The equipment FAIL thread

[morebarbell]

Sometimes we learn the most about a product when it fails.

Yesterday, I posted a broken Rocketlok adjustable dumbbell that someone is trying to sell as parts...

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=150929663

(1)

...The plastic bar ends right at the head of the dumbbell so the weakest point is right where it needs to be strongest....

...and I got the idea that it might be interesting to start a thread dedicated to examples of failed equipment. The intention is to learn something about the products from the failures and not just to trash a product or a company (...well...trashing Bowflex is OK though).

Please add any that you've seen.

Here are a few other examples of broken equipment that I found for sale as parts:

(2) broken Bowflex Selectech



By far the most common piece of equipment that I found broken and being sold for parts. The one in the photo above has some broken plastic pieces that are easy to see in the photos. Others had defects which are not easy to see in photos such as adjustment dials that won't turn and weights that won't lock in place.

Some of the Bowflex dumbbells have been recalled. My local Walmart actually has a sign in the fitness aisle about the recall. You can see the details about that recall here:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12194.html

and you can see other Sports & Recreation related recalls here:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/sports.html

(3) broken Cap trap bar



I don't know how it was bent... my guess would be a shipping damage... or maybe someone ran over it with their car.

(4) broken Cap kettlebell



The construction is solid cast iron. The weakest point is where it needs to be strongest.

(5) broken Reebok adjustable dumbbell



You can't see the damage in the photo but this Reebok adjustable dumbbell doesn't hold the plates properly, according to the seller. It also has some damage to the plastic stand.

[MikeKK]

Brb getting some bowflex dbs

[morebarbell]

(6) broken Weider Core 100 Select-A-Weight dumbbell






According to the seller, the selector pin is broken and does not properly hold the weight plates. This product has 3.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

[morebarbell]

Brb getting some bowflex dbs

It's rated 4.4 out 5 stars on Amazon with 361 5 star reviews.

[ProtienandIron]

Great idea for a thread. Glad to be in on the first page.

This is my broken York (Fitness-UK) Hammertone Olympic 20kg weight plate;

[morebarbell]

Wow! York Fitness UK is different than York USA?? The yorkbarbell.com website now says "York Fitness" on the front page.

Cast iron is not particularly strong and small imperfections can create a weakness in the casting... but that's an impressive break!

Great idea for a thread. Glad to be in on the first page.

This is my broken York (Fitness-UK) Hammertone Olympic 20kg weight plate;

[MikeKK]

Wow! York Fitness UK is different than York USA?? The yorkbarbell.com website now says "York Fitness" on the front page.

Cast iron is not particularly strong and small imperfections can create a weakness in the casting... but that's an impressive break!

I think this could be one off bad specimen that was cooled faster somehow thus making the material more brittle? Not sure if its possible in a factory though where hundreds of things get done per day.
Anyhow it must've been a really serious fault, if you look the way it snapped, it didn't follow any sort of ridge or anything and went right through one of these 4 divisions on the plate like nothing.


Proteinandiron - have did you try to contact york fitness about it? Warranty or not a freaking metal plate shouldn't break like that.

[ProtienandIron]

I think this could be one off bad specimen that was cooled faster somehow thus making the material more brittle? Not sure if its possible in a factory though where hundreds of things get done per day.
Anyhow it must've been a really serious fault, if you look the way it snapped, it didn't follow any sort of ridge or anything and went right through one of these 4 divisions on the plate like nothing.


Proteinandiron - have did you try to contact york fitness about it? Warranty or not a freaking metal plate shouldn't break like that.

All the info you need on the York Hammertone olymic weights is in this thread guys;

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...t=york+fitness

Sorry to say that the low quality of this plate wasn't a one off. My biggest regret is not taking better pics of the other imperfections, like the plate that was bent like a banana, but I just wanted rid of them in the end.

[MikeKK]

All the info you need on the York Hammertone olymic weights is in this thread guys;

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...t=york+fitness

Sorry to say that the low quality of this plate wasn't a one off. My biggest regret is not taking better pics of the other imperfections, like the plate that was bent like a banana, but I just wanted rid of them in the end.

I've seen that thread once altho didn't read everything and all I can say is: you're bad for york fitness business
Did you try everything to try to get a refund from them? 500kg of plates is ****load of weights and as you said you paid 1 grand for them.

[goodspeed9000]

I try to be stupid careful with my Bowflex 1090's. I've dropped them once or twice and heard pops. I was certain I'd look down and see plastic all over the place.

