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 feature most buyers probably thought was a selling point.
Story Snapshot
- Greenworks Tools recalled 554,780 Kobalt 24V and 48V yard tools after 34 confirmed reports of batteries smoking, sparking, or catching fire.
- The fire risk occurs when you charge the battery via its USB-C port while it is still attached to the tool.
- Affected tools include lawn mowers, trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, and pruning saws sold at Lowe’s from January through May 2026.
- Owners should stop charging batteries while they are in the tool and contact Greenworks for a free replacement.
What Greenworks and Federal Safety Officials Confirmed
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall on June 26, 2026. Greenworks Tools, the manufacturer behind the Kobalt brand, confirmed that charging the lithium-ion battery via its USB-C port while the battery remains inserted in the tool can cause a short circuit.
That short-circuit creates a fire hazard. The CPSC logged 34 reports of batteries overheating, producing smoke, sparking, or igniting outright during charging.
The recall covers Kobalt 24-volt and 48-volt cordless outdoor power tools. Lowe’s sold these products nationwide, both in stores and online, between January and May 2026.
No injuries have been publicly reported yet, but 34 fire incidents across roughly 555,000 units is a serious pattern — not a fluke. The CPSC does not issue recalls of this scale over minor or theoretical risks.
The Exact Problem: Why USB-C and Power Tools Are a Risky Mix
USB-C charging was designed for phones, laptops, and small devices. It was built to handle relatively low power loads. Putting that same port on a 24-volt or 48-volt yard tool battery is a different challenge entirely.
When the battery stays locked inside the tool during charging, the electrical path can become overloaded. That overload can trigger what engineers call thermal runaway — a chain reaction inside the battery cell that produces intense heat fast.
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
This is not a freak manufacturing defect unique to one bad batch. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission received at least 25,000 reports of lithium-ion battery fires or related events over a five-year period across all portable power tools.
Adding USB-C convenience ports to high-voltage batteries without bulletproof circuit isolation is a shortcut that regulators have flagged as a growing risk across the industry. The Kobalt recall fits that pattern almost exactly.
What You Need to Do Right Now If You Own These Tools
Greenworks is direct about the fix: stop charging the battery while it is still in the tool. Remove the battery first, then charge it separately. That one step immediately eliminates the short-circuit risk.
For a permanent solution, owners can register for a free replacement battery by calling Greenworks toll-free at 888-266-7096, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. You can also email [email protected] or visit the company’s recall page directly.
⚠️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
The recalled tools include lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, and pruning saws. If you bought a Kobalt cordless yard tool at Lowe’s this year and it has a USB-C charging port on the battery, assume it is part of this recall until you verify otherwise. Do not wait for the tool to show warning signs. Thirty-four people already learned that lesson the hard way before this recall was announced.
The Bigger Warning Every Cordless Tool Owner Should Hear
Manufacturers love marketing USB-C charging as a convenience upgrade. One port for everything sounds great in a product brochure. But lithium-ion batteries powering outdoor power equipment operate at voltages and amperages that require robust engineering safeguards.
When those safeguards are insufficient, convenience becomes a liability. The Kobalt recall is a loud reminder that “innovative features” in power tools need to be proven safe before they reach 554,780 households — not after.
If you own any cordless power tool with a USB-C charging port, regardless of brand, read the manual carefully. Verify whether the manufacturer explicitly allows or prohibits charging while the battery is inserted. That one detail could be the difference between a charged battery and a garage fire.
Sources:
foxbusiness.com, cpsc.gov, morningoverview.com, greenworkstools.com, singletonschreiber.com
