Ohiyo!

Happy nearly New Year to you, my loyal readers. Things have been hectic here at the DOJO and we’re expanding over where we were last year. Thankfully, Icon Health & Fitness has been great at marketing and selling its crappy low-end equipment. Their expansion has fueled ours! As a business man, I love the fact that people are buying bad equipment which will end up in our shop for repairs, but as a member of the fitness community I hate the fact they are roping people in to buying their crap.

Luckily, there are still a few companies out there putting out some great equipment. Horizon, Smooth, SportsArt and Sole are all great and I love the fact I don’t get their units in the DOJO very often at all.

Speaking of Sole, one of the great and top rated ellipticals of the last year or so has been the Sole E55. The E55 is a great replacement for the truly horrendous Sole E89 elliptical from a couple of years ago which was based on a Reebok design. Sole got wise after what must have been an insane number of complaints about how uncomfortable the old unit was, and moved on to producing the best buy elliptical under $1500 in the E55.

I’ve actually worked on about 20 of the Sole E55s over the past few months and Sole has done an excellent job in their design. In an attempt to get rid of some of the holiday pounds I’ve gained over the past 2 weeks, I decided to give one of the new Sole E55 ellipticals a good workout and go over the review here.

The first thing you notice when getting on the Sole E55 is just how sturdy the thing is. The unit weighs more than I do and it feels great to work out on. The E55 weighs in at just under 200 pounds and has a monster 30 pound flywheel.

As the pedals start moving, the 20″ stride and Sole’s famous articulating footpads make the ride smooth and comfortable. The articulating (and adjustable) footpads are set just right to give your feet a natural feel and keep your circulation going. If you’ve ever been on an old style elliptical such as the Tunturi, then you know how horrible it feels when your feet get all tingly from the poor circulation the units give you. Another great piece is Sole’s 2% incline on their pedals which feels much more natural than most other elliptical trainers in the E55′s price range.

I ran an hour workout program on the Sole E55 and could have gone on for a lot longer. The unit gives you a good number of programs, 10, but most owners will rarely use more than 3-4 of them. The 20 resistance levels are where the unit shines. They give you a lot of room to work and fine tune your workout.

If you’re looking for a much more reliable and solidly built version of the Spirit XE350 then you absolutely must check out the Sole E55 elliptical. In addition to the higher quality Sole customer service and support, the design of the Sole E55 will fit in a bit better with most rooms. That’s not important to guys like me, but for our wives who make the decisions it can be a deal maker!

A little advice on these units (and any ellipticals with chrome rails): make sure to keep the rails lubricated. You’ll thank me for it. With proper lubrication not only will the unit run almost completely silent, but it will last a lot longer without needing maintenance. Adding the lubricant is as easy as squirting a bit on your finger (or a rag) and running in along the rear bars.

Sole Fitness has done an excellent job with the Sole E55, the Sole E55 gets 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs. This one of the best buy ellipticals on the market today.

The Sole E55 Elliptical is another 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5 winner.

Get the absolute Lowest Price online for the Sole E55 — Save More with Free Shipping, Pay No Tax and protect your warranty

Sole E55 Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 20″
Max Weight Capacity: 350 lbs.
Resistance Levels: 16
Hear Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Ohiyo!

Today may be one of the best days of the Treadmill Sensei’s life…or at least the best in a very long time. The reason for this great day being my wife’s family has finally vacated our house! We dropped them off at LAX this morning at 6am and, for the first time in almost a month, I can look forward to a hot shower tomorrow morning. The good times are here again!

Let’s talk about some fitness equipment!

Smooth Fitness is one of the fastest growing fitness companies in the USA and produces some of the finest equipment on the market. They started out a few years ago, much like Sole Fitness, as a repackaging company for Spirit manufactured equipment. Since then they’ve moved on to produce their units overseas. After a bumpy year or two, they’ve really nailed high quality equipment for a great price. Smooth has very quickly become the #1 manufacturer of high quality fitness equipment in the $1000-$2000 price range because of that high quality and spectacular customer service.

Here at the DOJO we get a lot of Smooth units here to take out and install at customer homes. We very rarely get units in to do repairs on. These machines are built to hold up to pretty heavy duty workouts and are low, low maintenance. I would be more than fine giving one of their units to my mother-in-law without fear of being nagged to death with problems from it!

