General Information:Keys Fitness began making treadmills in 1997 which made them a relative newcomer to the treadmill scene. They made considerable progress but took some steps backward in quality a few years ago and last year was a complete disaster. They were taken over by their lender but huge out of the box problems (we experienced it with one of our test models) and limited retail distribution have been the twin death bells for this once-powerful brand. The latest rumor is that they have completely closed down but we haven't been able to get firm confirmation on that yet.
Manufacturing Philosophy:Keys really downgraded the quality of their machines over the past two years. We have received a number of quality complaints ranging from serious problems to something as simple as parts not fitting together correctly. The founder of Keys told us that he believed in keeping manufacturing jobs in the USA but apparently it simply got too costly since all production was moved to China. Expect some adjustments or service visits out of the box if you buy one of these.
Company Outlook:In a word- bleak. The financial company has had limited success trying to revive this DOA patient and it may be kinder for them to just let it die. Apparently, that is what has happened.
