Customer Reviews

Horizon CST4.5 Treadmill

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I love the treadmill, it has fantastic programs and the track is comfortable to run on. It was also easy to use, I haven't even looked at the manual. I had someone set it up for me and they said it was really easy to put up as well. Over all it is a great product. If it helps make your decision to buy this or not, we looked it up on consumer reports and it was well liked.
My only complaint is not about the product, but about how it was shipped through Eagle. They dropped it off in my garage and didn't bring it into the house. Lucky for me my boyfriend can dead lift 250 pounds and he carried it down the steps for me. So if you buy this on line call Eagle or the shipper to make sure they have enough guys to bring it into your workout room, or just be able to lift it yourself. Plus, the packaging was falling apart, and one of the bands snapped and the "legs" popped open.

We bought this treadmill a month ago based on the good review in CR. When it arrived the shipper would not bring it past the threshold. I had to wait a week until I could get a friend to help me bring it down to the basement. Then all the problems started. The unit is not well designed for do-it-yourself set up. First, the package was a bit beat up when it arrived. Then the strap came off during the unpackaging, and this is a real nuisance, since you can't go forward with the assembly until you get the spring under control. Then after about an hour of horsing around to assemble it, I realized that one of the bars that attaches to the side-arm did not line up. It took three weeks and several calls before someone come by to install the replacement part. The guys took the treadmill apart and after ~2 hours concluded that it was not fixable. Now we have to try to arrange for a replacement. What a waste of our time--and this is with a $900 item. The treadmill may in fact be a good product, but Horizon needs to fix their quality control, especially for something in this price range.

I bought this treadmill for home use, especially for winter evenings when it gets too cold to go outside. After 2 months of use, I can confidently state that I am very happy with this product. I don't know how good it is for speed running, but it is great for someone like me who wants to run at 6-8 MPH, 3-5% incline, for 30-60 minutes every other day.

Initially, there were some glitches to overcome, though I guess they would have occurred regardless of brand or model - a treadmill is a beast to carry! When it first arrived, since the delivery team would not take it to the basement, I had to let the CST4.5 lie in the garage for a week or so. Then I got a friend to help me carry it in. We took it inside in sections to make sure neither of us died carrying the thing. While installing, the screws would not fit into the left support column. Worse, the motor did not work.

The service folks at Horizon were very helpful though they insisted I do some initial diagnoses and try to make the thing work. Since the service desk only works the day shift, I had to take off from work to speak to them - this is a definite strike against Horizon. Anyway, as per their instructions, I had to take the bottom and top covers off the motor. This required me to get at some hard-to-reach screws using an L-wrench and thumb-sized screwdrivers. After a couple of hours, I had the motor exposed and was able to run the tests that the online service person instructed me to conduct. As I guessed, the control board had failed. This is strike two against Horizon - poor quality check on shipped items.

A week later, a replacement control board was mailed along with a new left column. I also requested a service person to come install the whole thing and reassemble the motor housing. About 14 days later, a gentleman came over who installed the new control board and forced the retaining screws into the left column. I have a feeling he stripped the screws, which I can verify only when I have to disassemble the thing if and when I move houses. Hopefully this will not happen soon!

Since then I have been using the treadmill with no problem. Everything works fine. Watch out for the program setitngs though; anything other than P1 will cause speed and incline to shift every 90 seconds which is too short an interval for me. It takes a while to figure out how to set duration and a custom program. However, I think this is quite normal for anything we buy these days. It is certainly not as difficult as trying to program a DVD recorder.

On the whole, I think the CST 4.5 is a good value purchase. I was pleasantly surpised when Amazon informed me that the price had dropped by $ 100 and credited me that amount. If the model is still available, I would recommend its purchase to anyone looking for a good treadmill. FYI, Consumer Reports rated it pretty highly too. Good luck!

I bought a Horizon CST3.5 Treadmill in 2006. Now it's broken. Horizon Fitness contracted his customer support to another company. That company charged me $99 upfront just for someone coming to my house to look at it. Then the guy who should come gave such hard time to make an appointment. He almost want to come to my house next year. I spent more than half hour for just set up an appointment with him. My money is already gone. Otherwise, I would rather to buy a new one instead of suffering from this guy. Don't ever buy from this company again. Next could be you!

We've had this treadmill for exactly 1 year and it gets regular use. It had been fine up to this point, but we had to have the belt and frame replaced last week - thank goodness for the warranty. The technician that repaired it said that this model has a very weak frame and cracks are common. Ours had cracked all the way from end to end! I suspect that part of the problem is my husband's heavy running because I had never had any problems with it and I normally just walk or jog lightly. The belt also slips and rubs the sides sometimes. It's a decent value for the money and great for walking or light jogging, but if you intend to use it for heavy running, invest in the more sturdy gym-quality ones.

This is a great treadmill for home use. I use it 5+ times per week, mostly walking and some light jogging. It's pretty quiet and allows me to watch TV while using the treadmill without turning the volume up too high. I've had it about 3 months now, and used it nearly daily without problems. I don't think it's a gym-caliber treadmill that would withstand constant use and abuse, but it's great for home use. Also, when the treadmill arrived, one of the plastic caps at the end of the belt was broken. We contacted Horizon, and had replacement parts within 5 days, so the company seems to stand behind their products.

wonderful value - only issue is they deliver it threshold only so I had to pay someone else to get it upstairs....

The motor went out after 6 years. My model was actually the cst 3 club series model, but since you only get infinate hold when you call in it doesn't really matter what model it is... I have tried 3 times, each ended when I hung up after waiting on hold for over 45 minutes EACH times. I did love the treadmill.. But will NOT buy this brand again. Check into the issue before purchasing...

I've now had this treadmill for two years and put it thru all the paces and over 2,000 miles at speeds from 12MPH (full sprint) to 4MPH (walking) and all the inclines as well. I walk about 2-3 miles a week and run about 20 miles a week on it, at around 8MPH and I weigh 170. I use mostly the 'manual' process where I change incline/speed on the run...but also set up two custom workouts. I've only had to reset the mat twice (it eventually will slide to the side and start catching a bit) and also have only lubricated / cleaned once, though it's due for another. That process was also relatively easy, but you need to dedicate a 1/2 hour. I can't see spending >$1,000 on a treadmill!

For years, my husband told me we couldn't own a treadmill because they are too expensive, tear up too easily, cost a lot to repair and we would never use it anyway. I persisted for 17 years and finally for our 17th anniversary, he told me I could get one! I researched treadmills on Consumer Reports website and found this one to be a best buy. We went to several stores and looked for one but the prices were all over the place. I searched online and found it on Amazon at one low price, no tax and no shipping. It was way less than anywhere else. In a week, I received a call from the shipper and a time was set for delivery. They were great and came on time, brought in into my home and I actually assembled it all by myself! It has worked perfectly. It's easy to use, it's quiet. I have used it at least 5 times a week since August and I have never felt better! I highly recommend this purchase!