Epic Treadmills

Epic treadmills were once produced by Icon Fitness, but now can be purchased at mass retailers like Costco and Sams Club. Amazon.com also has a FANTASTIC deal on all of these models that include free shipping and no sales tax!!

Below are a few product specs on the View 550, 600 MX, and the 425 MX treadmills, so that you can be the judge. Epic is produced by Icon, and this factory has over 200 engineers that help craft their products. Put simply, they are the best designed treadmills in the business. In the past, they have had to be the best because they used the cheapest parts in the business. They have finally discovered that you can find some of the key component parts overseas for less and the eventual cost is less if you put more quality into the machine; so the quality of drive motors, rollers, and other key components are much higher than in the past and it still sells for a value price.

Icon is the largest fitness equipment producer in the world with around $1 billion in sales. In terms of stability, they are the best but overall, their customer service isn’t up to the standards of some of the lower volume producers. Although they have told us they are upgrading their service, it is still a long road to what we would consider good. Although you get a value price for the product, you also get value service, so keep this in mind when buying their machines. Due to the sheer number of units they produce, we pick up support in many cases where this factory leaves off.

Motor
Epic treadmills offer Continuous Horsepower motors. The View 550 and the 425 Mx have 3.0 Commercial motors while the 600 Mx offers a 2.5 CHP commercial grade motor.

Speed and Incline

Speed and incline for Epic treadmills View 550, 600 MX and the 425 MX offer 1 touch speed and incline controls. The Incline will rise to 12% and speed to 12 MPH.

Heart Monitor

Heart Monitors available on Epic Models are Power Pulse Heart rate monitors that are built directly into the handlebars so that pulse can be taken quickly and conveniently.

Belt, Belt Cushioning and Rollers

The belts on Epic treadmills range from 20 x 60 (View 550 and 425 MX) and 20X55 on the 600 MX. All of the belts offer the patented Comfort Stride Impact Reducing Cushioning. The Comfort Step is an internal cushioning system that provides a more comfortable exercise surface while reducing impact on joints.

All rollers on Epic treadmills are 2.5 inch Diameter rollers for precision operation and to extend the life of your treadmill. The 600 MX features crowned steel rollers that are a vital component of the incredibly smooth drive system.

Extra Features

The extra features included on the Epic model treadmills include models with preprogrammed personal training workouts, heart rate programs and learn programs. All models feature different programs and buyers should discuss option with sales associate prior to purchase.

The View 550 and 600MX offer CoolAire Fans built directly into the console.

All Epic models feature the Space saver convience, and the 425 MX features the space saver with Easy Drop Shocks.

Warranty Information

The Warranties on the Epic treadmills include 12 years on motors (all models) and 1 year on parts (2 years on 600 MX model). Labor is covered for 1 year on all models.

Epic treadmills are great for those looking for a great workout within their budget.


Epic View 550 Specifications:
Motor: 3.0 CHP Odyssey II Commercial Motor
Min Speed: 0 MPH
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Tread belt: 20 x 60 Commercial Tread belt
Cushioning: Comfort Stride Impact Reducing Cushioning
Heart rate: Dual grip in Handle bars
Programs: 28 personal training workouts
Folding: Yes
Rollers: 2.5 Precision Rollers
Weight Capacity: 350 Lbs user
Entertainment: 7 inches Flat Screen TB with Multi colored OSD







Epic 600 MX Specifications:
Motor: 2.50 CHP Commercial Motor
Min Speed: 0 MPH
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Tread belt: 20 x 55 Commercial Tread belt
Cushioning: Comfort Step Impact Reducing Cushioning
Heart rate: PowerPulse Heart Rate Monitor
Programs: 8 personal training workouts, 2 heart rate 4 learn programs
Folding: Yes
Rollers: 2.5 Precision Rollers
Weight Capacity: 325 Lbs user






Epic 425 MX
Motor: 3.0 CHP Commercial Odyssey II Motor
Min Speed: 0 MPH
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Tread belt: 20 x 60 Commercial Tread belt
Cushioning: Comfort Step Impact Reducing Cushioning
Heart rate: Dual Grip Power Pulse Heart Rate Monitor
Programs: 10 personal training workouts, 2 heart rate and 2 learn programs
Folding: Yes
Rollers: 2.5 Precision Rollers
Weight Capacity: 350 Lbs user

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 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 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

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 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.




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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

The Fuel FT94 Treadmill Review - The Best Treadmill Available Under $1000

Ohiyo!

Every so often the Treadmill Sensei gets to take a look at a truly spectacular piece of fitness equipment here at the DOJO. That was the case about a month ago when a box labeled as the "Fuel FT94 Treadmill" was dropped off here at our warehouse doors. I've already talked a little bit about their great ellipticals, and due to high reader demand we decided to follow up and check out their two brand new treadmills.

I have to say that I was blown away by what we saw during our tests of the Fuel FT94 treadmill, especially considering the under $700 price. The test we ran were the standard, hardcore Treadmill Sensei tests - 12 days of running and walking workouts by two people (myself and my parter who actually exceeded the weight limit of the FT94) over the course of a two week period. The workouts were between 15 and 45 minutes in length and consisted of walking, jogging and light running by both of us. Keep in mind, we don't have any of the magical testing machines that other review sites claim to use -- it is just a couple of guys working out exactly the same way you, our loyal readers, will be using the machines. Although, to tell the truth, we're probably a bit rougher on the treadmills than the average user is going to be.

Out of the box, the Fuel FT94 treadmill was about average in ease of assembly. Figure on it taking around 30-45 minutes to put together. The unit we received had one hole in the console that was a bit hard to get lined up. At first we thought it was mis-drilled but we quickly discovered it was a little plastic burr that hadn't been cleaned out. As with all treadmills, putting the Fuel FT94 together is easier with a second set of hands helping out.

For those of you who are not familiar, the Fuel equipment is made at the same factory that the best buy award winning Sole treadmills and ellipticals are manufactured. In fact, the Fuel FT94 seems to be very similar in components to the Sole F63 treadmill. The only real difference seems to be in electronics and warranty -- the 2.25hp motor on the Fuel FT94 appears to be almost identical (if not the same) as the Sole F63.

The Fuel FT94 treadmill shares all the great features found in the higher priced Sole treadmills, including heavy duty frame, easy-assist folding, MP3 speakers, shock absorption system and hand grip heart rate monitoring. A quick glance "under the hood" seems to reveal the same "off the shelf" components that was found in the majority of the old Spirit, Sole and Esprit treadmills. The Fuel FT94 appears to be a case of putting a new name on an older unit. The only real difference between the Sole F63, Esprit or Spirit treadmills and the Fuel FT94 is in the shorter parts warranty on the FT94.

If you are in the market for a high quality home treadmill but don't want to spend the $1000-$1299 it normally costs, check out the Fuel FT94 for one of the best value treadmills for your money. Also, check out the Fuel FT96 for some great upgrades to the awesome Fuel FT94. The Treadmill Sensei gives the Fuel FT94 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs for being the best bang for your buck under $1300.

The Fuel FT94 treadmill is one of the most stable treadmills available for under $700 and out-performs a lot of treadmills priced at $1000 or more!

Fuel FT94 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.25 hp
Speed: 10 mph
Incline: 10%
Unit Weight: 220 lbs.
Max User Weight: 270 lbs.
Running Surface: 20" X 55"
Belt: 2 ply
Rollers: 2.5"
Folding: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Display: LCD
Standard Programs: 5
User Defined Programs: 2
Price: Under $700

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

The 2008 Sole F80 Treadmill Review - A world class treadmill upgrade

Ohiyo!

This year Sole Fitness has tweaked their entire, award-winning line of treadmills and ellipticals. In general, most of that tweaking was cosmetic -- color, shape of console and thickening of tubing to make the units stronger -- but for the already spectacular Sole F80 Treadmill, Sole has gone one step further and added in a larger, cooler running motor. That's right, last year's great 2.5 horsepower motor was replaced with an even larger 3 horsepower motor that runs at low RPMs in order to extend it's life and give owners fairly care-free maintence.

It's very very easy to see why just about every fitness expert out there, as well as more consumers than you can shake a stick at, consider the Sole F80 to be the best buy treadmill for under $1500.

2007-2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner for treadmills under $1500.

Last year I talked about the sturdy platform and frame of the Sole F80 and how it would hold up to some fairly hardcore workouts. How runners and walkers alike would enjoy the stability of the machine, as well as Sole's patented shock absorption system. Well, that is all back this year, along with the extra large 2.75", precision machined rollers, heart rate monitoring and control programs, and one of the best hydraulic-assisted folding found in any treadmill at any price.

The 2008 Sole F80 treadmill continues to shine as the best buy treadmill award winner and one of the best machines in any class. For still being a great treadmill, the Treadmill Sensei gives the newly upgraded Sole F80 treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

For the second year in a row, the Sole F80 Treadmill gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




Get more information on the Sole F80 Treadmill. Find the guaranteed best price online, and Save More with FREE Shipping Now!


2008 Sole F80 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3 HP
Speed: 11 mph
Incline: 15%
Unit Weight: 250 lbs.
Max User Weight: 350 lbs.
Running Surface: 20" X 55
Belt: Double Woven 2 Ply"
Rollers: 2 3/4 inches
Folding: Yes - with hydraulic assistance
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Display: LED
Standard Programs: 6
User Defined Programs: 2
Heart Rate Programs: 2
Cooling Fans: Yes
Price: Under $1500

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

The York T780 Treadmill Review - High quality backed by a so-so warranty

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is always amazed at the odd assortment of equipment which makes its way here to the DOJO. About 3 weeks ago we had a set of York T780 Treadmills roll in to the DOJO for installation at a local YMCA. You're probably thinking exactly what I thought when they arrived - York Barbell makes Treadmills? Yes they do, but the things just don't pop up very often at all. Let's see how they faired up against 12 days of testing by the Treadmill Sensei crew.

York Barbell was founded back in 1929 and has a long history of producing some very solid weight lifting equipment. York began producing treadmills in the mid-1990s and their equipment is well-known in the industry for having some of the best rated treadmill motors around. In fact, their treadmill motors produce a reported 7 times the torque of most other home or light commercial great treadmills. What that means to the everyday user is that the treadmill will operate much more consistantly even when running at higher speeds, higher inclines or under maximum load conditions. In other words, York treadmills will out-perform just about every other treadmill in their class and their motors tend to have a much longer life-span without repair.

The York T780 Treadmill we received here at the DOJO was very easy to put together. Total assembly time for us was right at about 10 minutes with 2 people. For someone going solo, figure it will take 15-20 minutes and should cause very little frustration at all. York has done an excellent job in the machining of their parts.

In putting the York T-780 together we noticed some very interesting things. First off, the cooling system for the motor is top-notch and one of the best we've seen. Keep your motor cool is one of the key components to a longer life for the entire treadmill and the York's high volume fan produce excellent results.

The next thing we noticed was the high-quality, 4-ply treadbelt on the York T780. The diamond cut design is such that it gives some great traction while running. A lot of home grade treadmills have thinner belts with a much slicker surface that can be a bit slippery to run on. The thickness and design of the York belt also prevents it from stretching and becoming misaligned, allowing for fewer belt replacements over the life of the York T780 Treadmill.

Finally, the rollers on the York T780 are works of art. Both front and rear rollers are crowned and fitted with precision bearings. Those two things, when factored together, ensure proper alignment and position of belt and roller, greatly reduce lengthening (or stretching) and give users a much quieter operation, less maintenance and add to the life of the treadmill belt.

When you add those components in with the monster 3 horsepower, ultra-high torque motor and rock-solid steel-welded frames, what you come up with is one of the most durable, most reliable and, just as important, most comfortable treadmills around for under $2000.

While the York T780 treadmill ranks high in components, design and performance, there are a couple of minor issues I've got with the unit. First off is the size of the running area, where the York T780 comes up a little short when compared to competition in its price range. The 20"x55" is just a tad short for what most people expect from a just under $1800 treadmill. Keep in mind, though, that for most people 20"x55" is actually more than enough. Only the super tall (6'4"+) or those doing intense running/marathon training will even notice the difference between a 20"x55" deck and a 20"x58" one.

The second nitpick I have is with York's warranty. For a treadmill that performs as well and is built as solidly as the York T780, it is a shame to see a 10 year motor and 5 year deck warranty. I'd love to see both of those upped just a bit.

For being an excellent machine, and a solid contender for a best buy treadmill award next year, the Treadmill Sensei gives the York T780 Treadmill 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The York T780 Treadmill gets 4 gold buddahs for one of the best motors on the market.


Get more information on the York T780 treadmill and find the lowest price online. Save even more with Coupon Code TMSENSEI.

York T780 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3HP
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 12%
Running Area: 20" x 55"
Belt: 4 ply
Display: LED
Readouts: Time, speed, distance, calories, pulse and elevation
Programs: 7
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 330lbs
Unit Weight: 240lbs
Price: Under $1800

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

The Horizon T83 Treadmill - Another Excellent Upgrade for under $1000

Ohiyo!

Is it me or is this year just flying by? I apologize for not updating the site more this past month but things have been hectic here at the DOJO for the Treadmill Sensei. It looks like the busy season is here and it's kicking the heck out of us! I was able to finish up a review from a batch of units that we ordered through Amazon a few months ago from Horizon Fitness. So, without further ado, the Horizon T83 treadmill review for your perusal.

Back in August or thereabouts, we received an order we had placed for 6 Horizon Fitness units - a number of treadmills and ellipticals, most of which I have already review. One of the last ones that came in was the very slick looking Horizon T83. I was a bit wary of the new look for the upper end Horizon line because, at first, I didn't think they'd stand up to much abuse. In the box they just looked like flimsy plastic. Luckily, Horizon knows what they are doing and the T83 was quite a bit sturdier than I had first thought.

The unit itself weighs over 210 pounds and is very bulky for an under $1000 treadmill. The uprights are very solid and attach well to both the console and the deck. There are a few more bolts in the frame design than I normally like, but that is not at all uncommon in these upper end budget treadmills.

We had been hearing some complaints about assembly issues with last year's Horizon Treadmills, thankfully Johnson Tech has listened to its consumers and has radically improved the assembly process and requirements on the 2007-2008 treadmills. Assembly on the Horizon T83 was a snapp and we had ours together in about 10 minutes. Figure 30-45 minutes for those with average mechanical ability. I would suggest having a second person on hand to help out with mounting the console. The T83 has a bigger console this year and it can be a bit tough to get situated just right if you're by yourself.

The Horizon T83 has a very good sized running area, at 20"x55", and a fantastic 2.5 horsepower motor. The increase in size by Johnson Tech is an excellent addition to this year's line and the T83's motor is easily one of the biggest in the under $1500 treadmill price range. I was also surpised at how quiet ours ran, even during heavier duty workouts.

Probably the best feature found in all of the Horizon line is their shock absorption system. Any regular reader of the site knows how much I hate the long, often very silly names that manufaturers come up with their technolog, and the Horizon is no different. They call it the "Air Cell Shock Absorption System" this year -- how that is different from their "Gel Cell" technology of the past is anyone's guess. All that matters is that it significantly reduces the impact on your joints even during running...something my tired old tennis knees were appreciative of.

The only real downside to the Horizon T83 treadmill is one of the features that Horizon has been pushing for it -- the MP3 speaker system and iPod dock. Truthfully, the speakers aren't the best in the world and you'll do better with headphones. I'm just glad that Horizon decided not to increase the price of the units because of that feature and we're still left with a very solid under $1000 treadmill even without the speakers.

All-in-all, the Horizon T83 treadmill continues Horizon's streak of very impressive treadmills and ellipticals this year. If you're looking for a great buy for under $1000 then check it out. You'll be as pleasantly surprised as we were.

For being a solid treadmill with some nice features for under $1000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon T82 Treadmill 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A solid offering for under $1000 from Horizon Fitness, the T83 treadmill gets 4 gold buddahs out of 5.


Get the best price online and find more information by clicking HERE.




