Central Pneumatic air compressors
6 reports to CPSC, the latest made Dec 13, 2023. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 6reports to CPSC
- Dec 13, 2023the latest report was made
- Nov 2, 2013the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Central Pneumatic
- Maker
- Harbor Freight ToolsMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Air compressorsOn their ownCPSC’s product type: Air Compressors (Separate) (code 823), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Tools & Hardware
Other ways the reports write the brand (1)
“Central Pneumatic Professional”
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | 1 |
| January 2021 | 1 |
| June 2016 | 1 |
| July 2015 | 1 |
| July 2014 | 1 |
| November 2013 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- Hurt, no treatment 1 CPSC: Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
- No one hurt 4 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
- Not said 1 CPSC: Unspecified
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No one hurt Made Dec 13, 2023, sent to the company Dec 18, 2023, published by CPSC Jan 3, 2024
The product, in the report: Harbor Freight Item Number 98943 - 3/8” x 5 foot
Brand new Harbor Freight Central Pneumatic Professional Swivel Whip Hose blew apart at the swivel point at only 100 psi, creating an unsafe condition whereby the pressure in the hose caused the end to whip around at high speed. Thankfully, no personal injury or property damage occured, but the loss of an eye or similar risk of great bodily harm was present.
- Model
- 98943
- Serial number
- N/
A - Where
- Caro, Michigan: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 34, Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Central Pneumatic Professional, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
Hurt, no treatment Made Jan 21, 2021, sent to the company Feb 9, 2021, published by CPSC Feb 24, 2021
The product, in the report: HARBOR FREIGHT, central pneumatic 30 gallon 420cc truck bed air compressor epa III contractor grade two stage air compressor for heavy duty jobs.
HARBOR FREIGHT, central pneumatic gas air compressor tank exploded while in use. In back of service truck. No serious injuries, but could have been fatal if anyone were in or near tank.
- Model
- 30 gallon 420cc air compressor
- UPC
- None
- Serial number
- None
- Bought from
- HARBOR FREIGHT store
- Bought
- Dec 9, 2019, about then
- Where
- Osceola, Missouri: Farm/
Ranch - Who was involved
- Age 41, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Friend /
Neighbor / Co-worker - As this report names them
- Brand Central pneumatic, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
-
No one hurt Made Jun 28, 2016, sent to the company Jul 8, 2016, published by CPSC Jul 22, 2016
The product, in the report: Magnum 2 HP 5 Gallon Twin Tank air compressor
I bought a Magnum 2 HP 5 Gallon Twin Tank air compressor from Harbor Freight in Huntsville AL. I do not have proof of purchase but it was about 6 or 7 years ago. I used the compressor occasionally. I will guess that the actual running time was less than 24 hours. On the morning of Monday June 27, as I was pressuring up the compressor the back pressure red valve blew up. If I would have been near the compressor it would have blown my head. The top of the valve hit a table that was over the compressor, avoiding further damage. It was shear luck that nobody was injured.. I have the parts of the valve that I was able to recover and it is obvious that it was a metal failure. The walls of the part where the valve is screwed on is very thin and obviously under-designed. I can provide the parts or send you images as proof of this incident. When I reported the explosion to a Harbor Freight employee today, he just look at me as if this accident was of no concern to him or to the company. The product is unsafe and it should not be sold in our country without comprehensive overhaul of safety measures to prevent this accidents to happen.
- Model
- 2 HP 5 Gallon Twin Tank air compressor
- Serial number
- AC0205TT/
03902 - Bought from
- Harbor Freight
- Bought
- Jun 1, 2009, about then
- Where
- Huntsville, Alabama: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Central Pneumatic, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
No one hurt Made Jul 25, 2015, sent to the company Aug 18, 2015, published by CPSC Sep 1, 2015
The product, in the report: Portable.8 gallon, 2 horsepower air compressor
I purchased an air compressor from Harbor Freight 6 or 7 years ago because they were basically dirt cheap compared to everyone else. Well it developed an air leak at the 125 psi check valve. There was a large nut that holds the spring (internal) against the check valve (also internal). The leak was at the gasket under the nut as checked with soapy water. I barely moved the nut when it (the entire valve) exploded with my hands on the wrench and near this nut. Shrapnel went everywhere. Lucky for me I was not injured or blinded. My son’s neighbor had a similar incident (involving the same model compressor) when the check valve was banged accidentally by a piece of wood that fell over and it sent shrapnel everywhere. I bought a new check valve from Harbor Freight and attempted to make one good compressor out of two since he gave me his old one. Now comes the bad stuff. The fittings for the copper tube from the compressor cylinder to the check valve shattered when a minimal pressure was applied and it turns out that the copper tube is not copper at all- it is nothing more than copper plated aluminum! There is no other reason to use copper plated aluminum than deception. The fittings along with the check valve were chrome plated pot metal- also deception. Anything that you try to remove to install better parts, will break off or strip. In short, when these air compressors are fully charged with air they are ticking time bombs just waiting for something to fall or even brush up against them. I noticed that all of their compressors are built the same way. I do not know how that they are allowed to be imported with this type of hardware on them. Someone is eventually going to be killed or seriously injured by one of these Chinese built Harbor Freight air compressors.
- Model
- 40400
- UPC
- I do not know
- Serial number
- I do not know
- Bought from
- Harbor Freight Tools
- Bought
- Jul 1, 2008, about then
- Where
- alexander, Arkansas: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 64, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand central pneumatic, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
No one hurt Made Jul 7, 2014, sent to the company Jul 15, 2014, published by CPSC Jul 29, 2014
The product, in the report: Pistol Grip Blow Gun # 68259
I was doing some maintenance on my car and had my air compressor sitting ready with the blow gun handle to help blow away any dirt/debris as I worked. I head a loud pop, then a whoosh or air, then the air compressor turn on. When I turned around to see what happened I noticed the plastic handle for the blow gun was sitting right behind me and the other part was still attached to the compressor hose leaking air. The handle had shot off several feet to where I was working. Luckily my young son wasn’t helping me or it may have shot off and hit him. When I went back to search to see if this had happened to others it seems that just about everyone is complaining in the reviews about the same issue:
http://www.harborfreight.com/pistol-grip-blow-gun-68259.html
If you read some of the reviews you’ll notice an alarming trend that these often break and some may have already caused others injury. It seems that the brass fitting where the air hose connects is merely pressed into the plastic housing of the handle with nothing but friction to hold it in place. This is such a poorly designed/engineered tool that it should be pulled before someone gets seriously injured.
- Model
- 68259
- Bought from
- Harbor Freight Tools, Michigan
- Bought
- Apr 11, 2014, about then
- Where
- Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 46, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Central Pneumatic, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
Not said Made Nov 2, 2013, sent to the company Nov 22, 2013, published by CPSC Dec 9, 2013
The product, in the report: Harbor Freight - Central Pneumatic 2HP - 8 Gallon Air compressor Model 40400 Item number 234578
Harbor Freight sold Central Pneumatic 2HP - 8 Gallon air compressor 40400 #234578 Air Check Valve Tee Failure.
Unit appears to be made from an inferior metal that is subject to fail under compressor tank air pressures and could cause shrapnel in failure of unit.
- Model
- Central Pneumatic 40400 2HP - 8Gallon Air Compressor #234578
- UPC
- Unknown
- Serial number
- Unknown
- Bought from
- Harbor Freight
- Bought
- Nov 1, 2007, about then
- Where
- Liberty Hill, Texas: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Unspecified
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Central Pneumatic, made or sold by Harbor Freight Tools
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Unspecified
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.