Every now and then, I look through the CPSC’s list of product recalls, to see if any notable tools or equipment are included. This Harbor Freight rechargeable LED flashlight was recalled last year (Feb 2019).
Described as an 80 lumen 12V rechargeable flashlight, this model (64109), featured a vehicle 12V power port that directly plugged into a car’s aux port for charging.
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It measures ~5″ long and has a button on the side.
The recall is due to a risk of the flashlight overheating while charging and posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Harbor Freight recalled about 500,000 units, offering a refund for returned units. The flashlight was sold at Harbor Freight stores between August 2018 and January 2019, selling for between $2 and $4.
Mike says
I seldom shop at Harbor Freight. But, I did purchase this light because it was rechargeable and cheap. It lasted two days and then went into the trash.
So, I guess I got “burned” – financially, not physically.
Jerry says
Knew a person that owned one of these and this gave them a pretty bad burn. Tried politely warning them this was cheaply made in China and was going to cause a nasty burn at some point. They didn’t listen and the next day that is when the incident happened.
Gave them a USA made Maglight flash light and they’ve since bought several for themselves. $2-4 refund is pennies in the bucket compared to the doctor’s bill for the damage that was done. This is why it’s so important to support the domestic option as they are safety regulations that must be followed and there is actual quality control.
Adam says
Bigclivedotcom on YouTube does some fun disassemblies of dodgy electronics like these. He just did a flashlight similar to this one, and it had *zero* overcharge protection, which is decidedly not what you want with lithium batteries involved.
Jp says
Buy this if you want a good price on headlamps. I swear by them
https://coastportland.com/collections/headlamps/products/fl84-2-pack
Lifetime warranty
Jp says
Posted bc it is on sale . Can’t tell for how long
fred says
Toolup will give you a free Milwaukee LED Headlamp with the purchase of $199 or more of other Milwaukee items – and promo code HEADLAMP
https://www.toolup.com/Milwaukee-2111-21-USB-Rechargeable-Hard-Hat-Headlamp