Jul

1

How good is the brand ” SPORTCRAFT TX400″ when it comes to treadmills?

Filed Under Treadmills | 

treadmills
*Cali Sweetie* asked:


They’re sellin me a treadmill ( SPORTCRAFT TX400 ) but honestly i dont know whether its a good brand when it comes to fitness? To those who know..please help me out. Or what brand of treadmill do you recommend? Thanks

Comments

One Response to “How good is the brand ” SPORTCRAFT TX400″ when it comes to treadmills?”

  1. Lance on July 1st, 2008 11:08 am

    Company Background

    Sportcraft Ltd. Was founded in 1926 by Walter Holdstein. The company produced and still mainly produces indoor and outdoor games such as table tennis and tetherball. It wasn’t until 2001 where Sportcraft designed, produced and shipped their first motorized treadmills to Wal-mart. In fact, all their treadmills are sold in mass market such as chains like K-mart and Wal-mart.

    A Sportcraft treadmill is manufactured overseas in both China and Taiwan. In 2005, there was a recall for the Sportcraft Tredex 6.0, the Sportcraft Tx440 and the Sportcraft Tx550. The treadmills would unexpectedly accelerate and cause users to fall and sustain injuries. Sportcraft received at least 110 reports of unexpected acceleration. This is not a good sign for Sportcraft’s future (if they ever will have a future in the first place) in the treadmill industry.

    Strong Point

    Sportcraft offers an overall appealing package to their consumers. For such a low price they include features such as an incline, a strong motor power (strong considering the price you are paying) and a high maximum speed. This may sound all fine and dandy but don’t let the specifications blur your judgment. Looks can be deceiving, as we found out with the recalls in 2005. This leads us to Sportcraft’s …

    Weak Point

    A Sportcraft treadmill is known to have the worst electronics design. What’s the proof, you ask? As mentioned in the company background, the 2005 recalls were a perfect proof.

    Sportcraft treadmills have a poor warranty on all their treadmills. Their warranties consist of 10 years for the frame, 1 year for the motor, 1 year for all parts, and 90 days for labor service. If you are to buy a treadmill, an average warranty would be a minimum of 3 years on parts and lifetime on frame. This is why; if you are considering of buying a treadmill, look at a model in the $1500 price range. It will last you several years and the warranty will reassure it.

    Expert Reviews

    This is what Treadmill Doctor had to say about Sportcraft Treadmills: “We expect them to continue mass-marketing game tables and the like but we believe they should stay away from making treadmills. “

    Conclusion

    Purchasing a Sportcraft treadmill is like playing the Russian Roulette; you never know when the treadmill will malfunction but it’s just a matter of time. Stay away from these low end treadmills. If you are only interested in low end treadmills below $500 take a look at Proform treadmills or Image treadmills. We do not recommend any low end brand but at least both Proform and Image are specialized in fitness equipment and not indoor games.