The Sole F85 Treadmill Review -- High Quality and High Performance, but Low Maintenance and Low Cost

Ohiyo!

Anyone who has been a regular reader of this review site knows the Treadmill Sensei has a love affair with Spirit manufactured equipment, especially the treadmills and ellipticals released through Sole Fitness. I recommend it on here, I recommend it to friends and family, I recommend it to complete strangers I pass on the street who have no interest in fitness. They make good product and I always smile when a piece comes through the DOJO. Sure they have a few misses with things like the Z8/XT8 Treadmill or their old ZE20 and ZE50 ellipticals, but in general they are a very reliable company.

The continues with the Sole F85 treadmill. The F85 is the top end of the Sole line. The machine is a hydraulically assisted folding unit but is also available as the non-folding Sole S77 treadmill. Because of the way they are made, there is very little stability difference between the two units. The Sole F85 is just as sturdy as the Sole S77.

A quick aside for those of you who are confused by the whole Sole-Spirit relationship. Sole is a repackaging company. What they do is take Spirit treadmills and ellipticals and relabel them. It's generally the exact same equipment with a different logo and some cosmetic changes. They also tweak the "paper specifications" of their units to try and differentiate them from the Spirit standard units. So, on a Spirit Z88 you might see a 310 pound weight capacity but on the F63 a 325 pound limit is listed. They're exactly the same, the numbers have just been fudged a bit to make one seem better. Manufacturers will do this with weight capacity, motor horsepower, even speed and incline. Anything which can be adjusted electronically or just flat out fibbed about will be changed.

The Sole F85 is the top of the line treadmill from Sole. This is the unit you'll find in a lot of Hilton Hotels. In fact, we're installing a batch of them this week at a local hotel. The reasons Hilton chose the Sole F85 (and the Sole S77) are numerous. Let's go over them.

The Sole F85 is incredibly quite even while running full out on it. Sole has dubbed this their "whisper deck" and that moniker isn't far off. The way the decks are put together results in very little friction between belt and deck which gets rid of the loud "whirring" noise a lot of treadmills have. On top of that, when you factor in the very smooth, very quiet motors on the Sole F85, then you've got a treadmill which can go in a hotel, business gym, or even condominium or apartment where you need to worry about the noise.

The other big reason the Hiltons choose Sole is because they are very low maintenance. As long as you keep the Sole F85 lubricated (about every 6-10 months depending on usage), a good mat underneath it, and the motor dust free, this unit will just about last you forever with little to no service issues.

Add all that up with the standard features of the Sole F85 -- monster 3.5 horsepower motoer, 10 programs, heart rate monitoring and control, heavy duty construction and the great warranties, Hilton just can't go wrong with the Sole F85 treadmills...and neither can a consumer. If you work out on a Sole F85 treadmill you won't want to get off!

For continuing in excellence, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole F85 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Sole F85 gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




Get more information on the Sole F85 Treadmill. Find the best price online and save more with FREE SHIPPING and Pay NO TAX!.


Sole F85 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 3.5 HP
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: 250 lbs.
Roller Size: 2.7"
Deck Thickness: 1"

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

Adjusting the speed settings on your Sole Treadmills (Spirit Z Series)

Ohiyo!

Today is a work day at the DOJO so the Treadmill Sensei won't be able to get to a review until later tonight. However, I wanted to talk about "treadmill specifications" for a moment. Manufacturers like to play games with the listed specs of their units in order to have them look better against other machines. They also do this to make the exact same machine seem different when being sold under different names (Horizon does this with the treadmills they sell online and through brick and mortar stores -- they'll give the same unit three different sets of specifications depending upon which store it is being sold through and which they want to give more sales to). It's all a little shady, but it is how the industry works.

Another interesting thing is that a lot of the specifications can be changed through the diagnostic settings in your treadmill's console. You can adjust the incline amount, the speed of the motor, the speed your treadmill starts at, even the resistence levels! Those are all changes which can be made with just a little know how and about 3 minutes of work.