Last year we reviewed the old Smooth CE2.1 and it was a bit of an under performer. The unit itself was very solidly constructed, but its all-too-short 16″ stride was a deal breaker for us. For an upper end elliptical to have less than an 18″ stride was, I thought, a bit of a let down. Luckily, Smooth has listened to the rumblings and, with the release of the 2008 Smooth CE2.1 Elliptical, have increased the stride length to an excellent 18″. Finally, the Smooth CE2.1 feels as comfortable and as “smooth” as its name. The new stride design features one of the most natural feeling elliptical motions on a unit and Smooth’s rollerless technology is still one of the quietest designs on the market. The silent drive on the Smooth CE2.1 is very cool for those who live in apartments or hate the loud noises some lower quality ellipticals made during workouts.

Their ellipticals in general are good machines with a great feel. The crossbrace system they use for the front of their units helps to produce a very sturdy workout platform. Add to that the pivoting foot pedals and proper pedal distance and you have an incredibly comfortable elliptical on your hands…and your feet. The Smooth units are some of the only rear drive ellipticals in this price range which will not cause your feet to fall asleep during longer workouts. The addition of the longer stride to that mix makes the Smooth CE2.1 and obvious choice for anyone looking for a best buy elliptical for under $1500 with the unit coming in at just under $1300.

The Smooth CE 2.1 Elliptical features a nice stride length, 9 programs, pulse grip heart rate monitoring, and supports reverse motion workouts, a feature not often found in non-commercial ellipticals. Their 3:1 upper body resistance is a nice added feature for those who want to get a little additional upper body workout during their elliptical exercise.

It is great to see a manufacturer actually upgrading a unit with needed features and without increasing its price. The new 18″ stride Smooth CE2.1 is set to become one of the top rated ellipticals in its price range. For that reason the Treadmill Sensei gives the Smooth CE2.1 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

For being as Smooth as its name, the CE2.1 Elliptical gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.

Compare the Smooth CE2.1 Elliptical and save by going factory direct.


Smooth CE2.1 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18″

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Ohiyo!

Normally your Treadmill Sensei tries to focus just on treadmill and elliptical reviews in this blog, but this is the holiday season and I feel the need to ramble a bit before we get in to the New Balance 1400 treadmill review.

I just need to vent.

Now, I love the Christmas season as much as the next person…I love the holiday spirit and the cool crisp December air. I love giving my wife and kids presents and decorating the tree and all that stuff. What I don’t love is large numbers of relatives crammed in to my house and using up all the hot water before I can take my morning shower. I am a man of simple needs in the morning: I need my coffee. I need about 15 minutes of CNN. And I need my hot shower. Unfortunately, the demons who now infest every single room of my house are from the east coast and are still on New Jersey time. Their 9am New Jersey showers are now interfering with my 6:30 California shower…and I hate them for it.

If there happens to be a news story about a family getting killed right before Christmas it’s because I finally snapped from one too many chilly showers in the morning.

End rant.

In this year’s Ichi-Ban Awards I gave the “best treadmill from $1001-$1500″ award to the New Balance 1400 treadmill. This may come as a shock to a lot of people because of my obvious love of both Horizon and Spirit/Sole equipment. The reason I rated the New Balance 1400 over a slightly superior machine in the Spirit XT10 is because of the incredible value you’re getting for the price. For $1100 you are getting more of a treadmill in the New Balance than in anything else around…sure you can get more if you pay more, but with the 1400 treadmill you don’t have to. If they can keep the price at around $1100, then this is a golden unit.

The New Balance 1400 has the now standard large 2.5 horsepower motor featured in most units over $1000, and large 2.4″ rollers to help extend the life of your belt and motor. Where the 1400 treadmill shines is in the size of the running area – a monster 20″x56″ – and in the stability of the machine. If you need a solid, sturdy treadmill for doing a good hard running workout, then the New Balance 1400 may be perfect for you.

These machines hold up to a beating. Plus, New Balance realized that most people aren’t treadmill repair techs and have problems when even minor adjustments need to be done to their equipment. They’ve put together a very low maintenance machine with their “EZ Maintenance” system which makes belt adjustments, cleaning and lubrication a snap on the New Balance 1400. They’ve made it easy enough for even my mother-in-law to do it!

When you top all of that off with their “Flex Core” suspension system – which is known for its shock absorption and impact reduction – the New Balance 1400 is a godsend for those with joint problems.

