SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Electrical shock / short

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20220909-1E1FA-2147353937. Severity: Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received. Product: Toro 51820 (60V MAX* Electric Battery Brushless Leaf Blower). Incident: I am writing regarding the Toro cordless leaf blower, product number 51820. I have used it problem free for almost two years until the week of 8/8/2022. When holding down a �turbo boost� button the blower has, one I�ve used many times before, it began to lightly shock my thumb. I read that humid conditions can lead to static shocks with leaf blowers so I stopped using it and tried later in the week, and it did the same thing any time I used the turbo boost button. Something was malfunctioning or defective, so I followed the manufacturers guidelines for an item under warranty and took it to a certified service dealership. After 2.5 weeks I got the blower back, was told that there was nothing wrong with the product, that plastic is not capable of conducting electricity so they are certain I could not have been shocked, and that it was likely static due to weather conditions which is outside of their control. I tried the product again when I got home and once again was shocked every time I tested the turbo boost. I called Toro customer service to discuss the issue, and lack of service provided for a defective product that is capable of causing harm, and after 20 minutes of describing the issue with the product, the means in which it was handled by their service team, and options available, the only other option available was to try a different service dealer. I tried one more authorized service dealership for Toro and was called the following day to be told they do not service electrical motors. I tried leaving a review on the Toro website to explain what has happened with thi