    
Peter
Citizen
Username: Peter
Post Number: 188
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 - 4:09 pm: | 
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Accroding to Consumer Reports, ProFrom stinks.
January, 2005 Report:
Too many machines don’t work properly
SLIPPING BELT Initial testing revealed that three samples of the NordicTrack 7600 R had the same significant problem: The belt wouldn’t stay adjusted. The manufacturer has since provided a repair kit with larger belt tensioning bolts and washers that, in our latest round of tests, fixed the problem.
Our tests this year included a dismaying number of lemons--elliptical exercisers or treadmills that came with or quickly developed problems. Many of the problem-prone machines were from Icon Health & Fitness, the maker of NordicTrack, Pro-Form, Reebok, Image, and Weslo machines that are mainly sold in mass-market retailers such as Sears, Sports Authority, and Wal-Mart.
The company’s elliptical exercisers had numerous problems. The Pro-Form 1080S arrived at our labs with a defective resistance mechanism that couldn’t be adjusted, so we couldn’t alter the workout intensity. We ordered a second sample, but it had a similar problem. We summoned a repair technician, who replaced a defective console on one machine and the resistance-adjustment motor on both, which solved the problems. Later, a hand-grip heart-rate sensor started to come loose.
The NordicTrack CX 990, another Icon elliptical, clunked when we pedaled. We managed to reduce the clunking, but we couldn’t eliminate it. The Reebok RL 525’s console had electrical problems; a second sample worked fine.
The New Balance 9.5e, made by Fitness Quest, developed a clunk during testing; it was annoying, but it didn’t affect performance, so we left it alone.
The treadmill that gave us the most trouble was Icon’s NordicTrack 7600 R. On three samples we bought, the running belt wouldn’t maintain the proper tension, so we had to readjust it every few hours, no small feat. (Other treadmills seldom need the belt adjusted.) After our findings were published in Consumer Reports, Icon developed a repair kit that consists of new roller adjustment bolts and washers. In our latest round of tests, the repair kit fixed the problem, and all new samples of NordicTrack 7600R treadmills should now have redesigned parts. If you have an older NordicTrack 7600R with a slipping belt, contact the manufacturer for a free repair kit.
The Keys Fitness Ironman M4 had a circuit breaker that kept tripping; a second sample worked fine. With the Spirit Inspire IN400, made by Spirit Fitness, an incline-adjustment control didn’t work and the display made 1’s look like 7’s, 4’s like 9’s.
In the Ratings of treadmills and ellipticals, the quality score for these models reflects the severity and frequency of these problems. Most of the trouble we experienced would be covered under warranty, but it can take weeks and multiple phone calls to get a machine fixed--enough time to discourage even passionate exercisers. By contrast, the machines we bought for $2,000 and more through specialty fitness equipment stores had very few sample defects.
Besides buying a pricier model, you can protect yourself by looking for an adequate warranty or buying an extended warranty. Meanwhile, Icon and makers of other problem machines must improve quality control. |
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