Best 5 Treadmills Under $1000 for Sept 2006

Moshi Moshi!

Way back in June 2006 I promised to write something up on top treadmills under $1000...and, as many of you noticed, that particular list never materialized. The main reason was because I had decided to hold my first annual ICHI-BAN awards for Treadmills and Ellipticals later on this year (coming in October 2006) and wanted to wait to do an all emcompassing "best of" list then. For those of you not familiar with the language of the Treadmill Sensei's forefathers, ICHI-BAN means "number one" or "the very best." Since I'm getting 4-5 emails a day asking for (and some downright DEMANDING) a best of summary, I've decided to whip something up for the mean time.

What follows is a top 5 treadmills under $1000 and isn't determined by any sort of long, drawn out scientific process. These are the top 5 units that come to me from my 20 year experience and knowing what's currently out there. I'm going to do them in reverse order and after the list you'll find short descriptions of each unit, with a link to a previous review if I have one up and a pointer where you might be able to buy one...although no one really needs that these days with internet shopping so widespread and so easy to do now.

Drum roll please...

#5: Fitnex T30 $899
#4: Smooth 5.25 Treadmill $999
#3: New Balance 1200 Treadmill $910
#2: Horizon T72 Treadmill / Horizon T62 Treadmill $799
#1: The Sole F63 Treadmill (aka the Spirit Z88 Treadmill) $999

Best Treadmill under $400 -- The Spirit Leisure Works 539 $399

Filling our Honorable Mention spots is the Leisure Works 539 (LW539) Treadmill. You can check out the original review HERE. Although it doesn't have much in the electronics department (no programs, no HR monitor, etc), the Leisure Works 539 is as solid as it is budget conscious. Great for walking and for those with limited space.

The Fitnex T30 Treadmill: Coming in at a respectible 5th place, the Fitnex T30 is a nice solid buy. The deck size isn't going to win it any awards, but this very beautiful, sturdy machine comes with a mind blowing lifetime warranty for in-home use. You just can't beat that in a treadmill.

The Smooth 5.25 Treadmill: At number 4, the Smooth 5.25 is the top pick for a lot of people. After a rough couple of years, Smooth has made a nice comeback in the form of the new 5.25 treadmill. Check out the review HERE.

The New Balance 1200 Treadmill: Our #3 treadmill is the New Balance 1200. The New Balance 1200 gives you one of the largest running surfaces available on treadmills under $1000.

Click above to purchase the New Balance 1200 for $910

The Horizon T72 Treadmill: At a strong #2, the Horizon T72 Treadmill (and its predacessor, the Horizon T62) is an incredible machine at an incredible price. I haven't had a chance to do a full review on the Horizon T72 yet, but check out the Horizon T62 review HERE.

The Sole F63 Treadmill: This year, I think the top spot on almost everyone's list is filled by the jaw-dropped Sole F63 Treadmill. This treadmill gives you the best bang for your buck at $999...heck, I proclaim it one of the best buys under $2000 for sure. You can't go wrong with the F63. Check out the full review HERE.

Click above to buy the Sole F63/Spirit Z88 for $999.
Use the code TMSENSEI for an addition 3% off!

Thank you and good night!

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

Reader Mailbag -- Sports Art E82 Elliptical opinion

Ohiyo Gozaimasu!

Your Treadmill Sensei took a nice quiet vacation to Las Vegas (well, as quiet as Vegas can be) with Mrs. Sensei this weekend and left the DOJO far behind. I normally try to catch up on my monster backlog of reader mail over the weekends but figured I could let one weekend slip by without too much trouble. Boy was I wrong! Nearly 200 of you wrote in to ask for my advice while I was gambling and eating at buffets!

Guess that teaches me to take the day off!

In order to knock the pile down a bit I'm going to take a couple of days off from my reviews in order to answer your questions. I've picked three at random...and here we go:

Oh, most honorable Sensei, I seek your guidance.

I have really
enjoyed reading you reviews of elliptical trainers. I have not seen you mention
ellipticals from SportsArt. Have you worked with them? Good, Bad?? In particular I am looking at the SportsArt E82 elliptical. It seems to be well built but I
would appreciate your experienced opinion.

Greg

Thanks for the note, Greg. I've actually talked about a couple of SportsArt units in the past but only in the Reader Mailbag section (you can find one HERE). I really need to get around to doing some actual reviews of the units soon. But, to answer your question, I have done quite a bit of work on SportsArt treadmills and ellipticals and am familiar with the E82.

