Cardio Exercise Machines: Smooth Fitness 7.35 Folding Treadmill Review

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(More customer reviews)While I wish I could echo the comments on here, I took a gamble on the Smooth Fitness 7.35 treadmill in mid-February and have so far lost my bets.

Upon arrival in early March (3 weeks from order), the treadmill was incredibly easy to put together.The console is nice and large, speakers decent, the deck plenty long and wide with a solid feel. Unfortunately, that's where the positives stopped. While I bought this treadmill partially for its warranty, I did not expect to use it the first day.

The initial problem:The treadmill speed is unpredictable to the point of dangerous.

Upon the first attempt, I set the treadmill on its base speed (0.5 mph) and proceeded to stand on the belt... and it stops! At 6'2" and 180 lbs, the motor and belt shouldn't be stopping by any means. I proceed to stand on the side rails and increase the speed to 1.0 mph. It starts... and stops... and starts... so I decide to reset it as is usual logic with most electronics.

Again, I place the console on the base speed and just let it run underneath as I stand on the side rails. *Without touching anything*, the treadmill ZOOMS from 0 to top speed with absolutely no notice or gradual lead-up.Just sudden, instant top-speed.

Now, had I been standing on this, let alone my wife, either of us could have been seriously injured given there was zero notice and nothing was touched. Sure enough, every time from there on, the treadmill exhibited the same problem over and over rendering it unusuable.

I called Smooth Fitness technical service and to their credit, the technical support person was very friendly, returned calls promptly, and admitted he hadn't seen this type of problem before.He also stated this is a new model and that may be a contributing factor. He suggested having the treadmill replaced; however, customer service wasn't so willing. They gave two options -- pay the $300 shipping to have it returned or the treadmill must be serviced with replacement parts from a local fitness service center.They do *not* exchange units, despite hardware failures.

The cliche "between a rock and a hard place" comes to mind.As I wasn't looking to spend $300 on top of the $1,500 I already spent on a brand new machine, I reluctantly agreed to have a service rep come out. Two weeks later, a service technician came out (now more than a month after purchase) and suggested a new motherboard. The technician left and another two weeks later the part arrived and a technician was back out to install it.

For the time being, the treadmill worked alright. It inclined, declined, increased and decreased in speed consistently . . .or at least for the next couple weeks.

Problem #2: E1 -- Speed Errors

The console turns on, you can set your programs, and then... nothing. No treadmill movement, just the error code.

I'm waiting on a resolution on this -- I'll update this review once I hear back from Smooth Fitness, hopefully tomorrow.As a final note, I did write a review on Smooth Fitness' website that was honest to the unfortunate facts, but positive to the structural feel and prompt response of technical service. Given it was not the stellar review like their others, they chose not to publish it, to which I can only assuming because it was not glowing.In the end, I do believe their treadmills should be quality based upon Consumer Reports and Runner's World; however, when you're given a lemon, how many times should your product need to be repaired before they finally replace it? Particularly when you just paid for it brand new?
UPDATE on 5/10: Smooth shipped a new motherboard and had a technician come and install it per the warranty.After 24 hours, it is running okay. I have increased the rating from 1 to 2 stars as while I still have reservations about the product, the technical services response on the phone has been good at returning my phone calls.

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Product Description:
Smooth Fitness 7.35 Folding Treadmill - Transform Your Lifestyle Perfect Your Routine. Solid construction, commercial quality. The Smooth 7.35 treadmill will exceed your expectations as it transforms your workout. Music System with Speakers & Mp3 connection Attach your USB memory stick to the MP3 port to be energized as your own soundtrack blazes out of the console. Say goodbye to bouncing headphone wires! Dual-Stage, Soft Drop Folding If we can make working out easy, be sure we can make cleaning up easy. With gas-shock assist, you can gently tilt the deck into position and wheel it away for easy storage. Just use the foot-operated lever to easily lower it back into place.

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