Here is an adjustment I just did this morning to a Sole F83 (you might know it better as a Spirit Z500), but it should work on any of the current Sole treadmills or the Spirit Z series Treadmills (Z100, Z300, Z500, Z700 or Z900). What it will let you do is drop the starting speed of your treadmill down to .2 mph from the factory setting of .5mph. This is good if you've got physical limitations. We did it for a really nice lady whose daughter has MS.

Here we go...

First off, remove the safety key.

Second, press and hold down the "star, fast and slow" switches while replacing the safety key. The display will show "Factory Settings." Once that pops up, release all 3 keys.

Next, hit the "Enter" key and the display will show "units." It should show English units but you may use the "Fast/Slow" keys to change to metric. Press "Enter" once more.

The display will then show "Wheel Size" and a number will be displayed in the "Time" window (2.74 for the F73/S83 and the Z series mentioned above). Press the "Fast" key until the number changes to 3.50.

Press "Enter" 3 times and then press "start." The treadmill will then perform the speed and elevation calibration. Once the calibration is finished, the machine will say "Passed." The console will reset and the new low speed will be set to .3mph even though the display will show .5 mph. You can then use the "Slow" key to reduce the display down to .3 mph but the speed will actually be .2 mph.

And there you have it, a treadmill whose "manufactuer's specifications" say it has to start at .5mph is quickly and easily changed to .2mph. Using the diagnostic settings you can change your top treadmill speed from 10mph up to as much as 17mph. In the future I'll go over some other tricks for tweaking out your treadmills.

Take care and good running!

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

The New Balance 1200 Treadmill Review -- Big on deck, small on price

Ohiyo!

Greetings from the DOJO! This week the Treadmill Sensei feels very very old. Not only did my eldest daughter just get married, but a rather significant day has passed. On Oct 19th, the Treadmill Sensei celebrated his 21st year in the fitness industry. That's right, your Sensei has been servicing, installing, rebuilding and repairing treadmills, ellipticals and fitness equipment for 21 years now! Dear lord I'm old! I think I need to build myself a fitness walker!

Speaking of my daughter, her new husband asked me to take a look at the treadmill he has out in his garage. He said it has been acting a little "funny" and was wondering if there were anything I could do to fix it. Heading out to his garage, I found an almost brand new New Balance 1200 Treadmill. The thing was in great shape and looked as if it had just been sitting off to the side unused. Looking under the treadmill I quickly figured out his problem: no treadmill mat in a very dusty/dirty area. That was it. His motor had become clogged with dust and link and was no longer running at full efficiency. I popped the hood off the New Balance 1200 treadmill's motor, did a quick clean job on the motor, and had it up and running in about an hour.
One of the key things about treadmills is to have a treadmill mat under them. The motors act like giant dust/dirt magnets and you can ruin your motor if you're not careful. The mat will helps to discharge the static build-up. Another thing I told my new son-in-law is to keep his treadmill belt lubricated and adjusted. Two very easy things to do once you know how to do them.

Since I had worked on his New Balance 1200, I thought I'd do a review of this excellent machine. If you are a regular reader on this website then you've probably already seen the high rating I gave the New Balance 1200 in my top 5 treadmills of 2006 posting. Nothing has changed since that Top 5 List.

The New Balance 1200 is an excellent choice for runners looking for a solid performing treadmill at around $1000. The unit is heavy duty, sturdy and has one of the largest decks available for a treadmill in this price range. The 20x56 deck should be more than enough for all but the hardest of marathon training.

The deck itself could be a tiny bit thicker, but at 3/4" it will still hold up to your running workouts and their "Dura-Soft" shock absorption system is comfortable and gives you solid support and cushioning. In the same area, the rollers on the New Balance 1200 are a large 2.4" and will help extend the life of your belt and motor both. Speaking of the motor, New Balance gives you a large, low RPM 2.0 horsepower motor that will last for the life time of the treadmill itself (as long as you aren't like my son-in-law and keep the thing clean and well cared for!).

