About Fred Waters

I would rate the Horizon CST 4.6 treadmill as average in the $1,000 price range. There is nothing exceptional about it, but it surpasses most of the ICON brand treadmills (ProForm, Weslo, Image, Reekbok, etc.). It appears this model is replacing the CST 4.5. The main difference is the console.

The console has a nice design and layout. You have six LED windows, LED dot-matrix display plus clock and date. I'm not familiar with any other treadmill that has that many readouts. You also have one push buttons for incline and speed. You do not have to scroll up and down to make changes. It has 8 programs to choose from and you can store the performance of 2 users.

The deck on the Horizon CST 4.6 is a reasonably at 20"x 55", comfortable length. I didn't like the shock absorption as much as their PST 6 and PST 8 models. It felt a bit stiff. The hydraulic shocks make it easy to lift and lower. Very little effort required.

I felt the 2.25 hp motor made this treadmill underpowered. When I cranked it up to the higher speeds, it felt like it was straining. The warranty comes with a 15-year motor, and 1 year parts and labor. The 1-year parts coverage is below average at this price range.

Our Review

The Horizon CST 4.6 treadmill, like so many of the other models Horizon builds, is nothing spectacular. With an underpowered motor and a below average warranty, I would recommend checking out Smooth, Sole or New Balance.

You can find Horizon treadmills at most of the large sporting goods stores like Dick's and Sports Authority. If you are considering buying from either store, you may want to check out the customer reviews at www.shopping.com. Their service record leaves something to be desired.

A couple of considerations in this price range are the Bowflex 7 treadmill and the Smooth 5.65.