SportsArt itself is one of the older fitness companies still in business. They were founded back in the late 70s and they began manufacturing fitness equipment sometime in the early 80s (about the same time I got started!). For a long time they were best known for producing equipment for other companies. Precor, Tunturi, Schwinn and, I believe, Smooth, all had equipment designed and manufactured by the craftsmen of SportsArt. Soemtime around the early to mid nineties, SportsArt began putting out their own equipment in addition to producing product for other companies.

All in all, SportsArt is a great manufacturer with some great ellipticals. If you've ever seen one of their units with the adjustable stride you'll know what I'm talking about. In fact, the SportsArt E82 you asked about has that very feature, adjusting from 17 inches up to a monster 26 inch stride. The E82 elliptical is very heavy duty and a sturdy machine. If you've worked out on a Precor then you'll be familiar with how the SportsArt E82 will feel. In fact, I'd recommend a SportsArt unit over one of the Precor's without an adjustable ramp (such as the Precor 556) any day of the week.

You really can't go wrong with a SportsArt elliptical. I'll try to get a more detailed review up of some SportsArt equipment very soon.

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

Reader Mailbag -- Sole F63 Treadmill vs Smooth 5.25 Treadmill

Nihango!

Last time we talked about the SportsArt E82. This time we've got a reader who wants to put a pair of treadmills in to ThunderDome...Two treadmills enter, One treadmill leaves!

Hello

I am in the market to buy a treadmill and i have read numerous
reviews on the Sole F63 and the Smooth 5.25 treadmills on your website and
others, and have to make a decision between the 2, Both treadmills are quality
treadmills that will get the job done, please help me in deciding which one is
the better treadmill for the long run. THank you for your help in advance i
appreciate it

Amindu

Well, Amindu, you've picked a couple of really good units to compare against each other. I've actually reviewed both of them in detail in the treadmill reviews section of the site. You can check out the Sole F63 Treadmill review HERE and the Smooth 5.25 Treadmill review HERE.

The units are very, very similar in their stats and actual performance...and even their prices are pretty close. I would have to say I'd give the edge to the Sole F63 (or the Spirit Z88 as it is also known) for a couple of reasons.

First off, the F63 treadmill is quite a bit heavier than the Smooth, which means it is also going to feel a lot sturdier when you're on it. There's nothing wrong with the weight on the Smooth 5.25, it's just that the Sole F63 treadmill is beefier.

Second, the deck is about 2 inches longer on the Sole F63/Spirit Z88, giving you a larger running area -- 20x53 on the Smooth 5.25 and 20x55 on the Sole F63. Two inches may not seem like a lot but you'll definitely notice the difference when you run on a longer deck.

Both treadmills are made by high quality companies and you'd be happy either way you went. However, in a head to head battle to the death, the Sole F63 Treadmill wins.

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

The Schwinn 438 Elliptical Review -- Another great buy at under $1000

Nihango!

A while back your Treadmill Sensei review the popular Schwinn 418 Elliptical and gave it a pretty decent review. You can check it out HERE. Today we got in a brand new Schwinn 438 elliptical, the big brother of the Schwinn 418, to set up and deliver out to a customer. Since I hadn't really ever sat down and ran one of these babies through the paces I thought I'd take the time...heck, we aren't delivering the unit until Monday so I've got a few days to play around with it!

Normally, I like to start off with the good features of a machine but on the Schwinn 438 I'm beginning with the bad. Luckily, there isn't much bad with this unit now that the pricing has dropped it down under $1000.

The only really down side to purchasing the Schwinn 438 is the crappy warranty Nautilus puts on all of its units these days. The 2 year parts warranty is decent, but for a $999 price I really expect to get more than 6 months labor. And that's really it for the downside to this things.

I do have a minor quibble with the Schwinn ellipticals only having 8 levels of resistance in a world where most units at this price range have 16 or 20 levels.

The Schwinn 438 is really just a tweaked out version of the 418 elliptical. The two are very similar, with just a few differences. The Schwinn 438 is a heavier unit than the 418 elliptical and has some added electronics features.

First up is something a few of you have asked me about in the past. The Schwinn 438 elliptical is listed as bi-directional...and what the heck is a bi-directional elliptical? No, it doesn't mean it will have a relationship with a male or female elliptical. What that means is the machine will monitor a reverse pedal workout. Every elliptical machine out there will allow you to work pedal backwards, but only some of them will actually track that workout for you. The Schwinn 438 is one of those ellipticals.

The other improvement over the 418 is wireless heart monitor integration for the Schwinn 438. Unlike the 418, the 438 elliptical will work with a wireless chest strap, freeing up your workout from having to hold on to the static bar with a pulse grip on the 418. Sure, you can still hold on to the static bar if you don't want a crosstraining workout, but now it's your choice.