Horizon T83 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5hp
Running Area: 20" x 55"
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Console: LCD
Programs: 16
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 325 lbs
Unit Weight: 216 lbs
Price: $999

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

The Smooth 7.1HR PRO Treadmill Review - One of the Best Treadmills Under $2000

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has talked about it time and time again, but fancy consoles, lots of programs or bells-and-whistles are not the things to look at when picking a treadmill. Those things are nice but all that really matters is stability and a large, cool-running motor -- well, those are the main things. A good warranty is also a factor. Too often we get questions about Proform or NordicTrack treadmills that are "fully loaded" on the outside but are shallow where it counts.

One of the best treadmills on the market in the $1500-$2000 range is the Smooth 7.1HR Pro Treadmill and it is a great combination of stability and bells-and-whistles. We received one to install for a client here at the DOJO about 2 months ago and were very excited by what we found.

As with all of the Smooth Treadmills, assembly was a breeze. It took my son about 15 minutes to put the Smooth 7.1HR Pro together and shouldn't take more than 30 minutes for someone with average mechanical ability. Smooth has done a great job with their instructions. My son normally comes away with extra pieces left over, but not with the Smooth treadmill, surprisingly enough.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

Something that seems a bit redundant to mention in regards to a Smooth treadmill, but the 7.1HR Pro felt as sturdy as any commercial treadmill out there during our workouts. My 165 pounds don't test the limits of the machine, but Hikaru's near 300 pounds do and, let me tell you, the Smooth 7.1HR Pro held up with flying colors. The frame is solid, sturdy and well-constructed.

Following the cue of the frame, the 2.75 horsepower motor is a monster. It's large size and low RPMs allow it to pull fewer amps than other motors in its class, and let it run cooler. Those things all add up to a much longer motor life and less maintenance problems. Interestingly enough, even with such a large motor the Smooth 7.1HR Pro runs incredibly quiet. Smooth has picked an excellent motor for the 7.1HR Pro.

The Smooth 7.1HR Pro treadmill also comes with 8 preset programs, 9 user profiles for those of you with multiple users, heart rate monitoring and control, and the very cool power folding feature. With the touch of a button the 7.1HR Pro folds up or down all on its own, saving you from the strain of lifting the heavy deck up yourself.

The only real downside in an otherwise fantastic machine is the smallish runner area. If Smooth upped this to a 20"x56" deck then they'd have a perfect machine on their hands. It's a minor nitpick on a great treadmill.

For being a solid treadmill with some nice shiny features to boot, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Smooth 7.1HR Pro Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

A best buy treadmill runner up, the Smooth 7.1HR Pro gets 4.5 gold buddahs.

Smooth 7.1HR PRO Specifications
Motor: 2.75hp
Running Area: 20" x 54"
Folding: Yes
Rollers: 2.5" commercial grade
Speed: 10mph
Incline: 15%
Display: LED
Readouts: speed, distance, time, calories burned, heart rate and more
Programs: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 280lbs
Price: Under $1700

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

The Smooth 9.25x Treadmill Review - 2008 Best Buy Treadmill under $2500

Ohiyo!

From time to time we here at the Treadmill Sensei dot Com head online and place an order for a piece of equipment we haven't been able to get a hold of through our regular channels. Some machines are just tough to come by. That was the case with the Smooth 9.25x Treadmill. I had been searching around for one for a couple of months -- trying to beg, bribe and borrow a unit from everyone we know. When our quest came up empty, I pulled out my trusty credit card and went directly to the source to buy one.

The ordering went smooth enough, but there were some delivery issues which caused the 9.25x treadmill to be delayed for almost 2 weeks before we were finally able to get it here to the DOJO. In Smooth's defense, it was an issue caused by the freight company and Smooth's customer service was a pleasure to work with and very friendly no matter how many times we were on the phone to bug them. Once the original unit was determined to be lost (how you lose a 350 pound package is beyond me), Smooth had a replacement unit out the next day.

2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

When our Smooth 9.25x Treadmill arrived after the delay, I was surprised at how solid its design was. If I had gotten on the 9.25x without any information beforehand I would have guessed that it was a full commercial unit meant to go in to an upper class gym or hotel workout room. The treadmill itself weighs a bit over 300 pounds and is rock solid. Both my partner and my son, two big burly guys, took turns working out on the unit and it held up marvelously to the tortue they put it through. There was almost no visible shaking in the uprights or console when either ran on the Smooth 9.25x treadmill and no creaking or bending in the deck itself. Smooth did an excellent job when they designed and constructed this unit.

The Smooth 9.25x is powered by an absolutely monstrous 3.5 horsepower motor. We tested it with both my son and Hikaru on the machine at once (totally over 500 pounds) and it ran smoothly even from a cold start. The combination of the huge, cool-running motor and the precision machined 2.5" commercial quality rollers keeps the treadmill's belt running like butter during even the most gruelling of workouts.

The 9.25x treadmill also features a sound system which, while nice to have, really doesn't do anything to improve the treadmill. What's more important is the solid incline motor, powering the treadmill to a great 15% incline, the large 20"x62" running area, the 12.5 mph top speed, the 12 preset programs, wireless heart rate monitoring and heart rate control programs. Sure it's nice to have a decent sound coming out of your treadmill but the workout you get is more important. Luckily, the Smooth 9.25x treadmill delivers on that workout in spades.

Another feature we all like, and was especially nice to have with my old-man eyesight, was the large and easy to read console. The multiple windows and very readable quick start buttons are great for those of us who don't like to hunt and peck through screens to find what the information we need to adjust our workout. Everything is there and immediately visible while you're working out. Other manufacturers should take note of the 9.25x's flawless console design.
During out 10 days of review the Smooth 9.25x treadmill met or beat all of our tests and passed with flying colors. For being an absolute dream to workout on, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Smooth 9.25x treadmill 5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The simply amazing Smooth 9.25x treadmill gets a perfect score of 5 gold buddahs.

Smooth 9.25x Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3hp
Running Area: 20"x62"
Rollers: 2.5" commercial grade
Speed: 12.5mph
Incline: 15%
Display: LED
Readouts: 1/4-mile running track, speed, distance, time, calories burned, heart rate and more
Programs: 12
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 300lbs
Price: Under $2500

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

The Horizon T82 Treadmill Review - Solid upgrade and a best buy runner up for 2008

Ohiyo!

It's a new day and the Treadmill Sensei is glad the Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards are now finished. You, my loyal readers, how no idea how much work goes in to compiling those every year. My brain is fried!

Today I want to talk a bit about one of the top offerings from Horizon Fitness this year, the Horizon T82 treadmill. We got in a batch of their equipment a couple of months ago and have been slowly sorting through and testing it all. We reviewed the T82 back in September but this is my first chance to sit down and actually write that review up.

As with all of the Horizon units, assembly is fairly straightforward and easy to manage on the T82 treadmill. The instructions that come packed with the Horizon T82 were clear and simple to follow. On the unit we reviewed, there was a minor alignment issue in one of the holes in the console, but nothing major at all. Total assembly time, even with the alignment problem, was less than 10 minutes. For most people that time will probably be in the 15-20 minute range or so. Very quick and hassle-free.

It seems like Horizon upgraded the plastic they use in their equipment this year. Normally on these lower cost treadmills you have to be very careful when you put them together for fear of cracking the thin, rigid plastic that makes up the consoles and shrouds. However, the plastic on the Horizon T82 was very sturdy and thicker-feeling than normal. This is an excellent addition and will allow the Horizon T82 to hold up to more of a beating than other treadmills in the under $800 price range.

The Horizon T82 is a great buy at about $799, featuring the standard large and cool running Johnson-Tech motor, coming in at a fantastic-for-the-price 2.25 horsepower. The T82 also features a good-sized 20" x 55" running area, 10 mph top speed, 10% incline, heart rate monitoring and a staggering 14 programs. Horizon went all out when putting together the design for the T82 treadmill this year, making it a huge upgrade over last year's award-winning Horizon T72 treadmill.

The key to the Horizon T82 is that it is an incredibly sturdy treadmill, weighing just under 190 pounds. With the addition of that plastic upgrade, the T82 is one of the most solid treadmills available at its price point. For being a great new unit from Horizon, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon T82 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The best value Horizon treadmill on the market today, the T82 gets 4.5 gold buddahs.


Get more information on the award-winning Horizon T82 Treadmill NOW and get the lowest price online. Click HERE.




Horizon T82 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.25 hp
Running Area: 20"x55"
Speed: 10mph
Incline: 10%
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, Pulse, Distance, Calories, Incline, Speed and Program Profiles
Programs: 14
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 185lbs
Price: Under $800

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

The Second Annual Treadmill Sensei 2007-2008 Ichi-Ban "Best Buy Awards" for Treadmills

Ohiyo!

It is that time again.

Welcome once again to the Treadmill Sensei's Ichi-Ban Best Buy Treadmill Awards. For those of you keeping track, these are our second annual awards for treadmill best buys.

For those of you who are wondering, the phrase "Ichi-Ban" is Japanese for "Number One" or "The Best" and that's what we'll be discussing -- the Best Buys for Treadmills (the elliptical best buy awards can be found here) in the 2007 through 2008 buying season.

Like we saw in the first annual awards, most of the action in the treadmill industry seems to be in the under $800 range and between $1000 and $2000. This year there are a lot of really good units, with Sole still being dominant under $2000. This year, though, Sole has some suprise competition from an unexpected source in Bodycraft. The Bodycraft treadmills are just plain great machines and I can't wait to see what they come up with next. In the higher price ranges, SportsArt, Bodyguard and Landice all have some very exciting equipment.

As with the best buy awards last year, the treadmills are picked with no real scientific technique. All reviews and ratings are based on our group's 20+ years of experience as sales people and service/repair techs for fitness equipment. Our opinions and thoughts come from having worked on most of the machines out there and on our actually getting on the machines we review. When an elliptical comes in to the shop for either installation or repair, we run pretty extensive tests on the machines to make sure they are up to snuff (generally 5-10 hours per unit). This includes running fairly hardcore routines on the machines, going through all of their programs and so on. After our testing any machine that is going out to be installed for a customer, or which has had repairs done, has been run through the ringer to make sure everything is working.

Reviews are not made with manufacturer input. We don't get free equipment from manufacturers. We aren't bought off by bribes and we don't sell advertising to manufacturers.

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

Now, on with the awards!!

Best Buy Treadmill Under $500
Merit 720t: In the ultra low end of the treadmill spectrum, the Merit 720T is far and away the best buy treadmill under $500. There is little else in this price range worth looking at. Check out the full review.

Runner Up: There really isn't a whole lot of quality to be found in the under $500 price range because of the cost of components that go in to quality treadmills. It is just tough to build a good treadmill for under $500 and most units people buy wind up turning in to expensive clothes racks.

Best Buy Treadmill From $501-$799
Horizon T81: When it comes to budget treadmills for under $1000, you can't go wrong with the Horizon brand. Taking over for the excellent Horizon T71, the new Horizon T81 treadmill is sturdy, well-built and great for those on a budget. Check out the T81 review here.

Runner Up: We've added a new price range this year because of the lack of quality treadmills for under $500 and because of the huge number of great treadmills right at $1000. In this range, Johnson's Merit and Horizon treadmills completely blow the competition away. The HealthTrainer HT502T also makes a return appearance from last year's Best Buys.

2. Merit 730t
3. Horizon T82
4. HealthTrainer HT502T

Best Buy Treadmill From $800-$1000
Bodycraft TR1120: From out of nowhere, Bodycraft takes the best buy treadmill under $1000 award. The TR1120 is the single best, single sturdiest and single most reliable treadmill available for under $1000 this year. It out-performs a lot of treadmills priced at $1500. Take a look at why the Bodycraft TR1120 gets top spot for under $1000 HERE.

Runner Up: This price range is absolutely packed at its higher end. There are a large number of great treadmills available for $999 and that is where all the action is. Although the Sole F63 has dropped a slot over last year, it is still a great buy. The Smooth 5.25 also returns at the #3 spot. This year the amazing Lifespan TR1000HRC comes in at the #4 spot, edging Horizon out of the best buys in this range.

2. Sole F63
3. Smooth 5.25
4. Lifespan TR1000-HRC

Best Buy Treadmill From $1000-$1500
Sole F80: Improved over last year with a bigger motor and more solid frame, the new Sole F80 hits a homerun for Sole this year, taking the best buy award for treadmills under $1500. Check out the new and improved Sole F80 treadmill here.

Runner Up: Getting in to the range of where those looking for a treadmill a little closer to what they find in a gym, the $1000-$1500 is packed with creamy goodness. The contenders for this price range almost exactly mirror the $800-$1000 winners. Bodycraft, Lifespan and Smooth set the bar, but in this price point Sole takes it one step further. Watch out for Icon fitness brand units in this price range -- they have the gloss but underneath their fancy looks and loaded features are still the same poorly constructed units of the past.

2. Bodycraft TR1140
3. Lifespan TR2000
4. Smooth 6.25

Best Buy Treadmill From $1500-$2000
Bodycraft TR1180: For a company that wasn't on the radar last year, Bodycraft has pulled out the stops with its comfortable tank, the TR1180. This is a gym quality unit for a home price. Read the entire review here.

Runner Up: Probably the hardest contested price range this year, the $1500-$2000 spots are filled with some of the best treadmills on the market. You can't go wrong with any of these picks.

2. Smooth 7.1HR PRO
3. Sole F85
4. Bodyguard T240
5. BladeZ 710ME

Best Buy Treadmill From $2000-$2500
Smooth 9.25X: Smooth's big boy takes top honors in the under $2500 awards. This treadmill is solid, well built and feature packed. A pleasure to review and a great treadmill to own. Get the full review to find out more.

Runner Up: This price range is a tough one because the units don't offer as much as a $3000 unit and really aren't that much better than the under $2000 units. I'd suggest taking a look at units in those two price ranges to see if you can get a better deal. However, if this what you want to pay, check out units from Bodyguard, SportsArt and Smooth. You can't go wrong.

2. Bodyguard T240P
3. SportsArt TR21F
4. Evo 3I

Best Buy Treadmill From $2500-$3000
SportsArt TR31: SportsArt takes its first best buy award with the TR31. This unit is where SportsArt's design and engineering really start to shine. The full review tells the story of why the TR31 gets the trophy this year.

Runner Up: Tunturi makes its first appearance with the new T60F, and Bodyguard and Lifespan both do well with their units as well. Like the $2000-$2500 price range, you may find a better deal by dropping down to the under $2000 range or by going up a bit to a $3000+ unit.
2. Bodyguard T280P
3. Lifespan Pro 5
4. Tunturi T60F

Best Buy Treadmill From $3000-$4000
SportsArt TR33: The Sportsart TR33 is the best treadmill available at any price. With its manual shock adjustment, excellent program selection and SportsArt's continued dedication to quality and class, the SportsArt TR33 is my pick for Treadmill of the year. Check out the full review now!

Runner Up: Bodyguard and Landice both have some excellent offerings in the $3000-$4000 price range. This is where top atheletes find the treadmills to train on. I believe the best performing treadmills available at any price are in this range. Quantum's new Q3.2EX rounds out the list quite nicely.

2. Bodyguard T460x
3. Landice L7 Pro Sport
4. Quantum Q3.2EX

Best Buy Treadmill From $4000 and Over
Landice L7 Cardio: For 30+ years, Landice has been the cream of the crop for high end treadmills and this year is no different. The Landice L7 Cardio trainer treadmill is the perfect combination of performance, design and cost. Check out the full review for more information.

Runner Up: You can't go wrong with any of the treadmills in this class. Star Trac and Matrix produce some of the best equipment on the market and have stuck to the same designs from last year. All excellent machines for those with the money to buy them.

2. Star Trac Pro
3. Matrix T3X
4. Star Trac Elite

The Treadmill Sensei Ichi-Ban Best of the Best Award:

This year we have a tie for the best of the best treadmill award. The two outstanding units this year are the BodyCraft TR1120 -- an incredible unit that is under-priced at $999 -- and the absolutely perfect SportsArt TR33 for $3799. SportsArt put together one of the best treadmills we've ever seen with the TR33 and we look forward to watching this unit over the years to come.

Thanks it for this year's Ichi-Ban Awards. I hope you enjoyed them and we'll see you next year. Until then, take care and have a great workout!!

