Marcy SM-4008 Smith Machine Review: Is It Worth The Price?

One must go through all the details about Marcy SM-4008 before deciding to drop your idea to develop a smith machine home gym setup due to the unavailability of a home gym machine that fits into your budget and gym space.

This compact, budget-friendly smith machine cage is suitable for all fitness levels. It offers a wide range of exercise options to tone and strengthen all major muscles.

Marcy SM-4008 Smith machine allows you to perform heavy powerlifting moves without the need for a spotting partner. It also provides tens of other exercise options eliminating the need to buy any other machine for your garage gym.

In this article, we have reviewed Marcy SM-4008 smith machine to present you with all the information you need about it. We have covered all the important parameters including the pros and cons of the machine to help you make an informed decision.

Marcy SM-4008 Smith Machine Review

Marcy’s all-in-one smith machine home gym has eight workout stations and comes with 7 different accessories that in combination can offer more than thirty exercises. An adjustable utility bench with a dual leg developer adds to the functionality of the machine.

Constructed using 14-gauge 2×3 steel tubes, the frame fits into just 65×80 inches on floor space. The heavy-duty construction and angled base of Marcy smith machine SM-4008 keeps the structure steady even under intense workouts.

The frame and major elements of the machine are grey powder-coated for aesthetics and durability. The guide rods for the smith machine bar are chrome plated for smooth operation. The smith bar slide over these guide bars during a workout.

The smith bar has hooks at nine different positions to rack and unrack the bar that glides on the chrome coated guide bar with help of a silent plastic journal bearing. The same hooks can be used to install safety catchers or J-hooks for free barbell exercises.

The smith bar path is straight perpendicular to the floor. It offers the safest way to perform powerlifting moves. Marcy SM-4008 comes with a height-adjustable catcher for the smith bar too to offer added safety by reducing the fall height in case of failed rep during exercises at different heights like overhead press and bench press.

The adjustable utility bench that comes with Marcy SM-4008 smith cage can be used in the cage or outside. The bench can be adjusted in the upright or flat position. The dual-leg developer attached to the bench can help you isolate the quads and hams for faster results.

The bench, backrest of the pec fly deck, and the arm presser handles are cushioned using high-density foam covered with engineered leather. These are sweat-resistant and can be easily cleaned. The leg developer has six foam rollers to reduce the fatigue on the knees and ankle while holding them securely for exercises like ham curls or knee extensions.

The two top and one bottom cable pulleys of this smith machine cage are equipped with steel aircraft cables with an approximate tensile strength of 2000 pounds. The top pulleys can be utilized for a range of exercises like cable crossovers and tricep pushdowns. The lower pulley coupled with the footplate that comes along Marcy smith machine SM-4008, which is not very common in home gym systems, can be used to perform seated rows.

The cable pulleys, fly press, smith machine, squat rack, pull-up station along with a bench, and other accessories included in the package make Marcy SM-4008 a versatile smith machine home gym. This single piece of equipment can meet almost all your requirements from a compact home gym.

Features & Specs

The only thing you would need to complete your garage gym other than the Marcy SM-4088 smith machine is Olympic weight plates. This smith machine cage is loaded with all the features one expects from a home gym combo.

The following table sheds some light on all features of the Marcy smith machine home gym. You can also get information like space and height requirements for installation through the specifications mentioned in this table.

Among the many features of the Marcy smith machine SM-4008, there are a few unique to this machine that makes it better than many counterparts. The adjustable safety stops for the smith machine bar make this smith machine cage one of the safest to perform high-intensity exercises. Along with that, the lower pulley with footplate allows you to perform seated rows, and the leg developer on the bench is among such unique features.

Build Quality

The Marcy SM-4008 is built for a home gym setup. It is not as robust as a commercial smith machine cage but strong enough to take the abuse you would bring on it.

The frame is built using 14-gauge steel tubing having a 2×3 inches cross-section. The base is wider in front for added stability and ease of access. The major elements of the machine are powder coated for durability.

The guide rods for the smith bar are chrome plated for noiseless and smooth operation. The smith bar and sliding weight guides don’t have linear bearings, they have plastic sleeves to reduce the friction and offer smoother motion of the weights.

The cable pulleys are not adjustable in height, two pulleys are fixed at the top and there is one lower pulley to facilitate different cable exercises. The cables are high-quality and possess a tensile strength of about 2000 pounds.

The cushions on the bench, backrest, arm pressers, and the rollers on leg developer are made using high-density foam to last longer and reduce the unnecessary fatigue on the back, knees, and ankles. The cushions are covered with water-resistant artificial leather.

