STIHL Recalls Nearly 200K Mini-Cultivators Following Injuries, Reports Gearbox Installed Backwards

Nearly 200,000 STIHJL mini-cultivator attachments have been recalled due to a risk that the tiller blades may spin in a backwards rotation, which could pose a serious risk for users.

The STIHL recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on September 30, following at least a dozen consumer complaints indicating the gearboxes were installed upside down, which causes the blades to spin towards the operator.

The manufacturer is aware of at least six laceration injuries which resulted from the STIHL Mini-Cultivator attachments, which involve sharp blades intended to spin and break up loose soil.

According to the recall notice, the gearbox of the attaching blades may have been installed upside down by dealers, causing the cultivators’ blades to spin in the opposite direction. If the blades are spinning towards the user, the device could potentially run back towards the operator, resulting in serious injury.

The recall impacts approximately 185,000 STIHL BF-KM Mini-Cultivator attachments equipped with four black discs with tines mounted to a gearbox. The gearboxes are attached to a metal drive tube with a black deflector.

Impacted units were manufactured in the United States by STIHL Incorporated, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. They were distributed nationwide to authorized STIHL dealers from January 2005 through August 2020 for about $190

STIHL indicates the cultivator attachments should not have been sold in a box or assembled by customers. The manufacturer is instructing customers to stop using the recalled mini-cultivator attachments immediately and to contact their local authorized STIHL servicing dealer to schedule a free inspection and assembly.

Those with additional questions or concerns are encouraged to contact STIHL Inc. customer’s service at 800-233-4729 and reference the recall code BF-KM, or visit them online and navigate to the Product Recalls section.