Refurbished Fitness Equipment: Smooth Fitness 7.35 Folding Treadmill Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When I got the call from the shipping company to set a date for receipt of my new treadmill, I was definitely excited--so you can imagine my disappointment when the shipper's arrived with the wrong product (a Smooth Fitness elliptical instead of a treadmill).I called Smooth to fix the problem and they were very helpful and apologetic; on the downside, it ended up taking almost three additional weeks for the treadmill to arrive, and nobody thought to call and let me know what was happening in the mean time.When the treadmill finally showed up (over a month after I placed the order), the box had already been opened.If I had known this prior to my acceptance, I would've declined the shipment, but when I questioned the shipping company representative (from Oak Harbor Freight) about the plastic bands that were removed, he assured me that such was common practice (something to do with the pallet that the box was attached to).In any event, I once again found myself disappointed as I discovered that the treadmill had, in fact, been taken out of the box prior to my receipt and was improperly repackaged.That wouldn't have bothered me too much except that there were gashes in the plastic side boards.I'm assuming this happened during shipment, as it would be extremely bad practice for any company to knowingly ship a new product in such a condition.

Once I got the machine set up, I could hardly wait to give it a trial run. I couldn't have been more disappointed with the performance--specifically, the length of time it took for the treadmill to slow down from a fast pace.I timed it, and it took at least 45 seconds (perhaps up to a minute) to slow from 10 MPH to 6 MPH.This is detrimental for any interval workout (such as Troy Jacobson's "Runervals"), where your rest time is precious.I've run on many treadmills over the past 15 years and had never encountered one that operated in such a deficient manner.Needless to say, I called Smooth the next day, figuring that perhaps my machine was defective.To my utter dismay, I was informed that the 7.35 models and lower were designed to operate like that; evidently, this was a new "enhancement" added to the current-year's model--if I wanted one that didn't function in such a manner I'd have to upgrade to the 7.6 model or above.I was so disappointed with the 7.35 that I was ready to purchase the 7.6 on the spot...that was, until customer service informed me that I'd have ship the 7.35 back at my own expense.They wouldn't budge at all on that point, even after I explained the aforementioned shipping fiasco that was no fault of my own.After that conversation, I was ready to send the machine back for a full refund and take my business elsewhere, but I couldn't do that either, since I'd prematurely disposed of the original box (Smooth said it could only be returned in the original packing).I guess I gave to much credence to the many positive reviews I read while researching this purchase.

Other disappointments include:
- The digital-distance meter doesn't display hundredths of miles; e.g., it displays "1.2" but not "1.25" ... I've never seen a quality treadmill that doesn't let you know when you've run a quarter mile.
- The fan is worthless.Airflow is entirely undetectable from a mere 12 inches away.

On the plus side, the treadmill operates well when it gets to the desired speed:very smooth and solid.Unfortunately, however, the pros don't outweigh the cons in this case and therefore I cannot recommend this product.

Best wishes in your treadmill search and fitness goals.

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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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