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

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  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    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 If the belt has been replaced by a Life Fitness tech, you will see overall miles and then "belt miles" showing the wear on the current belt.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.

    Thank you! This was very helpful!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    1100 is a lot of money for something without a warranty. Personally for something of that expense, I would keep saving, maybe have a tag sale to raise additional funds and then I would look into buying a refurb directly from the company with a waranty. That'show I got my Vitamix.

    But I can't imagine ever wanting to run 17 miles on a treadmill, I'm an outdoor runner.
  • 2stepscloser
    2stepscloser Posts: 2,900 Member
    If you are going to spend that kind of money on a treadmill, why wouldn't you just get a gym membership where you have the benefit of a variety of equipment and someone else maintaining it?
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    If you are going to spend that kind of money on a treadmill, why wouldn't you just get a gym membership where you have the benefit of a variety of equipment and someone else maintaining it?

    I have a gym membership. The only time I ever go is to use the treadmill (I do other fitness things [boxing, yoga, cycling, swimming, hockey] at other places) and there are times that it doesn't work for me to make it there during business hours so I would like my own treadmill at home.
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    Pros: None. Run outside

    Cons: Expensive
    Takes up too much space
    Boring

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