For being a great all-around buy AND the best buy between $1001 and $1500, the Treadmill Sensei gives the New Balance 1400 treadmill 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

UPDATE: The New Balance 1400 is now at an incredible under $1000 price on Amazon! This is easily one of the best fitness deals around.

A great treadmill at a great price, the New Balance 1400 gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5.

New Balance 1400 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 2.5
Max Weight Capacity: 300 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 10 MPH

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Ohiyo!

From here in the depths of the DOJO, your Treadmill Sensei realizes that most people are looking for help on what treadmill or elliptical they SHOULD buy and I generally try to focus on the positives in life. However, word needs to be spread on what you SHOULDN’T buy as well. I want to talk about a perfect example of what not to buy in the Weslo Cadence C22 Treadmill. This thing is a steaming pile of camel dung for sure.

Weslo treadmills are manufactured by Icon Health & Fitness, makers of such fitness travesties as Image and Proform equipment. These guys are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to treadmills. They’ve wormed their way in to places like Sears and have a huge presence in retail stores, but they put out some of the poorest built, lowest quality equipment on the market. I get better cardio workouts when I go to the bathroom after a big meal.

The Weslo Cadence C22 purports to have a 1 horsepower motor but, having just put one together for a client of ours, I think even that is being generous. The motor on the Cadence C22 is easily one of the smallest I’ve ever seen on a treadmill — it is literally the size of my cell phone…sure, I’ve got a big cell phone, but this is ridiculous!

Some how, Icon markets the Welso Cadence C22 as “Reasonable pace. Remarkable price. A durable treadbelt at a dynamite price, the compact Cadence C22 is one outstanding value. It’s the perfect treadmill for serious walkers.” To be perfectly blunt: They lie. This machine is really just for someone who wants to have as cheap a treadmill as possible in their home so they can pretend to their friends they actually workout. With a 13×34 inch belt the only people who could comfortably walk on the Welso Cadence C22 treadmill are members of the Lollipop Guild.

The listed max weight capacity on this treadmill is a joke as well: 250 lbs?? Very doubtful. I weigh under 170 pounds these days (thanks to my wife watching my diet like a hawk — no more early morning Snickers bars for me!) and when I got on the Weslo Cadence C22 it creaked and groaned. In fact, I was afraid it was going to snap in half!

As with all Icon Health & Fitness products I recommend you stay far away from the Weslo Cadence C22 Treadmill and only purchase one for your worst of enemies.

For sucking worse than a $2 prostitute, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Weslo Cadence C22 1 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Don’t even think about getting the Weslo C22 — it gets 1 gold buddah out of 5
…and I’m being generous with that.

Weslo Cadence C22 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1 horsepower
Running Area: 13×34
Weight: 85 lbs
Max User Capacity: 250 lbs
Speed: 5 mph
Incline: 3 positions – 5%, 7% and 9% only
Console: Speed, time, distance, calories and fat calories burned
Folding: Yes

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is currently very happy with the fact he’s doing this blog. The reason being, it is Christmas time and my wife has a lot of family coming over to the house. A LOT of family. At last count there were 11 members of her family staying with us and a countless assortment of children over almost every day. I like people and I love kids but I do believe I have hit my saturation point…and knowing that I have at least 12 more days of a crowded house isn’t doing anything to ease my mood.

Luckily, I have my reviews to fall back on. Whenever I need an excuse to run away from the family I loudly proclaim that I must get back to writing my website reviews and get to disappear for a blissful hour of quiet in my home office. So, for my time of Zen I do thank you all for reading this blog!

Back to business!

Regular Treadmill Sensei readers know I get asked a lot about budget priced treadmills and ellipticals everyday. There are a lot of people out there who are looking to get fit and do so without spending a whole lot of money. The Sensei can understand that because I like to save money myself. Unfortunately, in the sub $500 range there really isn’t a whole lot of quality. Keys Fitness, however, has come through with a great elliptical priced at just under $400 with the Ironman 230e Elliptical trainer.

About 2 weeks ago I set one of these up for my wife’s cousin, Stephanie, and was able to play around on it a bit. We don’t normally work with very much of the lower end home units but I was surprised at how decent the elliptical motion of the Ironman 230e felt compared to its competitors. Normally a sub $500 elliptical will be very choppy or bouncy and very uncomfortable. I found very little of that in the 230e.