Overall the Schwinn 438 is a good machine now that Nautilus has dropped the pricing on the elliptical down under $1000. You get 21 work outs, up to 4 individual profiles for saving different work outs, an 18" stride, the bi-directional workout option and a nice 300 pound weight capacity. Facting in the water bottle holder and the Schwinn 438 is worth the money.

For being a decent little upgrade to the Schwinn 418, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Schwinn 438 Elliptical trainer 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Schwinn 438 Elliptical gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5 for improving on the 418.



Schwinn 438 Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 18"
Max Weight Capacity: 300 lbs.
Resistance Levels: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless chest strap compatible
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 21

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

Reviews -- How does the Treadmill Sensei rate treadmills and Ellipticals?

Moshi Moshi!

As I've mentioned a few times now, the Treadmill Sensei gets quite a bit of reader email every day. On an average weekday I get between 20 and 30 messages in my Outlook. A question I get asked quite often is about just how I rate, review and test equipment.

To start off, unlike some other review sites, we are not sent free equipment here to review. The review site itself is just for fun and is borne of my 20+ year love of the equipment. I don't make any money off of it at this point and am not paid or influenced by any of the manufacturers or dealers. I know that a few other sites demand free equipment be sent to them in order to get reviewed.

The question that brings up is "where do you get the equipment to rate?" That's actually a very easy question to answer. I own and operate a small to mid size (depending on who you ask) repair/service facility for fitness equipment here in Southern California. Over the course of a week we get in tons of equipment (literally!) to either service, remanufacture or install. So all of the equipment I review comes from the units we're working on or have worked on in the past...which is one of the reasons the reviews are so erratic in nature. I can't really review an entire line of equipment in one sitting because chances are we don't have every single variation in our shop at one point. Now, every so often I will decide to review a piece of equipment I am intimately familiar with -- such as a Precor elliptical. I've worked on hundreds of Precor 546 units (maybe more) and know every feature and function of them by heart. I do physically get on and work out on every piece of equipment I rated and review. I sweat for my readers!

The last question is probably "how does your rating system work?" Well, I am not a scientist and I don't have a hard and fast rule for rating anything. What I do is try to take the viewpoint of a customer and take in to account their needs and desires. I'm rating treadmills and ellipticals based on how I would recommend them to my mother-in-law. What I mean by that is, if I give a treadmill 5 golden buddahs it means I would have no problems telling my wife's mother to buy it. The reason I use my mother-in-law as a guide is because (I hope she doesn't read this) she is a very difficult woman and if I told her to buy something sub par then I would hear about it forever...and I just don't need or want that kind of torture.

So if you see a treadmill rated at 1 golden buddah you know that it's not something I'd have my mother-in-law buy!

It's as simple as that. Everything is rated by my gut and how I think a piece of equipment performs based on price and features. I don't expect a $599 treadmill to feel like a $5000 treadmill and so use a bit of a sliding scale.

That's it from this end. Look for a new review later tonight and keep those reader emails coming!

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

The Horizon EX55 Elliptical Review -- Upgrade and a great buy under $600

Nihango!

About once a year Horizon Fitness, up in the wilds of Wisconsin, releases the newest version of their equipment. Some years the new versions are completely new, upgrade models. Other years all they do is some minor tweaking and cosmetic changes. For 2007 Horizon has just refined its award-worthy ellipticals, polishing off some of the rough edges to give its customers some nice shiny diamonds.

Such is the case with the Horizon EX55 elliptical. Don't let the model number fool you, the EX55 is actually the new version of Horizon's cheapest unit, the EX22 elliptical. In truth, you can just read my review of the aforementioned Horizon EX22 (read it HERE) because they are almost the exact same unit...literally. Unlike the extreme change between the Horizon E52 and the EX22, all Horizon has done is some minor tweaking in the paint scheme of the EX55.

The EX55 has the same pulse grip heart rate monitoring, 250 pound user capacity, 8 levels of resistance, great 18" stride and 14 pound flywheel.

The only major change between the two units is the new console on the Horizon EX55 which gives you 8 programs instead of 4. This is a nice improvement over the pretty impressive Horizon EX22, giving the EX55 quite a bit more versatility. Plus, the new console just looks a lot slicker.

Keeping up with Horizon's legacy of excellence, the Horizon EX55 is a great choice for budget conscious buyers looking for a good elliptical. A upgraded unit gets an upgraded rating, the Treadmill Sensei gives the EX55 Elliptical by Horizon 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

For improving over last year's model, the EX55 Elliptical

by Horizon gets 4 Gold Buddahs out of 5!



