The Fuel T96 Treadmill Review - A perfect budget treadmill for under $1000

Ohiyo!

Wow, I have to say that I've been surprised by the sheer amount of email we're received here at the DOJO asking for a review of the Fuel FT96 Treadmill.

We had a Fuel FT96 (or T96) treadmill here in the DOJO a while back and I had put together notes for a review, but being swamped like we were I never got around to finishing it. Now that things are a bit calmer here I am able to get it done for all of you looking for more information on the big brother of the Fuel FT94 treadmill.

Like the aforementioned FT94, the Fuel FT96 is made by the same factory as the Sole Fitness treadmills and has a lot of the same higher quality components. Fuel is basically just a more budget conscious line of treadmills and ellipticals from Sole and is sold exclusively through Dick's Sporting Goods.

Popping the box open and removing the Fuel FT96 gave us our first glimpse at the treadmill -- a treadmill which looks surprisingly like the Sole F83 treadmill, but with a smaller 2.5 horsepower motor similar to the one found in the current Sole F63 or the 2007 Sole F80. A very solid motor, especially for a treadmill priced under $900. Assembly of the Fuel Ft96 was, again, very similar to the Sole treadmills and took us under 20 minutes to get together. If you've got a second pair of hands I can't imagine it taking more than 30 minutes for most people to get ready to use.

The outstanding features of the Fuel FT96 include a very solid frame, huge 20" x 58" running area (far larger and more stable than anything else in the under $1000 price range), the large, cool running 2.5 horsepower motor, an equally large incline motor providing 12% incline to the treadmill, heart rate monitoring, heart rate control programs and a monster 325 pound maximum user weight. Fuel has done a great job in putting together a $1500+ treadmill and making it available to consumers for under $900.

If I had to nitpick about the unit it would come in the form of the treadmill's belt. The Fuel FT96 comes with a pretty average belt for a budget treadmill -- nothing terrible, but it would have been nice to see a more expensive belt with this fantastic unit. Of course the belt still matches up nicely with any other treadbelt on a unit under $1200.

If you are in need of an absolute best buy treadmill for under $1000 or want a budget treadmill with a larger deck for running workouts then the Fuel FT96 treadmill is a must to check out. For being a spectacular budget treadmill and a best buy contender for 2008/2008, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Fuel FT96 Treadmill 5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A solid treadmill with a large motor and solid frame, the Fuel FT96 gets a perfect score from the Treadmill Sensei.



Fuel T96 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5hp
Running Area: 20" x 58"
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 12%
Display: LCD
Programs: 9
Heart Rate Contol: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Folding: Yes
Max User WEight: 325lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $900

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

The NordicTrack Commercial 1300 Elliptical Review - An Ok Incline Elliptical for under $1000

Ohiyo!

Reader email is one of the Treadmill Sensei's favorite things here at the DOJO. I truly believe some of the best articles here on www.TreadmillSensei.com come out of questions sent in by you, my loyal readers. Today's post is no exception.

Lisa is looking for a new elliptical and has come across one from Nordic Track. Let's see what she has to say and let's see if we can help her out. Take it away, Lisa.

I love your site and I've read through every elliptical review you've written.

I know the Icon line is primarily crap just waiting to break down once it's out of the box. I did try out a 990 Audiostrider at Sears and I really liked the feel of it with the incline (the wobbly base was another matter). That one has horrible reviews in general, but I did find a Nordic Track Commercial 1300 at Costco that has the incline ramp at a probably too-good-to-be-true price. My question: Does Nordic Track's "commercial" line have any better quality than the rest of their products, or is it more of the same crap under a different name? I've seen some good reviews, but for all I know they were written by people who work for Nordic Track.

I tried the Precors because I'd like to have an incline, but they weren't as comfortable for me as the Sole ellipticals. Surprisingly, I liked the feel of the Nordic Tracks with an incline better than the feel of the Soles, but I don't trust the Nordic Track quality. The 1300 appears more sturdy than their other lines, but I'd hate to spend good money on a piece of equipment that will break down within a month.

Thanks for hosting a great site - it's nice to know there's an unbiased site for reviews. It's so hard to sort through other sites not knowing the motives of the people doing the reviews. -Lisa

Lisa:

Thanks for your note, your kind words about the website and your great question. It is always nice to hear that our site is actually helping people out in finding the best equipment for their fitness needs. In regards to your questions about Icon in general and the Nordic Track line specifically, overall their equipment falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to quality of components, durability and lifespan of the equipment. The Nordic Track line is a little better than the poorer performing Proform, Image, Weider, Gold's Gym and Reebok brands, but it still isn't all that much to write home about.

One of the misconceptions I want to address in regards to the Nordic Track line is the "commercial" quality they enjoy talking about. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually exist. You see, what makes an elliptical or treadmill commercial quality is the manufacturer's willingness to give it a commercial warranty. In other words, a warranty which supports the equipment being used in a high traffic, commercial gym -- usually 120+ hours of use a week. Equipment a manufacturer has the financial confidence to warranty in that environment is generally heavier duty and will take more of a beating (and will generally have fewer of the bells and whistles often found on residential grade equipment). If you want to see whether or not the Nordic Track "Commercial" 1300 is indeed a commercial grade elliptical, tell the retailer you're looking to purchase from that the unit will be going in to a 24-hour Fitness style gym and you want to know what the commercial warranty is.

If Icon only gives a residential warranty of 90 days for parts and labor, I can't imagine what they'd give as a commercial warranty, if they'd even offer one at all. Warranty is a great judge in a manufacturer's confidence in a product. The shorter the warranty (especially the labor warranty), the shorter the lifespan of the elliptical or treadmill.