[owasM]

I try to be stupid careful with my Bowflex 1090's. I've dropped them once or twice and heard pops. I was certain I'd look down and see plastic all over the place.

i would hate to be worrying about trying to make sure the dumbells don't break with some heavy db presses, i like throwing them around

[MikeKK]

I try to be stupid careful with my Bowflex 1090's. I've dropped them once or twice and heard pops. I was certain I'd look down and see plastic all over the place.

Sell dat ****. I don't see why people buy these crappy plastic dumbbells. If you really can't stand normal dummbell bars and weights just invest in metal db set. But that's just my 2cents.

[goodspeed9000]

i would hate to be worrying about trying to make sure the dumbells don't break with some heavy db presses, i like throwing them around

I used to toss the steel ones in school, but my basement gym just won't allow it . I did drop them once, when I forgot to screw my POS bench adjuster in all the way. I had 70 lbs in each hand when it dropped from the bench position down about 6". I bashed the **** out of my head on the bench, but was smart enough to keep the dumbbells out to the side. I can only image the pain had the landed on my face. Lesson learned was to always tighten the bench adjuster.

Sell dat ****. I don't see why people buy these crappy plastic dumbbells. If you really can't stand normal dummbell bars and weights just invest in metal db set. But that's just my 2cents.

Sell dat ****. I don't see why people buy these crappy plastic dumbbells. If you really can't stand normal dummbell bars and weights just invest in metal db set. But that's just my 2cents.

For $350.00 I got a brand new set with the stand. It was a "blemish" item. Only blemish was that it was missing the strap to hold the rack to the stand. I'd love to have a $1000 plus dumbbell set, but it wasn't in the budget. As for their use, of course they have some limitations, but I have the possibility of using 10-90lbs and it didn't break the bank. If I ever move and get a better setup I will buy a set.

[ProtienandIron]

I've seen that thread once altho didn't read everything and all I can say is: you're bad for york fitness business
Did you try everything to try to get a refund from them? 500kg of plates is ****load of weights and as you said you paid 1 grand for them.

Yep, I like to think I've cost them more then I would have if they had just kept me happy.

I made multiple phone calls, and sent multiple emails directly to the contact they gave me- the QC manager himself. When I first contacted him I said I didn't have the reciepts, but later I found them (in my email account, and from contacting the shops I bought them from). At the time I said I didn't have the reciepts he said he couldnt refund me because I didn't have the reciepts. But when I produced them, he said he still couldn't, and could only offer replacements. So basically he was lying (in my opinion). They stalled me for a month and only replyed to emails when I resent them. When they did reply, it would be a short (stupid) question, and then they would keep me waiting until I had to chase them up again. This continued for a month or so until I gave up and sold them on ebay.

[jackbravo]

Yep, I like to think I've cost them more then I would have if they had just kept me happy.

I made multiple phone calls, and sent multiple emails directly to the contact they gave me- the QC manager himself. When I first contacted him I said I didn't have the reciepts, but later I found them (in my email account, and from contacting the shops I bought them from). At the time I said I didn't have the reciepts he said he couldnt refund me because I didn't have the reciepts. But when I produced them, he said he still couldn't, and could only offer replacements. So basically he was lying (in my opinion). They stalled me for a month and only replyed to emails when I resent them. When they did reply, it would be a short (stupid) question, and then they would keep me waiting until I had to chase them up again. This continued for a month or so until I gave up and sold them on ebay.

where is the human FAIL thread...

[fishpat86]

where is the human FAIL thread...

There's an entire section for that > http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19

[cthulhupun]

http://www.titanstrengthandpower.com...g_part_45.html
http://board.crossfit.com/attachment...7&d=1266344967
http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/y...kenbarbell.jpg

[MikeKK]

There's an entire section for that > http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19

Misc

[sherman]

http://www.titanstrengthandpower.com...g_part_45.html
http://board.crossfit.com/attachment...7&d=1266344967
http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/y...kenbarbell.jpg

Here is a quote from the Titanstrengthandpower.com link. It refers to a test where bars were dropped on rack safeties.

"As importantly, he highlighted one of the primary causes of bar bending and breakage in the industry. The “uneven contact” of the barbell and/or any “harsh” contact of the bar onto support pins is a frequent cause of barbell bending." (Go to the link to read the whole article.)

Sounds like rack safeties aren't a bars best friend, but if its your neck or your bar, save the neck. There is a secret way to save both - have your cake and eat it. But if I told you, I'd have to kill y'all.