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

The Horizon T81 Treadmill Review - A semi upgrade to the Horizon T71

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei and company are still very hard at work on this year's Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards which we hope (cross your fingers) to post sometime in early October. We are still waiting to find a few more units to test and are sad that some new equipment won't be shipping until late October after the awards go live. This is one of the most fun parts of doing this website. We sit down with all of the reviews we've done (including some that haven't been posted yet) and compare specs, pricing, positives, negatives, complaints we've come across (heard, experienced) and put together the best buy lists. We're also doing another round of Baka Awards this year for the compaines, people and equipment that was just plain Baka ("stupid") from this past year. Lots and lots of fun.

However, in all that fun I've been neglecting the site just a bit and am going to try my darnedest to get back to posting a new review once a day. Today's review, for the Horizon T81 treadmill, is one of the more difficult ones. Not because of anything exceptionally good or bad about the treadmill, but because the lower end units are harder to rate and rank. One of the things I had to decided when I started this site was "do I rank budget units in the same manner, and up against, the more expensive units?" or "do I rank budget units only against other units in the same class and price range?" Both modes of thought are valid - budget treadmills (and ellipticals) are ALWAYS going to be less sturdily constructed and with lower cost components than higher end or commercial equipment. There's no way around that.

2008 Best Buy Award Winner.

What I decided was to rank units against others in their own class. A budget treadmill goes up against a budget treadmill and I give you my opinion on which one is better. What that doesn't mean is that a 4.5 buddah budget treadmill is better than a 4 or even 3.5 buddah commercial treadmill. You're comparing apples to oranges at that point and, most of the time, the lower ranked commercial treadmill will blow away the budget one.

With that incredibly long build up to a fairly short review, we received in a batch of equipment we ordered from Horizon Fitness a few weeks ago. In that batch was the new Horizon T81 Treadmill, which replaces the 2006/2007 Horizon T71 Treadmill (check out the T71 Review). Now, a lot of you may be wondering why Horizon seems to come up with new model numbers every year for what is generally the same equipment. I can't answer that question for Horizon but my guess would be that they are pressured to do so by their big box (Sears, Amazon, etc.) retailers so those retailers have something shiny and new to sell, even if it is basically the same unit.

The Horizon T81 Treadmill is indeed, basically the same unit as last year's T71, with a few decent upgrades. The main differences (aside from the cosmetic differences in the console and plastic tooling) are in the slightly larger motor in the T81, which clocks in at 2 horsepower this year versus 1.75 in the old Horizon T71. It really isn't a major change and not one most people will notice.

The other change is in the size of the running area on the Horizon T81. This year the model gets an additional 2 inches tacked on to the sides with a 20"x50" inch deck. As with the motor, this isn't something most people will notice.

Overall, the Horizon T81 Treadmill is a very decent budget treadmill for under $600 and should more than meet the needs of anyone looking to do a light work out a few times a week. If you're working out daily or putting any major mileage on it, I would suggest moving up to a heavier treadmill.

For being a solidly built treadmill for those on a budget, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon T81 Treadmill 4 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Another solid budget treadmill for Horizon, the T81 gets 4 gold buddahs.


Find out more about the very solid Horizon T81 Treadmill.



Horizon T81 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2hp
Display: LCD
Readouts: Speed, Distance, Time, Calories and Heart Rate
Programs: 8
Rollers: approximately 1.75"
Running Area: 20"x50"
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 10%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs
Price: Under $600

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

The Landice L7 Pro Sport Trainer Treadmill Review - You can't go wrong with a Landice

Ohiyo!

When I wasn't looking, someone went and moved California on to the Sun because it has been bloody hot here this past week. Mrs. Sensei and I were out driving over the weekend and her car's temperature gauge showed over 119 degrees at one point! I am a delicate flower and am not built for such cruel environs. I wilt! So, we boarded ourselves up at home over the long Labor Day weekend and kept the air conditioner firmly planted at 78 degrees. I now officially rename Los Angeles to "Hell-A."

Interestingly enough, I spent most of the 3 days running on a new treadmill at the Sensei household. An old friend of ours was having a bit of trouble with his new Landice L7 Pro Sport Trainer Treadmill (which gets my top 5 award for having one of the longest names in the fitness industry). It was nothing to do with the treadmill itself, but the silly service techs who installed it for him didn't put it together quite right. Once I fixed the problem at his house, I asked if I could borrow the unit for a few days to write a review for you, my loyal readers.

For those of you who don't know, the Landice L7 Pro Sport Treadmill shares the exact same frame and motor as the rest of the Landice L7 models. The frame and construction on the L7 Pro Sport is a prime example of how a treadmill should be built. I don't care how heavy you are -- 250, 300, 350 pounds or more -- when you run on the Landice L7 Pro Sport you will see no shake in the uprights or console, and you'll find the frame and base to be the most sturdy you've ever run on. Things things are like tanks...if tanks were designed and built by BMW that is.

The Pro Sport Trainer Treadmill has the same giant 3 horsepower motor as the rest of the Landice L7 line. The motors are so big and so well-made that Landice might pulling them out of cars. Over the 35 or so years Landice has dominated the top end of the treadmill market, there has never been a better treadmill motor than what they use. You very rarely, if ever, hear about a problem with a properly maintained Landice motor even on units 15 years old or older. This is the reason Landice is so generous with its warranties, they know their motors will outlive most of their owners.

The Landice L7 Pro Sport is a prime choice for a runner's treadmill for a couple of reasons. First, it comes with a large 20" x 58" running area on that incredibly stable Landice L7 frame, which makes longer workouts of an hour or more a dream. Second, it has the cryptic sounding "VFX" shock absorption system. I still have no clue what "VFX" stands for but I do know that it feels really good on my poor old knees and ankles. If you are a runner or worried about your joints, you will be very happy on the Landice L7 Pro Sport trainer treadmill. Sheesh, that is a long name to type!

Anyway, the only difference between any of the Landice L7 treadmills is in their console. The Landice L7 Pro Sport Trainer has the middle of the pack console. I don't mean that in regards to quality, but in number of features and price. The Landice L7 Pro Sport doesn't have quite as many programs as the L7 Cardio Trainer or Executive (it only has 5 versus the 7 on the Cardio) and it doesn't have heart rate control programming. It does come with wireless heart rate monitoring but the contact HR pulse grips are optional on it.

Now, for most people, the Landice L7 Pro Sport Trainer is going to be the best buy treadmill from the Landice line because they don't actually do heart rate control programs. The savings of around $400 on the Pro Sport trainer versus the Cardio trainer is an excellent bonus as well. If you don't care about heart rate control then you can pick up the L7 Pro Sport Trainer for around $3600 with free shipping. Not a bad price for the fitness equivilent of a BMW.

The L7 Pro Sport Treadmill is a best buy treadmill for under $4000 and THE best buy for runners who don't need heart rate control. For being as close to perfect as a treadmill can get, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Landice L7 Pro Sport Trainer Treadmill, and its painfully long name, 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

4.5 gold buddahs for the high quality, US-made Landice L7 Pro Sport Trainer Treadmill.


Get more information on one of the best high end treadmills on the market and get the lowest price online.



Landice L7 Pro Sport Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.0hp
Running Area: 20" x 58"
Max Speed: 12mph
Max Incline: 15%
Programs: 5
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Rollers: 2.5"
Deck Thickness: 1"
Belt: 4 ply
Folding: No
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 300lbs
Price: $3600

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

The Lifespan TR2000HRC Treadmill Review - Everything but the kitchen sink

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei feels like he just won the Superbowl because he's going to Disneyland today! My wife has an addiction to the themepark and goes at least once a month with our daughter, her husband and my beloved grandson (who they mistakenly named after someone other than me, but I'm not bitter). My partner, Mat, and his wife are also tagging along this time because his wife has a similar addiction to the House of the Mouse.

However, I woke up extra early today to put together a new review for you, my loyal readers. One comment we get a lot here at the DOJO is about just how bloody big treadmills area. Now, the same people who complain about the size of treadmills are also the ones who want a longer deck size to run on. Sheesh, you just can't please some people! Luckily, for those insane people who want a smaller treadmill with a longer deck, the fine folks at Lifespan Fitness have found a way to bend the rules of time and space to give you exactly that in the Lifespan TR2000HRC Treadmill.

In an effort to expand our range of reviews, I had Hikaru purchase a Lifespan TR2000HRC treadmill online about 4 months ago. Because I'm an absent minded little man, the notes for that review sat on my desk for most of that time.

The Lifespan TR2000HRC features a very interesting design -- Lifespan calls it "step through" but I don't think that is the best name for it. What they've done is move the motor placement to under the machine in order to reduce the frame length while still having a very large running area. This design allows for a 20" x 56" running area on a frame that is 14-16 inches shorter than any other treadmill with the same deck size. In other words, it is a space saver and an excellent treadmill for runner's with limited space in their homes.

The other feature you don't see in this price range (and rarely see at all) is a decline option. In addition to a 10% incline, the Lifespan TR2000 HRC allows uses to workout at a 3% decline which works a completely different set of muscles than an inline or flat workout. I had Hikaru do a heavy jog using the decline and inclines in order to see if there was a comprise of stability or sturdiness and am very happy to say the TR2000HRC treadmill held up exceptionally well.

As with the rest of the Lifespan line of treadmills, the TR2000HRC featured very high quality components, a solid frame, very large low RPM and cool running 2.5 horsepower motor. One component that I particularly appreciated, but will mean absolutely nothing to most casual readers, was the very high quality machined rollers Lifespan has given the TR2000HRC. Good, large sized rollers like these will help to extend the life of both your motor and your treadmill belt.

We worked out on the Lifespan TR2000HRC treadmill between us for approximately 20 hours over a 2 week period and were all very impressed by the unit. It is solid, reliable and, if properly maintained and cleaned, should last 10 years or more for most owners. Even the warranty shows longevity with lifetime coverage on the frame and motor, 5 years for parts and 1 year for labor (my one nitpick is that I'd love to see the TR2000HRC with a 2 year labor warranty, but that is a minor complaint about a great machine). It is great to see a company with as high a commitment to quality as Lifespan has shown.

For being an excellent treadmill with some great features found nowhere else, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lifespan TR2000HRC Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 buddahs.

Quality, quality, quality.


Get more information on this innovative product and find the lowest price for it anywhere.





Lifespan TR2000HRC Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5hp
Rollers: 2.5"
Running Area: 20" x 56"
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 10%
Max Decline: 3%
Display: LCD
Readouts: Incline, speed, time, distance, calories, heart rate, lap count
Programs: 6
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit Weight: 200lbs
Price: Under $1400

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

The BodyCraft TR1180 Treadmill Review -- Best Treadmill Buy Under $2000

Ohiyo!

Today the Treadmill Sensei is going to write about a near tragedy that occurred while reviewing today's treadmill, the BodyCraft TR1180. In the accident, I'm sad to say, my son's pride and ego were both killed. He wasn't actually hurt but any chances of him ever looking cool in the eyes of the cute offices girls next door is now gone.

You see, my son and Hikaru (who have been friends since childhood) decided to take 6 of the treadmills we had in our repair bays, including the BodyCraft TR1180 treadmill I'll be reviewing in a minute or two, and set them up so they could perform a "treadmill dance" for the DOJO crew and the fine people in the home design studio next door (including a pair of very lovely young ladies the two boys have been hoping to go out with). They decided to do this after seeing some video on YouTube and after having heard my stories of the Motus girls at the IRHSA tradeshow earlier this year.

2008 Best Buy Award Winner.

Unfortunately, the boys didn't have some of the advantages the people in the video and the girls at IRSHA had: such as a choreographer, weeks of practice and, most importantly, natural rhythm and the ability to actually dance. Heck, they both still have problems walking straight...I can't imagine what made them think they could dance on treadmills.

Being a fairly busy man at the DOJO I missed out on the first minute or so of the performance. What got my attention was a loud burst of cheering and the laughing of a good 20 people in what is normally a fairly empty receiving dock. Some sort of robot-sounding music could also be heard blaring in the background. Heading out I was very surprised to see the aforementioned 20 people surrounding a group of treadmills with my son and Hikaru in the midst of what I at first thought was an epileptic seizure of some sort. I was later informed the seizures were actually their "moves."

After another minute or so of thei convulsing and hopping back and forth on the treadmills, the pair zigged instead of zagged and wound up running in to each other with a fairly loud "THUMP" as their heads collided. My son was knocked 45 degrees and fell flat in the middle of all the treadmills. Hikaru almost held his balance but tripped of my fallen son, took a face plant in to the BodyCraft TR1180's console, went down to his knees which were pulled out from under him as he crashed in to my son. The whole group was in shock until a tiny voice came out of the mass of bodies and said, very quietly, "Ow."

I laughed so hard I just about crapped my pants. This probably makes me a bad father because I should have rushed over to help my son out, but it was easily the funniest thing I've ever been blessed to see and I wish we had a video camera because the footage would have made me rich.

To end a long story, they were both ok once we shut the treadmills down. Hikaru came away with a nice sized black eye and my son was distressed that one of his shoes was torn. I readily volunteered to buy him new shoes in exchange for the day's entertainment.

What I learned while putting the treadmills away was that inspite of being hit with the very large, very solid head of Hikaru, the BodyCraft TR1180 showed almost no damage at all. Hikaur is a big boy (he and my son both weigh in excess of 260lbs) and his full weight slammed in to the console of the TR1180 and neither it nor the upright supports were knocked loose or damaged -- well, aside from a gouge in the front of the console where I assume Hikaru's teeth impacted.

The stability and sturdiness of the frame on the BodyCraft treadmills continues to astonish me. Their use of high gauge steel (14 gauge I believe) and rock-solid welds makes the BodyCraft TR1180 a best buy treadmill under $2000. This is definitely a perfect example of a commercial quality treadmill being sold at a home treadmill price. The TR1180 is just an upgraded version of the BodyCraft TR1160, so it features the same frame and huge 20" x 58" deck.

Where the BodyCraft TR1180 differs is in the large commercial-quality 3.0 horsepower motor. I can say with great confidence that this is one of the best treadmill motors on the market right now, and definitely the best under $2000. I don't want to be accused of getting creative but if you can get it up to 77 miles per hour it will let you travel through time. Seriously, tho, the TR1180's motor, with proper care, will last 10-15 years or more.

Aside from the motor, the TR1180 treadmill features a slightly higher running speed and an included wireless chest strap. The reason to buy the BodyCraft TR1180 is if you're looking for a heavy duty treadmill that will stand up to the most hardcore of running workouts, use in an small office or apartment style workout room, or if you just want the best possible treadmill around for under $2000.

The last thing I want to mention is BodyCraft's "EZ Lubrication" system. If you hate trying to figure out how to properly lubricate your deck then this is a dream come true. It takes about 2 minutes to do and is the easiest lubrication system on the market. It's easy enough that I would even let Hikaru or my son do it!

For being a remarkable, top rated treadmill and a best buy under $2000, the Treadmill gives the BodyCraft TR1180 treadmill 5 out of 5 golden buddahs and thanks it for not killing my son.

The BodyCraft TR1180 is an amazing machine and recipient of 5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about this nearly perfect treadmill and get the lowest price online.




BodyCraft TR1180 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3HP
Max Speed: 12mph
Max Incline: 12%
Running Area: 20' x 58"
Display: LED/LCD
Readouts: speed, time, distance, calories, incline, pulse, pace, elev gain
Programs: 15
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 275lbs
Price: Under $2000

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

The Proform 350 Treadmill Review -- One of the Worst Treadmills Under $400

Ohiyo!

A reader recently asked the Treadmill Sensei "Why don't you review more Proform product? They have a lot of treadmills and ellipticals that people see every day" At first I just laughed to myself because Proform reviews tend to be made up of me mocking some really low quality equipment by a company which doesn't care about its customers. Plus, as the reader said "they have a LOT of treadmills and ellipticals." Sometimes it feels like if I reviewed a Proform every day that I wouldn't ever finish because they release new product so often. Why on Earth would I want to support that?

However, thinking about the question further I realized the reader was correct. Proform (and Icon in general) dominates much of the fitness industry, especially the lower end of the budget spectrum, and should be getting a larger presence on this website to show that. Of course, to Proform's annoyment (if they've even noticed this website yet), I plan to continue to warn customers away from bad buys on budget treadmills and ellipticals. I will try to do at least one Proform or Icon review a week to keep everyone updated on what to avoid. What this means to the Treadmill Sensei is that I'll be getting my "bad treadmill" headache a lot more often now. Because of that I will be accepting donations of Tylenol and Hard Liquor from you, my loyal readers, to combat that Bowflex Headache (which I may have to rename the Proform Headache)!