All in all, New Balance has put out an excellent machine with its 1200 series treadmill. For this reason, the Treadmill Sensei gives the New Balance 1200 treadmill a well-earned 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The New Balance 1200 treadmill gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5!



New Balance 1200 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 2.0 hp
Shock Absorption: Dura-Soft system
Max Weight Capacity: 275 lbs.
Folding: Yes,
Max Speed: 10 MPH

Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Programs: 8
Display Readouts: Time, speed, incline, distance, approximate calories burned and pulse rate
Product Weight: 230 lbs.
Roller Size: 2.4"
Deck Thickness: 3/4"
Running Area: 56" x 20"

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

The Star Trac Elite Elliptical Review -- Just plain perfect

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has been reviewing a lot of consumer grade equipment...mainly because he knows the majority of people out there buying are looking for more information on equipment that can be purchased for a more realistic budget. And there are sooooo many treadmills and ellipticals available for under $1000 that it gets really confusing for people looking to buy. However, what I truly love is getting a chance to play with the high end, super expensive commercial units. Truthfully, the majority of the work we do here at the DOJO is on commercial equipment from gyms, fitness centers, apartment complexes and the like.

One of those high end ellipticals we have been installing a lot in gyms lately is the Star Trac Elite Elliptical. If Matrix is the Lexus of the fitness industry then this Star Trac Elite is easily the BMW (which then makes Landice the Lincoln Town Car and Noramco the Hummer!). These units are as close to perfection as you can get in an elliptical.

Let's start with a little bit about Star Trac itself. The company has been producing treadmills since the early 1970s (1974 or 1975 from what I remember) and have always focused on producing top end equipment. Their company goals have always seemed to be: produce the best product, make it low maintenance, heavy duty and spiffy to look at. And, 99.9999% of the time they succeed. This is one of the reasons Star Trac is now the #1 name in high end commercial fitness equipment. If you've worked out at a good gym then you've worked out on Star Trac ellitpicals, treadmills or spinner bikes (Spin bikes? Indoor cycling bikes? whatever the thing are called this days).

That brings us to Star Trac's latest offering, the Star Trac Elite Elliptical. The unit was first introduced in late 2005 and replaced Star Trac's very popular (and excellent) Natural Runner line. Based on the name alone, you might think Star Trac is just blowing its own horn and being arrogant. Well, the Star Trac Elite is literally one of the best ellipticals out -- and, in the Treadmill Sensei's humble opinion, one of the finest ellipticals produced to date.

The first thing you'll notice when stepping up to the Star Trac Elite is that it is a rear mounting elliptical (also known as a front drive). This may seem a bit unusual for those of you used to working on a Precor 546 or Life Fitness Rear Drive, but there is good reason for Star Trac's design choice: ease of mounting. With the drive wheel up front, the Star Trac Elite is very easy to get on and start using...no more do you have to awkwardly step over the unit to get on to the pedals. Just walk up from behind and step up.

The second thing you'll notice is how incredibly sturdy the Star Trac Elite Elliptical is. This comes from two things: first, the front wheel drive adds quite a bit to the stability of the unit. Second, it weights 450 pounds! Once this unit is in place, it wil not move unless you want it to. This is one of the few elliptical machines you can do a full on, near-running workout and feel comfortable it won't tip over or fall apart.

The third thing you'll see is the crosstraining arms on the Star Trac Elite. Anyone who has worked out on an elliptical realizes there is some benefit from the crosstraining arms, but that most of the "workout" from them is generated by your feet. Your arms are really just hanging on as the arms move back and forth by themselves. Not so on the Star Trac Elite Elliptical! It has 3 very different modes for you to workout with.