As for the Nordic Track Commercial 1300 elliptical itself, we get a few in for servicing each month. I believe the unit is now either discontinued or in the process of being discontinued. The 1300 is a fairly solidly built elliptical and doesn't suffer from the side-to-side shakes of a lot of lesser ellipticals, such as those from Proform, Weider, Spirit or Image. That being said, the light weight flywheel and non-articulating pedals give it a fairly uncomfortable elliptical motion, especially for longer length workouts. The unit is really meant for shorter people doing shorter, lighter workouts.

The Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical (I hate typing out that long name!) isn't a bad elliptical by any means, it is a sorely average one tho. If you absolutely have to get one I would very much suggest paying for the extended warranty as well because chances are you will need it.

Now, just to be confusing, if you've tried one and you like the feel, then go for it. Getting an elliptical that "feels" right to you is the most important thing -- and the main factor in making sure you continue to workout for the long haul. Just make sure to be aware of the issues with purchasing from a more budget level manufacturer like Icon and Nordic Track. In particular, I have heard about issues with the incline motors giving out fairly quickly on a number of the Icon incline elliptical trainers.

For being a solid but average elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Not overly bad but not overly good, the Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical comes away with 3 gold buddahs.

Nordic Track Commercial 1300 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: approximately 12lbs
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, speed, distance, resistance, pulse, RPM, carbs burned and calories burned
Programs: 18
Resistance: 16 levels
Incline: 10%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Esprit ET4 Treadmill by Spirit - Decent but a downgraded Sole F63

Ohiyo!

As regular readers of this site are aware, I go back and forth on my opinions of treadmills and ellipticals from Spirit Fitness. Dyaco, their owner and manufacturer, produces some great equipment for Spirit's sister company, Sole Fitness, but the Spirit equipment has fallen short on quality of late.

That being said, their Esprit line of treadmills and ellipticals have been doing decently well because they are repainted versions of the high quality 2006 Sole equipment. In fact, my unrequested advice to Spirit would be to get rid of their current sub-par Spirit XE ellipticals and XT treadmills and go full on with the Esprit line. The Esprit brand just needs to be beefed up a bit to be able to compete with everything else out there.

That leads us in to today's review of the Spirit Esprit ET4 Treadmill. The ET4 is a stripped down and repainted version of the 2006 Sole F63 treadmill. The treadmill itself is very solid but doesn't completely stand up to what is being offered by current year equipment from top competitors like Sole, Bodycraft or Smooth. For instance, the lack of fans (something found on almost every treadmill at any price point these days) has to be one of the silliest oversights I've ever seen. The lesser warranties are a bit of a bummer as well. I'm guessing that is done to help try to bolster the value of the highly over-priced Spirit XT line of treadmills.

In regards to the Esprit ET4 treadmill itself, there are a few things I want to mention. First off, the ET4 assembles exactly the same way all of the other Sole and Spirit treadmills assemble. Assembly is fast and fairly trouble free.

Next, the motor in the Spirit Esprit ET4, while listed at 2.25 horsepower, seems to be the exact same motor listed as 2.5 horsepower in the Spirit XT175 treadmill and as 2.75 horsepower in the Spirit XT275 - and the same motor found in the Spirit Esprit ET6 treadmill as well (listed there as 2.5hp). This may be a case of creative labeling to bolster the value of the high priced units, but I wasn't able to get the units all together at once to do a side-by-side comparison.

Finally, the Esprit ET4 seems to have the same frame found on all of the Spirit and Esprit treadmills, which is a decently solid frame for a treadmill priced at under $1000.

All-in-all, the Spirit Esprit ET4 Treadmill is a solid, sturdy treadmill buy at under $1000. On its own it is a good value, but when you compare it to treadmills in its price class from Sole, Smooth or Bodycraft, the Esprit ET4 comes up a bit short. For being better than average but not by much, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit Esprit ET4 Treadmill 3.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Esprit ET4 Treadmill gets a decent 3.5 gold buddahs for being a sturdy re-release of the 2006 Sole F63 but loses a few points as a stripped down version of the current model.

Esprit ET4 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.25hp
Rollers: 2.5"
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 10"
Running Area: 20" x 55"
Display: LCD
Programs: 9
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 220lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Proform 860 Competitor Treadmill Review -- An Average Treadmill

Ohiyo!

The games fitness manufacturers play to confuse their customers can often be incredibly annoying, especially when you, my loyal readers, are trying to decide on the best treadmill for your money. Now, to be fair to fitness manufacturers, they aren't the only ones who seem to love the practice of releasing the same product under a number of different names at different retail outlets. Electronics manufacturers are just as bad. It is a technique that keeps you, the consumer, from being able to price match between stores.

In the fitness industry, Icon Health & Fitness (makers of Proform, Image, Epic, Weider, Gold's Gym, Reebok and Nordic Trac equipment) is one of the worst offenders when it comes to releasing the same treadmill under 40 different names. A fine example of that practice showed up at the DOJO this past week. The Proform 860 Competitor Treadmill we unpacked and assembled was almost identical to the Proform 9.0 Competitor Treadmill we've worked on in the past. There are some minor coloration differences, but aside from that the two units could be twins. On the plus side, I've heard the 9.0 Competitor has been discontinued and Proform is now liquidating their stock.

The Proform 860 Competitor is a perfect example of a Proform manufactured treadmill. It is overloaded with features to hide the fact the 860 Competitor is an average performing treadmill. First off, we had a number of minor problems while assembling the Proform 860 competitor - a high number of the screw holes did not line up from one part to another. One of the uprights was also cracking in shipping -- the uprights themselves were flimsy when compared to treadmills from other manufacturers, even treadmills in the same under $900 price point. In general the quality of the components were very low.

