Lawn & garden · #16 of 45 by ER visits

String trimmers & brushcutters: injury statistics

Powered line trimmers, edgers and brushcutters. In 2025 they were involved in an estimated 16,067 emergency room visits in the US.

String trimmers & brushcutters
Photo: kenny_kalix / Unsplash
16,067
ER visits in 2025
7.2%
admitted or transferred
+1%
change since 2016
30%
aged 65 or over

ER visits per year

2016–2025 · 288 sampled cases in 2025
2016: 15,93216’2017: 15,50117’2018: 14,34218’2019: 12,31119’2020: 9,58420’2021: 11,35021’2022: 13,11022’2023: 11,68423’2024: 17,77924’2025: 16,06725’
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Injury type

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Other23%
Laceration20%
Contusion or abrasion19%
Strain or sprain9.1%
Dermatitis7.7%
Foreign body7.1%

Body part injured

Share of ER visits, 2021–2025

Eye23%
Finger11%
Lower leg9.6%
Lower trunk7.5%
Upper trunk6.7%
Lower arm4.5%

Age of injured people

76% male · 2021–2025

0-40.2%
5-141.5%
15-2410%
25-4425%
45-6433%
65-7418%
75+12%

Real cases

From NEISS case narratives, 2024–2025. Abbreviations expanded.

16-year-old male was using a [brand] in a small rock struck him in the right lower leg — diagnosis: Puncture wound lower leg.
85-year-old male with shoulder pain after using a [brand] in his yard for an extended period of time yesterday. — diagnosis: Shoulder sprain.
38-year-old male was using a [brand] and had a splinter of wood shoot into his r eye. — diagnosis: Foreign body of right eye.
59-year-old male was reaching for his [brand] and felt a pop in in lower back — diagnosis: Lumbar strain.
Recalls

Recalls of string trimmers & brushcutters

8 since 2010
Husqvarna Recalls Grass Trimmers Due to Fire Hazard2024-02-08 · FireString trimmers & brushcuttersSTIHL Recalls Edgers, Trimmer/Brushcutters, Pole Pruners and KombiMotors Due to Fire Hazard 2015-11-12 · Fire, LacerationString trimmers & brushcuttersHitachi Koki Recalls Grass Trimmers Due to Fire and Burn Hazards2014-03-05 · FireString trimmers & brushcuttersAmerican Honda Recalls Trimmers Due to Laceration Hazard2012-02-28 · LacerationString trimmers & brushcuttersHusqvarna Professional Products Recalls RedMax Brushcutter Due to Fire Hazard2011-09-29 · Fire, LacerationString trimmers & brushcuttersFiskars Brands Recalls SmartPower String Trimmers Due to Burn, Fire and Laceration Hazards2011-08-23 · Fire, Laceration, FallString trimmers & brushcuttersMTD Recalls TrimmerPlus Edger Attachments Due to Laceration Hazard2011-06-21 · LacerationString trimmers & brushcuttersTrimmers/Brushcutters Recalled by STIHL Incorporated Due to Injury Hazard (Recall Alert)2010-12-16 · LacerationString trimmers & brushcutters

Questions

How many people are injured by string trimmers & brushcutters each year?

About 16,067 people were treated in US emergency rooms for injuries involving string trimmers & brushcutters in 2025, according to CPSC's NEISS estimates. The average over 2021–2025 was 13,998 a year.

What are the most common injuries from string trimmers & brushcutters?

Other is the most common diagnosis (23% of cases 2021–2025), and the eye is the most often injured body part (23%).

How often do injuries from string trimmers & brushcutters need hospital admission?

7.2% of ER visits ended with the patient admitted or transferred to another hospital in 2021–2025.

About these numbers

National estimates from the CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), product codes 1464, 1463. A case is counted if the tool appears in any of its three product fields. Estimates under 1,200 or based on fewer than 20 cases are flagged. Methodology · CSV

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