If you are looking for a best buy treadmill for under $400 then the Proform 350 Treadmill is an excellent one to avoid. If you are looking for a very noisy,plastic-constructed and rickety budget treadmill that isn't going to last through a year of regular use then the Proform 350 is the perfect treadmill for you.

Starting with the assembly of the unit, we had a bit of trouble on the Proform 350 we ordered to review here at the DOJO. A number of the holes were cut incorrectly and the bolts didn't quite fit. Also, alignment in general was just a tad off. Once together, the Proform 350 Treadmill was very shaking and not the most solid of units. The product specifications from Proform mention a 250 pound user weight limit, but I would drop that top weight down to no more than 160 pounds at the most. And, truthfully, even that might be stretching it.

Once together, the Proform 350 didn't function at all. There was a problem with one of the control boards. What I thought would be a quick call to customer service turned in to what I like to call the "Icon Nightmare." You see, I didn't mention to the customer service department that I was an authorized Icon repair tech and just pretended to be a regular customer. What I went through was a terrible experience that lasted nearly a month with constant calls to get assistance. An amazing discovery was that the Icon customer service agents we spoke with seemed to consider themselves repair techs and were trying to diagnose the problem over the phone. We quickly received a vast array of different, very cheap, parts from Icon but none of them were what we needed. I finally gave up trying to act like a regular customer because I was developing a rather nasty ulcer from the experience. Receiving the control board we had the Proform 350 treadmill up and running in about 20 minutes...plus 30 or so days.

The very interesting thing was that I was never offered an "in-home" service tech by Icon, being told that I could install any of the parts they sent in just a few minutes. The other interesting thing was that one customer service rep suggested I remove the 350's motor and take it to a local mechanic to have checked out...on my own dime of course. This is actually the second time I had been told this on a Proform treadmill in the past year.

Before I get to what I found in the course of my 2 days of actually working out on the Proform 350 treadmill, I want to go over the features and facts of the unit. The Proform 350 has a very small motor in it. Icon has labelled the motor as a 2.25 THP motor and what that means in reality is a 1.25 horsepower or possibly even smaller motor. It also has no programs, a small running area for the price at 17"x50", top speed of 10mph and maximum incline of 10%. I was very surprised to see no programs at all on the unit because that is one of the cheapest features to add to a treadmill.

On to the findings of my workout on the Proform 350 Treadmill, why it only lasted for 2 days and why I mentioned a top user weight of less than 160 pounds. My workout was cut short on day 2 because I cracked the deck of the Proform 350 Treadmill during a walking workout of around 2 miles per hour. I hadn't even gotten to a full run or jog, and I hadn't even done my patented "bounce test" yet. Also, when we were taking the 350 apart to place it out in the DOJO's "treadmill graveyard," I noticed the left strut had bent and was cracked at its base. Now, I'm not a heavy man by anyone's definition and this should not have happened during a light walking workout -- heck, I think entire runtime on the Proform 350 was only around 2 hours at that point.

To be fair to Proform (God, I hate saying those words!), this may have been an isolated instance of a manufacturer's defect. We would normally tried to find a second unit to try out but the overall experience on the treadmill and with Icon's customer service turned me off on the idea. With or without the cracked deck and bent upright support, the Proform 350 is a very low quality, poorly manufactured treadmill that I would not recommend to my worst enemy. Don't be fooled by the look of the Proform 350 and don't be lured in by the price. In the end you'll just be throwing your money away.

For being a truly horrible unit (and that caused me to look silly when it cracked and I fell off of it in front of Hikaru...who is still making fun of me), the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform 350 Treadmill 0.5 out of 5 golden buddahs...that's right, half a buddah!

The Proform 350 makes the Treadmill Sensei wish he had a 0.25 golden buddah rating.



ProForm 350 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.25 HP, listed as 2.25 THP
Running Area: 17"x50"
Max Speed: 10MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Folding: Yes
Display: LCD
Programs: 0
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 250lbs
Unit Weight: 125lbs
Price: Under $400

P.S. The Sensei was joking about the donations of Tylenol..although you can always send Hard Liquor.

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

The Lamar L1200 Treadmill Review -- A best buy treadmill under $2000

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has a Bowflex-sized headache again today, which interestingly enough isn't from Bowflex related equipment. You see, over the weekend we took in 8 Proform treadmill repair jobs here at the DOJO. The jobs came from a bunch of unrelated people who all happened to breakdown at the same time. The reason this is a headache for me is because I am generally the one in charge of having to deal with Icon's "customer/tech service" -- I put that phrase in quotes because I don't think the works "customer service" should ever be used together with the word ICON or PROFORM. It's an oxymoron. Actually, you could leave the "oxy" portion of that word off and it would still fit them quite nicely.

To counteract the headache I thought I'd do a review of something quite a bit higher quality than a Proform treadmill...and, if you want quality, one of the names standing out this coming season is Lamar Fitness (or "Lamar Health, Fitness and Sports" as they like to be known...me? I think the name is way too long). To tell the truth, I wrote the notes for this review when a Lamar L1200 Treadmill came in to the DOJO about 2 months ago. Since we had an unusually busy summer this is my first chance to get back and do a full write up on the L1200 Treadmill, one of my top rated choices for a best buy treadmill under $1700.

The main reason I am a fan of Lamar equipment in general, and the Lamar L1200 Treadmill in specific, can be summed in three words: high quality components. Where a lot of mid-range manufacturers will overload their treadmills with plastic, Lamar goes out of its way to produce quality by using 14 gauge steel in the manufacture of their L1200 Treadmill. Most manufacturers are using 16 or lower gauge steel! The only other treadmills in the price range which can compete with the Lamar L1200 treadmill's solid design and sturdy build are by BodyCraft and Quantum. Nothing else comes even close.

To help me run the Lamar 1200 through its treadmill paces, I had Hikaru "volunteer" to do a little running on it...well, to do a LOT of running on it. Over a 2 week period I had Hikaru do 2 workouts a day -- a running workout in the morning for 20 minutes and then a walking one in the after noon for 45 minutes. The reason for doing dual workouts was to test two specific items: the stability of the unit with the running workout and the power and durability of the motor and drive system with the walking workout. You see, walking puts a lot more stress on a motor than a run does because your body weight is in almost constant contact with the belt, which can slow it down and put considerable strain on motor performance.

After 2 weeks we found the Lamar L1200 Treadmill performed with flying colors. Running in burst of 6-7 miles per hour, jumping up and down and general harsh treatment couldn't weaken the L1200's frame. In addition to that, neither long, slow steps or doing a cold start with Hikaru on the treadmill belt was a problem for the Lamar L1200's motor. It started well and ran consistantly for the entire time. Lamar made an excellent choice when they chose the 2.5 horsepower motor for the L1200 treadmill.

From there the additional great features on the L1200 treadmill were just gravy. It has a monstrous 20"x60" running area which is great for its price range -- great for any price range -- 8 workout programs, heart rate monitoring and control. and heft 225 pound unit weight, 10 mile per hour top speed and a 12% maximum incline.

If I had to nitpick about this unit, I would have wished for a higher top speed and incline, but that is such a stretch for a complaint it is barely worth mentioning. The Lamar L1200 Treadmill is a near perfect choice for the causal walker or the serious runner both. For being a best buy treadmill for under $2000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lamar L 1200 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Another top rated treadmill from a solid company, the L1200 Treadmill gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Get more information on the Lamar L1200 Treadmill.




Lamar L 1200 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5HP
Running Area: 20" x 60"
Programs: 8
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Display: LCD
Readouts: Speed, Time, Distance, Calories, Incline, Pulse
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 225lbs
Price: Under $1700

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

The BodyCraft TR1140 Treadmill Review -- A Best Buy Treadmill Under $1500

Ohiyo!

For the Treadmill Sensei this website is a bit of an exercise in contradictions. You see, when I'm wearing my "Service Tech" hat I love low quality machines like Proform or Bowflex, or machines with a lot of issues like Spirit's are currently having...but, when I'm weaing the robes of the Treadmill Sensei I despise those machines and warn my readers away from them because of those very problems. Today's review is a great example of that. As a repair tech I am always annoyed to have to install a Bodycraft TR1140 treadmill because the darn things last so long and never have any real issues at all -- unless of course an owner just doesn't take care of it. However, as the Treadmill Sensei I just can't say enough good things about it.

We received a call from a local gym owner a couple of weeks ago that said one of his members was going to be ordering a BodyCraft TR1140 Treadmill and asked if they could have it shipped to our shop. A lot of customers do that because we will bring their equipment inside and set it up for them, making sure everything is working and there is no freight damage. I agreed said we'd do a free installation if we could keep the unit for a week to give it a good review. The customer agreed and I was very happy to be getting in a TR1140 Treadmill to wreck...er..to review.

When we received the BodyCraft TR1140 in here at the DOJO I decided, since my son wasn't doing anything constructive, I would turn the review process over to him. As a bigger guy he would be able to test the stability and durability of the TR1140 Treadmill a lot better than someone of my smaller build (that's right...I'm down to 161 pounds! I lost another 8 pounds on the forced diet Mrs. Sensei has placed me on). Of course, I was right there to supervise the entire process.

To start off, my son is not the most mechanical of people -- his skills are in the much more difficult fields of playing video games and not taking out the trash. That being said, he was able to assemble the BodyCraft TR1140 treadmill with little to no trouble. The process took him about 40 minutes and there was minimal cursing during that time. If you have someone to assist, it should only take 20-30 minutes.

From there we noticed the TR1140 has the same very solid steel frame build of all the other BodyCraft units. I would have been surprised to see anything else from a company like BodyCraft which is known for its high quality components and ultra durable gyms and strength equipment. It seems they've taken that same philosophy of building the most solid equipment on the market over to their treadmill line. The best example of that is watching my son run on the treadmill. He's a bigger guy (260 lbs and about 6' tall) and even with his extra weight (something my wife is working on getting rid of before he goes back to school) the uprights and console of the BodyCraft TR1140 treadmill didn't move at all...there was very little shake in the unit at all even when I had him up his rather causal 2.5 mph walk to a brief 7 mph sprint.

The BodyCraft TR1140 treadmill also had a surprisingly large motor for one ranked at 2.25 horsepower. I've seen smaller motors from Spirit and Proform ranked as 3 horsepower or higher! To test the power of the motor I had my son stop the treadmill (something he was more than happy to do after having run off and on for nearly an hour a day for the previous 4 days) and do a cold start while standing on the belt. There was almost no slowdown from his weight as the TR1140 kicked on and started to move up to a higher speed. This is a great demonstration of the power and quality of the TR1140 treadmill's motor and is not something you often see in a treadmill priced at under $1500.

Over the course of 6 days of testing, we found the BodyCraft TR1140 to be a great performer with very reactive pulse grip heart rate monitoring (and wireless as well), 10 programs and a large 20" x 56" running area. It was easily one of the best treadmills under $1500 that we've reviewed this year and should last 10 years or more for the owner with little trouble.

For being a top rated treadmill under $1500, the Treadmill Sensei gladly gives the BodyCraft TR1140 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

As close to perfect as you can get in a treadmill under $1500, the TR1140 treadmill ranks 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5!


Find out more about the spectacular BodyCraft TR1140 Treadmill, a best buy under $1500.



BodyCraft TR1140 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.25hp
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 12%
Running Area: 20" x 56"
Display: LCD/Dot Matrix
Readouts: speed, time, distance, calories, incline, pulse, pace, elev gain
Programs: 10
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 325lbs
Unit Weight: 250lbs
Price: Under $1500

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

The Spirit Esprit ET-2 Treadmill Review -- Another flop from Spirit

Ohiyo!

Any regular readers of this site know how much the Treadmill Sensei hates it when a manufacturer releases the same equipment under multiple names, especially when they use some minor cosmetic changes and a coat of new paint. In the past this practive was confined to the larger fitness manufacturers who were renaming their equipment for various large chain stores like Costco, Sears and Target. Now, more and more of the smaller manufacturers are doing in an attempt to confuse consumers.

One of the latest players of the "musical name game" is Spirit Fitness out of Arkansas, and the latest unit they're playing it with is the Spirit Esprit ET-2 Treadmill. For those of you who don't know, Esprit is Spirit's new line of fitness equipment which is sold primarily online and is made up of their former Z Series treadmills and ellipticals with a new paint job. The Spirit Esprit ET2 is just a repainted version of the old Z8/XT8 treadmill and a slightly downgraded version of the Spirit XT175 treadmill. The strange thing is this downgraded unit has the same cost as the already too high-priced XT175 treadmill.

We had a chance to check out the Esprit ET2 Treadmill by Spirit at the recent Health & Fitness Expo in Denver and I have to say I was as disappointed by it as I was by its near twin, the Spirit XT175. the ET2 treadmill features the same small 20"x50" deck that it was too thin at 3/4" for anything but light walking workouts. After taking a look at the motor on the ET2 I am almost convinced it is the same motor as is on the XT175. I could be mistaken but this might just be the case of a manufacturer playing around with unit specs to try and differentiate one from another. Whether it is the same mislabeled motor or not, it really isn't a terrible motor for the light walking workouts the Esprit ET2 treadmill was obviously designed for.

I also share the same disappointment in the poor warranty on the Esprit ET2 that I had with the Spirit XT175. For a treadmill priced at almost $1100 a consumer really should expect more out of a manufacturer.

The final downside of the Esprit ET2 treadmill is the lack of fans and speakers that come should come standard on mid-range treadmills these days. I'm not quite sure what Spirit was thinking when the design for this unit was approved. I do refuse to even talk about one of the worst color schemes I've ever seen on a treadmill.

For the positives, the ET2 Treadmill by Spirit shares the same upgraded 4 transport wheels for moving a folded unit around and the great "soft drop" system that all Spirit and Esprit treadmills posses. It's a shame, as with the Spirit XT175, these two great features are wasted on such a poor performing treadmill as the Esprit ET2 Treadmill by Spirit.

If you're looking to spend around $1000 for a treadmill I'd check out the Sole F63 for a much better value.

For being even worse than the similarly over priced Spirit XT175, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit Esprit ET2 Treadmill 1.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

We're really not sure what Spirit was thinking when they designed the Esprit ET2 Treadmill, which comes in at a magnificant 1.5 gold buddahs out of 5.



Spirit Esprit ET2 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2hp
Running Area: 20" x 50"
Deck: 3/4"
Roller: 2.5"
Display: LCD
Programs: 6
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 10%
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: Approximately 200lbs
Price: Under $1100

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

The Spirit XT175 Treadmill Review - No Bang for the Buck

Ohiyo!

One of the cool things about the Health & Fitness Expo that went on in Denver this August is that it allowed the Treadmill Sensei to spend some time on brand new units coming out from a number of manufacturers. One of the manufacturers I was particularly interested in checking out was Spirit Fitness out of Arkansas. They produced some very good equipment at the beginning of the busy season last year, but dropped the ball with poor quality control (QC) and poor components at the end of the season that caused a lot of Spirit buyers a lot of trouble.

Unfortunately, the first unit I was able to check out from their new XT-Series line of treadmills doesn't look good. My first thought when seeing the new Spirit XT175 treadmill was that it looked to be a semi-upgrade (and partial downgrade) of the Spirit XT8/Z8 from last year. For any of you who saw my review of the unit last year, you know I wasn't a big fan at all.

For a price of almost $1100, the Spirit XT175 treadmill is over priced and sorely under powered. The upgrade to a 2.5 horsepower motor was an excellent addition, but the tiny 20" x 50" deck is almost an insult to anyone looking to drop $1100 on a new treadmill. When you factor in the smaller deck thickness this year over last (.75" this year versus 1" last year) and that "almost an insult" turns in to a slap in the face to buyers.

Adding in an additional program by bumping the number up to 6 and tacking on heart rate control seems too little too late for the Spirit XT175 treadmill. Luckily, the new plastic pan covering underneath the treadmill should stop at least some of the freight damage that Spirit treadmills were suffering last year due to the lack of such protection. Don't even get me started on my opinion of their lackluster 4 year deck (???), 2 year parts and 1 year labor warranties. For a minute I thought I was standing on a Proform treadmill.