When you get passed the assembly issues, the Proform 860 Competitor treadmill performs ok but for every plus the unit has a negative balances it out. For example, the deck size is a very large 20"x60" -- a fantastic size for a sub-$900 treadmill. Unfortunately, the frame isn't the most stable due to the thinner uprights and the motor, listed at 2.5 horsepower, is small, runs at high RPMs and runs hot. What this means is the lifetime of the motor on the Proform 860 competitor is going to be shorter than it should be. If I was rating the motor it would have been closer to 1.5 horsepower.

Overall, the Proform 860 Competitor Treadmill isn't a bad buy...there are lot worse treadmills on the market for $900. Unfortunately, there are a lot of better ones as well. If you can get a great deal on this unit (say $599) then I'd go for it, otherwise I'd move on to a sturdier unit from another manufacturer.

For being an ok treadmill, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform 860 Competitor Treadmill 3 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

An average unit, the Proform 860 Treadmill gets a decent 3 gold buddahs out of 5.

Proform 860 Competitor Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5hp
Deck Size: 20"x60"
Rollers: approximately 2"
Max Speed: 12mph
Max Incline: 12%
Folding: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: speed, pace time, distance and calories burned
Programs: 20
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 175lbs
Price: Under $900

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

The Horizon E900 Elliptical Review - An excellent best buy incline elliptical for under $1100

Ohiyo!

I think I've mentioned this before, but every so often a surprise shows up here at the DOJO and the Treadmill Sensei gets to check out a piece of equipment he hasn't seen or done a review on before. About a week ago the guys unloaded a decent-sized boxed which has the label of "Horizon E900 Elliptical" pasted all over it and I was very eager to take a look at the unit...not eager enough to risk my own back unloading the elliptical from the large truck, but definitely eager enough to stand around and encourage those doing the lifting to do it a little faster.

Once unloaded and unpacked, the Horizon E900 elliptical took us about 30 minutes to put together. It should take a pair of people with average mechanical skillz (I like to toss a "Z" in to the mix every now and then to show how "hip" and "cool" I can be) about an hour to assemble. I've heard of some people taking as long as two hours but that really shouldn't be the case. The instruction manual for the E900 elliptical is very well put together and incredibly easy to follow.

Once we had the unit installed it was an easy thing to realize the Horizon E900 is almost identical, if a bit slimmed down, to the Horizon E1200 Incline elliptical. The frames seem to be the same from my memory and the only major differences are in the console, the slightly smaller flywheel, a few features and the hugely reduced price of the Horizon E900. They even have the same iPod dock and stereo set up built in.

To tell the truth, as good as the Horizon E1200 performed in our tests from 2007, the Horizon E900 performed just as well. The slight difference in flywheel sizes was almost completely unnoticeable and the features are close enough where a person might mistake one machine for the other if they weren't labeled. In fact, the only very minor nitpick I had with the Horizon E900 Elliptical was the same one I had for the E1200 -- the lack of heart rate control. Thankfully, most consumers never even use this feature so it isn't missed.

If you are looking for an incline elliptical priced under $1500 or even $2000, then the Horizon E900 Incline Elliptical is worth a look. It has the solid base and frame of a light commercial elliptical, along with a fantastic feeling elliptical motion and articulating foot pedals...everything a customer could possibly want from an incline elliptical PLUS an incredibly budget price point of under $1100.

For being even better than its very solid bigger brother, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon Performance E900 Incline Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A very solid 4.5 gold buddahs for the incline elliptical by Horizon, the E900.

Horizon E900 Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 19"
Articulating Footpedals: Yes
Flywheel: Approximately 14lbs
Incline: 16%
Display: LCD
Readouts: resistance, time, incline, calories, heart rate, distance and strides per minute
Programs: 14
Resistance Levels: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300
Unit Weight: Approximately 160lbs
Price: Under $1100

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

The Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical Review - Quality Incline Elliptical Under $1000

Ohiyo!

Here at the DOJO we get a lot of emails asking about the Icon Health & Fitness lines of treadmills and ellipticals. Icon is one of the largest fitness manufacturers in the world and is best know for budget priced equipment and so-so quality. You may have seen their equipment under one of the following brands: Proform, Nordic Track, Epic, Reebok (in the US...outside of the US Reebok is made by Smooth Fitness), Image, Weider, Gold's Gym and a few others I'm probably forgetting. Overall their equipment seems to be cheaply made and for consumers looking to spend as little on equipment as possible because they won't be using it in 6 months. Icon tends to tack on a ton of special features to help take the focus off the lack of quality in construction and components, and this is reflected in their often very short term warranties. Why support a project that won't be used (or working) in a year?

Now, with all that being said, a recent arrival here at the DOJO really surprised the Treadmill Sensei with its durability and solid construction...heck, even the components it was built from were fairly decent. The product I'm talking about is the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical. Yes, it has an ungodly long name but I was impressed by the unit we brought in to the shop and was very impressed by its incline feature. An incline ramp is something not often done well and especially not at a budget price point. I don't know how they did it, or what kind of deal they had to sign with the Devil to do it, but Icon has produced a very solid incline elliptical trainer in the Proform Epic 1200 Pro.

Before I get in to the positives on the Proform Epic 1200 incline elliptical, I want to talk a bit about the problems with the machine. The only major issues we encountered with the unit were in assembley. A few of the holes in the Proform Epic 1200 were machined just off enought to be very annoying. The holes weren't so far off that assembley was impossible but they were a bitch to get the elliptical put together. What should have been a 20 minute assembley turned in to about 45 minutes of frustration. From speaking with other service techs who deal with the Proform Epic 1200 Pro, this seems to be a fairly common occurance. Estimates are at about 1 in 10 of the ellipticals have this problem.