[KalleA]

Sounds like rack safeties aren't a bars best friend, but if its your neck or your bar, save the neck. There is a secret way to save both - have your cake and eat it. But if I told you, I'd have to kill y'all.

Here's a solution that will save your bar AND your neck. It will even save your life, as sharing this design does not (presently) compell me to murder none of y'all:


Stackable (for height adjustment) boxes under the plates. A box on each side of you. Like dropping your loaded bar on the floor, a raised floor, the way God intended. The boxes can double as plyo boxes (and triple as storage, quadruple as seating, etc.).

No moving parts. No mechanical bits that might fail. Just boxes. Wanna go high tech? Put some stable mats on top.


Cheers!

[sherman]

Here's a solution that will save your bar AND your neck. It will even save your life, as sharing this design does not (presently) compell me to murder none of y'all:


Stackable (for height adjustment) boxes under the plates. A box on each side of you. Like dropping your loaded bar on the floor, a raised floor, the way God intended. The boxes can double as plyo boxes (and triple as storage, quadruple as seating, etc.).

No moving parts. No mechanical bits that might fail. Just boxes. Wanna go high tech? Put some stable mats on top.


Cheers!

You boxed me in!!!

[Vinyard]

I am sorry to say that I belong to the group of hundreds (thousands?) of people who landed on the floor once (or more) whilst doing doorway pull ups. No video available of it, but youtube provides you with plenty of those. Since then, always been doing pull ups with soles of my feet facing down (looking akward). Switching to a fixed bar in a bit.

[iportal]

Great idea for a thread. Glad to be in on the first page.

This is my broken York (Fitness-UK) Hammertone Olympic 20kg weight plate;

It looks like they got the casting mix wrong, how did that happen? Was there any signs of stress fractures or cracks? Did you drop it one day? I'm interested to know mate as that's a quality product!

[BloodType3R]

Smells like destruction in here. Makes me wanna break $het.

In the mean time..

Here's a Golds Gym standard dumbell handle "failure". The one fatal flaw of this db is that is structual integrity relies upon the molded rubber handle.

[cthulhupun]

That can at least be fixed by replacing the plastic grip with a length of pipe (like the old ones had).

[morebarbell]

Good one, BloodType. I think it's also interesting that the entire length of the bar is threaded even underneath the rubber handle... I assume that this was done to keep manufacturing costs down.

cthulhupun, I like your idea. I might buy one to use as a cheap source of parts for a spinlock bar with a rotating grip for cleans.

On Walmart.com, one reviewer posted this photo of a broken spinlock collar for these handles. Unfortunately, he didn't provide any details about how it happened.

Smells like destruction in here. Makes me wanna break $het.

In the mean time..

Here's a Golds Gym standard dumbell handle "failure". The one fatal flaw of this db is that is structual integrity relies upon the molded rubber handle.

[morebarbell]

Instead of using a raised platform with boxes, you could lower the ground. Dig a hole in the backyard and squat in it! [please, no photos of this one! ]

Here's a solution that will save your bar AND your neck. It will even save your life, as sharing this design does not (presently) compell me to murder none of y'all:


Stackable (for height adjustment) boxes under the plates. A box on each side of you. Like dropping your loaded bar on the floor, a raised floor, the way God intended. The boxes can double as plyo boxes (and triple as storage, quadruple as seating, etc.).

No moving parts. No mechanical bits that might fail. Just boxes. Wanna go high tech? Put some stable mats on top.


Cheers!

[weisgarb]

On Walmart.com, one reviewer posted this photo of a broken spinlock collar for these handles. Unfortunately, he didn't provide any details about how it happened.

He probably dropped it--the steel used in the things isn't very good. A few years ago I had a pair loaded up to 80 lbs with pancake plates and at the end of a set I dropped them a few inches onto padded carpeting. One of the colllars cracked in two and went flying. They were chrome plated and made by Cap.

[cthulhupun]

He probably dropped it--the steel used in the things isn't very good. A few years ago I had a pair loaded up to 80 lbs with pancake plates and at the end of a set I dropped them a few inches onto padded carpeting. One of the colllars cracked in two and went flying. They were chrome plated and made by Cap.

I had a pair of those in the picture. Those collars are actually all plastic.

[cthulhupun]

Instead of using a raised platform with boxes, you could lower the ground. Dig a hole in the backyard and squat in it! [please, no photos of this one! ]

How about a video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRBst03LtnI