General Discussion Triathlon Talk » good/bad treadmill brands Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2015-11-17 1:36 PM

User image


47
25
New Lenox, Illinois
Subject: good/bad treadmill brands
Looking to get a treadmill in the coming days/weeks. From the searching I've done on this site and google, I see a common trend being "you get what you pay for" being pretty true for treadmills. That being said, are there any brands to shy away from? Any particularly good brands? I'm looking at pre-owned and new, though I would like to save the money that buying pre-owned would bring. But, with Black Friday coming up, who knows. It probably won't get a ton of use, so for that reason I only want to spend about $300 at the most. Which may rule out buying new.

Anyway, and brands to look for or look away from? A lot of the 'best treadmills of 2015' review sites are based on initial usages, so I'm curious to hear of any "oh, so and so brand is notorious for having a bad motor after only x miles" stories, for example.


2015-11-17 9:30 PM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image

Veteran
1900
1000500100100100100
Southampton, Ontario
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
since no one else has said anything. I have a Weslo treadmill. It is a cheapie $500 treadmill (new) that I inherited after years of use as a clothes hanger. My wife and I have put about 1500km on it. Not a ton but it has seen some use for sure. I have had to replace the belt once as it started to slip. Other than that its been fine, certainly not great, but it does the job.
2015-11-18 8:03 AM
in reply to: DaveL

User image


47
25
New Lenox, Illinois
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
Thanks, that's all I'm looking for - something to get the job done. It won't be used a ton, mostly in the winter months, and maybe a hundred or so miles during that time.

Right now I have two main options:
Gold's Gym 650 Maxx
Pro-Form 535x

Might be getting a third or fourth option here in a day or so, and will likely pick from those options - unless they're all junk haha. In the little research I've done thus far I haven't seen anything too horrible about the 535x. Haven't researched the Gold's yet.
2015-11-18 8:11 AM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image

Veteran
2441
200010010010010025
Western Australia
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
I have a Proform of some sort. It is 7 years old and hasn't missed a beat. We bought it new as we wanted something with an extra wide and long belt that could manage our 200# dogs. It has been well used by me (less so by the dogs).
2015-11-18 9:12 AM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image

Pro
6011
50001000
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands

For $300, you'll likely have to do a lot of shopping until you get lucky and find a decent used one at that price.  Anything near that price is usually going to either be low quality from the factory, or nearly worn out.  New isn't an option if you need to stay in the ballpark of that price and want something that isn't going to have a short lifespan.

Sole is a decent brand.  I really like Bodyguard and Life Fitness a lot, but even rebuilt ones are going to be at least $1,500.

 

2015-11-18 9:13 AM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image

Pro
6011
50001000
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands

Originally posted by dlaude6 Thanks, that's all I'm looking for - something to get the job done. It won't be used a ton, mostly in the winter months, and maybe a hundred or so miles during that time. Right now I have two main options: Gold's Gym 650 Maxx Pro-Form 535x Might be getting a third or fourth option here in a day or so, and will likely pick from those options - unless they're all junk haha. In the little research I've done thus far I haven't seen anything too horrible about the 535x. Haven't researched the Gold's yet.

IMO, of those two, the Pro-form is the better quality.

 



2015-11-18 10:23 AM
in reply to: TriMyBest

User image


47
25
New Lenox, Illinois
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
Great, thanks for the tips, all.

As for price - yes, that is a low budget. But, I'm trying to locate something (and have been successful thus far) via a friend, or friend of a friend. IMO that's where the better deals are to be had, and a little more trustworthy. The above options can be had for very inexpensive - IE - "couple cases of beer" to "make an offer" LOL.
2015-11-18 1:59 PM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image


928
50010010010010025
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
Here's a good article:

http://www.treadmillreviews.net/treadmill-motors-what-you-need-to-k...

It's not really the brand you need to look at but the power of the motor.

I thought I remembered at least 2.0 HP, but this article says 3.0. More if you are a heavier person.

You aren't going to get anything decent for $300 unless it's a used one someone is just trying to dump (that is, they paid over $1000 for it).

Some of what you pay for is the extra bells and whistles on the computer-- those things are optional. But HP isn't-- you need to have a good motor or it's not going to last.

If you can really only spend $300 I would instead buy an indoor bike trainer (if you don't already have one) and use a treadmill at a gym. Of course, gym membership is going to cost more than $300 for a year in most places, too.
2015-11-18 3:12 PM
in reply to: jennifer_runs

User image


47
25
New Lenox, Illinois
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
Good article, thanks. Weight is less than 175, but I'll keep that in mind about the motor.

Yes, as I said it's a low budget, but all my options are from people I know, so pretty decent deals. And we don't need the extra bells/whistles.

Yep, we already have indoor trainers, good thought though! My father-in-law also mentioned that we get free use of a rec center because of his position on the town board, but it's about 25 minutes away. But it is an option.

2015-11-18 3:51 PM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image

Extreme Veteran
1329
100010010010025
Wausau WI
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
I have a Vision T40. It is built for a lot of use.
2015-11-27 9:33 AM
in reply to: dlaude6

User image


163
1002525
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
I just did a lot of research on this...I posted here as well as on ST. The general consensus was you get what you pay for if you buy new (and I didn't want to go the used route as I was worried about quality and wear/tear issues). The biggest factor for me was motor HP as both myself (140 lbs) and my husband (240 lbs) will likely use it. I had narrowed it down to the Sole F80 and the NordicTrack 2450. In the end, I went with the NordicTrack for the reasons of the higher HP motor.