The only other problem I had with the Proform Epic 1200 was the lack of articulating pedals. Since the unit is a rear drive elliptical, Proform went with static pedals as is most common with the design. Now, in Proform's defense they did an excellent job in providing some very comfortable pedals (Gelstride) and great pedal placement for anyone under about 6'1". Someone taller than that may want to go with a longer stride unit. Also, the large, heavy duty flywheel provides an excellent elliptical motion during your workouts. So, the lack of articulating pedals is a minor strike but the machine makes up for it with a well designed drive and elliptical motion.

And that was really it for the negatives of the unit. Mat and I worked out on this machine for 5 days at an hour a day. Being taller, he prefers a 19"-20" stride but thought the frame was very solid - Mat weighs right around 300 pounds so he was definitely pushing the weight limit. He thought it would hold up to heavy duty work outs for sure. As a smaller user, the Proform Epic 1200 Incline elliptical felt as solid as a rock...something very unusual to say about a Proform elliptical. In the past their machines tended to feel a bit more rickety. Not so with the Epic 1200 pro elliptical which is built from much heavier duty steel tubing than normally found in a budget priced elliptical.

Aside from that, the incline feature was a very nice addition to have in the Proform Epic 1200 Pro. You don't often seen an incline on budget ellipticals under $1000 and when you do they are usually poorly constructed. The Proform Epic 1200 performed very well in our tests at different inclines and even held up well to the additional weight of a larger user.

Wrapping up the features of the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Incline elliptical (I get winded just saying that name!) are an 18" stride, 18 programs, 16 levels of resistance and a very beefy 350 pound user weight. All-in-all, this was a very solid offering (and a huge surprise) from Proform. If not for the construction issues and the frustration it caused me, the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical would have received a much higher rating.

For being a great incline elliptical at a budget price under $1000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical and its very long name 3.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical is a solid buy incline elliptical priced at under $799 with 3.5 gold buddahs.

Proform Epic 1200 Pro Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: approximately 18lbs
Incline: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: incline, RPM, distance, resistance, pulse and calories burned
Programs: 18
Resistance Levels: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 160lbs
Price: Under $800

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

The Bladez 850E Elliptical Trainer Review - Best New Technology in an Elliptical

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei loves to check out new treadmills and ellipticals. It is one of my favorite things to do, both here at the DOJO and at fitness tradeshows like the Health & Fitness Business Expo and the IHRSA show. Speaking of the IHRSA show, a few of us from here at TreadmillSensei.com will be there roaming the floor this week on March 5. If you see us, feel free to say "hi!"

Back to new equipment, at the 2007 Health & Fitness show, one of the coolest new technologies we saw for elliptical trainers was the Adjustable Width Technology (AWT) from Bladez/BH Fitness. Their patented new technology allowed users to adjust the spacing between pedals to accomodate different sized users. As a feature found on no other ellipticals, I thought this was a fantastic feature and wished it had come out years ago.

A lot of people are familiar with being able to adjust the angle of an elliptical's pedals, and tons of ellipticals have that feature. However, one of the biggest issues with elliptical workouts, especially when you have mutliple users of differents sizes, is the distance between the two pedals. For some people a wider spacing is preferred, while others like their pedals tighter together. Poor spacing can cause foot numbness, as well as thigh cramps in extreme cases of bad pedal placement. Thankfully, the Bladez 850E Elliptical trainer has addressed this issue in outstanding fashion.

While we had been walked through the new Bladez 850e Elliptical back at the trade show in Denver, I didn't get a long enough time on the machine to give it a full testing. Luckily, we were able to order an 850e elliptical trainer from Amazon.com almost a month ago and have been able to put it through its paces.

Out of the box, the Bladez 850e was very similar in size and slightly heavier than the Sole E25 or the Spirit XE100/Spirit XE200/Spirit XE300 ellipticals. In fact, the looks of the machines is very is very similar in design. Even assembly was almost the same and took us around 20 minutes to complete -- figure on it taking someone with average mechanical abilities around 45 minutes...or, if you're like my wife's Uncle Chris and have no mechanical aptitude, it could take 90 minutes. I prefer the slightly heavier support tubing on the Bladez model but otherwise it is very comparable to the Sole E25 and far exceeds the comparable Spirit ellipticals.

Once Mat and I were able to get to our 10 days or so of testing, we were both highly impressed by the stability and comfort of the Bladez E850e Elliptical. To see a stride of 20" on an elliptical priced at under $700 was amazing, especially when you consider the ability to adjust pedal width to further customize your workout and your comfort. That adjustment allows the 850e to have easily one of the best elliptical feels on an elliptical priced at under $1500. It raises the bar on what an elliptical should have, how it should perform and what its price should be. If you're looking at a Spirit XE100, Spirit XE200 or Spirit XE300, then you're doing yourself an injustice by not taking a look at the Bladez 850e Elliptical as it out-performs them in just about every situation.

In addition to a 20" stride, adjustable width pedals, heavy duty 24 pound flywheel and solid, steel frame, the 850e Elliptical also has 16 levels of resistance, padded foot pedals, pulse grip heart rate monitoring, 12 fitness programs and a 300 pound user weight limit. The only things missing are wireless heart rate monitoring and heart rate control programs, but for an elliptical priced under $700 these features really aren't required or even missed.