The Ironman 230e isn’t the magical commercial quality elliptical for a disturbingly low price, but it is a well built machine, especially considering its normal $399 price range. Keys has put together a very sturdy machine with a solid construction. The Ironman 230e doesn’t suffer from the shakies a lot of lower end machines suffer from.

If you’re a smaller person, or someone just looking to do some supplemental exercise at home, then the 15″ stride will be more than enough for you. If you’re over 5’8″ or more than 250 lbs I’d look to a larger machine.

For putting out a decent machine and a low price, the Ironman 230e Elliptical gets 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A very respectible unit at a great price! 3 gold buddahs out of 5 f
or the Ironman 230e Elliptical.

Ironman 230e Specifications
Programs: 6
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Weight: 130 lbs
Stride: 15″
Resistance Levels: 8
Reverse Motion: Yes
Display: Time, Distance, Speed, Calories, Pulse
Warranty: Lifetime Frame, 1 Year Parts

The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Ohiyo!

One of the things, as a service tech, I get asked a lot about is “what is a lifetime warranty.” I’d say I get asked about this a few times a week — more now that this site is getting 1000+ unique visitors a day. Unfortunately, there isn’t a good answer to this question.

The Lifetime Warranty tends to be a bit of a shell game with most companies. They put “lifetime warranty” on a product and either assume a consumer won’t take the time to read the fine print or don’t even take the time themselves to write it. With some companies, such as Craftsman tools, lifetime means lifetime. If you have a problem with a Craftsman hammer in 15 years they will replace it with no questions asked.

Sadly, most other companies do not take to heart this old school attitude of honoring your word. They may define “lifetime warranty” as a time period as long as the equipment lasts — in other words, once the product “dies” it’s lifetime is over. This happens quite a bit with electronics and computer manufacturers. Another game of theirs is to set an arbitrary length of time for the life of a product — 3 years for computer RAM is pretty standard. Once you go beyond that length of time, you are out of the warranty coverage.

With fitness equipment, unless otherwise stated, a lifetime warranty generally means “7 years beyound the end of production cycle of the equipment.” For example, if you purchased a Horizon T54 (whose production ended in 2005), your lifetime frame warranty would only be valid through 2012.

When you look at that example you’ll see that a lifetime warranty isn’t quite as good as you initially thought and isn’t as goog as a 10 year warranty. The manufacturer is figuring most buyers will only use their equipment for a couple of years before discarding it…that thinking is kind of sad considering that a lot of this equipment should have a lifetime of 10 years or more. Here at the DOJO we do a lot of service on old Precor units from the 1980s which are still running fine. Same goes for Life Fitness and Star Trac.

There are a few vendors out on the net which use a “free upgraded lifetime warranty” as a selling point but really all they are selling you is a bill of goods — they’re selling you the perceived value of a lifetime warranty and not really anything worthwhile. In fact, if they’re offering you a lifetime warranty “upgrade” on a unit with a 20 year warranty then you’re actually being downgraded!

My warning to you, the consumer, is to be very careful when it comes to buying a piece of equipment based on a lifetime warranty. It may not be as good a deal as you’d expect. I’d ask for a 20 year warranty instead of the lifetime just to mess around with the vendor!

Whatever you do, make sure to read the fine print AND get clarification on the lifetime warranty if it isn’t provided for you. Don’t get caught by the Lifetime Warranty Scam.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

The S77 Treadmill by Sole gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.

Get more information on the Sole S77 Treadmill. Find the best price online and save more with FREE SHIPPING and pay NO TAX!

Sole S77 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 3.5 HP
Folding: No
Max Weight Capacity: 375 pounds
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless chest strap
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 10
Special Features: Cooling fans, speed and elevation control on handles
Weight: 352 lbs.
Roller Size: 2.7″
Deck Thickness: 1″

Click Here to Save on this Treadmill

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is still recovering from the madness of the recent 2006-2007 Ichi-Ban Awards for the best buy treadmills and ellipticals. Now, I’m taking a couple of days off from the DOJO in order to get all of the detailed reviews done and up here on the Treadmill Sensei website.

The Merit 710E Elliptical was awarded the best buy under $500 award this year. Merit is a fairly new brand, but is coming from one of the biggest and best players in the industry, Johnson Tech. If you’re not familiar with that name, Johnson Tech is the parent company for the top rated Horizon, Vision and Matrix lines of equipment. They do high quality work and it is nice to see them offering that quality in the lowest end price points.