Horizon EX55 Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride Length: 18"
Max Weight Capacity: 250 lbs.
Resistance: 8 Levels
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Programs: 8
Display Type: LCD
Product Weight: 125 lbs.
Flywheel: 14 lbs.
Cost: $599

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

The Horizon EX22 Elliptical Review -- Good performance on a budget under $600

Ohiyo!

Because the Treadmill Sensei has been a bit lax on his reviews for the past coulpe of weeks, I have decided to leave the DOJO for the day to write up a few extra ones for our readers. Today I am going to be focusing on some ellipticals for those of you on a budget. Every day your Sensei gets numerous request for recommendations on "cheap" ellipticals that are still worth buying. Unfortunately, there really aren't all that many but there are a few.

One of the brands that is always at the top of the list when it comes to good quality, budget fitness equipment is Horizon Fitness. Now I know a few of you who are regular readers of this site are going to say "Wait a minute...you talk about Horizon an awful lot. Are you getting kick backs from them?" Alas, your poor Sensei gets absolutely nothing in the way of kick backs or sponsorship from Horizon or its parent company, Johnson Tech. The Sensei wouldn't mind getting something from them but all he actually gets is less work because Horizon builds some damn fine treadmills and ellipticals. That's right, I wind up with LESS repair business each time someone buys a Horizon elliptical because they just don't break down very often.

The same "high quality on a budget" line of thought continues with Horizon's lowest cost elliptical, the Horizon EX22. The EX22 was first introduced at the end of 2005 to replace the rather iffy Horizon T51 and T52 ellipticals. Thank heavens Horizon learned from the mistakes made by those units when they were designing the EX22 elliptical. The little man of the Horizon lineup set the standard in performance and design for its bigger brothers.

The first difference you'll notice in the EX22 over its predacessor is the large boxy front shrouds of the unit. These shrouds enclose a rather beefy 14 pound flywheel and help to give the unit a very solid footing and center of gravity. Finally, a budget elliptical gives you some of the stability and sturdiness that have been sorely lacking from ellipticals under $1000. When you get on the Horizon EX22 you can actually focus on working out instead of worrying about falling over!

Another great feature the Horizon EX22 has which is not often found in ellipticals in this price is an 18" stride. Horizon gives you the full, comfortable stride of a more expensive unit and saves you from the stumbled step feel of almost all other units at this price.

All in all, the Horizon EX22 elliptical is a great purchase for someone interested in getting in shape on a budget. I'd have to say the only real downsides to the unit are the low number of programs (4) and meager 8 levels of resistance. I know that these lower end units don't have all the features of more expensive units, but I would have like to have seen at least 8 programs and 16 levels of resistance on the EX22 elliptical...but I'm probably just nitpicking.

The Treadmill Sensei wholeheartedly endourses the Horizon EX22 with 3.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

For making great work outs available under $600, the
EX22 Elliptical by Horizon gets a 3.5 out of 5.



Horizon EX22 Elliptical Specifications
Stride Length: 18"
Max Weight: 250 lbs.
Resistance Levels: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Programs: 4
Product Size: 56"L x 26"W x 65"H
Weight: 125 lbs.
Flywheel: 14 lbs.
Cost: $598.95

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

The Horizon T73 Treadmill Review - The Same but Different

Ohiyo!

From time to time, loyal readers, you've heard me mention one of the DOJO members, HIKARU. Every so often the youngest sensei here at the DOJO does something that impresses your Treadmill Sensei...it doesn't happen all that often but when it does it tends to be something spectacular. In this case, Sensei Hikaru has tracked down and brought to the DOJO a brand new Horizon T73 Treadmill for us to review weeks before its official release in October 2006. Hikaru advised that I just take the treadmill for a workout and not ask any questions. Also, he said he might need bail money.

I'm joking about that last part.

Having had a bit of advance warning I was able to obtain a Horizon T63 to compare along side the Horizon T73 treadmill that is replacing it. Here's what we found.

In spite of looking quite a bit different, the Horizon T73 is almost identical to the T63 in features and performance. It has the same 2.25 horsepower motor as the unit it is updating. The same 20x55 deck size, 2.4" rollers, 3/4" deck, 12mph speed, 12% incline, 2.4" rollers, 8 programs and so on. Although the units have differing cosmetic appearances they are very close in specs.

The monitors are one of the main differences. Where the old Horizon T63 had a blue backlit LCD screen the new Horizon T73 treadmill has an orange backlit screen. This is probably because one of the major complaints about the old Horizon units was how difficult some people found them to read. The orange is actually quite a bit easier on the eyes.

On to the performance. I recruited young Johnny, the DOJO intern (I like to call him my person assistant), to help me run tests on the two treadmills. He's about 25 years younger than I am and follows orders really well, making him perfect as a guinea pig.

