Sole F80. Solid, reliable, very well designed. Very fair price point at $1500 (shipped on sale, direct.)

I'll add that I used to believe that TMs pretty much would never wear out or break having owned 3 of them in the past, but I owned 2 of them for <5 years before moving (sold to friends.)

My current Sole F80 is 7 years old, and in that 7 years, I've had to replace the deck once (free under warrantee) and more recently change the console (out of warrantee unfortunately - cost me $400+). Normally I'd say that's a disqualifier for a TM to need service in that timeframe, but to be honest, my TM sits in a high-condensation garage where I'm surprised it took so long for the electronics to fry out given that there's literally dewdrops on the TM belt that I have to dry off before starting it in the morning. The deck also probably didn't need to be change since it really wasn't broken but it wasn't too hard to do.

My point is that customer service and support DOES count for treadmill ownership. Sole was very experienced and easy to deal with on the phone - no big waits, no annoying lag time between email conversation, and they have good service documents easily accessible online. If you're going to own a TM for long-term, you should seriously consider the service and support of the treadmill in case something comes up.

Is it easier just to sell a treadmill if you're moving? I'm looking to buy one (will probably go with the F80 based on your recommendation), but we may move in the next two years.

OP, there are a number of good threads on this topic - I've read them all since I'm in the market for a treadmill. Budget is also a big factor (seems Woodways are the best but will set you back at least $3K).

I'll search through the threads. Any advantage/disadvantage to an incline vs. "runner's" treadmill

Looking to stay under $3k and was initially considering the following brands/models, no particular order:

1). Nordic Track - Commercial 2950 or Incline x22i?

2). Sole - F80/F85 or TT8?

3). Proform - ???

Just had to buy a new treadmill a month ago because my previous ones motor caught fire.

I went with the True Performance 100. Very solidly built doesn't have all the tech features but it has a great warranty and feels like a commercial machine.

We looked at the Sole F80 and decided to spend a little extra money and bought it from my Lbs that also services the brand. $2500

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Mission Kona Podcast
https://www.strava.com/athletes/2568182
Kona 2024 Qualifier

Look at Landice.

I love my Landice L7.

It comes with a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser or their family members so you can will it to your kids.

It should be under your $3,000 price point.

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Jason
None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.

Bought a Sole F80. Good treadmill....I have had it 4-5 years. I think the key is to pay for regular maintenance (which I didn't)....maybe once a year depending on how much you use it. I might purchase a Sole again....but I think I would be more inclined to spend more and get a commercial treadmill. They feel more sturdy without as much flex. Since I likely won't have the money to buy commercial, I will probably replace with a Sole and get it serviced every 9 months or so. When I had my current treadmill serviced, they charged me $90 which I thought was reasonable.

Nice backdoor brag there!

Haha it was actually my wife's fat *** that caused the fire 😂

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Mission Kona Podcast
https://www.strava.com/athletes/2568182
Kona 2024 Qualifier

aah! hurry! deletedeletedelete

+1 for landice . Built like a tank !

I also have a True PS100. Got it a bit over two years ago, and it's rock solid. I honestly didn't want one of the cheaper treadmills that had things like built in fans, speakers, or fancy screens. Those are just added things to break, plus the fans and speakers that are in treadmills are a complete joke.

One of the things I wanted in a treadmill was the ability to get up to speed quickly for intervals - some of the lower priced ones take a long time to get up to speed and it almost isn't worth it for real fast, short intervals.

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Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
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x2, My Landice, purchased in 2000, has been trouble free and still going strong.

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Dean Wilson
http://www.anaerobiczone.com
Bicycle Protection Indoors & Out

there was a thread here a while ago about treadmills where, iirc, a treadmill salesman chimed in and said, if you want a treadmill to not be too hard, just put a gym mat under it. seemed like good advice to me. though i've never had the opportunity to verify.

+1 for Landice. 10 years into my L7, never done a lick of maintenance on it and it's never had any issues after I would guess about 4-5k miles. No fancy programs, just a solid unit that goes up to 12mph.

Make sure whatever you get needs no maintenance.
I have been pleased with my Horizon T7 Elite. My last one was a Landice and was great. The Horizon was cheaper, we'll see if it lasts as long.

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Dr Jay
http://www.Tri-Pod.net

So, in an attempt to narrow down a shopping list:

1). Sole TT8

2). Landice L8 (larger running surface vs. L7)

3). True Performance Series 100/200/800


It would appear on specifications and price that the Sole TT8 would be the winner. Any idea if either the True Performance Series or Landice L8 offers any greater durability, quality or compelling difference vs. the Sole TT8. Roller size, motor/drive system, etc.

Almost all treadmills need 'service' eventually. You can usually go years ignoring it, but depending on use and where the TM is stored (heat/humidity/temp) you're risking something acting up early rather than later if you never do the small upkeep on it.

Even Landice:
http://www.landice.com/sites/default/files/MAINTENANCE%20ON%20TREADMILLS_2.pdf


The main ones are
- Cleaning the TM and the floor around it
- Keeping the deck lubricated every 6-12 months. A very easy, quick thing to do, but not so trivial that you can do it on your first try in under 5 minutes. The faster you run on the TM, the more important this is - a non-lubed deck builds friction fast, and will make the motor work extra hard to keep speed.
- Tightening any loose bolts

As an LBS that sells treadmills a Landice treadmill with lifetime warranty is a great value especially if you have multiple runners in the family. A lot of talk about Sole. These are made by the same manufacturer that also make Spirit Fitness and Xterra fitness equipment. Main differences are where the products are sold (types of distributors) and warranties. The Spirit Fitness has both residential and commercial grade and all treadmills for residential use have lifetime motor/deck/frame and 10 years on all other parts including the control board.

And yes, an easy fix to add a little more cushion is a good rubber mat but a good treadmill should be softer than running on streets.

Looking at your price range I wouldn't rule out a Spirit Fitness XT 685 or the commercial CT 800. If you want folding the XT 485 always rates very well for runners.

Thanks for the info.

How important is the weight of the machine for a larger, 200lb runner? The Spirit seems to be very light compared to others?

I owned a smooth fitness treadmill. Sold it before moving and haven't bought a new one, but would likely go back to smooth if I were in the market.

Goes to 12 mph
60" long belt
Motor is sized well
Outstanding pricing
Direct to consumer
Gets good reviews

Take a look at their site before pulling the trigger on another model.