RC Elite Members Pick Up Brand New Propane Heaters for Free

The DEWALT 70,000 BTU Outdoor Portable Cordless Forced Air Propane Heater normally retails for around $200 at Lowe’s and Amazon.

It’s a premium product designed for outdoor use, construction sites, and backyard gatherings. The heater runs on propane and can put out serious heat, making it popular with contractors and homeowners who want to extend their outdoor season.1

In April 2025, the manufacturer behind these DEWALT-branded heaters issued a recall through the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

An issue with the heater’s starting procedure created a risk of a fire, and the manufacturer elected to recall them out of an abundance of caution.

Lowe’s immediately pulled the heaters from their shelves and stopped selling them, which is exactly what you’d expect during a recall. Amazon, however, kept selling them. For months. We’re talking about units still available for purchase as late as January 2026, nearly nine months after the recall announcement.

When buyers started receiving these heaters and discovered they were subject to an active recall, they contacted Amazon to file complaints.

Amazon’s response was simple: they issued full refunds without requiring the heaters to be returned. Given that these units weigh around 23 pounds and would cost a significant amount to ship back, Amazon apparently decided it was easier to just refund customers and let them keep the product.

The result? People essentially scored a $200 premium patio heater for free. Most buyers kept them for personal use. The heaters aren’t inherently dangerous if used properly according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. They just have a higher risk of malfunction than they should, which triggered the recall. With proper precautions, they function like any other propane heater.

First, a disclaimer. We know this is different than most opportunities we cover. Reselling recalled products is legally permitted in most cases, but there are serious ethical and safety considerations that make this one complicated.

If you picked up one of these heaters through the Amazon situation and you’re thinking about flipping it, we strongly recommend including a notice about the recall in your listing. Buyers deserve to know what they’re getting into. The recall information is public record through the CPSC website, and transparency matters more than a quick flip.

Most people who ended up with these heaters chose to keep them for personal use rather than resell them. That’s probably the smarter move, both ethically and practically.

This situation highlights an interesting quirk in how major retailers handle recalls. Lowe’s moved fast and pulled inventory immediately. Amazon’s slower response created a window where buyers could still purchase recalled items, and their refund policy meant some customers came out ahead.

It’s not the first time a recall has created unusual secondary market dynamics. But typically, recalled products lose value rather than becoming free. This was a perfect storm of timing, corporate policy, and customer service protocols.

We’re not recommending anyone seek out recalled products or try to profit from safety issues. The free heater situation was an accident of timing and Amazon’s return policies, not a repeatable strategy.

If you already have one of these heaters, you can register for the official recall remedy through the CPSC website. The manufacturer is offering repair kits or replacements. Or you can keep using it with proper safety precautions.

As for reselling? If you do, disclose the recall status prominently. The last thing anyone needs is liability from selling safety-compromised products without disclosure. The $200 you might make isn’t worth the potential legal headaches or, more importantly, someone getting hurt.

This was more of a weird market anomaly than a genuine reselling opportunity. But it’s a reminder to stay aware of recall notices, especially when buying clearance or heavily discounted items. Sometimes there’s a reason things are cheap.