DR Power Equipment is recalling about 60,250 walk-behind and tow-behind leaf vacuums in the United States after determining that internal parts can shake loose or debris can punch through the discharge chute, sending metal and debris flying at speeds fast enough to cut skin, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall notice. Roughly 1,023 more units are affected in Canada.
The recalled machines are the DR-branded walk-behind and tow-behind leaf vacuums sold between September 2014 and June 2025 for $1,300 to $4,000 through independent power equipment dealers nationwide and online at drpower.com. If you bought a leaf vacuum from a small-engine dealer rather than a big-box store in that window, this is worth five minutes of checking before you pull it out of the shed this fall.
CPSC says the units can eject debris or loose metal pieces through the chute during normal operation, posing a laceration hazard to both the operator and anyone standing nearby. The agency has logged 46 reports of parts or debris being ejected, though no injuries have been reported so far.
This isn’t DR Power’s first notice on this problem. The company originally recalled the same leaf vacuums (along with some leaf blowers) back in May 2024, offering a free inspection and adjustment. That fix didn’t fully solve the problem. CPSC and DR Power reannounced and expanded the recall on January 8, 2026, this time with a more substantial remedy: a free metal outer shield that bolts onto the existing discharge chute, plus installation instructions.
Owners who already responded to the 2024 recall are not automatically covered — DR Power says they need to contact the company again to get the new shield. Canadian regulators issued a matching recall notice for units sold north of the border.
What Consumers Should Do:
- Stop using the leaf vacuum immediately if it matches the recalled models sold between September 2014 and June 2025.
- Contact DR Power Equipment at 877-221-4038 (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday) or [email protected] to request the free repair kit.
- Visit drpower.com/LLV-FreeRepairKit or drpower.com and click “Product Recalls” for model numbers and installation instructions.
- Do not assume a prior 2024 fix covers you — request the new metal shield even if you already had the unit inspected.
The timing is what makes this one sting. Leaf vacuums are seasonal equipment that often sit untouched for eleven months, which means plenty of owners are about to wheel this exact machine out of storage for the first big cleanup of autumn 2026 without ever hearing that the fix changed. Checking the model number against the recall notice before the first use this season takes less time than raking a single side yard.