Bladez has done a stupendous job with the design and engineering of the 850e elliptical trainer and for that the Treadmill Sensei gives it 5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A truly remarkable machine, the Bladez 850e Elliptical gets a perfect 5 gold buddahs and may be the best new elliptical of the year.




Get more information and find the lowest price on the Bladez 850E Elliptical Trainer. Save more with NO TAX and FREE SHIPPING


Bladez 850e Elliptical Trainer Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: approximately 24 pounds
Articulating Foot Pedals: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, Distance, Speed, RPM, Heart Rate & Calories & Program profile
Resistance Levels: 16
Programs: 12
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $700

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

The Esprit EL5 Elliptical by Spirit Review - A great deal at under $1100

Ohiyo!

When it comes to equipment made by Spirit Fitness out in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the Treadmill Sensei generally gets one of two questions. The first is usually from disgruntled Spirit dealers who are having problems selling this year's lower quality Spirit equipment and generally amounts to "why aren't you supporting Spirit equipment as much this year because I have a warehouse full of stuff that I can't get rid of."

The second question is from you, my loyal readers, who want to know how the "new" Esprit ellipticals are and whether or not you can trust product from Spirit Fitness with their recent drop in quality (long time readers of a certain Doctor's website probably noticed Spirit's absence from the "best buy" listings this year as opposed to last year when they were all over it - and the same went for my best buy awards).

I think I can address both of those questions with today's review of the Esprit EL-5 elliptical, which we brought in to the DOJO on a loan from a local online retailer. For those of you who don't know, the Esprit line of ellipticals is just a repainted version of the old award-winning 2006 Sole ellipticals, and the Esprit EL5 is just a repainted 2006 Sole E55, while the 2008 Spirit ellipticals are brand new designs. That, my friends, is a great example of the problems with the current line of 2008 Spirit products: their equipment shined in the past when their units were just repainted versions of the Sole treadmills and ellipticals (and received a ton of awards both online and off), but their new shorter frame ellipticals just feel stunted and ill-conceived. That doesn't even mention that most industry experts find the 2008 Spirit treadmills and ellipticals highly over-priced.

Luckily, someone at Spirit was smart enough to keep the old award-winning line at least partially alive with the Esprit line of ellipticals this year. Sure they painted them a funky "refrigerator white" color, but at least the units themselves don't have the issues and bad press associated with the 2008 Spirit ellipticals. But I digress a bit. Let's get on to the Esprit EL5 Elliptical review. We received a note from Ryan C (a regular reader here at www.TreadmillSensei.com), asking for more information on the EL-5 elliptical trainer. Let's see what he has to say...take it away, Ryan!

Do you know anything about the spirit esprit el5. I found it for $1095.00 (plus $4.99 shipping!). I heard it is a repainted version of the sole e55. How odes this item compare to the sole e25? - Ryan

Ryan:

Thanks for your note and questions. You are absolutely correct, the Spirit Esprit El-5 Elliptical is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $1095 and, at that price, the Esprit EL5 is a fantastic buy. You may see it on some slightly shady online retail sites for as much as $1397.99 but don't be conned into paying more (some of those shadier dealers may also try to get you to "convert" over from a Sole unit at a that higher price).

You are also correct in that the Esprit EL5 from Spirit is a repainted version of the older 2006 Sole E55 elliptical. It is a slight downgrade from the current 2008 Sole E55 but at a more budget friendly price. That price is the reason for the high rating on the Esprit EL5 - you are getting a very solid elliptical with a 20" stride, 20 levels of resistance, 6 preset programs, heart rate monitoring, heart rate control programs, articulating and adjustable foot pedals. The unit also offers a very smooth elliptical motion and Sole's patented 2% inward incline pedals for a much more natural feel to your workouts.

The only real downside to the Esprit units is the lesser warranty, the so-so color and lack of the higher-end Sole padding on the foot pedals. It isn't a huge downside, especially at the $1095 price point, but is something worth thinking about.

If you've been checking out the Sole E55 but can't afford the price, or if you were turned off by the stair-stepper feel of the Spirit XE200/Spirit XE300/Spirit XE400 and their outrageous prices, then the Esprit EL5 elliptical is a very nice alternative at a great price.

For being a budget alternative to the Sole E55 and for being more comfortable than standard Spirit ellipticals, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Esprit EL-5 Elliptical by Spirit a sturdy 4 out of 5 golden buddahs. Wow, a 2008 elliptical from Spirit that isn't a disappointment...who woulda thunk?

UPDATE: I don't know how long the Amazon sale will last but this rating is for the Esprit EL5 priced at just under $1100.

The Esprit EL5 Elliptical from Spirit Fitness gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5 but only if priced at under $1100. Anything more than that and I'd suggest sticking with the current 2008 Sole ellipticals instead.




Get more information on the Esprit EL5 elliptical and find the lowest price online.

Spirit Esprit EL-5 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: Listed at 30lbs
Display: LCD
Resistance Levels: 20
Watts: 1000
Programs: 6 preset
Heart Rate Monitoring: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Adjustable Pedals: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $1100

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

The Smooth 4.25 Treadmill Review - Top pick for those with limited space

Ohiyo!

Today we received a great question from a loyal reader in the midst of an exercise dilemma. Sherry wants to know what a top rated or best buy treadmill can be found for someone with a small amount of space to dedicate to it. Let's see what she has to say...take it away, Sherry!

