Recommendations?
- Quick incline and speed buttons available.
- BT heart rate
- Heart rate zone alerts
- Incline of at least 10
That’s pretty much it! Thanks!
I think a gym membership…be careful with cheap one’s…
Sole f80. I have a friend that has one and loves it. Not sure if $1500 is cheap. I wouldn’t want to spend much less than that if I was buying a treadmill.
That’s like asking for bike components that are both light and cheap.
If you want a cheap treadmill, don’t mess around with something that’s $800 at a big box store. Get on Craigslist and find that $800 treadmill for $200 that’s been used more for a clothes hanger than an exercise machine.
Then when it breaks after a couple thousand miles, buy a nice one, or replace it w/ another $200 Craigslist unit.
I’ve actually had luck finding good used Woodways on CL in the past. Granted, they are still $1500-$2500 but will probably outlive you in the longrun.
Cheap = $1350 or less 
Add to that $250 in-home installation and assembly and $150 warranty, and that’s the $1750 I want to spend.
no issues with the Live strong middle of the road treadmill. I think it was the 13.0
By the way I run abou 20 MPW so 2000 miles would last me almost 2 years lol
The thing about CL is that it doesn’t include delivery and setup.
The thing about CL is that it doesn’t include delivery and setup.
I bet you can get a couple mechanics at your LBS to move and set it up for maybe $50. Or a six pack of beer. Or a high five.
In my experience, having worked at a Gym for a year… They are basically all kind of junk, even the more expensive ones. We usually had a dozen or so out of order at any given time, out of a fleet of 60 or so. The guy who repaired them loved us. We used Precor and Life Fitness machines that weren’t exactly cheap. Granted they saw a lot of use but even so they broke down frequently.
My recommendation is to find a local guy who repairs them. Try and purchase one from them that they have serviced. Now you have done 2 things… you bought a reconditioned treadmill on the cheap (usually) and you made good will with the guy who is going to come service the thing when in invariably breaks. Just my $.02 …
That’s a great idea. Even if it breaks down I can get a local to come and service it for cheap.
The only reason that I want one at home is to watch movies while I run. Extra benefits of cutting down prep time and no need for bundling or sunscreen.
So the local guy who service them also sell them? Why would you not just pay the service fee and keep the treadmill you had?
I like you wanted to be able to watch what I wanted while I ran, I use my ipad on the treadmills at the gym with a pair of bluetooth headphones. I either stream soccer matches (fox soccer 2go) or tv shows on netflix. Previous to discovering that both my gyms have reasonable wifi I would download tv shows on itunes prior to going to the gym. Works like a charm.
For ‘cheap’, the Costco ones for <$1000 have pretty good reputations and have been bought by quite a few on the forums with no problems.
It might, however be worth paying a little more, even for same components, for a branded one that will offer more hands-on support IF anything goes wrong. The SoleF80 ($1400, goes down to $12-1300 on sale sporadically) is in this class - it won’t outspec those Costco cheap 3.0HP TMs, but Sole is known for standing by their products, which is good considering how difficult it is to move or replace these heavy units.
I personally find that my Sole F80 is as good for training as literally every commercial treadmill I’ve used in gyms, and I’ve used quite a few. After using my F80 extensively, I can’t really understand whey someone would choose to pay $3500-$5000+ for a commercial-grade TM if they’re just going to use it at home, as the F80 will deliver everything you will need from walker to professional.
My recommendation is to find a local guy who repairs them. Try and purchase one from them that they have serviced. Now you have done 2 things… you bought a reconditioned treadmill on the cheap (usually) and you made good will with the guy who is going to come service the thing when in invariably breaks. Just my $.02 …
Bingo, check out CL. The service shops usually have plenty of serviced commercial machines that they have taken in trade from Gyms that are upgrading, etc.
I picked up a refurbished commercial TM with a new belt for 1K years ago and it’s still going strong…they even offered delivery/setup for a fee, but my buddy and I took care of that.
Cheap = $1350 or less Add to that $250 in-home installation and assembly and $150 warranty, and that’s the $1750 I want to spend.
Sole F65 is $1300 through their website. I have the S77 but test ran on the F65 at Dick’s and was impressed. PRO: 20 x 60 deck 3.25 HP 12 mph 15 degree incline. CON: Screen is very basic. Change in speed is slower than high-end gym models. I’ve only run about 20 hrs on it but have zero complaints. I’ve emailed Sole questions before and after purchase and they’ve always responded within a day.
Entry level Precor is hard to top and beats the POS Sole models.
Entry level Precor is hard to top and beats the POS Sole models.
And what do you find POS about Sole?
I wouldn’t want the weight or cost of a commercial treadmill for home use, even with 2 regular serious runners on it. It’s total overkill, with almost no benefit, as the longevity of the engine/parts is almost a nonissue for home use, even if you put in 2 hrs per day on it. Combined with the 10 year warrantee on most motors, and I’m not sure why someone would opt to put a super-heavy TM that may even require a nonstandard power outlet source and usually a significantly bigger footprint.
I’m not sure why someone would opt to put a super-heavy TM that may even require a nonstandard power outlet source and usually a significantly bigger footprint.
Actually, treadmill weight is a very good thing. The heavier it is, the more solid and realistic your running is. If you’ve ever run on a cheap, light, treadmill, they feel like you’re running on tin cans. Your F80 weighs more than the cheaper Precors (which aren’t cheap) and not that much less than top of the line Precor.
Horizon T101 - $500
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