Harbor Freight recalls 12V flashlight (SKU 64109)

[USA]

Apparently Harbor Freight Tools has issued a recall for the product 64109 due to a safety hazard.

This recall involves the Harbor Freight 80 Lumen 12v rechargeable flashlights. The small black flashlight has a soft white button located on the side to turn the flashlight on and off. The base of the flashlight is a charger that fits into any standard vehicle 12V power port to charge. The recalled flashlight’s SKU number is 64109 and can be found on the sticker label that also bears the product barcode. The flashlight is approximately 5 inches long.

USA Consumer Product Safety Commission (link goes to a .gov website):

Harbor Freight Tools Recalls 12V Rechargeable Flashlights Due to Overheating...

One of many other sources:

Harbor Freight Tools recalls 500,000 flashlights due to overheating, burn...

HFT recall notice:

Flashlight-Recall-64109.pdf

I do not own this light, but this is the weirdest flashlight model I have seen in recent times; you plug the tail into a 12V outlet in a car to charge it. No idea where the heat comes from, it could be the buck charging circuit or an overcharged cell? Either way - this is a whole lot of risk for a total of 80 lumens

Did anyone on here buy this light or do you know anyone? If you do, please could you make sure they know about this?
Thanks.

[Lightbringer]

I’ve seen ’em before. Clever use of the “plug” (as a battery-tube).

Only 80lm? Eww.

Wonder if that’s from the LED or after it bursts into flames.

[toddcshoe]

Wonder what happens when you set that bad boy down in a cup holder of change or something similar? Didn’t one of those Olights start fires or something with that magnetic tail charging doohicky thingy?

[mmalive]

I own 7 of these guys. I knew of issues with light WAY BEFORE recall. The prongs get stuck and overheat starting fires. The reason I kept is because I needed the 16340 or CR123A sized rechargeable battery inside to use in other CR123A lights.

[USA]

Thanks for the feedback, mmalive.
Do you know why the prongs get hot? Is it the charging circuit?
Are the batteries at least OK quality-wise?

maybe you can return them without the batteries, according to the recall you’ll get 5 bucks for each light.