Dear Sensei,

I was wondering if you could help me. It's quite overwhelming to see all the different treadmills and I wondered if you could give me your advice. Size is a problem, but I want the best out there. We have limited space in our house. I'm in my mid-50's and out of shape and am relying on the treadmill to get into some kind of good health and shape. My 18 yr. old daughter is also using it as well as my husband.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Many thanks! -Sherry

Sherry:

Thanks for your note. Yours is a question that pops up a lot and really isn't covered all that often by the various review "experts." Since your question is a bit against the grain when it comes to what most people are looking for (this also goes for those shorter buyers who are looking for treadmills or ellipticals which will work for them), which is a larger sized unit with a huge running area.

What you need is a smaller unit which will still stand up to use and abuse by a number of family members. Luckily, this year Smooth Fitness has released a treadmill which may be a great answer to your fitness needs. The Smooth 4.25 Treadmill is their budget priced unit for those who don't have the space for a bigger treadmill. It also happens to be a very sturdy and very solidly built treadmill that will stand up to the abuse of a 3 person household looking to get back in shape.

The first thing to mention about the top rated Smooth 4.25 treadmill is that it ships full assembled. That's right, no more having to mess with putting together a treadmill before you have to use it. The Smooth 4.25 comes ready to plug in and use right out of the box. This, when factored with the free shipping Smooth offers, may be one of the best reasons to get the Smooth 4.25 for a lot of people. Having watched my wife's Uncle Chris try to put together a Proform Elliptical at his house let me experience first hand what the average person goes through when putting together a piece of fitness equipment. For some people this will entail a lot of frustration and more than a little cursing. My Uncle Chris it was a HUGE amout of frustration and a DISTURBING amount of cursing.

The next thing to mention is the size. The Smooth 4.25 treadmill folds up to 11" x 29" x 60," which is small enough to fit in most closets and under most beds - heck, it will even fit in the back of a lot of SUVs or larger cars. The only downside to such a small folded size is that the running area of the 4.26 comes in at about 16"x50," however if you're a smaller person or only in need of a walking or jogging treadmill then that isn't a downside at all.

Where the Smooth 4.25 goes above and beyond the call of duty is in its frame. Made from welded 11 gauge steel, the 4.25 is made of a sturdier metal than most $1500 treadmills and easily outperforms higher end treadmills by lower-end manufacturers such as Spirit, Proform or Epic. Smooth has done an excellent job in making sure the 4.25 treadmill gives one of the most solid workouts available in a treadmill priced at under $1000.

Last, the Smooth 4.25 also still comes with a lot of great features: a large, cool-running 2.0 horsepower motor, 8mph top speed, 7 programs and heart rate monitoring round out what is an excellent buy at about $799. The Smooth 4.25 is a very strong contender for our 2008/2009 treadmill best buy awards later in the year.

For being a top-notch treadmill for shorter people or those lacking in workout space, the Treadmill Sensei gives the excellent Smooth 4.25 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Smooth 4.25 receives 4.5 gold buddahs from the Treadmill Sensei for being a very sturdy treadmill priced at under $800.

Smooth 4.25 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2hp
Max Speed: 8mph
Max Incline: 7%
Running Area: 16" x 50"
Display: LCD
Programs: 7
Heart Rate Monior: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Rollers: 2"
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 250lbs
Unit Weight: 155lbs
Assembly: Pre-assembled
Price: Under $800

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

The 2008 Sole E95 Elliptical Review -- Another excellent update from Sole for 2008

Ohiyo!

Tonight I am continuing my ongoing reviews of the brand new 2008 Sole Fitness Ellipticals and Treadmills. Sole has done an incredible job in their upgrades, which in the ellipticals consists mainly of thicker, sturdier tubing on their supports. You have no idea how great it is to see a fitness manufacturer who has found a near perfect design and then stuck with it, without making meaningless changes. Sole continues to produce some of the best award-winning ellipticals around.

The elliptical I want to single out for today is the 2008 Sole E95 Elliptical trainer. We picked our review model up by ordering it direct from Sole Fitness. With the current trend of some of the shadier retailers who like to use bait-and-switch and other tactics to bully you in to the wrong equipment (something I talked about in-depth recently), we've found the two best places to order your Sole E95 are at Amazon.com, Sole's largest authorized distributor, or direct from the manufacturer, Sole Fitness, itself. These are the only two ways to make sure you are getting exactly what you order and the only way to guarantee that your warranty will be support. Luckily, you'll be able to get the best prices online from them as well.

Best Buy Elliptical Award runner up for Best Elliptical under $2000

The Sole E95 was one of the runner ups this year for the Treadmill Sensei's Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards for an elliptical priced at under $2000 and, to tell the truth, it was a solid contender for the top spot. With the upgraded heavy duty tubing and slick new design, the Sole E95 has carried over all the features from last year that made it a top rated elliptical.

It's got 20 levels of magnetic resistance to allow even a hardcore user to tweak their workouts to meet their fitness needs.

It still has 10 workout programs, including heart rate control programs, as well as wireless and pusle grip heart rate monitoring options. It also still possesses Sole's patented 2% inward incline pedals. Those pedals, some of the most comfortable on the market, are also articulating and adjustable. For anyone getting on a Sole E95 Elliptical for the first time, my recommendation is to play with the pedal adjustment. What may seem like a minor tweak may wind up giving you an incredible feeling work out.

The Sole E95 strangely is listed with a 29 pound flywheel this year. I have absolutely no clue as to why Sole has changed the spec on this because, when you take it apart, it seems to be the exact same flywheel as was in the E95 Ellipticalcrosstrainer last year. A lot of manufacturer's play with their specifations on paper to mess with consumer reactions to a product and to show some sort of change has taken this place. In this case, the two flywheels are the same.