We ran the units on 30 minute medium work out routines, making use of the 6 preset programs that come with both units. Johnny alternated between walking and light jogging on both machines. Both units held up very well to the longer workout, but Johnny did find the Horizon T73 to have a slight edge up on sturdiness particularly in regards to the handles.

The motors ran well and the Horizon T73 maintained its speed and power very well through the entire workout, even with Johnny's slightly larger than average size. It also looks like Horizon improved the performance of the hydraulics on the T73. As good as they were on the Horizon T63, the T73 hydraulics give you an even smoother folding and unfolding for the unit.

The Horizon T73 treadmill is a great replacement for the very fine Horizon T63 from last year. For keeping up quality and performance, the Treadmill Sensei gives the T73 Treadmill by Horizon 3.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

3.5 gold buddahs for the excellent Horizon T73.



Horizon Fitness Treadmill T63 Specifications
Motor: 2.25 HP
Max Weight Capacity: 325
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 12MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Programs: 8
Display: RPM, watts, time, calories, heart rate, distance, and resistance
Rollers: 2.4"
Deck Thickness: .75"
Deck Size: 55" x 20"

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

Local Gym Going Out of Business Sale -- Cheap New Equipment

Moshi Moshi!

We're taking a lunch break here at the DOJO and I wanted to put up a quick post. We're spending a huge portion of the day at a local gym that is going out of business. Their equipment is being sold off to other area gyms and we're uninstalling them at the old gym, doing maintenance on the equipment and then delivering them to the buyers.

The gym owner is storing a few pieces at the DOJO that he is selling and I thought I'd post them online here for anyone who might be interested. Some of the items are still new in the box (or crate) and others were just set up and never used.

Here is what he's got:

He has a pair of Tunturi T20 treadmill units still new and in the box. He had the T20 treadmills delivered a few weeks ago for a customer who never picked them up. They normally go for about $1699 (which is way over priced I think) but he's selling them at cost for $1100 each.

New in the crate (and a very heavy crate it is!) Troy Pro Dumbbells 5-50 pound set, they are gray plates with straight handles and rubber end caps. They go for around $1100 and he's looking for $850.

There is a Star Trac Elite Elliptical there as well. It is set up but is in pretty near perfect condition and has never been used. We set it up for him at the gym about 4 weeks ago and he's been closed for 2 of those weeks. He is looking to get is cost back which was $3795.

There is a remanufactured Matrix T3X Treadmill. We just checked it out and it is in excellent condition. These things list new at about $5600 but you can get them for around $4500 if you negotiate. The owner wants $2300 for the Matrix T3X.

Lastly, he has a Monark 884E Ergomedic Sprint Bike that is in great condition. It was a unit brought in as a demo unit from the manufacturer and has maybe 30 minutes worth of usage on it. I think these things used to sell for around $2700 new. The gym owner wants $1400 for the Monark 884E.

If anyone is interest, feel free to drop me a note and I can get you in contact with the gym owner. Since the equipment is all going to be stored at the DOJO I can get digital pictures if needed.

That's it for now. Look for a Horizon T73 Treadmill post later on today. Take care!

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

The fitness name game -- what you're really buying

Ohiyo Gozaimasu!

The Treadmill Sensei is a bit annoyed today. Luckily for the other Senseis here at the DOJO I was out of the repair shop for most of the day. I was at Best Buy trying to pick up a new TV for the bedroom to keep Mrs. Sensei happy and able to watch Nip/Tuck on Tuesday nights. The problem I ran in to was Best Buy offering a free TV if you could find the product available at a lower price elsewhere. I'd seen the exact same television I wanted at Wal-Mart but for about $10 less, so I took the ad in to Best Buy to get myself a free 32" tv. What I was told was that the television had a different model number from the Best buy version and therefor the tv was excluded from their advertisement. They went even further to say that the two televisions were entirely different and just appeared to be similar.

Now, knowing what I do about the world and being very stubborn, I took my digital camera back to Wal-Mart and proceeded to photograph every inch of the television they had on their floor for $10 less than Best Buy. I even convinced the poor clerk to allow me to take off the rear shroud of the tv to photograph the interior parts and boards as well. I printed out the pictures at home and went back to Best Buy. I showed the manager all of the pictures and how the interior parts were all exactly the same. The TVs even had the same part numbers on the inside (neither of which matched the Wal-Mart or Best Buy part numbers for the set)! For all intents and purposes, the tvs were identical except for what the two stores called them. After 45 minutes of arguing, the Best Buy manager finally broke down and admitted they were the exact same television and that the companies were given slightly different model numbers so they wouldn't have to actually deal with the price matching guarantees they all offered.

