Would you pay $1100 cash for a gym-quality treadmill?

godblessourhome

I found the treadmill my gym uses (Life Fitness 9500) on Craigslist for $1300. The seller is willing to come down to $1100. I think it is a fair price for quality of the treadmill. They are being sold on eBay for $750-$2300, and refurbished with a warranty for $1995.

I want a commercial quality treadmill. I have bouught and sold two other treadmills for not being solid enough or wide enough. I have $940 in cash and would have to borrow the rest from my hubby. I know I am going to lay down some change for a good treadmill, but I am just not sure that I want to spend that much. I love this brand of treadmill and it would save me from going to the gym, but I can go to the gym for 3 years on that amount of money.

Can you help me list out the pros and cons of buying this? What do you think of the price he is asking?

MelsAuntie

It sounds awfully high. I paid $300 for my elliptical machine.

WinnerVictorious

I found the treadmill my gym uses (Life Fitness 9500) on Craigslist for $1300. The seller is willing to come down to $1100. I think it is a fair price for quality of the treadmill. They are being sold on eBay for $750-$2300, and refurbished with a warranty for $1995.

I want a commercial quality treadmill. I have bouught and sold two other treadmills for not being solid enough or wide enough. I have $940 in cash and would have to borrow the rest from my hubby. I know I am going to lay down some change for a good treadmill, but I am just not sure that I want to spend that much. I love this brand of treadmill and it would save me from going to the gym, but I can go to the gym for 3 years on that amount of money.

Can you help me list out the pros and cons of buying this? What do you think of the price he is asking?

why not run/jog/walk around your neighborhood for free?

godblessourhome

I found the treadmill my gym uses (Life Fitness 9500) on Craigslist for $1300. The seller is willing to come down to $1100. I think it is a fair price for quality of the treadmill. They are being sold on eBay for $750-$2300, and refurbished with a warranty for $1995.

I want a commercial quality treadmill. I have bouught and sold two other treadmills for not being solid enough or wide enough. I have $940 in cash and would have to borrow the rest from my hubby. I know I am going to lay down some change for a good treadmill, but I am just not sure that I want to spend that much. I love this brand of treadmill and it would save me from going to the gym, but I can go to the gym for 3 years on that amount of money.

Can you help me list out the pros and cons of buying this? What do you think of the price he is asking?

why not run/jog/walk around your neighborhood for free?

Because I am a fair weather runner. I don't run in the snow, rain, wind or high heat. Plus, my long runs (10-17 miles) go better on a treadmill that controls my speed.

bwnorton

If the treadmill is mint, then it may be a good value. Living in Illinois where this spring has been absolutely dreadful, I get the idea of exercising indoors. I don't know enough about what to look for to determine if it's a good price or not. Check e-bay too, as well as Second Wind. At least with Second Wind or that type of store, you may have some recourse if the motor fries in the first few minutes...Good luck!

dancingdeer

Sounds like a decent deal. I paid about $2300 for my new elliptical (gym quality). You get what you pay for. If it's what you want I say go for it. Be sure and find out how old it is, and there is a way in the settings to see how many miles have been put on it as well.

BlueObsidian

I love this brand of treadmill and it would save me from going to the gym, but I can go to the gym for 3 years on that amount of money.

Can you help me list out the pros and cons of buying this? What do you think of the price he is asking?

For a commercial quality machine it sounds like a reasonable price (provided that it is in good shape). Personally, I'd spend the money on the gym membership. Buying a treadmill gives you one form of exercise. A membership to a good gym will give you so many more choices for cardio and strength training.

Although, I also prefer to run outside, so if I was going to buy any home equipment right now it would be a barbell and bench.

kbbeale

Sounds to me like you have your mind made up! If you have done your research and its a fair price, go for it. You wont be happy with another/different machine, and if you prefer to run/walk indoors, it sounds optimal to me. Have fun!

socioseguro

well you asked us if we would pay for one ? I guess the answer is no.
I prefer to walk outdoors for free. It also helps me managing stress.
Good luck in your journey to health.

obsidianwings

I wouldn't spend that much on something that doesn't come with a warranty

meeper123

Go to sports authority you can get one for way less mine was only 900 or so and its fantastic has ifit and everything

Cr01502

You'd have to pay me to run on that thing.