2015-11-27 12:55 PM
in reply to: 0

User image

Master
2406
2000100100100100
Bellevue, WA
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands

Really you should be shopping Craigslist with your budget.  Probably 80% of treadmills have less than 20 miles total running time.  Many with near zero, bought with good intentions in January and never used again. The only "wear and tear" you're going to find is scratches on the arms from wire coathangers.as people use them to hang shirts.

I recommend you peruse Craigslist, look up the models for sale on Treadmill Doctor, and pull the trigger on one you like. For example, here's a Sole F80, which was strongly reviewed a few years ago but is now fading. http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/for/5329529728.html $350 bucks. There is also someone asking $500 for those.

But if you are stuck on the budget and want new,

http://www.treadmilldoctor.com is the #1 trusted place for reviews and has been for years.  Their "best buy" in the $399 and under range is http://www.treadmilldoctor.com/golds-gym-trainer-420-treadmill-review

Consumer Reports on that treadmill: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health/exercise-fitness/treadmills/treadmill-ratings/models/overview/golds-gym-trainer-420-99051453.htm with terrible reviews

$300 new at Walmart. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-420-Treadmill-New-Model/27407264 with 4/5 star reviews

$316 at Amazon but $87 shipping!  http://www.amazon.com/Golds-Gym-Trainer-420-Treadmill/dp/B015EPJ5LK with moderately positive reviews

 Look for a thick deck, solid welding, good and wide running surface (length is less important, you want width). A good motor is a must. Those are the fundamental expenses of building a quality treadmill. Don't be fooled by electronic doodads you probably don't need. Those are often pure profit for the companies. I do like some programmability because I like to pre-program intervals. But all the "you can run 27 different simulated marathon routes" stuff is just unnecessary.

Me, personally, I have a 12 year old Pacemaster Gold Elite that I cost a little over $2000 new IIRC. I've put hundreds and hundreds of miles on it and in fact broke the 1/2" deck. They replaced it under warranty and gave me a free upgrade to the 5/8" deck. I've ran dozens of 2 hours runs on it, and quite a few 3 hour 20 milers. But these days you can get a great treadmill for much less than $1500, let alone what I paid.



Edited by brucemorgan 2015-11-27 1:01 PM
2015-11-29 11:21 AM
in reply to: brucemorgan

User image


47
25
New Lenox, Illinois
Subject: RE: good/bad treadmill brands
Thanks for all the help and tips!

Ended up picking up the Gold's Gym one I mentioned in an above post. In what I could find, it had decent reviews and my other option listed didn't have any. I bought it from my buddy's dad, so it cost me $30 and two cases of Busch Light. We've used it a few times now and has worked well. It's in pretty good condition, so I'm hoping it'll last a few indoor seasons. We'll see. No matter how long it lasts, I can't complain because of what I paid for it.
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » good/bad treadmill brands Rss Feed  
RELATED POSTS

Oh the bad runners that give good runners a bad name

Started by trijamie
Views: 998 Posts: 5

2015-08-21 1:27 PM Scott71

good and the bad (but more good)

Started by Fogflip
Views: 988 Posts: 7

2011-09-22 6:04 AM peteweb55403

Careful out on the road...this is BAD,BAD,BAD

Started by Z-dog
Views: 2906 Posts: 22

2008-05-12 1:19 PM eberulf

Good Running Treadmill ??

Started by 1st Timer in NY
Views: 1082 Posts: 8

2008-03-15 8:38 AM jocoma

New bike: bad news, good news, bad news, good news

Started by jonathan22
Views: 2010 Posts: 12

2007-02-05 6:33 AM jonathan22
RELATED ARTICLES
date : April 26, 2010
author : mrakes1
comments : 0
Discussions on good vs bad sugars, fluid loss replacement, clean eating, the Paleo diet and are gels necessary for olympic races.
 
date : February 22, 2010
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
I've seen posts on chronic achilles pain, but nothing on recovery from surgery. I don't know the difference between the good pain and the bad when training.
date : March 17, 2008
author : BWL
comments : 4
Using tri training for breaking bad habits, getting healthy and gaining confidence plus a little bit of humility.
 
date : December 11, 2007
author : Nancy Clark
comments : 1
Searching for the perfect gift for a friend, relative, or teammate? Here's a list of winning book suggestions for active people.
date : October 11, 2007
author : Amy Kuitse
comments : 2
When we do or don’t use the treadmill is not so much the issue as to how we use it. When is it appropriate to use a treadmill for your workouts?
 
date : July 30, 2006
author : acbadger
comments : 4
How important is it to train on the actual road vs. treadmill and on a real bike vs. spinning classes?
date : July 3, 2006
author : mrakes1
comments : 0
As we speak, a team of scientists, biochemists and nutritionists are performing experiments on the upcoming revolutionary product for improving your athletic performance.
 
date : March 5, 2006
author : KevinKonczak
comments : 0
Discussion on tapering, treadmill workout, long run issues, insituting run/walk, surrounded by hills and knowing your LT.