The Best Smith Machine in the Market!
Comparatively, the Deltech Fitness DF4900 Smith Machine is the best of its kind. Read more to see why it is.
TGR Rating: 5 out of 5
Manufacturer Description
Expand your workouts with this sturdy and smooth Linear Bearing Smith Machine. Features heavy-duty roller bearings and weight plate storage in the back.
- 11 & 14 Gage Steel Tubing
- Durable Black and White Powdercoat Paint
- Zinc Plated Hardware
- Welded to American Welding Society (AWS) specifications
- Olympic Bar with 700 lb. capacity
- Bar Weight- 70 lbs.
- Precision Linear Roller Bearings Ride on Steel Bars
- Heavy-Duty Spotters Standard
- Chin-Up Bar
- 6″ Spacing Between Lockouts
- Rear Supports Hold Plates When not in use
- Available Exercises- Squats, Calf Raises, Shoulder Shrug, Chin-Ups, or use a Dumbbell Bench Like the DF9500, DF102, DF9000 or DF8000 to do these exercises: Bench Press, Incline Press, Military Press, Exercise Dips, Leg Curl and Leg Extensions
Color
White/Black
Weight Capacity
700 lbs.
Dimensions
- Unit Size: 81″ H x 86″ W x 49″ L
- Weight: 276 lbs.
Deltech Smith Machine Review
I purchased this Deltech Smith machine (w/ Lat attachment DF838) from Amazon about three years ago and it has been one of the best investments for my gym. It has been a very solid equipment and for the price, it was a stellar deal. This machine has Olympic style sleeves to support Olympic weights along with the Pulley and Smith Bearing/Rod mechanism.
Shipment & Delivery
There some problems with the equipment from delivery. The left guide rod collar was damaged, the rubber pieces were scraped and parts had scratches. Given the equipment was so heavy, it would have been better off if it were shipped freight. In additional, the boxes were thin which attributed to the minor shipment damage.
Deltech Customer Service
I contacted Deltech Fitness since most of my bearing balls were lost from the poor shipment handling, and also, one of the rod pole was not properly sized so the guide collar would get stuck when lifting the bar.
To my amazement, their customer service was very prompt and courteous! Brian and Craig, were the two guys who took care of the issues. I patiently waited for my parts and they arrived within two days.
Quality of Machine
This is handsdown one of the best smith machine in the market (for the price). The smith machine operates very smooth with the Olympic bars gliding on 4 precision linear roller bearings which rides on the solid steel bars. Also, the bar is heavier than a typical smith machine bars so it’s solid! This is additional weight to consider when lifting. Including the bearings and bar, I read somewhere on the Internet that it’s approximately 35-40 lbs. For example, if you put 25lbs on each side of the bar, that’s 50lbs plus 35-40 pounds (bar), so the total weight you’re pushing is about 85-90 pounds.
In addition, there are many exercises that can be performed such as incline, flat and decline Chest Press, Lat pull-downs, Shoulder press, Should Shrugs, Pull ups and Bicep Curls.
The weights are moved either through the Smith Machine Rods/Bearing combination or the Pulley. With the pulley constructed very well, it’s thick and not easily prone to breaking. I also purchased the Lat machine addition, and it was a great addition with no complaints as well.
The opening of the frame is also comfortable enough for me to do squats and shoulder shrugs without any space issues.
With a solid frame, it wasn’t too heavy, but good enough for a home gym and is about 280 pounds.
Drawbacks for the Smith Machine
Obviously, as for any product, there are some minor drawbacks to this machine.
- The machine does shake a little, but will not move the entire machine when doing pull-ups. It does come with rubber pieces at the footing accompany with the weight plates does alleviate much of this concern. Either way, with or without the weights, I could do full push-ups with minimal wobbling and it does feel safe. This is what I’d would expect from a gym equipment made for residential use.
- The lat bar holder which is positioned at the top is tight with little space between the lat bar and the base bar. This wasn’t a big deal to me as I am able to remove and place it back without too much trouble but can be a minor nuisance for some.
3. The paint which is powder coated isn’t the best. It will scratch easily and flake off. But, it’s a gym equipment, so if it’s intended to be used frequently, this shouldn’t matter as much. I think it would have been nice if the catches didn’t have any paint since it would come off when the hooks catch on them frequently. Here are some photos of the catches and weight bars from using this machine 3 times a week for the past two years.
Installation
The instructions were pretty decent, but some wording on what is “left” and “right” can be confusing. It’s important to have the two leg pieces at the bottom, and make sure the square pieces are on the outside, or the rod will not line up straight. Another advice is to pay attention to the drawings, especially for the bearing on the rod. It helps you determine positioning.
When having to disassemble it twice, it was not easy. There’s plenty of of bolts, nuts andwashers to assemble the machine.
The biggest challenge is putting the lifting bar on the rods. An extra person is needed to help align the bar so it slides down the rod. Therefore, it is recommended to have 2 people to ensure the rod would stay straight. If you’re 5’10 or taller, you might be able to get it done alone.
Last advice is if the holes aren’t aligning, to make sure you are NOT tightening all the nuts until all the bolts are in the correct holes.
Final Thoughts on the Best Smith Machine
This was a very solid purchase for $730, the machine is fairly easy to use and all movements are very smooth. I thought this was a great purchase and would recommend it to those who have the space and need a decent workout equipment. After shopping around, and for this price point, the Deltech Smith Machine is the best smith machine in this category.
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