When my fellow Sensei, Mat, did a quick 2.5 mile-an-hour walk on the XT175 treadmill at the Expo, the entire unit shook more than the San Andreas fault. Now, Mat does come in over the intended 275 pound max user weight of the Spirit XT175, but the unit shook even for the fit and trim Spirit salespeople at their booth, and most of those guys were under 200 pounds!

The positives on the unit are the still great "soft drop" system that all folding Spirit treadmills have, which very gently lowers a folded deck down to the floor without the nasty drop a lot of treadmills have. The additional of a 4 wheel transport carriage now makes moving the Spirit XT175 around your home so much easier.

In the Treadmill Sensei's opinion, the Spirit XT175 treadmill is a disappointment from a formerly decent fitness company and should have been priced closer to $799 to be competitive. If you're looking for a solid, well-made treadmill between $999 and $1100, then I'd suggest taking a look elsewhere -- BodyCraft, Sole, Smooth, BH/BladeZ and a lot of other manufacturers have better buys in this price range. Hopefully the rest of Spirit's new treadmill line performs better than this lemon.

For being a huge disappointment, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit XT175 Treadmill 2 out of 5 golden buddahs.

2 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Spirit XT175 treadmill...move along, there's nothing to see here.



For a best buy treadmill alternative at under $1000, check out the BodyCraft TR1120 treadmill.

Spirit XT175 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5HP
Max Speed: 10MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Display: LCD
Programs: 6
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Running Area: 20" x 50"
Deck Thickness: 3/4"
Roller: 2.5"
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: approximately 200lbs
Price: $1099

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

The Smooth 9.25HR Treadmill Review -- Commercial Grade Treadmill at a Home Price

Ohiyo!

A company who continues to impress the Treadmill Sensei is Smooth Fitness out of New Jersey. Smooth tends to fly under the radar for most treadmill buyers because they are found almost exclusively online -- although, their units are available at brick-and-mortar stores under the Evo brand name. The most important feature of a Smooth treadmill is quality vs cost: since Smooth is now in charge of manufacturing their own equipment they are able to sell higher end, higher quality treadmills and ellipticals at a much lower price. They sell factory direct so you aren't forced to pay a middle man for the equipment, which gives a Smooth buyer the opportunity to save thousands of dollars on a unit of similar quality from another manufactuer selling through a retail distributor.

In layman's terms what that means is: you're paying under $2000 for a high class treadmill that a retailer would normally charge $3000 or more for. If you're budget conscious like the Treadmill Sensei is (read that as "cheap") then this is music to your ears.

The Smooth 9.25HR Treadmill is easily one of the Treadmill Sensei's favorite non-folding treadmills right now. We had one come in to the DOJO recently for some maintenance -- its owner hadn't lubricated the unit's deck or cleaned its motor since its purchase over a year ago. Luckily, even neglected as it was, the Smooth 9.25HR she brought in was still in tip top condition. I wouldn't suggest abusing your machine but they do stand up exceptionally well and are long-life treadmills.

Weighing in at over 300 pounds and with a welded steel frame, the Smooth 9.25 HR treadmill more than stood up to my 8 days of 90 minutes-per-day testing. I could almost hear it laughing at me. An immediate way to judge a the sturdiness of a treadmill is to stand on it and then jump up and down -- or, run full out on it. If the console doesn't shake then you've got the makings of a solid machine. When I did this test on the 9.25HR treadmill here there was almost no console shake at all. Not to be beaten by a mere treadmill, I grabbed my partner, Mat who weighs in at about 330 pounds and stands near 6'1" in heels, and made him run on the treadmill for 5 minutes. Even at speeds of up to 5 miles per hour the machine was strong and sturdy. Smooth has done an excellent job with the sheer stability of the 9.25HR Treadmill.

The Smooth 9.25HR's motor was just as heavy-duty as its frame. The extra large 3 horsepower motor ran at very low RPMs (under 4000) and when we did a cold start with Mat standing on the deck, it pulled very low AMPs while still running smoothly. Mat normally starts his treadmill while standing on the side rails because most of them will lurch if he is standing on the belt. Not so with the Smooth 9.25HR. Smooth has done an excellent job in their commercial-quality motor choice. Factor in the best roller/bearing design in treadmills and you have a treadmill motor and deck that will last for 10 years or more with little to no problems (if properly maintained!).

The high number of programs (12), commercial style dot matrix monitor, high max speed of 12.5MPH and Incline of 15%, as well as the runway-sized 20" x 62" deck all make the Smooth 9.25HR treadmill one of the finest non-folding treadmills under $3000, especially with its budget conscious cost coming in at just under $2000.

For truly being a commercial grade treadmill at a home treadmill price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Smooth 9.25HR Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Smooth Fitness is one of the best overall fitness brands currently available on the market and the Smooth 9.25HR treadmill is a perfect example of why, coming in at 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




Smooth 9.25 HR Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3HP
Max Speed: 12.5MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Display: Dot Matrix
Readouts: Speed, distance, time, calories burned, heart rate, 1/4-mile running track
Programs: 12
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Running Area: 20" x 62"
Rollers: 2.5"
Folding: No
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 304lbs
Price: Under $2000

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

The BodyCraft TR1120 Treadmill Review -- Best Buy Treadmill Under $1000

Ohiyo!

Every so often a piece of equipment comes out that the Treadmill Sensei is unable to borrow locally. I'd been hearing about the new budget treadmill from BodyCraft, the TR1120 treadmill, here at the DOJO for a few months and was very intrigued by it. BodyCraft is a manufacturer known for producing some high quality fitness equipment that was also very durable -- their strength equipment in particular is top rated in its price range. So, I knew I had to find one to check out. Coming up empty handed with local retailers I did the next best thing, I ordered the BodyCraft TR1120 on Amazon. The treadmill arrived about 2 weeks later and I tore in to it like a kid on Christmas morning.

The very first thing is how easy the Bodycraft TR1120 treadmill was to assemble. BodyCraft has so much experience in building the much more complicated gyms that the instructions were a breeze to follow. I'd say the TR1120 will take 15-20 minutes for most people to put together. Very easy and hassle free...no holes drilled at weird angles.

2008 Best Buy Award Winner.

One together, I did my warm-up "hop test" where I jump up and down on a treadmill to see how the console shakes. I was surprised to see the under $1000 TR1120 treadmill remain perfectly motionless during the test. A quick run at 6 MPH confirmed the stability of the unit and lack of the "shakies" you see in most comparably priced unders.

The best way to describe the BodyCraft TR1120 treadmill is stripped down. The unit itself is of a quality more often priced at $1499, but a lot of the bells and whistles have been removed to make the TR1120 available at an incredibly attractive price of just under $1000. And, to tell the truth, if you're looking for quality over quantity you won't miss any of it.

One thing that has always impressed (and confused) the Treadmill Sensei is the ability of fitness manufacturers to come up with some of the most outrageous names for various parts of their equipment. In today's example, the BodyCraft TR1120 Treadmill, BodyCraft has a shock absorption system they pitch as "8 Kinetic Energy Dampers." I have to say that I have absolutely no idea what that means...but I do believe it came out of an X-Men comic book from the 1980s. While I may not know what "8 kinetic energy dampers" are (aside from a way to stop the Juggernaut), I do know they give the TR1120 treadmill a surprisingly good amount of shock absorption which feels pretty darn good on my old Tennis injured knee. Whatever advanced alien technology they scrounged up to create their "Energy Dampers" gives the BodyCraft TR1120 a comfortable feeling only found in much higher priced treadmills -- a perfect amount of absorption without too much recoil to make joint impact even worse.

Something a lot of shady fitness sales people (and the fine people at Icon Fitness) will tell you is that the bigger the horsepower number on a treadmill the better. It's a complete falsehood. Horsepower rating is a fairly arbitrary number (and most treadmill motors won't even have it labeled on the inside). What matters is the size of the motor (bigger is better), the number of RPMs (the lower the better) and how many AMPs the machine pulls under capacity. While the BodyCraft TR1120 treadmill is listed as having a 1.75 horsepower motor, it is actually very large for its rating and runs very cool at low RPMs. Most other manufacturers would have uprated the TR1120 motor to 2.25 or even 2.5 horsepower. What all this tech-talk means to you, my loyal reader, is a treadmill motor that will last for many years with little to no trouble at all.

With incredibly solid components, a frame far too sturdy for a treadmill under $1000 and great warranties, BodyCraft has raised the bar on the level of quality for budget treadmills. If I had to nitpick I'd wish the deck size was just a little longer to accomodate taller runners. However, with high quality components. BodyCraft has instead produced one of the best machines for walkers or joggers under about $1500...in the BodyCraft TR1120 Treadmill the standard has been set for treadmills under $1000.

For being a best buy treadmill under $1000, the Treadmill Sensei gives the BodyCraft TR1120 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

BodyCraft expands its reputation of quality and durability with the TR1120 Treadmill coming in at 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about this spectacular treadmill.




BodyCraft TR1120 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.75 hp
Display: LED
Readouts: speed, time, distance, calories, incline, pulse
Programs: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: No
Max Speed: 10MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Deck Cushioning: 8 Kinetic Energy Dampers
Running Area: 18" x 52"
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: 165lbs
Price: Under $1000

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

The Mileage ST7100 Treadmill Review -- Best Incline Trainer for under $2000

Ohiyo!

Every so often one of the Treadmill Sensei's reviews sparks an email or two full of desperation from a reader. Usually the reader has made up his mind on a treadmill or elliptical he really wants to purchase and has come online to validate his choice. Sometimes, generally in the case of an Icon Fitness or Bowflex product, the reader discovers that his choice might not be the best one based on low quality or performance problems in a given machine. At this point the reader will sit down and write the Sensei a frustrated note.

Today we've got such a note from Mike, who was looking for a high incline trainer treadmill to help him workout with a bad back. Let's see what Mike has to say...take it away, Mike!

Sensei,
If you don't recommend the nordic track x5, what would you recommend if you want more than 15% for walking. Running jars my back to much so to burn more calories, I wanted a steep incline. Thanks -Mike

Mike:

Thanks for your note and your question. Believe it or not, there are a lot of readers out there who have asked that very same question. Unfortunately, the Nordic Track X5 incline trainer just doesn't hold up to the intense level of most high incline workouts. The low quality components give it a lifespan of less than a year in a most cases and, even if it does last, the unit specs really aren't that impressive.

Now, I received Mike's note a while ago and took extra time to answer it while I searched out a solution to his problem. I then took an additional week to run (well, walk!) some intense testing on the treadmill I found for him. If you've got a bad back or if you are looking to do the steep incline, or hill style workouts, there is an excellent option for you in the same price range. A company out of Canada called JK Fitness produces an incline trainer called the Mileage ST 7100 Treadmill and its performance is as cool as its look.

The first thing I want to say is that I'm a guy...and, as a guy, I love cool looking futuristic gadgets. I must admit that when we popped open the box for the Mileage ST7100 treadmill I was excited at the incredibly slick design of the unit. The design has nothing to do with the performance, but they really did WOW me with the ST7100's design. Very spiffy indeed.

How cool does the Mileage 7100 Treadmill look? Very cool indeed!

The assembly on the Mileage ST7100 really isn't all that complicated but because of its size I do recommend getting someone to help you. The instructions were very easy to follow and we had the unit here together in less than 30 minutes. A lesser mechanically-inclined person might take as long as an hour or hour and a half if forced to do it alone. Still, not a daunting task at all.

For an incline trainer, the most important things to look at are the unit's sturdiness and stability, the main motor, the incline motor and the position of the handgrips. All of the other stuff -- the 20 programs, the heart rate monitor and control, the monstrous 20" x 58" running area -- means nothing if the unit doesn't hold up as an incline trainer. Luckily, the Mileage ST7100 exceeded my expectations in all of those regards.

In stability, the Mileage ST7100 ranks up there as one of the most stable and sturdy treadmills short of a higher priced Landice or Star Trac. This machine is solid -- and it has to be to hold up during a 40% incline workout. The design and quality of the upright supports allows a user to place his (or her) full weight on the machine while climbing. The design also factors in where and how a user will be holding the handgrips on the Mileage ST7100 treadmill...the very cool curved supports are an excellent example of form following function. Plus, they more than held up to my weight on them. Even Hikaru said the machine felt solid to him and his rather copious bulk.

The other two important factors are the twin motors on the ST 7100 treadmill. If JK Fitness skimped on cost and placed smaller, higher RPM motors in the machine, everything would just burn out, leaving a customer with a very cool but worthless $2000 piece of equipment. Thankfully, they decided to put in a pair of very powerful, very large and very cool-running motors which function at low RPMs and pull in very low AMPs - even running at the upper end of capacity.

Hikaru and I both took turns working on the ST7100 over the course of 6 days and we wore out before the treadmill did!

With high quality components and a truly outstanding design, JK Fitness has produced an excellent contender for "best incline trainer" at any price. The Treadmill Sensei, and his very tired legs, give the Mileage ST7100 treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

High quality and class exudes from the Mileage ST7100 and gets the treadmill 4.5 golden buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about the Mileage 7100 Treadmill

Mileage ST7100 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5hp
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 11mph
Max Incline: 40%
Programs: 20
Display: LED
Readouts: Distance, Calories, Pulse, Time
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Running Area: 20" x 58"
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Unit Weight: 275lbs (approximately)
Cost: Under $1800

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

The Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill Review - Best Buy at $4000

Ohiyo!

One of the things the Treadmill Sensei is most often called to task on is the current lack of Landice reviews on the website. Of course, most of the people chastising me are Landice dealers and are looking for the sales boost a Treadmill Sensei review will give them (I even had one retailer send me a rather upset note because I dared to give another treadmill a higher rating than a Landice - How dare I?!). With the quality of mid-range units like Sole, Bodyguard and the fantastic Lifespan treadmills, and the downturn of higher end sales, I just haven't seen the need to review too much on the higher end of the price spectrum that Landice occupies. There just aren't a lot of people looking for $4000 treadmills right now so the Treadmill Sensei focuses on what his readers (that's you!) want to learn about.

2007-2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

This week, though, about 10 emails came in here at the DOJO asking about Landice treadmills and their quality. So, in response to my readers (that's you!), I dusted off my notes for a Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill review from a unit that came in a few months ago.

The low down on Landice Treadmills is this: Landice has been around for over 35 years, making them one of the oldest fitness manufacturers specializing in treadmills only. They produce some excellent, high quality equipment on the upper end of the market ($4000+ for most of their treadmills). The downside of the way they brand their units is that a few very shady individuals use their model structure to sell you the exact same unit, under a different name, at a higher price. If a dealer "upsells" you from a residential to a club model, for instance, you're getting the same exact unit but with a lesser warranty because the club unit is meant to go in to a commercial setting (commercial warranties are generally shorter term than home warranties because of their higher level of use). This is not through the fault of Landice at all, but don't get fooled by "used car salesman" masquerading as specialty fitness dealers.

Recently the DOJO received in 3 Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmills to be installed at a Los Angeles area recovery center for plastic surgery patients. It was a high end facility used to dealing with movie stars, sports stars, political figures and the super rich, so having a set of Landice treadmills in their workout room was a natural fit for them.

The Landice Cardio Trainer Console.

All Landice L7 treadmills share the same motor, frame, deck and so on, with the only real difference being in the treadmill's console. You get the same ultra solid steel construction frame that supports a maximum user weight of 400 pounds. The L7 Cardio Trainer treadmill will not shake or bounce during even the hardest of running or marathon training workouts. Add in the large 20" x 58" running area and you have a runner's dream treadmill in the making.

The huge, US-made 3 horsepower motor holds up just as well. I believe the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer treadmill has one of the largest 3 horsepower motors available today. Those things are giant, cool running, geared to run at low RPMs and pull low AMPs even when running at the upper end of capacity. If you keep your motor dust free and have a mat under the treadmill then this motor has a great chance of lasting for 10-15 years or more. Landice has done an excellent job with their motor selection on the L7 Cardio Treadmills and their treadmills in general. One thing you never hear about in a Landice treadmill is motor slippage.