First is a resistence generating pulling workout -- which gives you resistence when pulling and none on the reverse motion. With a click of a button you change the resistance and you've got a pushing workout which is opposite from the pulling. Third, for those of you who don't want to workout with the crosstraining bars, another quick click of the button and the Star Trac Elite Elliptical folds the bars out of your way and locks them down. The alternating workout selections are a great breakthru in elliptical tech.

Now, the downside of these units is they are large and come full assembled. If you've got a tight space, narrow stairs or thin doorways, they are a bitch to get through! This comes from someone who has to set up Star Trac Elite ellipticals every week! And, let an installer remove the handles to get the unit through a tight squeeze at your own risk. They handles are not meant to be removed and some machines never perform quite right once they've been taken off and reattached.

The console on the Star Track Elite Elliptical is well thought out and designed for ease of use. One of the things I hate about some treadmills and ellipticals is having to let go of one of the handles and have to switch through screens to view the information I want to see (heart rate, time, distance, etc). Luckily, the Star Trac Elite puts all of the information for you in individual, easy to view screens. Check it out below:

The Star Trac Elite Elliptical Console is easy to use

Another great feature are the pedals which are slightly closer together than some older model ellipticals and feel much more natural. No more will your feel start to fall asleep during longer workouts like happens with a number of other ellipticals. Comfort is king with the Star Trac Elite Elliptical.

The rest of the features are just as impressive: 20 levels of magnetic resistence, pulse grip and wireless heart rate monitoring, heart rate control programs, 8 programs total and connection to Palm OS handhelds to keep records of your workout data. The Star Trac Elite is a fully loaded elliptical.

For being a paragon of performance perfection, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Star Trac Elite Elliptical 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs!

5 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Star Trac Elite Elliptical!


Get more information on the Star Trac Eliptical Elliptical and find the lowest price online.

Star Trac Elite Elliptical Specifications
Dual Action: Yes

Resistance Levels: 20
Heart Rate Monitoring: Yes, Pulse Grip and Polar Telemetry
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 8
Monitor Readouts: Time, strides per minute, heart rate, course profile, resistance level, 1/4 mile motivational track display, calories, calories/hour, watts, distance, speed, and METs.
Max Weight Capacity: 350 lbs.
Grade: Full Commercial

Stride: 21"
Unit Size: 70"L x 27"W x 67"H
Unit Weight: 450 lbs.
Price: $4495

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

The Horizon T71 Treadmill Review -- the same great unit with a new name

Ohiyo!

I want to start this review off by saying it was definitely not a good time for the Treadmill Sensei and Mrs. Sensei to take a short trip to Hawaii to visit our daughter at school (she attends the University of Hawaii). In all of my years growing up there I had never heard of an earthquake taking place in the islands. The island had experienced aftershocks from earthquakes in other locations, but that was never a big deal...and was generally great for those of us who surf! Rain, earthquakes and no electricity. Still, we had a great time and are glad to be home. I also want to point out that it rained like crazy last time we where visiting the islands back in March. I'm guessing the Treadmill Gods are trying to tell me something: GET BACK TO WORK!

Now, any regular reader of my ramblings will know how much I hate when a treadmill manufacturer (or any manufactuer) tries to hide a treadmill with a ton of different names, each depening upon where you buy it. Unfortunately one of my favorite companies, Horizon Fitness, does this quite a bit. They've got units online, in Dick's Sporting Goods, Sport Authority and tons of other places...and they're all the same but with different names and prices in order to confuse you the customer. Actually, it's mainly to make each retailer happy so he doesn't have to compete with all of the other retailers out there. Either way, it irks the heck out of me.

From time to time, the also just re-release an old treadmill under a new name to help kick up the sales a bit. In this case, the 2006 Horizon T61 Treadmill has undergone a couple of minor cosmetic changes and been renamed the Horizon T71 treadmill. Luckily, it's a great unit by any name.