The Merit 710E comes in at around $399 and is the cheapest elliptical you’ll find anywhere that will still give you a decent workout. The 710E is very much based on the design of Horizon’s old E51 but has the great, under $400 price to go with it.

In spite of it’s low price and 100 pound weight, the Merit 710E comes with a beefy-for-the-price 12 pound flywheel. The corporate literature on the Merit 710E says the unit can support up to 250 pounds of user weight, but I don’t think I’d push it quite that far. If you’re under 200 then it will be a great machine. Over 250 and you’ll want to step up in weight class to a $600+ machine.

For woman or smaller men, and definitely for kids, the 16 inch stride length on the 710E should be more than enough. The machine is really build for light workouts, but should hold up to 45 minutes three to four times a week.

In a price range with a lot of crap and wasted money, the Merit 710E stands head and shoulders above the competition. Don’t expect a commercial quality workout for $399, but if you’re looking for something lightweight for light workouts then you’re looking at the right unit.

For putting out quality at a great budget price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Merit 710E Elliptical 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

You won’t find a better elliptical for $399 than the Merit 710E.

Merit 710E Elliptical Specifications
Flywheel: 4.5kg
Resistance Levels: 8
Max User Weight: 250 lbs.
Stride Length: 16″
Console: LCD
Monitors: time, calories burned, speed, and distance
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse Grip
Weight: 110lbs

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Ohiyo!

Welcome to the second part of the Treadmill Sensei 2006-2007 Ichi-ban “Best Buy Awards.” This time I’ll go over my choices for “best buy” ellipticals. The interesting thing about ellipticals vs treadmills is that there are some decent choices in the under $500 range. This is because ellipticals, unlike their treadmill cousins, do not have the added expense of motors, and this allows a little more quality on the lower end of things.

As with the treadmill “best buy” awards, the ellipticals are picked with no real scientific technique. All reviews and ratings are based on my 20+ years of experience as a service/repair tech for fitness equipment. My opinions and thoughts come from having worked on most of the machines out there. When an elliptical comes in to the shop for either installation or repair, we run pretty extensive tests on the machines to make sure they are up to snuff. This includes running fairly hardcore routines on the machines, going through all of their programs and so on. After our testing any machine that is going out to be installed for a customer, or which has had repairs done, has been run through the ringer to make sure everything is working.

Reviews are not made with manufacturer input. We don’t get free equipment from manufacturers. And, something that has just started up, we’re not given equipment to repackage and relabel as our own commercial brand like a couple of review sites who are now selling insanely priced commercial equipment of their own — you know who you are!

More detailed reviews of all of the Ichi-Ban winners will be posted throughout the upcoming week.

Now, on with the show!!

Best Buy Under $500
Merit 710E Elliptical: Merit is yet another line of equipment produced by Johnson Tech and its Horizon Division. The Merit 710E is one of the sturdiest units under $500 and one of the few to give you a decent workout. For the full review click HERE.

Runner Up: At these prices, you have to be very careful or you’ll wind up spending money for something that will turn in to an expensive clothes hanger. Stay away from Image, Proform or any of the Icon Health & Fitness machines or you’ll just be throwing your money away.

1. Ironman 230E
2. LifeGear Dual Action Magnetic Elliptical
3. Eclipse 2100HRA

Best Buy from $501-$1000
Sole E25 Elliptical: AKA Spirit ZE120. Spirit and its repackaging company, Sole, have done it again with one of the best valued ellipticals out there. Priced at just under $1000, the Sole E25 is the standard by which all other ellipticals are measured by. For the full review click HERE.

Runner Up: The Ironman unit of many names, the Ironman 600E, is still one of the best ellipticals around and a killer now that it (or one of its many relabeled brothers) can be found for under $1000. There is a lot of great competition in this price range and a lot of great machines.

1. Ironman 600e/Alliance A7e/Ironman Evolution
2. Horizon EX55
3. Schwinn 438

Best Buy from $1001-$1500
Sole E35 Elliptical: The step up from the Sole E25, this unit gives you the stability more often found in higher priced commercial ellipticals. Check out the full Sole E35 review.