The overall build quality of the Marcy SM-4008 smith machine is satisfactory. The machine can last a good time without major maintenance issues if used by few family members only.

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Assembly and Maintenance

It is a big machine so it is obvious that it would take some significant time to assemble. You would need around six hours and a partner to assemble the Marcy SM-4008 smith cage.

The package comes in three boxes that include the smith machine home gym, bench, accessories, and the Allen key needed to put it together. You would also need an adjustable spanner for assembling the machine.

The package comes with an assembly manual and owner’s manual which is filled with instructions in detail, diagrams, and schematics that would be useful in the assembly and use of the machine.

You need to follow the instructions carefully to put the machine together in the right way. Assembling the pulleys and cables can be tricky, if you don’t get it right you might end up with cables tangled or grinding somewhere in the machine.

The machine has moving parts, rotating pulleys, and sliding weights, thus it needs regular maintenance for keeping them in working condition. Keep all the moving parts clean. Lubricate the sliding post and smith bar guide rod periodically.

Aesthetics and Styling

Though Marcy SM-4008 smith cage is a great all-in-one gym machine, we can say it is not too impressive in styling. It looks pretty average with a run-of-the-mill gray powder coat finish.

Its solid built, large uprights, wide base gives it a sturdy look. The top cantilevered cable pulleys, matching bench color with black and beige colored cushioning together make this machine look like some mechanical contraption.

Marcy SM-4008 might not be too fancy in aesthetics and styling but it will suit any background. No matter your garage gym is painted in light color or dark, the basic grey-colored smith cage system won’t look odd.

Marcy Smith Machine SM-4008 Accessories

Each of the eight workout stations on the Marcy SM-4008 can offer a platform for more than one exercise. The bench with a dual leg developer enhances the versatility of this smith cage system. All that combined with the seven accessories included in the package, you get an all-in-one package that allows you to train on all the muscles in your body.

Here is the list of accessories you get in the Marcy SM-4008 package.

• Plate Posts
• V Bar
• Shiver Bar
• Tricep Rope
• Ankle Strap
• 2 Single Handles
• Foot Plate

Marcy SM-4008 Exercise Chart

Just the smith machine can offer more than five different exercises. This smith cage system has additional workout stations like a pull-up station, chest fly station, top cable pulleys, lower pulley, squat rack, and the bench with leg developer.

Each workout station on Marcy SM-4008 can offer more than one exercise option. So, altogether this smith machine home gym can be used to perform a wide range of exercises, the most popular among these are listed in the table below.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• A versatile machine with multiple workout stations and accessories
• Height-adjustable safety catchers for smith machine
• Wide base and sturdy construction
• J-hooks and spotter arms for squat rack are included in the package
• Enough weight capacity for any fitness level
• Bench with dual leg developer included in the package
• The wider front and slimmer back of the frame saves on space and offers great stability
• Dimond grip footplate for seated rows with the lower pulley
• Low noise operation

Cons

• Plastic sleeves instead of linear bearing on the smith machine
• The spotter arms on the squat rack are not strong enough
• No height adjustability of cable pulleys
• Only 9 racking positions for smith bar

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Is Marcy Smith Machine SM-4008 Worth The Buy?

At the price point for which you can buy this smith cage system, you might not get even a single function gym machine. This is the most budget-friendly, fully functional smith machine home gym setup one can get.

A smith machine, three cable pulleys, a squat rack, pull-up station, pec flay deck, a bench with leg developer, and a bunch of accessories is what you get when you buy this machine.

You would need to dedicate a whole floor of your home if you plan to buy all these workout stations as single-function machines, but the Marcy SM-4008 fits in 65×80 inches floor space and houses all these functions in a single machine.

To have a functioning garage gym set up all you will need is this smith cage system and weight plates. You can perform almost every workout routine with just these things in your home gym.

Overall, Marcy SM-4008 is a solid, durable, versatile gym machine that comes at an affordable price. It is sturdy enough to last for a long time and it will be worth the investment.

Verdict

Like any other machine, the Marcy SM-4008 smith machine has its flaws, but the features and functionality this machine offers outways the disadvantages.

This versatile gym machine can be the only thing along with some weight plates in your garage gym, and you can still train all the muscle groups without needing a spotting partner.

If you are just setting up a home gym for the first time and looking for a single piece of exercise equipment that can be used for full-body workout, then Marcy SM-4008 is the right choice for you. 

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