More Than 550,000 Kobalt Yard Tools Sold at Lowes Have Been Recalled

If you bought a Kobalt battery powered lawn tool at Lowe’s earlier this year, you might want to take a look at the battery before using or charging it again.

Greenworks North America is recalling about 554,780 Kobalt 24V and 48V yard power tools because the lithium ion batteries can short circuit while being charged through their USB-C ports. The problem can cause the batteries to smoke, spark or catch fire. 

The recalled equipment includes some of the most common tools people have hanging in their garages and sheds, including lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, chainsaws and pruning saws.

And there is an important distinction when it comes to where they were sold.

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These particular recalled Kobalt products were sold exclusively at Lowe’s stores nationwide and through Lowes.com, according to Greenworks. So, despite Kobalt being a familiar name in the tool aisle, this is not a recall involving products sold at Home Depot, Walmart, Harbor Freight, Ace Hardware or other major chains. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the affected products were sold at Lowe’s from January through May 2026, with prices ranging from about $20 to $482. Greenworks lists the more specific sales period as January 10 through April 28. 

So far, there have been 34 reports of batteries smoking, sparking or catching fire while the battery was still inside the tool and being charged through the USB-C port.

The good news, no injuries or property damage have been reported. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the problem occurs when the lithium ion battery is charged through its USB-C port while it is still inserted in the yard tool. Under those circumstances, the battery can short circuit and create a fire hazard.

Consumers are being told to immediately stop charging the affected batteries through the USB-C port while they are inside the tool. Greenworks' recall website goes a step further and tells owners to stop using an affected battery immediately. 

The recall involves Kobalt batteries with USB-C charging ports in 3.0Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 6.0Ah and 8.0Ah capacities. The 3.0Ah and 6.0Ah versions were also sold separately, so you could potentially have an affected battery even if it did not originally come packaged with one of the recalled yard tools. 

Cobalt battery operated tools. Photo by Bill Keeler / TSM

Greenworks is offering replacement batteries at no charge. Depending on the product, consumers may also receive a charger adapter, a warning label for the tool, an updated owner's manual and a prepaid shipping label to return the recalled battery.

One more thing before tossing a Kobalt battery in a box and sending it back. Not every Kobalt battery or tool is being recalled. The recall is limited to specific models using the affected USB-C batteries. Owners should check the model and serial number against the list provided by Greenworks before returning anything. 

Consumers can register for a replacement through the Greenworks Kobalt recall page or call 888-266-7096, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Eastern Time.