Runner Up: The $1000+ price range is where the serious home buyers come. This is the bottom end of where you’ll get a commercial, gym quality elliptical feel in a machine. Spirit really dominates this price point, and check out the Sole E55 for a heavier version of the Sole E35.
1. Smooth CE 2.1
2. Sole E55
3. New Balance 9.5e

Best Buy from $1501-$2000
SportsArt 803: With its adjustable stride and sturdy construction, the SportsArt 803 elliptical stands out in a very crowded area. Check out the review.

Runner Up: This is a difficult price point because the ellipticals don’t offer that much more than the $1000-$1500 units, but also don’t stand up to the $2000+ units like the Fitnex E70 or Precor 5.19. Avoid the Tunturi units because of their uncomfortable feel during longer workouts.

1. Smooth CE 7.4
2. Sole E95
3. Multisports ECT-880

Best Buy from $2001-$3000
Fitnex E70: If you’re looking for a solid, commercial quality elliptical with the same incredibly smooth and comfortable feel of the fantastic Matrix E5Xc, then this is your elliptical. The Fitnex E70 is, hands down, one of the best feeling ellipticals on the market today. Factor in the lifetime parts warranty and you’ve got one of the all around buys. For full review click HERE.

Runner Up: This is a pretty sparse price point for ellipticals. There are a lot of models in this range, but there isn’t much worth looking at. Aside from the Fitnex E70 and the Precor 5.19, if you’ve got $2000-$3000 to spend, I’d check out higher end remanufactured units. You can get a decent remanufactured Life Fitness rear drive elliptical or a Precor 546.

1. Precor EFX 5.19

Best Buy Over $3000
Matrix E5Xc Elliptical: This is the best Elliptical on the market today. Period. Check out the full review HERE.

Runner Up: As with the treadmills, this is a difficult price range to rank. There is so much good in this range that you really can’t go wrong when you stick with the big plays — Star Trac, Life Fitness, Precor and Matrix.
1. Star Trac Pro
2. Precor 546
3. Life Fitness 9500HRR

The Ichi-Ban Best of the Best Award for Elliptical Excellence: The Spirit ZE120 Elliptical
Yes, the Spirit ZE120 and the Sole E25 are the exact same unit, but I like to give props to the manufacturer of this excellent unit. The Sole version was a Dick’s exclusive last year and it’s nice to see Spirit come out with a version available through better outlets. For the money, the Spirit ZE120 and its twin, the Sole E25, are the best buys around. For the full review click HERE.

The First Annual Treadmill Sensei Baka Awards for 2006-2007!

The Please Fire Your Product Manager Award: Star Trac
This award goes to the incredibly unwise product managers at Star Trac Fitness for ceasing production of the Star Trac Natural Runner. Bringing out the Star Trac Elite with its multi-mode arm work outs was great, but it really isn’t a replacement for the incredible feel of the Star Trac Natural Runner series of machines. There was and is nothing on the market that felt as smooth or as comfortable as the old Star Trac Natural Runners and whoever decided they should be removed from production should be fired.]

The Biggest Piece of Crap Award: Tony Little Gazelle
I just can’t say enough bad things about the Tony Little Gazelle line of products. They con more people out of their money than anything I’ve ever seen before. The units are terrible and wind up sitting unused in people’s apartments and houses. Buying a pie from Marie Callenders will give you a better workout than the Tony Little Gazelle. Run away!

The Biggest Gimmick Next to the TreadClimber Award: LifeGear Power 3-n-1 Elliptical Bike
I don’t know who came up with this toy or what they were smoking to make them think it was a good idea, but I’d sure like to meet them. This unit is marketed to be an upright/recumbent/elliptical machine all in one. This unit is a gimmick and is far too complicated to actually work well. I see this unit having more problems than the TreadClimber machines. Stay away, far away.

The Miscategorized Equipment Award: Cateye EC-6000
The Cateye EC-6000 is either one of the most uncomfortable elliptical machines the Treadmill Sensei has ever been on, or it is a decent stepper. If you’ve ever been on this machine then you know what I’m talking about. Somehow Cateye rates the unit with a 19″ stride but I can imagine that’s true. This machine is a stepper that they’ve tried to disguise as a really bad elliptical. It is probably perfect for firefighter ladder training but not for an elliptical workout.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Ohiyo!

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, to the First Annual Ichi-Ban Treadmill Awards! You may not be able to see it from up in the cheap seats, but your Treadmill Sensei is wearing his finest tuxedo for the first in what I hope to be a long running annual “Best Buy” awards. The phrase “Ichi-Ban” is Japanese for “Number One” or “The Best” and that’s what we’ll be discussing — the Best Buys for Treadmills (Ellipticals should follow over the weekend) in the 2006 through 2007 buying season.

