ECHO Bear Cat power leaf mulchers and grinders

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. No one hurt

   Made May 16, 2026 · , sent to the company May 22, 2026 · , published by CPSC Jun 8, 2026

   The product, in the report: Product Information Product Type: Wood Chipper / Chipper Shredder Manufacturer: Crary Industries Inc. Brand: Bear Cat Model: CH6627H Serial Number: [REDACTED] Date of Purchase: April 28, 2018 Place of Purchase: Placerville Polaris & Power Tools, Placerville, California ________________________________________ Description of Incident / Hazard I am submitting this report to document a potentially serious structural and mechanical safety hazard involving a Bear Cat Model CH6627H 6-inch wood chipper manufactured by Crary Industries. During normal operation and use consistent with manufacturer instructions, welds associated with the rear rotor bearing mounting plate failed. Specifically, corner joints on the mounting structure appear to have been fabricated with single-sided welds only. One corner joint separated after weld failure and an adjacent weld was cracked along 50% of its length, allowing the rear rotor bearing mounting plate to shift out of alignment. The resulting misalignment caused: Contact between the rotor blades and the anvil Contact between the rotating assembly and the RPM sensor trigger bolt Mounting structure deformation Abnormal loading and impact conditions inside the machine This failure mode created conditions that could reasonably lead to catastrophic mechanical failure, including: Fragmentation of structural or rotating components Release of high-velocity projectiles Potential serious injury to the operator or nearby persons The failed component is associated with the 165-pound rotor support structure, which is a critical load-bearing and alignment-sensitive assembly within the machine. Photographs documenting the weld failure and resulting internal damage are available. ________________________________________ Engineering / Safety Concern The primary concern is not simply the repair cost of this individual unit, but the possibility of a broader design or manufacturing vulnerability involving insufficient weld reinforcement at a critical structural location. The failed joint appears to rely on single-sided weld construction at a high-stress bearing support area. Once one corner separated, rotor alignment was compromised, leading to secondary internal contact events. This raises concern that: Similar units may contain the same structural configuration Other machines could experience similar failures as they age or accumulate vibration/fatigue cycles Operators may receive little warning before hazardous internal contact occurs Given the rotating mass and stored mechanical energy associated with chipper rotors, loss of bearing alignment presents a potentially serious safety risk. ________________________________________ Manufacturer Response I notified Crary Industries and requested: Engineering inspection or retrieval of the failed component Root cause analysis Clarification regarding whether similar units could be affected Information regarding any design review or corrective action Crary Industries responded that they found no recorded field issues or manufacturing defects and offered: $500 toward replacement parts, or $500 toward third-party welding/machine shop repairs However, the manufacturer did not provide: Any documented engineering analysis Root cause findings Evaluation of whether the issue may exist in other units Confirmation that the proposed repair would restore the machine to manufacturer engineering specifications Any indication of broader safety review My concern is that the response focused primarily on resolving an individual customer complaint rather than evaluating the underlying safety implications of the structural failure. ________________________________________ Usage / Maintenance Information The machine has been used in accordance with operating guidance and maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. The failure did not occur during abuse, collision, overload, or modification of the equipment. ________________________________________ Requested Action I respectfully request that the Consumer Product Safety Commission review this matter to determine whether: The rotor bearing support structure presents a potential safety defect Similar units may contain the same vulnerability Additional investigation, field review, or manufacturer corrective action is warranted I am willing to provide: Photographs Correspondence with the manufacturer Additional details regarding the failure sequence Inspection access to the machine and failed components

   Product Information Product Type: Wood Chipper / Chipper Shredder Manufacturer: Crary Industries Inc. Brand: Bear Cat Model: CH6627H Serial Number: [REDACTED] Date of Purchase: April 28, 2018 Place of Purchase: Placerville Polaris & Power Tools, Placerville, California ________________________________________ Description of Incident / Hazard I am submitting this report to document a potentially serious structural and mechanical safety hazard involving a Bear Cat Model CH6627H 6-inch wood chipper manufactured by Crary Industries. During normal operation and use consistent with manufacturer instructions, welds associated with the rear rotor bearing mounting plate failed. Specifically, corner joints on the mounting structure appear to have been fabricated with single-sided welds only. One corner joint separated after weld failure and an adjacent weld was cracked along 50% of its length, allowing the rear rotor bearing mounting plate to shift out of alignment. The resulting misalignment caused: Contact between the rotor blades and the anvil Contact between the rotating assembly and the RPM sensor trigger bolt Mounting structure deformation Abnormal loading and impact conditions inside the machine This failure mode created conditions that could reasonably lead to catastrophic mechanical failure, including: Fragmentation of structural or rotating components Release of high-velocity projectiles Potential serious injury to the operator or nearby persons The failed component is associated with the 165-pound rotor support structure, which is a critical load-bearing and alignment-sensitive assembly within the machine. Photographs documenting the weld failure and resulting internal damage are available. ________________________________________ Engineering / Safety Concern The primary concern is not simply the repair cost of this individual unit, but the possibility of a broader design or manufacturing vulnerability involving insufficient weld reinforcement at a critical structural location. The failed joint appears to rely on single-sided weld construction at a high-stress bearing support area. Once one corner separated, rotor alignment was compromised, leading to secondary internal contact events. This raises concern that: Similar units may contain the same structural configuration Other machines could experience similar failures as they age or accumulate vibration/fatigue cycles Operators may receive little warning before hazardous internal contact occurs Given the rotating mass and stored mechanical energy associated with chipper rotors, loss of bearing alignment presents a potentially serious safety risk. ________________________________________ Manufacturer Response I notified Crary Industries and requested: Engineering inspection or retrieval of the failed component Root cause analysis Clarification regarding whether similar units could be affected Information regarding any design review or corrective action Crary Industries responded that they found no recorded field issues or manufacturing defects and offered: $500 toward replacement parts, or $500 toward third-party welding/machine shop repairs However, the manufacturer did not provide: Any documented engineering analysis Root cause findings Evaluation of whether the issue may exist in other units Confirmation that the proposed repair would restore the machine to manufacturer engineering specifications Any indication of broader safety review My concern is that the response focused primarily on resolving an individual customer complaint rather than evaluating the underlying safety implications of the structural failure. ________________________________________ Usage / Maintenance Information The machine has been used in accordance with operating guidance and maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. The failure did not occur during abuse, collision, overload, or modification of the equipment. ________________________________________ Requested Action I respectfully request that the Consumer Product Safety Commission review this matter to determine whether: The rotor bearing support structure presents a potential safety defect Similar units may contain the same vulnerability Additional investigation, field review, or manufacturer corrective action is warranted I am willing to provide: Photographs Correspondence with the manufacturer Additional details regarding the failure sequence Inspection access to the machine and failed components

   Model

   CH6627H

   UPC

   Don’t have this

   Serial number

   5VJAA041XHW005635

   Bought from

   Placerville Polaris & Power Tools, Placerville, Ca

   Bought

   Apr 28, 2018

   Where

   Pollock Pines, California: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 71, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand ECHO Bear Cat, made or sold by CRARY CO

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources