CPSC, Emerson Tool Co. Announce Recall of Craftsman® Radial Arm Saws Sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #01031) was formally reported on November 14, 2000. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Emerson Tool Co., of St. Louis, Mo. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 3.7 million units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: These radial arm saws were sold without a guard that covers the entire blade. Consumers have come into contact with the blade or have been hit by pieces of wood kicked back by the saws, resulting in severe injuries. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Emerson will provide $100 for the return of the saw carriage of recalled radial arm saws. Consumers must contact Emerson to arrange for a return of their saw carriage at no charge to the consumer. Co… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 1 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 26 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.