Horizon produces a lot of quality equipment in the budget range of about $600 up to $1300 and you really can't go wrong with most of their equipment. The new Horizon T71 treadmill is an excellent example of that quality shining through. If you've read my Horizon T61 review (HERE) then you'll see what you're getting in to with the Horizon T71 treadmill.

If you're looking for a good, solid little treadmill that is great for light workouts, the the Horizon T71 is a perfect choice. It doesn't hurt that Horizon kept the price at the same budget-conscious $599 for those of us who like to workout without breaking the bank.

For keeping a great unit around for another year -- with the same 1.75 HP motor, 18x50 inch deck, and great hydraulic folding, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon T71 treadmill 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs!

Great job goes to Horizon for the new/old Horizon T71...4 gold buddahs out of 5!



Horizon T71 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 1.75 HP
Max Weight Capacity: 275 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Programs: 8
Display: LCD
Display: RPM, watts, time, calories, heart rate, distance, and resistance
Product Weight: 195 lbs.
Flywheel Weight: 2.2 lbs.
Roller Size: 1.8"
Deck Thickness: 3/4"
Running Area: 50" x 18"
Price: $599

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

The Hudson EL3300 Elliptical Review -- Cheap price, cheap parts, poorly made

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has recovered from his bout with pneumonia and is back in the treadmill and elliptical review game. Normally the DOJO is closed on Sundays but I came in today to catch up on a little work and to see what kind of mess Hikaru and the younger Senseis have left the place in. Surprisingly, they didn't burn it to the ground while I was gone.

Here are the DOJO over 20+ years we've worked on every type and brand of machine out there -- Precor, Life Fitness, Proform, Weslo, Image, Horizon, Star Trac, Matrix, Landice, Cybex...you name it and we've done it. We even get in the odd Bremshey units which are sold mainly overseas. The point of telling you that is to say I'm used to coming in to the DOJO to find some strange equipment sitting in the main repair bay for me to check out. That happened to me again this morning when I slid the main door open and saw a Hudson EL3300 Elliptical sitting up on one of the work stations.

At first I was just mildly interested in the Hudson EL3300 because they are fairly common budget ellipticals. They sell for around $550 or so. The thing that piqued my curiosity was the fact the Hudson EL3300 was sitting in one of our remanufacturing bays. Since remanufacturing is really only done on higher end units that can hold up to the process (and are worth the time and added expense of the process), seeing a low end, cheaply made machine sitting there waiting for one of the techs to go and rebuild was something a bit out of the ordinary. So I trotted over to check out the work order for this mysterious Hudson EL330 elliptical.

What I saw in the work out made me laugh for a good 5 minutes straight. Junior Sensei Hikaru had been given this Hudson EL3300 by someone in his family and he was planning to remanufacture the elliptical to resell on eBay. Poor deluded Hikaru. This is easily one of the worst ideas he's had.

The Hudson EL3300 Elliptical is made by Hudson Fitness out of New Jersey. They're actually a partner company to the people who make the Cateye equipment. You'd think them being teamed with Cateye would insure they produced high quality equipment. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

The EL3300 elliptical is a very poorly constructed piece of equipment that will work poorly for any sort of heavy duty work out -- truth be told, they'll break down more often than not from anything beyond a very light workout by a very light person. There is a lot of plastic in these things and the upright bars are attached to the machine in a very unsturdy manner.

One of the worst parts of this machine are the pedals. The Hudson EL3300 has a very wide spacing between its pedals. The pedas are also static and attached to the lower elliptical bars on the EL3300 elliptical. Add that to the fact the pedals are at an almost parallel angle to the floor and you'll find yourself with a very awkward, uncomfortable feeling when you work out.

The Hudson EL3300 was very poorly engineered and the use of cheap parts doesn't help the situation any. Now, it does come with a heart rate control program which is very nice, it's just not enough to save the EL3300 from the scapheap most of these units quickly wind up in. Oh, and for the love of God, do not believe the machine has a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds. I'm in the 165 pound range and it will creak and groan when I work out on it.