The last thing I want to talk about is the shock absorption and belt on the Landice L7 Cardio treadmill. Landice has been making these treadmills for a long time and have had the time to perfect their cushioning system. It comes in two parts, the 4 ply belt and their "VFX" system. I have no idea what "VFX" stands for but it is one of the most comfortable cushioning systems available at any price and makes the Landice units heaven to run on. I've got the standard knee and ankle problems that come with a lifetime of running and playing tennis, but I absolutely love running on a Landice. A normal treadmill workout for me is around 45 minutes in length. However, when I have access to a Landice I often find myself running for an hour or 90 minutes without realizing it.

The Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill, with its painfully long name, is my #1 pick from Landice. It has the optimal combination of features and price to make it one of the best treadmills around and a best buy at $4000. For being a treadmill that makes my bum knee feel good, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

The Landice Cardio Trainer series is the best treadmill in a brand of excellent treadmills and gets 5 gold buddahs out of 5 from the Sensei.


Get more info on one of the best treadmills at any price, and find the best price online.




Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3hp
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 7
Running Area: 20" x 58"
Deck Thickness: 1"
Belt: 4 ply
Rollers: 2-1/2"
Folding: No
Max User Weight: 400 lbs.
Product Weight: 300 lbs
Price: Under $4000

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

The LifeSpan TR1000HRC Treadmill Review - A Best Buy Treadmill Under $1000

Ohiyo!

One of the problems the Treadmill Sensei has here at the DOJO is the sheer number of treadmills and ellipticals on the market today. Back when I first started in fitness, back in the "ye olde days" of the early 1980s, there were maybe 100 models to worry about. Now I'd have to estimate there are 750-1000 out and available at any given time. What that means since I update this site only once a day during the week is that a lot of treadmills, ellipticals and manufacturers don't get the recognition (positive or negative) they deserve.

One such company produces some excellent treadmills and is, in fact, one of my favorite companies to work with. Lifespan Fitness out of Utah has been around since the early 1990s and has been producing their current Lifespan treadmills and ellipticals since about 2001. They target the over 55 crowd as well as those on a budget looking for exceptionally high quality equipment that will last.

If you are looking for the very best or top rated treadmill under $1000 then you should set your sights on the Lifespan TR1000HRC Treadmill. The TR1000HRC is a treadmill where the specs can be a bit deceiving because of the ultra high quality components Lifespan Fitness has engineered in to it. I was glad to be able to test out one of these units over the course of 10 days here at the DOJO recently.

I'm not going to go in to my usual long, drawn-out detailing of my workouts because it isn't needed on the Lifespan TR1000HRC. My workouts consist of at least an hour a day for a week and a half to two weeks where I try every conceivable feature of a treadmill and try my darnedest to beat the heck of out it. I'm just going to talk about what I found at the end of my review period.

What I found was a treadmill possessing the best shock absorption system for under $1300. I don't know what elaborately trademarked name Lifespan has for the cushioning system, but they have done an incredible job with it. If you have any sort of joint problems or just want to get the lowest impact treadmill workout on a budget then trying out a Lifespan TR1000HRC treadmill is an absolute must. I have problems with my left knee from running and from a life time of tennis, and my Lifespan work outs were some of the best I've felt outside of a gym.

The next thing I discovered was one of the most thought out and executed set of workout programs on any treadmill. Lifespan Fitness only gave the TR1000HRC treadmill 6 programs but they made them count. It is readily apparent that Lifespan has aimed their product very squarely about those who want to maintain or improve their health. They don't confuse you with 20 programs, hoping to get luckly. Instead they've developed a very solid workout routine which blows away anything else in its price range.

Overall, Lifespan has followed that same train of thought: top rated specs don't mean a thing without quality...i.e., Quality over Quantity. Their 2hp motor may seem a little on the light side until you life up the hood and check it out. The motor on the TR1000HRC treadmill is large, runs quiet at low RPMs and doesn't pull a lot of AMPs even under load. What that means to you is a treadmill that will run smooth, that will run consistantly and that will last a very long time. When you factor in the high quality machined 2" rollers, you've got a treadmill belt that will give you a supreme workout.

To sum it all up, I absolutely adored the Lifespan TR1000-HRC treadmill and look forward to reviewing more Lifespan Fitness equipment in the future. For being a big contender in this year's Best Buy Awards, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Lifespan TR1000HRC Treadmill a stupendous 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Lifespan TR1000HRC is a best buy treadmill for under $1000.


Get more information about the Lifespan TR 1000-HRC treadmill.



LifeSpan TR1000-HRC Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2hp
Rollers: 2"
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 12%
Running Area: 18"x54"
Deck Thickness: 3/4"
Display: LED
Programs: 6
Readouts: Incline, time, distance, speed, heart rate, lap count, calories
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 275lbs
Unit Weight: 175lbs

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

The Motus 995TL Treadmill (with TV) Review -- A Caviar Treadmill at a Caviar Price

Ohiyo!

One of the things the Treadmill Sensei has always wanted to be able to do is go in to a high end shop or car dealer and say "Give me the best...and money is no option." Unfortunately, I've never been able to do that for two reasons: first, the Treadmill Sensei is but a simple repair tech and we don't make huge amounts of money; second, and more important, the Treadmill Sensei is cheap. I clip coupons, count my pennies and bring my lunch to work every day. Mrs. Sensei, on the other hand, is not cheap and I flinch whenever she comes to the DOJO to take my credit card on another shopping trip.

The reason I bring this all up is because of a question I get asked quite a bit here at the DOJO. People as "Oh, great Sensei, what would you say is the top of the line treadmill when money is absolutely no option...what treadmill would you recommend to a high class gym who wanted the finest of the fine? Tell us, oh great, wise, intelligent, good looking and incredibly nice smelling, Sensei!" Ok, so I added in that last bit to stroke my own ego.

While I don't normally bring up much of the ultra high end equipment here on the site, I thought I would sit down and write something up just for fun...or, for those few out there who really want to find out more about one of the top treadmills in the world, with the finest of components. After having spent over a month figuring out what the best of the best would be, and then another month trying to find one to review, the Treadmill Sensei has found what he considers to be the single best treadmill in the world if money were no option: the Motus 995TL Treadmill.

I know, I know. Everyone out there is saying "Huh? What the heck is a Motus?"

To answer that question I could mention that Motus is a 15-year manufacturer from Europe. Or I could mention that one of their US heads is the incredibly classy Tania Cobb -- in fact, I could mention that their entire staff and attitude is more comparable to Fendi, Lexus or Christian Dior, who know about treadmills and fitness, but also do it with a level of sophistication seen nowhere else in the industry. Truthfully, though, absolutely none of that matters. What does matter is that Motus is a solid manufacturer who uses top of the line, name brand parts in their machines. And that is what places them at the top of the fitness food chain.

Starting at the heart of the Motus 995TL Treadmill, the unit is powered by a Mitsubishi 5.7 horsepower motor. This is one of the largest motors I've ever seen in a treadmill -- heck, I think it's bigger than the motor in Mrs. Sensei's Nissan Maxima! Does a treadmill NEED a Mitsubishi brand motor? Well, no, but that does give it one of the single best motors around and gives a Motus owner the additional security of the company's reputation with high end motors. It also gives a Motus owner the knowledge that their treadmill motor might actually out last the 995TL treadmill's motor warranty.

Next, when I first got on to the Motus 995TL Treadmill I was surprised at how incredibly solid and sturdy the unit was. The only brand on the market that might be more stable would be Noramco...unless you move up to a car or horse treadmill! I had my son and Hikaru both take turns running on the 995TL and the treadmill never waivered. These things are built as solid as the reputations of their components. Plus, being able to run on a 20.5" x 63" deck as nice...I almost felt like I could have another person on there running with me and still have lots of room!

The other two things to talk about are the Samsung 15" LCD TV screen built right in to the Motus 995TL's console and the Hyundai electronics package. Both of these make the 995TL one of the best performing machines on the market. Not having to rely on OEM electronic parts manufactured at a small plant in China allows the Motus brand to blow every other treadmill on the market away. No faulty wiring. No poorly manufactured circuit boards. No fuzzy or dim TV screens. We plugged a DVD up to the 995TL here at the DOJO and all stood around and watched a few episodes of the first season of REBA. The screen was as sharp, as clear and as bright as the Sony TV I have in my office. Please, don't ask why I had the first season boxed set of REBA in my office. Just don't ask.

Every part of the unit is refined and perfectly designed as one would expect from a high end company like Motus. They aren't selling these units to small office gyms...they're selling them to the heads of multi-million dollar corporations or the top resorts in the world.

Do you want to know what the best part for me was? The anti-microbial handgrips. Why that feature? Because Hikaru sweats more than any other man I've ever seen and it has been rumored he doesn't wash his hands in the bathroom. Anti-microbial handgrips should be standard for anything Hikaru touches.

After running for more than a week on the thing, the Treadmill Sensei (plus his son and Hikaru) found the Motus 995TL Treadmill to be a world class machine. For that, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Motus 995TL a perfect 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

5 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Motus 995TL Treadmill.


Find out more about the most upperclass treadmill in the world, the Motus 995TL.



Motus 995TL Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 5.7HP
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 15%
Running Area: 20.5" x 63"
Folding: No
Programs: 5 + 5 custom
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse Grip and Wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: 15.1”LCD TV
Readouts: Time, Remaining Time, Distance, Watts, Calories, Speed, Incline, Resistance Level, Target HR, Telemetry HR
Max User Weight: 410 lbs.
Product Weight: 450 lbs.
Cost: Under $8500

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

The BodyCraft 1160 Treadmill Review -- Top Runner's Treadmill Under $1800

Ohiyo!

I haven't talked about my son for a week or so now because things have been a bit crazy at the DOJO, like always! Since he arrived in Southern California for his summer vacation a couple of weeks ago, I have put my son to work in the repair shop. He said it was too hard for him to find a summer job becase of his long hair so I solved both of his problems in one fell-swoop: I told him he was going to work with me at the DOJO and then informed him my beloved wife would be cutting his hair. It didn't take him long to get over the double shock and he's been doing really well helping me review and test out equipment for the reviews. He's been spending 4-5 hours a day working out on treadmills or ellipticals we have in here at the shop and seems to be enjoying it quite a bit.

Here at the DOJO the Sensei has been hearing about a lot of interesting new equipment coming up for the next busy season -- in fitness, the busy selling season runs from about November through April. I say "interesting" because while I am hearing about some very cool equipment I've also heard rumors about one formerly decent manufacturer potentially producing one of the worst ideas since allowing Rosanne Barr to sing the National Anthem. But more on that after the big fitness show in Denver next month.

Today I want to talk about a long historied company which tends to go unnoticed, at least on the treadmill and elliptical side of things. The company I'm talking about is Recreational Supply, Inc., who produces the BodyCraft line of fitness equipment. Now, anyone who is in to strength training or high quality home gyms is probably already familiar with that name: BodyCraft manufactures some of the top rated gyms you can buy and are known for ultra high quality, good pricing and excellent customer service. Let's see how one of their treadmills holds up to their reputation.

A few weeks ago one of the DOJO's clients, a local gym owner named Ken, offered to loan me a BodyCraft 1160 Treadmill he had picked up several months before. I was a bit surprised Ken could run because he is one of the largest men I've ever met -- I believe he's got muscles that haven't been named yet. Whenever he calls to have us install or service equipment in his gym I always joke and ask if he needs a neck installed as well. He's a good guy. Ken made me swear not to take his treadmill apart. Don't tell Ken, but that is the first thing we did in order to see how easy the BodyCraft 1160 is to assemble.

Beginning with the assembly, the 1160 treadmill was very easy to put together. BodyCraft did an excellent job with all of its machined parts and drilled holes...and everything lined up perfectly on the machine. I made my son put the unit back together so I know it isn't that difficult -- he has problems putting a sentence together, so him getting the BodyCraft 1160 together in under 20 minutes was a great indication of the unit's great instructions.

From there I had him give the BodyCraft 1160 treadmill an hour workout. He doesn't have a huge amount of experience with the equipment so it was an excellent opportunity to see how a real owner of one of these treadmills would use the machine. The first thing he did was play with the speed and incline controls. He mentioned that the BodyCraft's controls were a lot more responsive than the ones on the Bowflex his roommates use back in New York city. He also liked the layout of the treadmill console with an LCD screen above and LED readouts below.

From there he worked his way through a number of the 15 programs on the BOdyCraft 1160. I also asked him to hop a bit to test to treadmill's sturdiness and shock absorption. My son is a bigger guy, approximate 260 lbs and 6' tall, and the solid frame and deck of the BodyCraft 1160 held up extremely well to his bulk -- a bulk my wife is hoping we can help him reduce over the summer.

On the technical side, BodyCraft has learned very well from its home gym construction in regards to making one of the most solid treadmills available for under $1800. Very few other treadmills in this price range can give you the rock-solid feel of the BodyCraft 1160.

I was a bit surprised to see a 2.5 horsepower motor rating on a treadmill in the $1500-$2000 price class. Normally a manufacturer will rank up a motor in order to compete spec to spec with other models. Do not be fooled by the 2.5hp rating on the BodyCraft 1160. The motor is a monster. It runs cool, at low RPMs and don't pull a huge number of amps when loaded down. This is a motor that someone like Icon would rank up as a 4hp or higher, and is commercial quality. These are the same motors used in a number of gym grade machines out there.

The 1160 stacks up and even exceeds most other standard home treadmills in its class. It has a runner-friendly 20" x 58" running area, well-machined 2.5" rollers, an outstanding 15 programs, heart rate monitoring and control, and power assisted folding. The only areas to nitpick on the machine are the top speed (11 MPH) and maximum incline (12%). I'd like to see BodyCraft punch those numbers up a bit in order to be the top choice for those looking for running workouts or marathon training. Bowflex, Spirit and Sole watch out...these guys mean business!

For putting out a great machine (and for having an owner named Al Gore!), the Treadmill Sensei gives the BodyCraft 1160 Treadmill a top score of 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The BodyCraft 1160 has a nice showing with 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Get more information on the BodyCraft 1160 Treadmill.




BodyCraft 1160 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5hp
Running Area: 20" x 58"
Rollers: 2.5"
Max Speed: 11mph
Max Incline: 12%
Programs: 15
Console: LCD
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Readouts: Speed, incline, pulse, time, pace, calories and distance
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 350 lbs
Unit Weight: 270lbs

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

The SportsArt TR31 Treadmill Review -- Fantastic Design and Performance Under $3000

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei wants to lecture you, his loyal readers, for a couple of minutes about a brand you may or may not be aware of. I've talked about SportsArt Fitness a few times here on the website, generally in very glowing terms. Unfortunately, a lot of readers aren't familiar with their equipment because SportsArt's treadmills and ellipticals are sold only in brick-and-mortar stores. As a result they don't have as high of a recognition factor for those of you who do a lot of your equipment research online.

The Treadmill Sensei, on the other hand, only has a deal with his readers. And that deal is to give you my opinion on what sucks and what doesn't...and your side of the deal is to hang on my every word. That seems fair to me... :)

Anyway, today I want to talk a bit about the SportsArt TR31 Treadmill. I was able to borrow a demo unit from a local gym owner for a week in order to get some solid workout time on it. Reviewing a piece of equipment for an hour or two (or only for a few minutes at a tradeshow like some other sites do) really isn't enough to get in to the meat and bones of it. The only real way to see how a unit is going to perform for a buyer is to spend a week or more working out on the treadmill, logging in hours and hours while trying out every little detail. I was able to spend a little over 10 hours on the SportsArt TR31 and I must say it was an excellently performing treadmill.

The basics of the SportsArt TR31 are the same as its bigger brother, the TR32 treadmill. Same monstrous 3.2 horsepower motor. I've seen this motor in action for a couple of years now and in my experience it will not breakdown if properly maintained. SportsArt picked an excellent motor to power all of its top end machines and they found one that will probably outlive most of its owners! Put a treadmill mat under your unit and spritz the motor with compressed air every few months and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

The TR31 also has the same deck and the same basic display set up. The main difference comes in the lack of pulse grip heart rate monitors on the TR31 Treadmill's hand grips and the lack of the manual Adjustable Cushioning System of the SportsArt TR32. This does make a difference in the machine, but not a huge one for the pricing. It's like buying a Lexus versus buying a Lexus with the automatic parallel parking feature. Both are excellent cars but one has just a little more for an increased cost.