A quick aside on how I put this best buy list together. Unfortunately, there is no real scientific method behind how I do it. It’s based solely on my 20+ years of experience in the fitness industry. It’s based on the thousands of hours we spend each year here at the DOJO building treadmills, installing them in gyms and homes for our customers, doing service on the units and from my general love of tinkering and testing treadmills (and ellipticals).

The ratings are not based on input from any of the manufacturers (in fact, I’ve heard a few of them are genuinely upset by some of the ratings I’ve given). Unlike some larger review sites, the ratings are not based on side deals or payouts from the manufacturers. And, unlike some manufacturers, the ratings are not based on receiving free equipment from manufacturers. All reviews are done either on equipment that comes through our repair service to either be fixed or installed. Although, sometimes a local gym will get in a fancy or unusual treadmill which I’ve never seen before and I’ll go down and abuse the equipment on location — such as the insanely priced Motus Treadmills.

Towards the bottom of the Ichi-Ban awards you’ll also find my “Baka Awards.” Baka, in Japanese, basically means “stupid,” and the Baka Awards will feature some of the worst buys or worst units. They’ll also feature a couple of industry manufacturer awards. The Baka Awards are for entertainment purposes only…so Enjoy!

Finally, more detailed reviews of each of the top units will follow over the next week or two. Unlike some of the larger review sites, it’s just your overworked Treadmill Sensei writing these reviews and it takes me a bit longer than them to get things up and posted. Have patience!

Now, without further ado, I now bring you the First Annual Treadmill Sensei Ichi-Ban Awards for 2006-2007!

Best Buy Under $500
Leisure Works 539: In the low, low end range, the dominant treadmill is the Leisure Works 539. It doesn’t offer much in the way of programs, but it will give you a solid workout with a long life. Check out the full review HERE.

Runner Up: This is a difficult price range to rank because the majority of what is available out there is just plain crap. Icon Health & Fitness dominates the under $500 market and it really is better to just buy some good shoes and go running than to throw your money away. I just can’t recommend treadmills which will breakdown under even light usage in under a year. If you can, try to save up for a Horizon T71 at $599.

1. Keys HealthTrainer HT502T

Best Buy from $501-$1000
Sole F63 Treadmill: You’ve seen the rest, now check out the single best buy in all of treadmills. The Sole F63 continues to be the best treadmill for the best price on the market today. It’s basically a $1500 Sole F80 with a home console on it instead of the higher priced commercial style console. For about $1000 you’re getting a 2.5 horsepower motor, a 325lb weight capacity, large rollers and a solid deck. There is no other unit that comes even close to the value you get for your money in the Sole F63 treadmill. Sure, you can pay $1500 for a treadmill, but with the Sole F63 you don’t have to. Click HERE for the full review.

Runner Up: At these prices, don’t be tempted by the Icon Health & Fitness models you’ll find at Sears or Costco. Avoid Image, Weslo, Proform and the lower end Reebok or Nordic Track treadmills. There are better options out there. The Fitnex T30 had been in this list but due to a major mistake and downgrade from its manufacturer, the Fitnex T30 is now a “don’t buy.” (click for full reviews)

1. Smooth 5.25
2. Horizon T72

Best Buy From $1001-$1500
New Balance 1400: In a crowded arena, with a larger deck and motor, as well as long history, the New Balance 1400 stands out strong as a great buy. Click HERE for full review.

Runner Up: This is the price point for the serious treadmill buyer and seems to be more active than any other price range outside of the under $500. Again, don’t be fooled by the higher priced Proform or Nordic Track models. High prices don’t necessarily make the quality better. And, for god’s sake, don’t buy a Treadclimber at any price!

1. Spirit XT10
2. Horizon T74
3. Smooth 6.25

Best Buy from $1501-$2000
Sole F85/Sole S77: Short of the highest end units by Matrix, Star Trac and Landice, I think the Sole F85 and its non-folding counterpart, the Sole S77, are the best treadmills out there. These are high end units at a nice mid-range price. You can’t get a better treadmill for under $3500. Check out the full review HERE.

Runner Up: For those of you looking to move in to the light commercial area, this is the price range for you and it offers probably the best features versus price comparison around. The new Tunturi T30 is a great contender for the top spot, as are the Quantum and Bodyguard treadmills.