The Sole E95 Elliptical has all the features to make it a great elliptical. From the comfortable, naturally positioned and padded footpedals, to the four rear wheels which ride along rails (as opposed to the two rear wheels often found on lesser ellipticals), the Sole E95 shines.

The only reason the Sole E95 elliptial receives a ranking just short of perfect is because of the plastic guide rails on the back of the unit. This year the plastic is quite a bit more sturdy than in years past (and sturdier than what you'll find in its lesser counterpart, the Spirit XE ), but it still seems a little wrong to me. While the user manual states you shouldn't stand on the plastic guiderail shrouds on the Sole E95 Elliptical, most people will end up doing so - often accidentally. This would be ok except the plastic will crack under too much abuse. This is a minor nitpick on an otherwise great machine because the plastic shrouds do help protect the elliptical's railings from dirt and dust, but I would have like to have seen the Sole E95 elliptical trainer with a metal shroud instead of a plastic one.

For being just short of a perfect performing elliptical crosstrainer, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole E95 Elliptical 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Sole E95 receives a near perfect 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




Get more information on the Sole E95 Elliptical. Find the best price online, avoid gray market bait-and-switch, protect your warranty and Save More with Free Shipping!


You can also order the Sole E95 from Sole Direct and save more with Free Shipping and Pay NO TAX

Sole E95 Elliptical 2008 Specifications
Stride: 20"
Flywheel: Listed at 29lbs but same as last year's 30lb flywheel
Display: LED
Programs: 10
Resistance Levels: 20
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Articulating Pedals: Yes
Adjustable Pedals: Yes
Max User weight: 400lbs
Product weight: 215lbs
Price: Under $1700

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

Reader Mailbag: Sole F80 Treadmill vs Bodycraft TR1120/TR1140 Treadmills

Ohiyo!

As much as the Treadmill Sensei dislikes these questions, we get enough of them from you, my loyal readers, that they just have to be answered. Today we have Leslie asking us which treadmill is better for her situation, the Sole F80 or the Bodycraft TR1120/TR1140. Obviously, I can't tell anyone what a "better" treadmill is, but I can give you my opinion on the matter.

Let's see what Leslie to say...take it away, Leslie!

Dear Sensei,

I was directed to your website for the first time tonight (and loved it!). My husband and I want to purchase a treadmill for both walking and running (my husband, in particular, plans to run on it a lot). He is 5’10” or 5’11”, 175 lbs. and I am 5’4”, 135 lbs. I have had 3 knee surgeries, and have no restrictions with regard to my activity, but want to make sure I am always supporting my knees as much as possible when doing any kind of exercise.

You rated the Sole F80, Bodycraft TR1120 and TR1140 treadmills very highly. We obviously like the price of the TR1120 best, but the Bodycraft website lists this as a ‘walking treadmill’. We can afford the SoleF80 or the TR1140 if necessary, but don’t want to spend more money if we don’t need to.

What is your opinion when comparing these machines for running? We obviously don’t want to wear out a machine by running on it if it’s not made for that use. Thanks Sensei! -Leslie

Leslie:

Thanks for your note and your question. To start off with, have you considered an elliptical trainer over a treadmill? With your knee surgeries the nearly zero impact workouts of an elliptical might be beneficial to your physical health. Not that a treadmill is a bad thing, but any sort of standard running (on the ground or on a treadmill) will cause some stress on your knees. Just a thought I wanted to make sure to toss out to you.

In regards to the Bodycraft TR1120, the machine is a fantastic one for the price. At under $1000 it gives its owners an incredible stable and durable treadmill, and one that will out perform any other treadmill in its class. Bodycraft has done an excellent job in the TR1120 treadmill's design. That being said, it is most definitely a walking/jogging/light running treadmill...although, for someone your size it would probably stand up very well to running. Your husband might be a bit too large for hardcore running workouts, but he'd be fine to jog on the thing.

For more intense running type workouts then moving up in class to the Sole F80 or Bodycraft TR1140 is something definitely looking in to. Also, the BodyCraft TR1160 Treadmill has had a bit of a price drop on Amazon.com and you can now find it for almost the same price of the TR1140, which gives you a larger running area, or the Sole F80 looks like it has dropped down to $1299 on AMazon.

To give you my opinion on what the best buy is, I'd actually recommend another option altogether. Probably the best treadmill deal going right now is for the Spirit Fitness Z500 Treadmill on Amazon. This is a closeout model and is the exact same unit as the best buy award winning Sole F83 Treadmill from 2007 - the only difference between the two units is the paint job. They both came out of the same factory and used the same off-the-shelf parts. For $1299 you're getting a step up from the Sole F80 and a unit that is very comparable to the Bodycraft TR1140/TR1160 for a $200+ savings.

Right now, anyone looking to purchase a treadmill in the $1000-$2000 price range who isn't looking at either the Spirit Z500 Treadmill or BodyCraft TR1160 Treadmill is really just throwing money away. I have no clue how long the sale is going to last or how many of these sale units Amazon has, but jump over and take a look. This is a great chance to save $200-$500 on some very high end treadmills.

That's it from this end, I'll be back tomorrow with more treadmill wisdom from the DOJO.

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

The Sole E25 Elliptical 2008 Review - Still the best elliptical under $1000

Ohiyo!

This past month, the Treadmill Sensei has been able to track down a few of the 2008 Sole ellipticals and treadmills. The units are cosmetically a little different than models from the previous years, and some key components have been upgraded, but overall they are still essentially the same best buy award winning units from years past.