If you're looking for an ultra high quality treadmill but aren't ready to step up to the SportsArt TR32 Treadmill's $3500 or so cost, then take a look at the SportsArt TR31 at a bit under $3000. It may not park itself, but it will give you one of the most comfortable workouts in its price range.

For being another solid treadmill from an excellent manufacturer, the Treadmill Sensei gives the SportsArt TR31 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

At 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5, the Treadmill Sensei hopes he can convince Mrs. Sensei to let him get a SportsArt TR31 treadmill to match the SportsArt Elliptical in his den.


Find more information on the SportsArt TR31 and get the lowest price online.



SportsArt TR31 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.2hp
Running Area: 22" x 61"
Max Speed: 11mph
Max Incline: 15%
Programs: 9
Display: Dot Matrix
Readouts: Calories, Speed, Incline, Time, Disatance, Heart Rate, Mets, Pace
Heart Rate Monitor: Wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Rollers: 3"
Max User Weight: 450lbs
Unit Weight: 330lbs
Price: $2899

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

The Smooth 7.1 HR Treadmill Review - Fantastic unit under $2000

Ohiyo!

One of the treadmill brands I get asked to review every single day here at the DOJO is Smooth Fitness. Smooth is one of those companies whose equipment the Treadmill Sensei loves to get in. I set up a lot of their treadmills and very rarely have to go out to repair one. In fact, we get in a Smooth repair call maybe once a month or less. Smooth is currently one of the most sought after brands online because they are so reliable. I'm not as much a fan of their ellipticals, but when it comes to treadmills they easily out pace those by Horizon, Schwinn and Bowflex...I'd even go far to say as the only other brand in their price range which comes close is Sole. Smooth and Sole both have some of the best customer service in the fitness industry.

About a week ago we received in a Smooth 7.1HR Treadmill to install for the property manager of an apartment complex we had installed some other fitness equipment for in the past. The manager had asked for a few recommendations on a good home treadmill for he and his wife. Near the top of the list I gave him was the Smooth 7.1HR because the manufacturer had recently dropped it in price.

All of the Smooth treadmills have solid, heavy-duty frames. The Smooth 7.1 HR treadmill weighs in at just under 300 pounds and will give a commercial quality feel to its workouts. If you're used to working out at your local gym, then you will absolutely love the sturdiness of the 7.1hr Treadmill.

When I assemble a new treadmill at the DOJO, I always pop open the hood and take a look at the motor inside. Lifting the shroud, I found a very large, low RPM and surprisingly quiet 2.75 horsepower motor. You know, it's always great to find a motor which actually specs up to what a manufacter lists it at. Far too often I see a manufacturer rating a 2 or even 1 horsepower motor up to 2.5 or 3 hp. I very much wish there was an industry standard rating method for HP.

Over all the Smooth 7.1 HR treadmill is one of the top treadmills in the $1500-$2000 range. My only quibbles with the machine are the 10 mph max speed and shorter deck at 20" x 54." If Smooth ups those two specs on their 7.1 treadmill they'll have a perfect machine on their hands.

For being an outstanding unit, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Smooth 7.1 HR Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

One of the top treadmill brands online.



Smooth 7.1 HR Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.75hp
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 15%
Running Area: 20" x 54"
Display: LED
Programs: 8
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Rollers: 2.5"
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 350lbs
Unit weight: 280lbs

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

The New Balance 1600 Treadmill Review - Not enough of an upgrade for the price

Ohiyo!

I think this week is about reviewing equipment which has disappointed the Treadmill Sensei. You see, we are all a pretty big fan of New Balance equipment here at the DOJO - especially their treadmills. With recent huge price drops on Amazon, a customer will get way more for their money in a New Balance treadmill than from any other unit in the $799 to $1299 range. In fact, if the models stay the same and the prices continue to be as low as they are, chances are looking good for New Balance to sweep the Ichi Ban Best Buy Awards later this year and look for revised ratings to match their revised pricing. As decent as some of the units from Horizon, Spirit and Schwinn are, they just can't compete with the New Balance models going in to the next busy season.

Unfortunately, New Balance's run on great equipment comes to an end with the New Balance 1600 treadmill. This unit really exists as a slight upgrade from the New Balance 1400, having a different batch of programs and a 12 mph top speed versus the 11mph on the 1400 treadmill. The New Balance literature also lists a 57" length deck, but without having the 1400 side by side with the New Balance 1600 treadmill I really couldn't tell the difference between the two. This could be a bit of "creative measurement" on the part of New Balance.

I'm really not sure what New Balance was thinking when they put together the specs on the New Balance 1600 treadmill because there isn't enough of an upgrade from the New Balance 1400 to warrant the additional $200 in cost, and if you're already willing to spend $1199 for it I'd suggest spending the additional $100 for the much better New Balance 1800.

I do want to take a second to mention how incredibly easy all the New Balance units are to put together. These are easily the most user friendly machines out there in regards to assembly.

Now, keep in mind the New Balance 1600 treadmill isn't a bad machine at all and completely blows away just about any other unit at its price, it just falls short when compared to the rest of the New Balance line. For being not as good of a deal for the cost, the Treadmill Sensei gives the New Balance 1600 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

New Balance gets 3 gold buddahs out of 5 for trying to stretch their line too thin.


Compare the New Balance 1600 Treadmill.



New Balance 1600 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5 hp
Running Area: 20" X 57"
Deck Thickness: .75"
Programs: 18
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, speed, incline, distance, approximate calories burned and pulse rate
Max Speed: 11mph
Max Incline: 12%
Folding: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: No
Rollers: 2.4"
Max User Weight: 325lbs
Unit Weight: 250lbs

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

The Horizon E30 Elliptical Review -- Decent Folding Elliptical for under $600

Ohiyo!

One of the questions the Treadmill Sensei gets asked a lot here at the DOJO is: what about folding ellipticals? Truth be told most of the folding ellipticals on the market today are poorly made and shoddily constructed. They really are meant for people who will rarely if ever use them.

That being said, if you're short on space and need an elliptical of the folding variety, then make sure to take a look at the Horizon E30 Elliptical. This is a fairly heavy duty unit for a folding elliptical and doesn't scrimp on quality like some of its cousins over at Proform do. The unit I was able to get my hands on belonged to the sister-in-law of one of the other Senseis here at the DOJO. She was nice enough to load me her E30 for a week so I could put together a review for you, my loyal readers.

The three most important things to know about the Horizon E30 elliptical are its sturdiness (right at 160 pounds...an excellent weight for a non folding elliptical under $600 and fantastic for a folding one), the large flywheel (just over 20 pounds) and the durable folding joints. Horizon has obviously listened to all of the complaints about folding ellipticals and addressed each one of them very well. This is a solid, sturdy elliptical and very comparable with non folding units in its price range. When compare to folding ellipticals at the same price, the Horizon E30 blows them all away.

The max user weight of the Horizon E30 is listed at about 300 pounds. I'd downgrade that and say don't use this unit if you're too far in excess of 200 pounds. The e30 elliptical stood up well to my 170 pounds and to a fairly extensive set of 45 minute workouts over the course of 6 days.

The only real down side to the unit is the stride length. At 16" the stride on the Horizon E30 is a bit short for taller people, but should do well for anyone 5'9" and under. 10 programs and 20 levels of resistance round out a very good offering from the fine folks at Horizon Fitness. For being a surprisingly good folding elliptical, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Horizon E30 Elliptical 3.5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

A folding elliptical that doesn't suck? Who would have thought?



Horizon E30 Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 16"
Flywheel: 20lbs
Programs: 10
Resistance: 20 levels
Display: LCD
Readouts: Time, distance, speed, calories burned, heart rate, pulse, resistance level, watts, program profile
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Elliptical Weight: 160lbs

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

The Proform 495 PI Treadmill Review -- Poor Performance Under $400

Ohiyo!

You know, every time a Proform treadmill comes in to the DOJO, the Treadmill Sensei really wants to like it. I've read on another site about how Icon Fitness is turning around its poor quality for a bright future. Unfortunately, that's just not the case. Whenever I see a new Proform unit I still find all of the same old problems - poor welds, cheap plastic, thin decks and generally low quality parts. The unit I'm reviewing today, the Proform 495 PI Treadmill, is no different.

Let's start with my favorite 2 places on a treadmill: the frame and the motor. The frame on the 495PI is flimsy at best. The max user weight on it is listed as 250 lbs., but I'd guess the rating should be down closer to 150 lbs to be safe. I'm a nice 170 pounds and the Proform 495 PI I worked out on had a terrible case of the wobbles. It also groaned and creaked more than a machine should during a light workout.

On to the motor. Again, I believe Proform is fudging their stats a little. The tiny motor I found when I opened up the motor hood was listed as 2.25 hp but after watching and listening to it (as well as testing the AMPs it was pulling), I'd guess it was closer to a 1 or 1.25 horsepower motor. This is another fine example of Icon's fairly worthless "THP" motor rating.

Normally here is where I'd talk about the tiny 18" x 45" running area, the 10 mph top speed, 10% max incline, 10 programs or some other feature. However, the deck on the Proform 495PI Treadmill we were testing cracked almost in half about 4 hours in to testing. Again, I'm not a heavy guy and I don't do insane workouts...this unit should have had absolutely no issues with my weight or my workout. The sickening crack I heard while walking on the 495PI treadmill was just another indicator pointing at Proform's continued lower levels of quality.

If you absolutely MUST buy this $399 machine, try to keep your workouts down to 15 minutes no more than 3 times a week. Then you should be safe. I'd also suggest walking only as the increased impact of running may crack your deck like mine. For being another poor unit, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Proform 495PI Treadmill 1 out of 5 golden buddahs.

At under $400, the Proform 495PI gets 1 gold buddah out of 5.



Proform 495PI Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.25 HP
Running Area: 18” x 45”
Max Incline: 10%
Max Speed: 10 mph
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: No
Programs: 10
Display: LCD
Readouts: Speed, time, pace, laps, distance, calories burned, fat calories burned, and pulse.
Folding: Yes
Max User Weight: 250lbs
Unit Weight: 120lbs

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

The BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill Review -- Solid TV Treadmill for under $2400

Ohiyo!

One of the things the Treadmill Sensei likes to do from time to time is take on a repair/remanufacturing project that is a bit too difficult for some of the younger Senseis here at the DOJO. To me there is nothing better than being able to take a nearly destroyed treadmill or elliptical and rebuild it to look and perform like new. Having recently done a couple of BladeZ Fitness reviews, I decided to see if I could search out and find a BladeZ treadmill to put back together.

What I was able to find, thanks to some contacts at Yellow Freight, was a freight damaged BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill. One quick inspection, the damage was fairly extensive but not unmanagable: a cracked motor shroud, cracked deck, bent wheels and a variety of scratches and dings. I also discovered, part of the way through the restoration that there was a short between the incline motor and board. The remanufacturing process starts with stripping the unit down to the bar frame, sandblasting and repainting it, then ordering replacement parts and putting it all back together. I replace anything with cracks or unfixable scrapes, drop on new overlays, test the electronics boards and motors, replace the belt and anything else which has been worn. When I'm done the machine is as close to new as it can be and, on a lot of treadmills, it will end up with a much better maintenance record than a new unit because we go over the units with a fine tooth comb.

Anyway, that's enough about the remanufacturing process, let's get right to the BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill review since that is way you're here! If you're looking for a higher end, commercial quality TV treadmill, then look no further than the 710-ME. After my rebuild, I spent nearly 2 weeks running the machine through a very extensive workout with a minimum hour run per day. Because I was a little unsure of the 3.2 horsepower motor on the unit (having been damaged and all), I did a lot of walking to put extra stress on it -- as counter-intuitive as it sounds, walking puts a lot more stress and wear & tear on a motor because your slower strides remain in contact with the belt (and motor) much more than when you run.

The second thing I always look at on a treadmill is the frame. Like every other BladeZ treadmill I've seen, the 710-ME is as solid as a brickhouse. This thing will stand up to just about any heavy-duty workout you can throw at it. The company sales pitch says "robotically welded frames." I'm not sure what kind of robots they use, but they do good work. Add in the well-made 2.4" rollers and you've got all the pieces for a treadmill with a very long life.

I have to say that running on the BladeZ 710-ME was great. The gigantic 20" x 60" deck had just enough bounce back without having too much recoil. Plus, the extra large running area gave me a lot of room to full out run. I could go on and on, talking about the 15% incline, 12 mph max speed (which, I do wish went up to 15 mph), 10 programs and more, but it all really just comes down to the fact that BladeZ did an excellent job with their engineering and design on the 710-ME Treadmill. This is an example of where you can see the 20+ years of DK City's experience in manufacturing fitness equipment.

The bonus on this machine is the 10" cable-ready television mounted in to the console. As with the other BladeZ units, the screen was bright and sharp and quickly hooked up to the cable TV hook-up in my office. Watching the Wiggles while I have my grandson hanging around my body in a Baby Bjorn was more fun than I can describe...although, that 17 pound baby did start to kill my back about 20 minutes in to my run -- I mentioned I was getting old, right?

At about $1700 delivered, the Treadmill Sensei gives the BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

At 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5, the BladeZ 710 ME Treadmill
is one of the best higher-end TV treadmills on the market.


Find out more about the BladeZ 710ME Treadmill and get the lowest price online.



BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.25HP
Running Area: 20” x 60”
Max Incline: 15%
Max Speed: 12 mph
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 10
Display: 10" LCD monitor/TV, 4 LED windows
Rollers: 2.4”
Belt: 4-Ply
Deck Thickness: 1”
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 275lbs

Price: Under $1700

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

The SportsArt TR32 Treadmill Review -- Great Treadmill for Bad Joints

Ohiyo!

Every so often the Treadmill Sensei likes to venture out from the DOJO on a quest to find equipment he hasn't been able to get a hold of. This past week I took one such adventure, this time out to the wonderous land call Thousand Oaks to try out the SportsArt TR32 treadmill...actually, I took two adventures out in order to get a couple of one-hour work out sessions on the machine at a local fitness specialy shop.

In a quick bit of disclosure, I dropped by the aforementioned shop unannounced and didn't tell them I was the Treadmill Sensei. I did this so I wouldn't be bombarded with questions. To sales reps I met I was just another incredibly attractive, middle-aged Asian man interested in a high-end treadmill.

The first thing you notice when you walk up to the SportsArt TR32 Treadmill is the beautiful design work. The thing looks every bit as slick as a BH, BodyGuard or Matrix Treadmill, which is great company to be in. The next thing most people will notice is the price tag at right around $3700. The sticker shock may scare away most people, but the TR32 is very much worth the price if you can afford to pay for it. If Matrix is a Lexus and Landice is a BMW, then SportsArt is a sleek Infiniti.

The next two things, which are some of the most important for a treadmill, are the frame and the motor. On the SportsArt TR32 both of these features are top-notch. The frame is every bit as solid and steady as a higher-end commercial treadmill. And the 3.2 horsepower motor runs cool at low RPMS and is big enough to strap wheels to and drive down to Tiajuana. SportsArt built their TR32 treadmill motor to last a lifetime.

During my work outs, I found the console on the SportsArt TR32 to be one of the most user-friendly I've come across. Everything is very intuitive and easy to use, and even a treadmill novice will be able to start their workout within a couple of seconds. I was a little surprised to only find 9 workout programs and a 12 mph top speed on a high end unit like this. With everything else being above and beyond the call of duty, it was a bit of a let down in those two departments. Not a major problem but worth mentioning...most other units in this range have a similar top speed, but with the unit being so outstanding otherwise I expected the 15mph speed.

The feature which makes the SportsArt TR32 Treadmill a fantastic unit in my book is the Adjustable Cushioning System (imagine a little "trademark" sign after that combination of words, please). What that fancy phrase does is allow the user to manually adjust the amount of shock absorbtion on the deck.

Anyone who has read this site before will know how much I really hate when a manufacturer comes up with a fancy, but meaningless, term describing something that every other treadmill out there has too (Proform, I'm talking to YOU!). However, in this case the ACS is a very cool piece of technology that will actually help your workout in a way unique to SportsArt. During my workouts I could really feel the difference when I altered the ACS settings on the SportsArt TR32. I don't know if it reduces impact by the 90% the salesman told me, but the reduction was significant and, more important, comfortable. If you have problems with your feet or joints then this is a solid feature.

