Should you buy the Weslo Cadence C44 treadmill?
Weslo treadmills are cheap machines. If anyone should buy a Weslo machine, it should be an occasional light walker. If you’re not, then you shouldn’t buy the Weslo Cadence C44 treadmill.
The Weslo Cadence C44 treadmill is one of the mid-priced Weslo machines and retails for around $400. Weslo claims it comes with “a great cardio workout with weight loss benefits.” It is also supposed to cope, not only with walkers, but also with those who want to run.
The motor in the Cadence C44 treadmill is a 2.25 THP motor with a 1.3 CHP Impulse Drive system. But what does THP really mean? It stands for maximum (or total) horsepower, but it’s a useless power measurement for treadmills. The ‘real’ power rating of the Weslo Cadence C44 will be between 1 and 1.25 horsepower. The engine size is tiny; my coffee cup is bigger.
Although Weslo claims the C44 has a maximum user capacity of 250 pounds, it’s likely to be around 200 pounds or less. In fact, when using the maximum 9% incline, the maximum weight it can handle will drop further to around 150lbs, absolute maximum.
It is also claimed that the motor can reach a speed of 10 mph. No way is this engine going to take a set max. weight of 250 pounds, at a max. 9% grade at 10 mph. At least there’s no chance of the user dying of heart failure during a workout; the machine will have sunk long before.
And what kind of warranty do you get on the Weslo Cadence C44 treadmill? You get a lousy 1 year warranty on the motor, that’s the thing. Almost all quality treadmills come with a 5 or 10 year warranty on the motor. The bad warranty really highlights the faith the manufacturer has in their product.
With any kind of decent use, the engine will more than likely give up the ghost. I have no idea how much it would cost to repair and replace the motor on this Weslo treadmill, but I suspect it won’t be cheap.
The most important component of any treadmill is the motor; Whichever model you buy, make sure the engine is up to the job.
Should you buy a Weslo Cadence C44? Personally, I’d keep my $400 and go for long walks instead. But, if you are really looking to buy a cheap treadmill and you like the idea of buying a Weslo, then you should keep these points in mind before buying the C44 Cadence; you must walk, never run; must weigh a maximum of 150 pounds; and you should use it occasionally; and you should only use it for short periods of time.
Maybe my review of the C44 seemed a little harsh, but $400 is still a lot of money. I don’t want to see anyone waste it on something that isn’t going to generate any profit. My overall rating for this Weslo treadmill is 0 out of 5.