"Ah-hah!" I said triumphantly and demanded my free television set. They declined giving it to me for free but did give it to me at cost which made me very happy. Now, I didn't really expect to get the tv for free but I knew I wouldn't leave the store until the manager admitted that I'd been lied to and that their advertising practices were bordering on false representation. I knew this were the truth because the practice is actually prevailant in the fitness industry as well. There are a number of companies that put out the exact same unit under different names (and sometimes even alter the paper specifications of the machines) in order to keep the price matching down between their product lines. On the lower end of the spectrum, Icon Fitness does this with a lot of their product, as does Horizon...both in an attempt to keep their internet and brick & mortar dealers away from each other's business. Keys Fitness and their Alliance/Ironman/Keyes/Evolution lines are another fine example. Finally, on the higher end, Spirit does it with Sole and Cardio Strength. Think the Spirit Z88 looks an awful lot like the Sole F63? Well, it's because they're the same treadmill.

A very interesting fact is that the Cardio Strength units only exist on paper. If you order one from a vendor you'll actually just get the Spirit version! Cardio Strength doesn't exist in reality.

Do you want to know who I feel is one of the biggest perpetrators of the "name game" is? Landice. Have you ever wondered what the difference between a home , a Light Commercial (LTD) and a Club landice is? Absolutely NOTHING. They are the exact same unit. A home Cardio trainer, an LTD Cardio Trainer and a Club Cardio Trainer are the EXACT same machine. The only difference is in the use warranty. A Landice home model with a lifetime warranty can only be sold within 60 miles of a dealer. An LTD is the same model but can be sold online with a lesser warranty (probably to keep internet dealers from competing with local stores -- idiocy if you ask me) and the Club is the same model yet again but is given a commercial warranty for use in gyms, fitness centers and so on. So, if you're a home user you're paying more for the same unit but with a lesser warranty! How crazy is that?

The benefit of buying a Landice online is that you can get free inside delivery and have the unit set up for you for free. Of course, you lose that fantastic lifetime parts warranty, but luckily the Landice treadmills are so well built they'll generally outlast their user if properlay taken care of. If the Landice treadmills weren't so damn good I'd almost say this practice was criminal. If nothing else it is misleading to customers, especially home buyers.

This act displeases the Treadmill Sensei for a number of reasons. First off, it makes my life more confusing! Aren't there already 5000 different types of treadmills I already have to keep straight in my head? Do we really need fake names as well? Sheesh. Second, interestingly, it causes some review sites to rank the treadmills (and ellipticals) differently even if they are the exact same unit physically! I'm sure you've seen a couple of review sites out there who rank a Sole treadmill with excellent marks while only give the Spirit version average ratings. Finally, as in the case of a Landice, it can cause a buyer to spend a lot more money than they have to for something that is widely available for a lower cost under a different name or model number.

It's a bit silly once you realize what is going on...BUT, when you figure out what game the manufacturers are playing you can use it to your advantage and get the unit you want for a lower price! For example: if you really want an Alliance A7e from Keys Fitness, then knowing you can get the Ironman Evolution for $300 less and get the exact same elliptical with a different paint job will help you save some of your hard earned cabbage.

Do your research when you're buying equipment because with enough investigation you'll probably be able to find exactly what you want under a different name for a lower price!

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

The Proform 650e Treadmill (XP 650 E) Review -- Only a vaccuum sucks more

Nihango!

From the depths of the DOJO's darkness the Treadmill Sensei returns to extoll his wisdom upon the uneducated masses. Tonight I want to return to one of my favorite "whipping boys," Proform and its parent company Icon Fitness. I have to admit to having a bit of a love-hate relationship with the equipment Icon puts out. As some one who is truly passionate about quality fitness equipment, I hate them for the incredibly shoddy equipment they sell. On the other hand, as a service tech who runs a booming repair business I love them for making shoddy equipment which I can then turn around and charge people lots of money to continually fix. If I were a less moral person then I would be whole heartedly recommending their product to my readers in hopes of drumming up more business for myself. Unfortunately, and much to my wife's dismay, I just can't do it.

Which brings us to this week's review victim, the Proform XP 650 E treadmill...or, as I like to call it, yet another craptastic treadmill from the world leader in doody. I do apologize for my use of the word "doody" in a sentence.

The first thing I want to talk about in regards to the Proform 650e treadmill is the borderline falso advertising Proform does with the unit. When you take a quick glance at the motor specs for the 650e you see a fantastic sounding 2.8 thp motor -- in fact, a lot of lazier treadmill dealers just list it as a 2.8 HP motor, leaving out that rather mysterious "t" in their listings. Now, we've all heard of continuous horsepower (sometimes called CHP), but what the heck does THP mean? Well, the THP in the Proform XP 650 e (whew, that's a long name for a treadmill!) specifications means PEAK horsepower.

