One of the Weslo C44's greatest strengths -- a $389 price tag as of 2010 -- is also one of its greatest weaknesses. Bargain treadmills often feature substandard parts or construction, since the manufacturer had to cut corners somewhere to keep the price down. As a Treadmill Doctor review for the C44 points out, "Expect to be busy with tools if you buy this one."
Small Size, Light Weight
The Weslo C44's small size and light weight are, like its price, both strength and weakness at once. Although the motor provides running speeds of up to 10 mph, it's easy to feel cramped when running on the smaller-than-average 16-inch by 47-inch walking belt. If you have long legs, you might even feel cramped when walking. And since the treadmill only weighs 112 lbs., it can feel flimsy and unsteady beneath you -- especially at a hard run.
Weak Motor
If the motor is a treadmill's heart, the Weslo C44 is in need of a transplant. Although the treadmill is advertised as having a 2.25 horsepower motor, this is the peak horsepower rating -- not a measure of how much power the motor can sustain over time. The motor's continuous horsepower rating, a much better gauge of its actual power, is a diminutive 1.3 horsepower.
Warranty
The Weslo Cadence C44 comes with only a 1-year warranty on the motor, and 90 days of coverage for parts and warranty. ICON Health & Fitness, the Weslo parent company, is not known for good customer service or offering extensive warranty coverage. But the short warranty remains a disturbing vote of no-confidence in the manufacturer's own product.
Manual Adjustments
The Weslo C44 has no preprogrammed workouts at all. Your only workout option is to control the treadmill's speed directly with the push-button controls. Although the C44 has three possible incline positions, every time you want to change the incline setting you must stop the treadmill completely and dismount, then manually lift or lower the deck to the desired incline setting.
Cheap Electronics
Customer reviews indicate that that pulse monitor on the C44 sometimes returns wildly inaccurate readings. The computer itself can give inaccurate readings too -- one user reported that the treadmill consistently underestimated how much time she spent exercising.
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