Finally, don't even get me started on the laughable 1 year warranty or the fact Hudson claims this unit is "light commercial" grade. I'm not sure what they were smoking when that statement was made but they need to share.

Stay far away from the Hudson EL3300 Elliptical. If you're looking for something worthwhile at this price point, check out the Horizon EX55 instead. It costs about $40 more but you'll have yourself an elliptical that will last and hold up to your work out.

For being bad, bad, bad, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Hudson EL3300 Elliptical 1 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

1 gold buddah out of 5 for the Hudson EL3300. Run away! Run away!



Hudson EL3300 Elliptical Specifications
Stride Length: 18.5"
Levels of Resistance: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse Grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 6 including Heart Rate Control
Stride: 18.5"
Max Weight Capacity: 250 lbs. (don't make me laugh!)
Warranty: 1 Year Parts
Weight: 100 lbs


Check out the highly rated Horizon EX55 instead!

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

The Horizon T72 Treadmill Review -- Same great unit with a new name

Ohiyo!

Your Treadmill Sensei has been suffering from a bout with pneumonia for the past week and hasn't ventured out to the DOJO since Wednesday! However, my loyaty to you, my readers, has forced me up out of bed and to my computer once more.

Now, since I am still weak and ready to go back to sleep, I am going to do a quick and easy review. This time I am going to review the Horizon T72 Treadmill. For those of you who have already read my review of the Horizon T62, which the Horizon T72 is replacing, there won't be a lot new.

For all intents and purposes, the Horizon T72 is exactly the same as its predecessor. They share the exact same stats -- the same big 2 HP Johnson Tech motor, 20x55 inch running deck, 2.6" tapered rollers (which will help extend the lifetime of both your belt and motor), 10mph top speed, 10% incline, 300 pound user capacity, and 3/5 inch deck thickness. The Horizon T72 and T62 are fraternal twins instead of maternal ones...they're exactly the same down deep but you can tell them apart at a glance.

There are a few cosmetic differences on the new Horizon T72 Treadmill (and Horizon isn't really fooling anyone by renaming their shock absorbtion technology "AirCell" instead of "GelCell."), but the only real difference is in the display screen. The Horizon T72's new monitor seems to be a lot sharper and easier to read than the old ones.

If you want a good, solid machine at under $800 then step up on a Horizon T72. For maintaining the quality of its ancestors, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon T72 Treadmill 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The T72 Treadmill by Horizon gets a solid 4 gold buddahs out of 5!



Horizon T72 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.0 HP
Max Weight: 300 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 10MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Programs: 6 Preset
Display: Blue backlit LCD
Display: RPM, watts, time, calories, heart rate, distance, and resistance level
Product Weight: 205 lbs.
Rollers: 2.6"
Deck: .75"
Running Area: 55" x 20"
Price: $799

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

Treadmills Sensei FAQ & Disclaimers

Ohiyo!

I'm still fairly new to this whole internet thing, so bear with me as I try to answer some of the questions I get every week. If there is a question you'd like to see answered, then send it in and I'll post it up for everyone to read.

1. Who the heck is the Treadmill Sensei?
A treadmill and elliptical reviewer! The person behind the Treadmill Sensei and treadmillsensei.com is a 20+ year service and repair tech who is the elder partner in a repair business. Beyond that I am a husband, a father and a self-confessed video game junkie.

2. What is your real name?
Since an incident with a certain fitness manufacturer last year who discovered my poor reviews of their products and promptly cancelled our service accounts, I've been writing under a pen name.

3. Can we come out to your shop or send you repair work?
Nope. Again, I am keeping the two "jobs" apart from one another. That way manufacturers can't influence reviews with offers of work or by threatening me with loss of work.