I run outside for free.

justrun52

I got my treadmill at a thrift store for $20, it was by no means gym quality, but it worked just fine and got the job done. I try to run outside when I can- if you can afford it, then I'd get it.

_DaniD_

I got mine for $100..my friend had just bought it for his girlfriend 6 months earlier for $1200.. lucky for me they broke up.

No..I wouldn't pay that much..I'm also really cheap like that though.

Jennloella

If the treadmill is your thing and you have that cash on you, do it. A lot of the answers you're getting are from people shopping out of their own wallet or people that don't like treadmills or prefer a gym. that's less than I paid for mine, sounds like a deal - you get what you pay for. I've had mine 6 years and have had zero problems. In that time my sister has gone through two treadmills from a sporting goods store that were about 500 each, sounds like you know what you want, snatch it up before someone else does!

Elizabeth360

I'd rather pay $40/month and get all the gym equipment, not have to store a treadmill, and not have to replace it in a few years. $1100 would pay for over 2 years of membership.

iceman7840

Having been on both cheap and quality exercise equipment, a treadmill is the LAST thing I would go cheap on. Trust me, you WILL notice a difference!

tsikkz

I would urge anyone thinking about buying a treadmill to try running outside, if the weather and location permits. However with allergy season I might have to start running at the gym

cityjaneLondon

You need to buy a new one from a store that is totally reliable on its warranty. They go wrong, even the expensive ones. Life Fitness is a good brand, we have an elliptical and a recumbent cycle, but even they are beginning to knock a bit. Our cheaper brands were c××p, but the truly excellent shop gave us a full refund after 2 years.

rushfive

Sounds like you have done your research on them, and have tried a few of them also. So you pretty much know what you want.
If you do not have to go into debt to get it.....go for it.....

I can not always walk outside and the nearest gym is 20 miles away,hwy. I got myself a quality treadmill for home and love it.

Tanja_CHH

Id personally also preffer the gym membership. I have that now for 40 pound a month and I take 2 classes a day and go to the gym it self a few times a week and I get swimming free aswell. This means I can do strength, conditioning, cardio and work on flexibility. Whilst when I had my treadmill (still have it) I maybe went on it 20 minutes every other day or whenever I could be bothered. BUT if the treadmill is all you would use for certain the next 3 years and you do not live in a good area to go running I guess its worth it for you, but you might want to research further to see if you can find something cheaper. We have one that was 100 pound and its very good

godblessourhome

Sounds to me like you have your mind made up! If you have done your research and its a fair price, go for it. You wont be happy with another/different machine, and if you prefer to run/walk indoors, it sounds optimal to me. Have fun!

I honestly don't have my mind made up about this treadmill. Only that I want a commercial grade treadmill. I had mentally set a cap of spending $1000 and that extra $100 makes a difference. Also having to borrow money from my husband does not thrill me. I do have another treadmill for $950 that I am looking at, but I do not have any experience with that brand. This brand appeals to me only because I have been running on it at my gym.

godblessourhome

I wouldn't spend that much on something that doesn't come with a warranty

That is a concern of mine as well.

neacail

Yes. Providing it was in good shape.

godblessourhome

I would urge anyone thinking about buying a treadmill to try running outside, if the weather and location permits. However with allergy season I might have to start running at the gym

I run outside and love it, but I also have times that I want to run on a treadmill. Bad weather, long runs and when I am cramped for time or not feeling great come to mind. Also late night runs when the gym is closed.

godblessourhome

Having been on both cheap and quality exercise equipment, a treadmill is the LAST thing I would go cheap on. Trust me, you WILL notice a difference!

I know. I bought a very cheap one for $100 that I sold after a few months and a mid-quality one for $550 that I had for a year but just wasn't cutting it anymore.

kimosabe1

negotiate girl. Tell them all u have is $900

rushfive

Sounds to me like you have your mind made up! If you have done your research and its a fair price, go for it. You wont be happy with another/different machine, and if you prefer to run/walk indoors, it sounds optimal to me. Have fun!

