AmStaff TP006D Power Rack with Lat/Pull Down
The max box length you will have to consider is 78 inches. If you can accommodate that you can easily pick up the unit by car. Packaging: The unit is packaged well, I had no missing parts or damage.
Assembly: The assembly was easy enough, if you're looking for Ikea style instructions then this unit might take some more time for you to assemble. Details are slim and the assembly works off CAD style instructions, but luckily it's a simple frame set up, the lat tower was a little more complicated because of all it's moving parts.
Space: Our basement is unfinished so our ceiling is 88 inches from the floor, this was something I kept in mind when buying the unit, it reaches 81 inches so there was some good height clearance. I will still have to place the unit in a way I can get my head between the beams, but it will work fine in the end.
Build quality: I am not an expert in power racks but for the low price the unit was, I was actually quite surprised with the quality. I am sure there are much better units out there, but the difference between a $220 rack vs. a $600 rack is like comparing a Lexus to a Toyota. We are looking in the Toyota price range so we need to be lenient of some flaws. I did not encounter any warps, sharp edges, unfinished powder coating or anything potentially harmful. The plastic end caps did have some rough edges, but some light sand paper or cutting off the rough edges with an exacto knife would solve the issue. The lat attachment was a different story. The pulley wheels I found did not line up as nicely as my Bowflex, they still roll fine but from a visual perspective it looks a little off. I am sure some washers might help the alignment issues. The padded bar that holds you down while you do pull downs has a nut that is tack welded into the rod, but the bolt was tacked really quickly with not much care so the bolt is tilted aggressively.
I was still able to lock down the bracket that connects the bar to the spotters. It just has an ugly angle. There is enough threads holding that I don't fear anything happening. The top lat bar holder was also welded off alignment.
Final thoughts:
The rack was a pleasant surprise for the cost. I do feel it will give me years of use as I don't abuse my equipment and I doubt I will be doing any 700lbs squats, dead lifts or bench presses. The build quality of the rack surpassed what I expected for the price point. The lat tower was a bit of a let down, I was not expecting anything of high caliber, but some of the welds were just done carelessly and the pulleys in my opinion could have been built better. In the end though I am confident the lat tower will not collapse on me as the welds do have solid contact, and the pulleys do seem strong enough to handle my workouts. I would definitely recommend this unit to an entry or intermediate lifter. An advanced or competitive lifter definitely not. Hope this review will help some people as I have searched all over the net and only found John Phungs review of the TR023 (great review by the way, tons of specs and details). Don't let the TP006D fool you with the low price point, I'm sure it will be able to help you get the job done in your lifting needs.