4. How do we know your reviews are objective or fair?
Truthfully, they aren't. My reviews are based on my opinions and what I've experienced over the course of my career in the fitness industry. The reviews are not influenced by treadmill or elliptical manufacturers (in spite of what some of them wish). I have had a few manufacturers try to pressure me to change a review to be more favorable to them but they've always been turned down. I also do not make side deals with manufacturers like some other review sites -- having parts made available for my sale, getting access to treadmills or ellipticals to retool into my own equipment or getting paid trips out to another country where a manufacturer's plant is. There are other review sites which do some or all of these things in exchange for positive reviews.

So, to make a long answer even longer, I just get on the equipment and report to you, my loyal readers, what I encounter. These are not corporate facts, they are not the "official" word on any equipment, they are just my opinions and my experience and should be taken as such.

5. So, how the heck do you make money if your website offers so many free reviews and advice?
I have a good day job! Now, if you're asking how the website itself makes money, that is another story. I put links up to where a customer can purchase a piece of equipment. Some of those pieces can be bought on Amazon and, when they are, I get credit for it. Now, keep in mind, that I also put links to other retailers that have no such programs and tell all my readers to check at least 3 websites before making a purchase...which does me no good at all! I also post a lot of bad reviews and get in to specific equipment details that only someone with quite a bit of industry experience with actual time on the treadmills (or ellipticals) can provide. I'm not posting nebulous charts with vague number rankings and a 1 sentence description of a product. It's sad what some review sites are calling "reviews" these days.

6. Can you rate the (insert model here) treadmill or elliptical?
Sometimes. I can only rate machines that I can physically get on and those are generally units that come in to the DOJO for either service/repair or installation. Sometimes I will go out to other repair shops or local stores to test out a piece that I get a lot of requests for, but generally I just write on things I have a chance to review in the comfort of the DOJO. That's one of the reasons you may see strange units pop up every so often.

7. Can we write you an email with a question or comment?
Sure you can! Just keep in mind that any email I get may wind up on the website. Do not send a private note to the Treadmill Sensei. By emailing me you are consenting to publication on the web. This includes any manufacturers out there reading this. You write me and there is a chance it will wind up on the site.

8. I wrote you a week ago and you still haven't answered my email...why not?
Now that the site has been up for a while, I get a lot of emails. A lot of emails. Generally 20 or so a day at the moment (during the "busy season" that number tripled) and I just can't answer every single one. I don't type very fast and I just don't have the time outside of work. I do read every note I receive and keep all questions in my head. If I don't answer you directly, I may integrate your question into one of my reviews or articles, so just keep checking back.

7. Can you tell me how to fix my (insert model here) treadmill or elliptical?
Probably. But I generally won't do it. I don't want you to void your warranty by attempting home repairs and I don't want someone less skilled to get hurt while working on a treadmill motor (or whatever). I can tell you what I think the problem is but I won't walk you through a treadmill repair.

8. Can I replace my treadmill deck with a piece of plywood?
You can but you shouldn't. It's not a good idea and isn't the same as the deck that was designed and engineered for you treadmill.

9. We are a manufacturer and don't like a review you've written, what can we do?
Make better equipment. If you get a bad review here, then you've got some issues with your equipment. It could just be that I ran in to a bad unit, but more than likely you already know about any issues I am bringing up...whether you want to acknowledge them in public or not is another thing completely. There are large numbers of reviews out there on the internet by actual customers who have purchased units and had problems with them and they are easy to find with a quick Google search. If you don't like a review, use it to help fix the problem and let me know when a new version of the unit is out and I'll do a new review of it.

Disclaimer:
This is generally where there is a lot of legal speak and I may eventually resort to that. For now, I just want to say: take my reviews and any others you read out there (online or offline) with a grain of salt. My reviews are my opinions and only that. Go out and try the equipment in order to make up your own mind. Reviews are a great guide but you need to use your own judgment when spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a piece of fitness equipment. These reviews are for entertainment purposes only!

Copyright:
Finally, all material on this website is copyright and trademarked 2007 by the Treadmill Sensei.

Take care!

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