Treadmill Recommendations Anyone?

LivingFree

I'm looking into buying a treadmill. Does anyone have any brands / recommendations / ones to avoid, etc? Definitely want to get motorized, cushioned deck, heavy duty enough to handle two people running maybe 3 times a week.

udallmom101

I got a Nordic Trac T5.1 this last month! I love it! It is cushioned and has shock response. I have never been a runner but that treadmill makes it easy to get through my C25K program. It has wonderful features. I got it at Sears and the warranty is really nice. Cost was very reasonable too.

boobee32

I have a big commercial Nordictrack. LOVE IT!

Towhanna

I'm also looking to purchase a treadmill and may give the NordicTrack a try, thanks

crystaltrejo

I bought one a few years back and the only feature I know I now wish I had was the fact you really need to be able to enter your weight and your age in order to get anywhere close to the correct calorie burn, mine does not.

LeAnn_Mae

I don't have a treadmill but I looked into it for my 6ft 6 husband. He wanted something sturdy enough to run on and it looks like Sole is the best brand. I'll try to find some reviews that I have looked at.

butlersoft

I'm on my second treadmill now having had the PROFORM HR590 for about 6 years which had *HEAVY* use (5 times a week for 3-5 miles each time)

You really do get what you pay for ..... I managed to get it as an end of line machine and paid around £700 for it at the time. It's motorised and did inclines with full Heart Rate programs.

The thing I've found is the maintenance ..... you need to keep them serviced as in particular - the belt will stretch and start to slip. In the UK in the south-east (where I live) - there aren't any service companies and so I always had to pay a call out charge of £100 just for the visit .... and then parts / labour on top.

In the end - we decided to replace the machine because it was on the 4th repair of belt / motor slip and so went for a BRANX FITNESS ELITE RUNNER PRO.

It's smaller and lighter weight and it certainly doesn't feel as sturdy as the PROFORM ..... but it's suiting me fine for now. Again - it was around £700 just over a year ago but if I compare that to a gym membership (which I don't have) ... which would typically cost around £50 a month - the running machine will have paid for itself in just over a year.....

I'm currently at around 115kg at 6ft tall ..... you need a good strong motor (I'd recommend a 5BHP as a minimum - particularly if you're on the heavier side. A good belt length of 1.8 metres also is needed for the taller / longer legged runner.

LivingFree

Thank you so much everyone - such great info!

Flyntiggr

My brother-in-law is all about research before purchase. When they bought their treadmill 3 years ago, they bought a Sole. On his recommendation, I bought a Sole back in August, and have zero complaints.

The Sole is great - the motor is comparable to what is in the gyms, but at an 'at home' price. The deck has a decent length and it runs very smoothly.

I bought mine from D***s Sporting Goods when it was on sale (which seems to be just about every week!), and had the delivery where they put it in the room for you, but you assemble yourself. I did it all by myself, and didn't need a second pair of hands.

I got the Sole F65 model (http://www.****ssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11226357&cp=2367438.2367453).

I paid $1,000 for mine, but felt it was worth the investment. Other brands, such as Proform got terrible reviews. They are super cheap (4-500 bucks), but in this case, you get what you pay for!