Got this email today.
Johnny
We have recently learned that Milwaukee, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is voluntarily recalling Milwaukee Power Plus, Chicago Pneumatic, and Extractor 14.4 and 18 volt 2.4 Ah NiCd battery packs. It has been determined that if a vent on the battery cell is damaged or compromised during use, the battery can explode and pose a laceration hazard to consumers.
Our records indicate that you have purchased a Milwaukee Power Plus, Chicago Pneumatic, or Extractor 14.4 and 18 volt 2.4 Ah NiCd battery pack through the Amazon.com website and are therefore affected by this recall. This recall includes 14.4 and 18 volt 2.4 Ah NiCd Milwaukee Power Plus, Chicago Pneumatic, and Extractor battery packs manufactured between July 1999 and February 2004. The brand name can be found on a label on most battery packs. However, some 14.4 Volt 2.4Ah packs did not have “Power Plus” on the label. The battery packs were sold both with tool kits and as individual battery packs. Battery packs manufactured after February 2004 are not subject to this recall.
You should immediately stop using the recalled battery packs and contact the Milwaukee Electric Tool Co. to determine if you have one of the recalled batteries. Milwaukee Electric Tool Co. will provide a free replacement battery pack for customers with recalled units. For more information, contact Milwaukee Electric Tool Co. at (800) 729-3878 between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.milwaukeetool.com.
You may also find additional details about the recall in the CPSC bulletin at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07234.html
Replies
Bitchin'. Have a couple of those laying around, nearly dead.
I was thinking the same thing as I read the notice but is there any way that one can tell if the battery was purchased before Feb. O4?
Doug
There's a date mark on the bottom of the battery. Check the website for the date codes.
Thank you
FYI, I don't know about the old stuff but the new batteries have a computer chip in them that logs the first time the batteries (and the number of times since, iirc) are charged so that the folks in the service department can accurately determine the warranty life. The newer stuff carries a 5-year warrantee on batteries.... at least on the 28v ones.
http://www.petedraganic.com/