SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Stopped working / malfunction

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20120530-0DE2D-2147467102. Severity: No Incident, No Injury. Matched catalog product: Craftsman 917-286450. Source model text: 917.288562. Incident: I purchased a Craftsman Lawn Tractor online from sears.com on 4-6-12. The unit was delivered to my home on 4-13-12. During a pre-start up inspection of the unit, I found that the 2 mandrel pulley guards were missing. I contacted sears.com regarding the missing guards and was informed that the unit is being sold without the guards. I also checked the illustrated parts breakdown for the machine and it does not show the guards as a factory installed part. I am of the opinion that operating the Lawn Tractor without the guards in place is safety hazard and could possibly cause personal injury to the operator. Guards around mandrel pulleys are normally installed on all Lawn and Garden Tractors regardless of the manufacture. This prevents the possibility of loose clothing, feet and hands from being caught between the drive belt and the mandrel pulley. I fail to understand why sears.com would market this model of machine without guards, but include the guards on the other machines listed in their 2011 Customer Buying Guide for Riding Equipment. It appears to me that if it is mandated by sears.com to include the required guards for all the other Riding Equipment they market, the unit I purchased should have the required guards installed on it. Note - ANSI B71.1-2003 SAFETY STANDARDS FOR RIDING MOWERS states in part: Do not operate machine without the entire grass catcher, discharge guard, or other safety devices in place and working. In the interest of personal safety, I am requesting