1. Tunturi T30
2. Quantum 2.5s
3. BodyGuard T240

Best Buy from $2001-$3000
Quantum 3.0s: These units are made by the fairly unknown, but long historied, Quantum Fitness. Quantum is best known for its strength equipment but they have been producing ultra durable, no maintenance treadmills for a while now and the Quantum 3.0s is an
example of this excellence. If you’re looking for the heavy duty stability of a Star Trac, Matrix or Life Fitness, but don’t want to pay $4000+, then check out the Quantum 3.0s Treadmill.

Runner Up: A strong area with a lot of good options. All of the manufacturers in the top spots have multiple units that are all great buys. Sole, Spirit and Quantum could easily have filled a top 10 list by themselves.

1. Spirit XT800
2. Life Fitness T30
3. Pacemaster Platinum

Best Buy over $3000
Matrix T3X: I just can’t say enough about Matrix and their equipment. These machines are a pleasure to work on and to work out on. This is what running on a cloud must feel like. Add the optional TV to the Matrix T3X and you’ll find yourself looking for excuses to run. Perfection. Check out the full review HERE.

Runner Up: This is one of the hardest categories to rate. It’s like comparing a Lexus versus a BMW versus a Mercedes. While the Matrix units in general are some of the best around, if you stick to the top manufacturers you won’t go wrong. Check out Matrix, Star Trac, Life Fitness and Landice for the top treadmills around. Stay away from Precor treadmills — they make good ellipticals, but their treadmill units tend to fall a bit short on quality, design and features.

1. Star Trac Pro
2. Landice L7 Cardio Trainer
3. Life Fitness 95ti

The Ichi-Ban Best of the Best Award for Excellence: The Sole F63Treadmill
The Sole F63 treadmill is the all-around best buy in a consumer grade treadmill. Well made, well designed and surprisingly low-maintenance, the Sole F63 should be the first treadmill a new buyer looks at. Check out the full review HERE.

The First Annual Treadmill Sensei Baka Awards for 2006-2007!

The Stinkiest Treadmill Award: Proform 650e Treadmill
This very special award goes to the Proform 650e Treadmill from Icon Health & Fitness. Starting earlier this year, your Treadmill Sensei began to get emails from the poor people who were conned in to buying this treadmill. The surprising thing I was asked about was why this treadmill smelled so bad after use. The majority of complaints came from a bad “B.O” smell which came from the treadmill belt and motor when in use. Some folks were so horrified by the smell that they put it down in their basements to use only when guests weren’t going to be coming over. I’ve yet to completely identify where the stench is coming from, but with 20+ email complaints from all over the US, it seems to be an epidemic! So, if you just have to buy a Proform 650e Treadmill, then make sure to buy some Fabreeze air freshener to go along with it!

The Most Confusing Manufacturer Award: Horizon Fitness
Anyone who has been a regular reader of my pearls of treadmill wisdom knows the Treadmill Sensei likes the product Horizon Fitness puts out. Horizon and Johnson Tech, its parent company, do a really good job with their equipment. Unfortunately, in what seems like a way to either limit internet sales or pander to individual sporting good chains, Horizon has decided to put out multiple versions of each of their products, under different names to each and every outlet they sell to. You’ll find their standard T70 series relabeled and sold under an ungodly amount of names (and with some very minor cosmetic changes) at places like Dick’s, Sports Authority, and at specialty fitness shops — sometimes priced considerably more for the exact same unit! My plea to Horizon is to stop trying to confuse your customers and go back to just one name for a unit!

The Hidden Agenda Award: Fitness Review Sites
This award goes out to reviewers who have cut deals with manufacturers to rate their product higher regardless of the facts. In specific, this award goes to the review sites who rank SOLE treadmills above SPIRIT treadmills when they are THE EXACT SAME UNITS! If you’ve been in the industry for any time at all, then you know that SOLE is a repackaging company with a fantastic marketing division…they put out great product, but they’re just putting out great SPIRIT product with a new name. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you’re going to post reviews at least make them honest. If we can’t trust you on the SOLE/SPIRIT reviews then how are we supposed to trust you on the rest of them?

Thanks it for this year’s Ichi-Ban Awards. I hope you enjoyed them and stay-tuned later in the week for the Ichi-Ban Awards for Ellipticals. Until then, take care and have a great workout!!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com