “Safety Notices and Recalls” page.