LawnBott robotic mowers recalled after owner cut by still-spinning blade

What happened

This entry records a product recall that followed a reported injury. It is dated to the recall announcement, April 25, 2008, because the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s notice does not give the date or location of the underlying injury.

According to the recall notice, the importer, Kyodo America, received one report of a consumer who picked up a LawnBott robotic mower while it was running and suffered minor lacerations from the blade, which was still moving.

The commission said the mowers had two problems: the cutting blades continued to rotate when the machine was lifted off the ground, and the spacing along the side of the mower could allow a person’s foot to get past the shield and be hit by the blade.

The system involved

The LawnBott was an early consumer robotic lawn mower that cut grass on its own and returned to a docking station to recharge. The recall covered models LB2000, LB2100, LB3000 and LB3200, with plastic covers in red, green or blue.

The mowers were manufactured in Italy by Zucchetti Centro Sistemi S.p.A. and imported by Kyodo America Industries of Lawrenceville, Georgia. About 530 were sold through Kyodo America dealers nationwide between January 2006 and December 2007.

Investigation and response

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Kyodo America jointly announced the recall on April 25, 2008 as recall number 08-256. Consumers were told to stop using the mowers immediately and to register with Kyodo America for a repair, which the company expected to be ready by the end of June 2008. Registered owners were notified by mail.

What is not established

The recall notice does not say when or where the injury occurred or give further detail about it. The count of one reported injury reflects what the importer had received at the time of the recall.