Today I want to talk about the 2008 Sole E25 Elliptical - you can read my review of the previous year's model here. For over three years now, the Sole E25 Elliptical has been one of the best performing, highest quality elliptical priced at under $1000. This year, Sole has done some nice upgrades to the machine while keeping it at the same fantastic price and allowing new elliptical shoppers a chance to purchase on of the smoothest, most natural feeling ellipticals on the market.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

I'm going to start with the only thing that could even remotely being considered a downside to the Sole E25 elliptical: the lack of heart rate control programs. Aside from wanting to differentiate this unit from the Sole E35, I don't really know why Sole didn't decide to make the upgrade to heart rate contol on the Sole E25 - you're talking about a fairly simply electronic component. However, 95% of elliptical owners never actually use heart rate contol during their workouts, so it is a very minor little quibble.

Assembling the 2008 Sole E25 is almost identical to models from previous years. The precision machining Sole uses means putting it together should be a snap. If you can get someone to assist you, it might take 30-45 minutes and comes with almost no frustration involved. If you're looking for more frustration in your ellipticals, I'd suggest a unit from Proform, Bodyguard or Spirit. If you want something easy and unannoying, then stick with the Sole.

Aside from the lack of heart rate control, the Sole E25 is nearly a perfect elliptical machine. This year Sole has added slightly thicker tubing to give the already stable e25 elliptical even more solidity and sturdiness. Normally you'll feel a wobbly, side-to-side shake on most budget ellipticals, such as those from Proform or Spirit, but with the addition of the heavier supports and a nearly 200 pound unit weight, the Sole E25 will hold up to the heavier workouts that go on with those of us who are trying to lose those extra pounds gained over the holidays. When you factor in the heavy flywheel - listed at 23 pounds but identical to the flywheels on the more expensive Sole ellipticals like the E35 or E55 - and Sole's patented 2% inward incline on the pedals, the solid construction of the Sole E25 provides one of the most natural feeling elliptical workouts on the market.

Sole has done an excellent job with the 2008 upgrade of the Sole E25. This year, in addition to the heavier frame, the Sole E25 now features 20 levels of resistance and 10 programs - that's up from 16 resistance levels and 6 programs on the 2006/2007 version of the E25. It's nice to see an elliptical manufacturer actually coming through with a worthwhile upgrade.

For continuing to be one of our favorite budget best buy ellipticals under $1000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the 2008 Sole E25 Elliptical 5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

As still one of the best budget ellipticals and best buy ellipticals under $1000, the Sole E25 comes through once more with 5 gold buddahs.




We have found the lowest price online for the Sole E25. Don't be fooled into paying $90 or more for shipping. Click to get more information or find out how to Save more with FREE Shipping and no Tax.


2008 Sole E25 Elliptical Specifications
Stride Length: 20 inches
Flywheel: 23lbs
Articulating Foot Pedals: Yes
Resistance Levels: 20
Display: Blue LCD
Readouts: Time, Distance, Calories, Levels
Programs: 10
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Fans: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 325 lbs.
Unit weight: 190lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Sole F63 Treadmill 2008 Review - Still one of the best treadmills at any price

Ohiyo!

For more than 3 years now, the Sole F63 treadmill has been one of the dominant treadmills in the under $1000 price range. It has been one of the top sellers online and is one of the best reviewed treadmills at any price. This year Sole has upgraded the unit while keeping it at the same under $1000 price tag that consumers have gone crazy for.

The 2008 Sole F63 Treadmill comes with the same monster, cool running, low RPM 2.5 horsepower motor from years past. The F63 motor was the same one found in most of the Spirit treadmills as well as in last year's best buy award winning Sole F80 treadmill. When properly maintained, the motor on the Sole F63 should outlast the 20-year warranty it ships with.

It still has the same 10mph top speed, fantastic 15% incline, large precision machined 2.5" rollers and large 20"x55" deck. The only real changes in the Sole F63 this year are in its look and in the larger support tubing in the upright console supports. The large supports give the already solid SOle F63 even more stability and sturdiness, making the Sole F63 the single most stable and shake-free treadmill under $1000...and it gives higher priced treadmills a run for their money as well. Step on a Sole F63 after checking out a higher priced Spirit treadmill and you'll see the difference immediately. Gone are the shakes and bouncies often found in the Spirit XT175, Spirit XT275 or Spirit XT375 treadmills. The budget-priced Sole F63 out-performs them all.

I can say that I was glad that Sole Fitness decided to keep this best buy award winning treadmill unchanged aside from the cosmetic changes and the larger tubing. The Sole F63 was about as close to a perfect treadmill as you could find in the budget price range.

My one warning about purchasing the Sole F63 comes in where you buy it. A lot of online retailers are knocking a few bucks off of the price of the unit (you may see it listed at $995 some places), but they are tacking on a $99 shipping fee. What that means is that even with a promised 5% discount you'll still end up paying more than market value for the Sole F63. Check out Amazon.com for the Sole F63 priced at $999.99 with free shipping. Don't get conned into paying more by shady sales people, especially when you can get it at a lower price on Amazon as well as take advantage of Amazon's buyer protection.

For being a solid, best buy treadmill, the Treadmill Sensei gives the 2008 Sole F63 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Sole F63 gets a great 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




We have found the lowest price for the Sole F63 treadmill online. Don't be fooled into paying for shipping...get more information and save more with Free Shipping at Amazon.


2008 Sole F63 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 2.5 HP
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Rollers: 2.5"
Belt: 2 ply
Deck Size: 20" x 55"
Display: LCD
Readouts: Speed, Incline, Time, Distance Traveled, Calories, Pulse, pace and 1/4 mile track.
Programs: 6 standard
Heart Rate Monitoring: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Folding: Yes
Max Weight Capacity: 325 lbs.
Weight: 245 lbs.

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