I'd like to say I don't know why Proform phrased it that way, but I do. They want to fool buyers in to thinking they are getting a much more powerful and reliable motor than they really are. You see, the true rating of the 2.8 THP motor on the 650e is about 1.25 continuous duty horsepower! You read that correctly: 1.25 horsepower! In other words, Proform is trying to pawn off on its unknowing customers a treadmill with a motor so weak it doesn't really even qualify for walking on. Now, let the Sensei be bold for a moment. If you're going to throw away $899 on a treadmill you can't even walk on, just send a check to the old Sensei and he'll send you a non-working treadmill from the graveyard out behind the DOJO. Hell, I'll even throw in a broken Tony Little Gazelle for free!

If you want to know how weak a Proform 650e treadmill's motor is, your Sensei decided to do a bit of a test on one we've had in the warehouse for a few months now. The 650e here is about a year old and was purchased by one of our customers at Sears back at the end of 2005. After about 6 months of disuse, the customer had us take the unit away when they ordered a Horizon T63 to replace it.

Anyway, I am not a large man...I stand about 5'7" when I'm wearing my "tall shoes," and weight between 160 and 165 pounds (depending on what Mrs. Sensei made me for lunch that day). I turned the 650e treadmill on, selected on of the 8 workout programs it comes with and got to jogging...well, I call it jogging but Hikaru calls it my old man power walking. Do you know what happened? Well, after about 2 minutes the belt started slipping pretty majorly and the motor itself started to make a grating noise. My "old man power walking" was obviously too much for for the 2.8 THP MachZ motor Proform installed in the treadmill. Figuring I was much too buff to be jogging on the treadmill, I switched to a medium pace walk -- about 2.5 miles per hour. I wasn't too surprised to find the belt still slipping every few seconds. That's right, even an average walk caused the motor to become overworked!

I have to say that after my "workout" I did wish I owned a gun so I could shoot the Proform 650e and put the poor thing out of its misery. For the $899 price you can do much better than the piece of junk Proform has released in the form of the XP 650e Treadmill. And don't even get me started on the insulting 90 day warranty. To misquote a great man "these are not the treadmills you are looking for."

For providing more suction than a Hoover, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform 650e Treadmill 1 Golden Buddah out of 5.

XP 650e Treadmill? Most expensive paperweight ever!


Compare the Proform 650e Treadmill.


Proform 650e Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 1.25 HP
Max Weight: 300 lbs.
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Programs: 8
Running Area: 19" x 55"

Cost: $899

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

The Sole F63 Treadmill Review - Excellence in Execution

Ohiyo Gozaimasu!

You know, one of the things that bugs the heck out of the Treadmill Sensei when he's here at the DOJO late at night researching on the internet? Websites that rate Sole Treadmills/Ellipticals differently than their Spirit counterparts when they are almost the exact same equipment. Say it with me "Sole equipment is just Spirit manufactured equipment with a different label on it." Well, I say almost exactly the same except for the quality control issues that have been popping up lately with Spirit. The Sole versions have been shipping out at a slightly higher quality because of that (check out my Spirit Z88 review for more info).

If you've done any research at all about quality treadmills then you should already be very familiar with the Sole name. Their treadmills and ellipticals are on every top equipment list out there (well, unless you're a fuddy old consumer print reports magazine who enjoys recommending discontinued machines or having your reviewers bought off...but don't get me started). The Sole juggernaut continues its winning streak with the Sole F63 treadmill.

With a price of just under $1000, the Sole F63 is a much more solid machine than anything else at this price. In fact, the F63 is just a Sole F80 with a slightly different console on it -- the actual mechanics of the machine (speed, incline, motor, etc.) are all the exact same as the F80 (the upright bars are slightly heavier in the F80 as well). So, if the LED screen on the Sole F80 treadmill isn't important to you and if 6 programs are enough instead of 10, then the Sole F63 is a much better buy than it's more expensive brother. You'll save $500 for giving up a couple of features you'll never miss or even care about.

The Sole F63 has a monster 2.5 horsepower motor that runs at about 3500RPMs (versus the 9000 RPMs on a similarly rated motor from Proform or NordicTrack). What that means is the motor runs cooler and doesn't have to work as hard to maintain speed and power. In the long run that means the life of the motor is going to be a lot longer on the Sole F63 treadmill. Which is good because the unit ships with a 20 year motor warranty. The Sole F63 is one of the few treadmills out there that might actually last as long as its warranty! Finally, as with all Sole treadmills, the motor is a lot quieter than you might expect. They call them whisper quiet and it is a pretty accurate description.

