Used treadmills

suziblues2000
suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I need some advice again.
My husband has decided that I've been working really hard and I deserve a reward (cool!) so we decided that we have about $150 - $200 to spend for this reward so I was thinking about buying a used treadmill so I could walk indoors when it rains and watch tv etc. I would SO love a brand new one, but you know.....finances suck right now.

Anyway, what kind of treadmill would be best to buy used? I've been checking Craigs list everyday, even Ebay....I'm confused.

THANK YOU!,
sue

Replies

  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    I bought a used treadmill off of Craigslist for $180. I just kept looking and looking until I found one that was most suited to my needs (I needed one that folded for storage). Over the month or so I was looking for one, there were several posted within a reasonable driving distance from me so I just kept watch and researched the brands and models and read online reviews to make my decision. It was *very* lightly used Proform J4 that likely came from Sears a few years ago. Nothing fancy -- strong enough motor, folded up completely vertically to save space (another one I considered took up a lot more room when folded).

    It has been FANTASTIC and I'd buy it again and again and again and again. :laugh: They were asking $225 for it & I offered $180 & they accepted immediately.
  • DamienRiceFan
    DamienRiceFan Posts: 30
    You can probably get a great deal on a used treadmill. Many people buy exercise equipment and use it very little, however I suggest if you are going to buy used try it out before you buy it. I just had to trash mine because the belt kept jerking and could not be fixed - it looked fine, but didn't work fine. I've had 700.00 treadmills and I've had 200.00 treadmills - not much difference.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Oh yeah -- DEFINITELY try it first! :smile:


    Mine actually had a slight problem with belt alignment. We were afraid it was going to start rubbing the side & fraying the belt but we were able to correct the problem easily enough by completely loosening the belt & tightening it evenly until it stopped sliding around.
  • suziblues2000
    suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
    Thank you so much for the replies.

    I think that right now is not a good time to buy a used treadmill because they show up on Craigs LIst but disappear so FAST! People must be buying them fast! Maybe it's the time of year.......everybody wants to get in shape for summer?

    I don't know, but thanks again for the tips and I'll keep looking.
    sue
  • asyluma
    asyluma Posts: 65 Member
    It ultimately depends on what you are willing to settle for. My husband went to amazon.com and found a new one for like $120 I think, but it was manual.
  • JennyVirginia
    JennyVirginia Posts: 69
    I agree with one of the previous posts - a lot of people buy fitness equipment with good intentions & seriously never use it. That's how I got mine off of CL. I kept looking for one with features I wanted and then I asked if I could try the treadmill out for atleast 30min. I figured if something was wrong I'd know it by using it for atleast 30min. I ran on it, walked at various speeds and did the incline. Plus by putting it through a little workout I could totally tell if it was a cheap one or not. I got mine for $150 (they were asking $185) but all I had was $150. It's the best investment I made - I've had it for almost 2 yrs and it's still going strong. Good luck to you and I wish you the very best!
  • Behavior_Modification
    Behavior_Modification Posts: 24,482 Member
    In WI we have a store called 2nd Wind Exercise equipment. The new items are very pricy, but they also sell used items and I bought an exercise bike from them for $160 in December. It is awesome. It was a very expensive model in its day and I'm so much happier that I bought the used one rather than spending $160 on a cheap new one that I would break right away. It is very quiet and very stable. I'm also glad it was inspected by a professional so I had peace of mind that I was getting a quality product and it wasn't going to break when I got home.

    About 6 years ago I was in the market for a treadmill as well. I made a huge mistake and wanted to share it with you so hopefully you don't do the same thing. I spent $200 on a new one at Wal-Mart. I thought it would be so perfect because it folded up and was brand new. It was a piece of junk. It wobbled so badly I felt like my entire apartment was shaking. I wish I had spent that $200 on a used nicer one. I only used it about 5 times as a treadmill, mostly it was just a clothes rack that collected dust.

    My advice: Buy something that is not only just in your price range, but also a good product.
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