It is a shame that Lance had his problems but we guess it was self-imposed. Great machine with an unfortunate affiliation.
General Information
Livestrong is a relatively new brand but uses derivations of existing designs that Johnson has been producing on their Horizon, AFG, and Vision brands for years. We are glad that they didn?t try to reinvent the wheel because they are really getting their act together quality and production-wise and make a value-oriented, well designed collection of units. We understand that once they sell out their current stock, they will only be available at Canadian Tire.
Quality / Philosophy
We visited the headquarters and major factory outside of Shanghai and found that Johnson is the most integrated manufacturer of fitness equipment in the world. This can be both good and bad. The good is that you are in control of almost all aspects of production. The bad is that you are in control of almost all aspects of production- if you mess up there is no one else to blame. They are focused on doing things the right way so it appears that this is a case where it is good overall. We were impressed with their quality procedures and design and testing processes and the reviews will reflect these facts.
Outlook
Johnson had the misfortune of getting a great brand name that was damaged badly by the Lance Armstrong scandal. The product looks very good in relation to the price that is being charged. We were wrong when we said it can?t hurt to have Lance Armstrong on your team and it has proven to really hurt the sales of Livestrong. Johnson is known for product support.