I honestly don't have my mind made up about this treadmill. Only that I want a commercial grade treadmill. I had mentally set a cap of spending $1000 and that extra $100 makes a difference. Also having to borrow money from my husband does not thrill me. I do have another treadmill for $950 that I am looking at, but I do not have any experience with that brand. This brand appeals to me only because I have been running on it at my gym.

if you do not feel comfortable borrowing from husband. Look for a cheaper one. should be good ones out there under 1000.00. not worth the husband loan on your mind. research the 950 one, may be just as good once you get used to the brand.

AmyMgetsfit

I paid $2500 for mine at a fitness store. So yes I would snap that up in a heartbeat. I will take quality over cheap any day of the week for most things and a good quality treadmill is very important to me. Mine is now 10 years old and is still in mint condition. Between my husband and I it is used all the time.

dondimitri

Given your requirements and background and assuming you've done the research and the price is reasonable compared to brand new retail I think it would be a decent gamble. Obviously the cheaper you can get it the more the gamble is in your favor.

I'd think really hard about paying more than about 1/3 the retail price for used equipment unless it is very obviously a late model, essentially brand new, essentially unused machine.

I'd take a good long look at it; run on it for more than just a minute or two; long enough for any subtle issues to have a chance to surface such as something that only occurs after the machine has been warmed up for awhile. If they won't let you run on it for at least 15 minutes I'd say walk away. Make sure it goes faster than you would ever run and the incline goes higher than you would ever be interested in.

I hate buying exercise equipment at retail prices; you get the warranty but you pay through the nose for it. I've done it but... ouch, it hurts.

Azdak

Look at the age of the treadmill--The "9500" designation is an older one.

If the shroud covering is black and it has the curved "Star Trek Deck" console, then it is a treadmill that was made between 1999 and 2004. You can also ask for the serial number and call Life Fitness at 1-800-351-3737, give them the serial number and they can tell you when it was sold.

If you have an opportunity to see the treadmill in person, you can also check the mileage on the belt. With the treadmill on, press the "clear" button twice--the screen will go blank for a couple of seconds. While the screen is still blank, press the "pause" button and continue to press it down. The console will beep and the screen should say "service menu". Press the "up" button under "speed" and scroll until you see "information menu". Press "enter". Then scroll again until you see something that says "system statistics" or "belt/deck info" or something like that. Press "enter" and it will scroll through the number of hours and miles on the belt. If the belt has been replaced by a Life Fitness tech, you will see overall miles and then "belt miles" showing the wear on the current belt. If the belt was replaced with an orginal Life Fitness part, it will have "Life Fitness" inscribed on one side of the belt.

If it is the TR9500 model I have mentioned above, the motor and the shock absorbers had a lifetime warranty. That won't apply to you, but it means they are pretty rugged. The belts were rated to last about 25K miles with proper service. If it is a pre-2004 model, the treadmill uses a spraying system to spray wax on the underside of the belt. Periodically, you have to take off a cover, remove the wax nozzle and soak it in hot water to clear it. Otherwise the belt will wear prematurely. Eventually, there is a bag of wax that has to be replaced.

Now, using the machine in a residential setting, you might not have to ever deal with any of these things, since your usage will be so low. I have a Stairmaster 4600 in my basement that was made in 1997. I bought it from the company where I worked when they took it in trade from a park district in 2001. In 2001, the park district thought it was a piece of junk. I have been using it regularly since then (12 years) with zero problems and zero maintenance (except to replace a lock washer on one of the pedals 3 times). So there is a HUGE difference between commercial and private use on these things--I don't want to alarm you, just let you know what to look out for.

The biggest issue with buying a commercial treadmill is power. These things use a ton. An older treadmill is going to use 10-12 amps at least--most home circuits are 15 or 20 amps. If there is anything else plugged into that circuit, you may find you blow it when you crank up the load --running--on the treadmill. You will also need a NEMA 5-20 receptacle. When these units are sold commercially, they require a dedicated circuit for each machine.

The other potential issue is moving it. I don't think it can be moved through a standard doorway without disassembly.

If everything checks out, it will be a much better treadmill than anything you could buy at that price--new or used.