Half-Million Recalled — Dangerous Fire Risk

More than half a million Kobalt yard tools are being recalled right now because their batteries can catch fire while charging — and the culprit is a design flaw hiding in plain sight on the side of the tool.

Story Snapshot

Greenworks Tools recalled 554,780 Kobalt 24V and 48V yard tools in July 2026 due to a fire hazard linked to USB-C battery charging.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission confirmed 34 reports of batteries smoking, sparking, or catching fire during charging.
The danger happens when the battery is charged through the USB-C port while still plugged into the tool — do not do this.
Affected tools include lawn mowers, trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, and pruning saws sold at Lowe’s stores nationwide.

What Greenworks Got Wrong With the USB-C Design

Greenworks Tools makes the Kobalt line of outdoor power tools sold exclusively at Lowe’s. The recalled tools use lithium-ion batteries with a built-in USB-C charging port. That sounds convenient — until you understand the problem.

Charging the battery via the USB-C port while it is still attached to the tool can cause a short circuit. That short-circuit can lead to smoke, sparks, or an outright fire.

USB-C was designed for phones, laptops, and small electronics — not for high-voltage yard tools running on 24 or 48 volts. When manufacturers push USB-C into heavy-duty tools without proper electrical isolation between the charging system and the tool’s power circuit, they create a dangerous mismatch.

That appears to be exactly what happened here. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) logged 34 confirmed incidents before the recall was announced on July 9, 2026.

Which Kobalt Tools Are Affected and Where They Were Sold

The recall covers Kobalt-branded 24-volt and 48-volt outdoor power tools sold at Lowe’s stores across the country and online. Products in the recall include lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, and pruning saws.

The tools were sold from January through May 2026. If you bought a Kobalt cordless yard tool from Lowe’s this year with a USB-C charging port on the battery, assume it is affected until you confirm otherwise.

Lowe's has recalled over 500,000 Kobalt tools because of a risk of fire due to defective batteries. Are you affected? Here's everything you need to know. https://t.co/SofBKeFPWI

— SlashGear (@slashgear) July 13, 2026

What You Need to Do Right Now

Greenworks is telling owners to stop charging the battery immediately while it is inserted in the tool. Remove the battery from the tool first, then charge it separately. That one step eliminates the risk of short-circuiting.

To get a free replacement battery, contact Greenworks toll-free at 888-266-7096, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also register online at the Greenworks website under “Recalls and Important Safety Notices.”

⚠️Recall Alert – Greenworks Tools⚠️

Greenworks Tools Recalls 24V and 48V Kobalt Yard Power Tools with USB-C Batteries Due to Risk of Serious Injury from Fire Hazard

Recall Details

Description:
This recall involves Kobalt yard power tools, including trimmers, blowers, mowers,… pic.twitter.com/4mW41io0rc

— Consumer Watch (@Consumer__Watch) July 9, 2026

This Is Part of a Bigger Lithium-Ion Battery Problem

The Kobalt recall is not a one-off mistake. The CPSC received at least 25,000 reports of lithium-ion battery fires or related events over a five-year period across all product categories.

Manufacturers keep chasing convenience features — wireless charging, USB-C ports, smaller form factors — and the safety engineering sometimes lags behind the marketing calendar.

When a battery designed for a smartphone charger gets wired into a 48-volt lawn mower circuit, the margin for error shrinks fast.

Regulators have flagged this pattern before. The CPSC has warned consumers about mismatched chargers and improper charging setups in high-power devices, and those warnings keep coming because manufacturers keep repeating the same mistakes.

The Kobalt recall is a clear example of what happens when a product ships before the charging system is fully thought through. Thirty-four fires later, the recall arrives. That timeline should concern every consumer who bought one of these tools this spring.

No Injuries Reported Yet, But the Risk Is Real

As of the recall announcement, no injuries had been reported. That is good news, but it does not mean the danger is minor. A lithium-ion battery that short-circuits can reach extreme temperatures in seconds.

The fire risk is real, and it does not give much warning. A tool sitting in your garage while charging could be the problem. If you own one of these Kobalt tools, act today — not when you get around to it.