Along with the great motor, the Sole F63 treadmill has giant 2.5" rollers in the deck versus the under 2" rollers standard in units at this price. The advantage of bigger rollers is a reduction of wear on your treadmill belt and bearings, as well as reduced stess on the motor itself. Larger rollers will extend the life of your belt, bearings (a major wear item), motor and treadmill itself by years.

The deck on the Sole F63 is a good size 20" x 55" and is a full inch thick. The unit itself weighs in at about 250 pounds and is a solid machine with a max user weight of about 350. There is no heart rate control system on the F63 but it does have pulse grip heart rate monitoring and comes with a free wireless heart rate chest strap. Speed on the F63 is 10 miles per hour and incline is up to 15%, giving you the option for a pretty intensive running workout. You also get a pair of water bottle holders and fans. Nice to have, but not anything that increases the treadmill's performance.

If I had to pick a single "best unit under $1000" then it would be the Sole F63. You get a lot of machine for your money in these units. If you're already looking at the Sole F80 -- or even the Spirit Z100 -- then take a peek at the Sole F63 instead and you'll be able to put $500 back in to your bank account.

For being the best, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole F63 treadmill 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs!

TheSole F63 rank at the top of the heap with a 4.5 out of 5!




Get more information on the Sole F63 Treadmill. Don't get fooled into paying an additional shipping charge by some retailers...Get the Best Price online and save more with FREE Shipping Here!


Sole F63 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 2.5 HP
Shock Absorption: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 325 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Heart Rate Monitoring: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Programs: 6 standard

Display: LCD
Weight: 245 lbs.
Rollers: 2.5"
Deck Size: 20" x 55"

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

The Leisure Works 539 (LW 539) Treadmill Review -- Best Treadmill under $500

Ohiya!

The Treadmill Sensei gets a lot of email here at the DOJO. I think I'm up to about 100 emails a day from readers asking questions about treadmills, ellipticals, maintenance and repair. I think I do a pretty good job at answering emails but some do slip through the cracks. One of the most asked questions is about good treadmills under $500. People are contastantly asking me for a good cheap treadmill. They'll say "I just want to get something cheap for right now to see how it goes." The problem with most treadmills you're going to find in that sort of price range is that they are crap. If you want a good treadmill work out with programs, decent speed and incline controls and stability, you're going to have to pay for it. There are no magic, low cost treadmills that give you all of that stuff at an ultra cheap price. I'm sorry, I just can't lie to you, my loyal readers. If you're looking for the cheapest way to get healthy the just get a good pair of shoes and head outside.

But...and I'm sure you saw that "but" coming...there is a very low cost, sturdy treadmill with absolutely no bells and whistles for under $500. For under $400 you can pick up a Leisure Works 539 treadmill. There are no programs, no incline control and the unit only goes up to about 6 miles per hour, but if all you want to do is walk and do some light sessions the Leisure Works 539 (also call the LW 539) is a great choice.

The Leisure Works 539 treadmill is actually manufactured by Spirit and lives up to to their reputation for quality even at a rock bottom price and stripped down model. The motor is around 1.25 horsepower but does run at lower RPMs so it can be compared more to a 1.5-2 horsepower motor from Icon Fitness/Proform. It also runs a lot quieter than anything from Proform which is a nice little feature.

The console is very basic but easy to read and work with. The Leisure Works 539 display does show time, speed, distance and calories burned and is more than enough information for a decent walking workout.

The deck on the Leisure Works 539 is only 37x13 which should be more than enough for any fast or slow walking workout and the unit folds up very small at 21x24. I'm not sure you can slide a folded Leisure Works 539 treadmill under your bed but it's close.

Another note, this unit is also known as the Cardio Strength Motorized treadmill through some vendors.

If you're looking for a good, cheap, walking workout and don't want to go outside, or if you don't have much room for big equipment, then the Leisure Works 539 treadmill is something to take a look at. From what I've seen, these units run for a long time and don't need a lot of repair because of the simplicity of their design.

For putting a decent treadmill at the lowest possible price, the Treadmill Sensei gives Spirit's Leisure Works 539 treadmill 3.5 golden buddahs out of 5. Great job!

UPDATE: The Leisure Works 539 treadmills are now completely sold out from Spirit. Do NOT get stuck with a remanufactured unit. Their breakdown rate, from what I've seen, is in excess of 50-75%!

3.5 out of 5 Gold Buddahs for the Leisure Works LW539 Folding Treadmill.



Leisure Works 539 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.25 HP
Folded dimensions: 21" x 25"
Display: Time, Speed, Distance, Calories and Scan Functions
Speed: 0-6MPH

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