The last thing which was very nice on the treadmill was the warranty package: lifetime on the motor and mechanical parts, 7 years on electronics and 1 year on labor. Bumping that up to a more competitive 2 years for labor would have made this a homerun for SportsArt.

For my pair of workouts, the SportsArt TR32 Treadmill performed like a dream -- huge motor, rock-solid frame, nice sized running area and the ACS give users a commercial quality workout at just under $3700. The TR32 Treadmill is a fine example of why SportsArt is one of the leading treadmill manufacturers in the industry today. For being an excellent piece of engineering, the Treadmill Sensei gives the SportsArt TR32 Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs...It would have ranked higher, but my limited time on the machine kept me from doing a more extensive review.

The SportsArt TR32 gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about the SportsArt TR32 and get the lowest price online.



SportsArt TR32 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.2 hp
Max Speed: 12mph
Max Incline: 15%
Running Area: 22" x 61"
Programs: 9
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: Dot Matrix
Readouts: Calories, Speed, Incline, Time, Disatance, Heart Rate, Mets, Pace
Max User Weight: 450lbs
Treadmill Weight: 330lbs

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

The Weslo Cadence C44 Treadmill Review -- Really Bad Under $400

Ohiyo!

One of the things the Treadmill Sensei hates about treadmill manufacturers is when they create (and trademark) new terms to confuse buyers. Terms like "Whisper deck," "impuse drive" and "comfort cell cushioning" all grate at my nerves because they really mean absolutely nothing at all. They are all just buzz words and do nothing to make your workout better or more comfortable. One of the biggest perpetrators of the meaningless trademarked buzzword is Icon Health & Fitness, and their Weslo Cadence C44 Treadmill is one of the units they do it on. Can you tell I'm about to go on a rant?

The Treadmill Sensei is in a bit of an annoyed moode today because my wife's relatives think they can bring in their cheap, broken-down treadmills to fix after they've been trashed. Today, one of Athena's aunts (who wishes to remain nameless...unfortunately, it's my blog and I can name names!), Aunt Nikki, brought in a burned out Welso Cadence C44 treadmill. Aunt Nikki said she bought the Weslo C44 because it had a maximum user capacity of 250 pounds and she had intended to work her way down to that quickly (Aunt Nikki currently weighs about 285 pounds). She never listens to me.

Let me repeat this again in case anyone missed it before, when you are looking at a treadmill, make sure the maximum user weight is at least 50 pounds OVER what you weight. Manufacturers generally over state the weight capacity on their machines and, if you want your treadmill to last, you need to factor that in. Meaning, Aunt Nikki should have purchased a treadmill with at least a 325 pound max user weight. She didn't and she burned out her motor.

Speaking of the motor, Icon bills the Weslo C44 Treadmill as having a 2.25 THP horsepower motor. Regular readers of this site know that THP is a completely worthless rating...it stands for peak horse power (or total) and doesn't do anyone any good. The actual horsepower rating of the Weslo Cadence C44 Treadmill is really around 1 to 1.25 horsepower...and it is the size of a soup can. This is not a motor that was ever meant to be hauling 250 pounds. I'd have given it a ranking of 200 lbs at the maximum, and said 175 lbs as a safer bet.

As I told Aunt Nikki earlier today, even at the "bargain" price of $399 the Weslo C44 treadmill is not worth buying -- $99 MAYBE. This unit has a flimsy frame, weak manual incline set up, tiny motor, very small deck/running area and no programs. Even the pulse grip seems to have been poorly designed and calibrated.

In my opinion, the Weslo C44 treadmill did more for Aunt Nikki's health as a broken unit than as a working one...at least she got a good workout carrying it down to the DOJO. For being a flimsy waste of money, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Weslo Cadence C44 Treadmill 1 out of 5 Golden Buddahs...and I think I'm being overly generous with that!

Move along, at 1 gold buddah out of 5 there is absolutely nothing to see here.


Compare the Weslo C44 Treadmill


Weslo Cadence C44 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.25 hp
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 9%
Running Area: 16" x 47"
Display: LCD
Programs: 0
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: No
Max User Weight: 250 lbs (don't believe it!)
Unit Weight: 90lbs
Folding: Yes

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

The Bodyguard T460X Treadmill Review -- Top Rated under $4000

Ohiyo!

No, you aren't imagining things...this is my second review for the day. It isn't very often that the Treadmill Sensei sees a treadmill or elliptical that just blows him away. Earlier this week while I was roaming around town I stopped by a fitness dealer's shop that I haven't been to before. The shop itself was a little small but very well put together and, surprisingly, had a few of the higher end Bodyguard treadmills as floor units. Unfortunately, the shop owner didn't know who I was and wouldn't let me snap some photos. He did, however, let me spend a little over an hour working out with a very nice Bodyguard T460X Treadmill. I was even able to poke around a bit "under the hood" of the machine, much to the shop manager's discomfort.

I'm not going to talk a whole lot about the specs of the Bodyguard T460x treadmill, you can read those down below. What I'm going to talk about is my experience on it, and I'm going to sum it all up with three words: Better Than Landice.

The Bodyguard T460X is simply one of the finest treadmills in production today. From my hour workout and being able to check out the motor, I feel that this unit is the best feeling, best performing and best priced treadmill in the $3000 to $4000 range. Nothing even comes close. Working out on the T460X was like getting in to a brand new Mercedes and taking it for a test drive. I didn't want to get off it.

Here is a run down. You've got a monstrous 3.4 horsepower motor set in to one of the strongest treadmill frames around. Mounted on that is a 20"x63" running deck that is made with runners in mind, as is incline/decline of negative 3% up to positive 15%...add in 29 different program options and you've got a treadmill that will take you to the limit.

If I had to nitpick the Bodyguard T460X treadmill then I'd really wish the maximum speed would go up to 15 mph to make it the ultimate runner's machine. But 12 mph isn't anything to laugh at.

If you're in the market for a high end, high performance treadmill then check out the T460x by Bodyguard. For being totally sweet, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Bodyguard T460x Treadmill 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

Just plain perfect.


The Bodyguard T460X is one of the finest treadmills under $4000. Find the best price online and save an additional 3% with Coupon Code TMSENSEI.

Bodyguard T460X Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.4 HP
Running Area: 20"x63"
Max Speed: 12 mph
Incline Range: -3% decline to 15%
Rollers: 2.5"
Max User Weight: 400 pounds
Unit Weight: 266 pounds
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 29
Display: Dot Matrix
Reversible Deck: Yes
Price: $3899

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

The BladeZ ION 2007T Treadmill Review -- A great TV treadmill under $1500

Ohiyo!

After 20+ years in the fitness industry, the Treadmill Sensei has found that there are a few companies who consistantly produce well-design, top rated equipment. Those companies include SportsArt, Sole, Smooth, Star Trac, Bodyguard and BladeZ. From year to year, these companies put out some of the best treadmills and ellipticals on the market and probably will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Having gotten in another BladeZ unit here at the DOJO this past week, I thought I'd talk a bit about their Ion 2007T TV treadmill.

As I mentioned in my review of the Bladez 7.9 Elliptical, BladeZ is owned by DK City in Taiwan. DK is one of the largest fitness manufacturers in the world coming in at nearly $300 million. DK is also one of the oldest manufacturers at over 30 years. And, finally, BladeZ was the first company to put TV consoles on their treadmills and ellipticals. When you add all of that up, you've got a company with a great record of producing some of the finest equipment around...and that doesn't even take in to account that DK produces equipment for True Fitness.

The BladeZ Ion 2007T treadmill which came in to the DOJO is no exception. Assembly took about 10 minutes and should be very easy for even someone who has less than average mechanical ability. I'd guess it should take 20-30 minutes for most people with little to no swearing involved.

For most treadmills I tend to focus on the frame and the motor because they are the foundation of good equipment. For the Ion2007t, Bladez has built a very solid, welded frame, and in that frame they place a large, cool running 2.5 horsepower motor. Stepping up on the deck you can just feel the sturdiness in this 280 pound monster. This is a runner's treadmill and will hold up to just about any intense workout. In the few days we've had it I've run four 5-mile workouts and have seen no issues at all.

This is easily one of the best TV treadmills that I've come across in the past 5 years...heck, it's a solid treadmill all around, TV or no TV. When you factor in the under $1500 price point, you've got an excellent buy.

There are a couple of downsides that keep this from being a 5 buddah unit. Nothing too major, but I do wish the deck were a bit bigger to make it a killer runner's training treadmill. I'd like to see a few more programs - 10 would be perfect. And I really wish it had wireless heart rate monitoring and control. Again, the BladeZ Ionn 2007t treadmill is a great unit...these little changes would make it the best for the money, especially when you factor in that it is a TV treadmill.

For being another great offering from BladeZ, the Treadmill Sensei gives the BladeZ 2007T-Me Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

UPDATE: The BladeZ Ion Treadmill can now be found on Amazon for an incredible $799.99!

A very solid 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Ion 2007T treadmill by BladeZ.


Now available for the mind-blowing price of $799.99 more than 60% off its original price!




BladeZ ION 2007T Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5 HP
Max User Weight: 350 lbs
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse Grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 6
Display: 7" LCD, DVD and cable TV-ready
Readouts: Time, Distance, Speed, Elevation, Pulse, Calories
Treadmill Weight: 280 lbs
Rollers: 2"
Deck Thickness: 1"
Belt: 2 ply
Running Area: 20" X 55"

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

The Bowflex Series 5 Treadmill Review -- Not Quite Average

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei has been wanting to review the Bowflex Series 5 Treadmill for a while now. You see, I'm just a little OCD and needed the closure of finishing up my Bowflex line of reviews. Unfortunately, I generally only review equipment which comes through for set up or repair and I just haven't seen a Series 5 in a very long time. For a while I was beginning to think they had gone the way of the DoDo bird. Luckily enough we received one in just before the holiday weekend and I was able to give it a bit of a work out before it went out to our customer.

We picked up the boxed Series 5 treadmill from a local retailer whose customer wanted the unit installed in their garage-based fitness room out in Woodland Hills. Normally I'd have one of the younger Senseis (Hikaru, I'm talking about you!) set up the residential grade treadmills but I really wanted to have the whole Bowflex experience myself and took up the tools to do it on my own.

Now, I can't give anyone a totally unbiased opinion on a treadmill assembly because I've done so many of them. However, putting together the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill was very easy. It should take someone with average mechanical ability around 30-45 minutes to assemble. We had ours together in about 10 minutes.

The good news is that, like the Bowflex Series 7 treadmills, the Series 5 had a very sturdy frame and a nice 20" x 60" deck on it. The frames on these things are very sturdily constructed. You also get a lot of workout options (12 programs) and some fairly well made 2.5" rollers -- not commercial grade, but still very nice.

The bad news is: that's all the good news. As with the other Bowflex units, the Series 5 Treadmill has an under powered "2.5 horsepower" motor. I put 2.5 horsepower in quotes because I really think it should have been rated 2 horsepower at best. The motor just doesn't have the get up and go of other 2.5 hp motors in this price range and I think it is a prime example of a manufacturer tweaking their specs a bit.

The Series 5's belt is a bit flimsy as well. I only had a few hours worth of working out on the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill we brought in here to the DOJO (over 4 days I worked out a little over 3 hours doing running and walking), but my opinion is that the belts will wear out with even moderate use in about 6 months. If you pick up one of these, make sure to budget 1-2 new belts a year.

The other problem I found, and have been hearing about from other techs, is a sorely under-powered incline motor. I don't weigh all that much (I'm at about 170 lbs right now thanks to a Mrs. Sensei-enforced, no red meat diet...I love red meat and I think she took it away to punish me for making fun of her family on this website), but the incline motor was obviously straining during my tests and caused the entire unit to power down on more than one occassion from other overheating or an internal short. Not a good sign.

At around $1299, the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill just does not hold up to the competition.

I would have loved to have given the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill the same completely average rating its big brother, the Series 7, received but the poor belt and undersized motors add up to 2 out of 5 golden buddahs from the Treadmill Sensei.

The Bowflex series 5 falls just short of being an average treadmill.


Compare the Bowflex Series 5 treadmill.




Bowflex Series 5 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5 HP
Max User Weight: 300 lbs. (I'd suggest 250 lbs or less)
Folding: Yes
Reversible Deck: No
Programs: 12
Max Speed: 11 mph
Max Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse Grip
Display: LED
Roller Size: 2.5" inches
Belt Thickness: 1 ply
Deck Size: 20" x 60"
Treadmill Weight: 250 lbs.

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

The Spirit Z88 Treadmill Review -- A solid treadmill with a major problem

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is back to work at the DOJO after the long Memorial Day weekend. It's always tough to get back in the groove of things after mini-vacations like that...and when we spend most of that time with my in-laws I feel like I need to get back to work just to recover from my "vacation" time. Why God created in-laws escapes me and I'll always be more than a little annoyed at him for it. Thankfully he also created Coldstone, so everything comes out even.

Because I am recovering from a long weekend with the in-laws, I'm going to do a bit of an easy treadmill review today. While I've already done a review of the Sole F63, I wanted to do a follow up on its twin, the Spirit Z88 treadmill, in an effort to answer reader some reader questions about the unit.

Like most of the other Spirit treadmills and ellipticals, the Z88 treadmill has a Sole Fitness counterpart which is as close to identical as you can get under the differing paint jobs. In the case of the Z88, the duplicate unit is the fantastic Sole F63 treadmill. As readers of this site already know, the Sole F63 was top winner of my Ichi-Ban Best Buy Awards last year.

The reason I rated the SOle F63 over the Spirit Z88 version was because of the paint problems the Spirits had. The Dyaco plant which produced the Spirit Z88 treadmills must have picked up a lot of different paint at a great price because the colors of the units seemed to change from batch to batch. This is further evidence of the quality control problems Spirit has been having over the last year or so.

Unfortunately, the QC problems seem to have extended to the walking belts on the Spirit Z88 treadmill as well. Here at the DOJO I've gotten quite a few emails talking about belts fraying very quickly from even light usage. So, if you do pick up a Z88 treadmill instead of the Sole F63 version, make sure your retailer gives you a guarantee on the belt as well, at least for 6 months...most problems with faulty belts will pop up in the first couple of months so you'll know pretty quickly if you've gotten a bad batch or now.

Aside from that, the huge 2.5 horsepower motor, well crafted 2.5", solid deck and great design make the Spirit Z88 an excellent choice for best buy under $1000. If I had any quibbles (aside from manufacturing defects and weird paint issues) would be the lack of heart rate control programs and lesser warranty.

UPDATED: Due to a high volume of reader complaint emails regarding and increased number of wiring and console issues on the Spirit Z88, I have downgraded the ranking of this unit and it is no longer recommended. Check out the Sole F63 Treadmill for the same unit but without the quality control issues of the Spirit.

Because of the QC and wiring issues, the Spirit Z88 treadmill comes up just short of the Sole F63 version and gets 3 out of 5 golden buddahs from the Treadmill Sensei.

A top performer, the Spirit Z88 gets 3 gold buddahs out of 5.


Find out more about the Spirit Z88 and get the lowest price online.


Spirit Z88 Specifications
Motor: 2.5 HP
Folding: Yes
Speed: 10 MPH
Incline: 15%
Running Area: 20" x 55"
Rollers: 2.5"
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: No
Display: LCD

Programs: 6
Max User Weight: 300 lbs
Treadmill Weight: 245 lbs.

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

The Nordic Track X5 Incline Trainer Treadmill - Not Great

Ohiyo!

Every month or so we'll get in one of these Nordic Track units at the DOJO and the repairs are almost always the same: burned out motor, burned out incline motor and broken or bent upright bars. We've also had in a few broken decks. In my opinion, based on my 20+ years in the industry, the two motors in the unit are much too small and low powered for the amount of work they are being required to do -- 2 HP for a high incline walking treadmill just doesn't cut it. As regular readers of this site already know, walking (especially at high inclines) puts far more stress on a motor than running does, and the amount of stress at a 30% incline on top of that will burn out any small, over geared motor in just a few months.

When you factor in the light weight upright bars, you have a treadmill that is only meant for the smallest and lightest of users. 165lbs or 180lbs at the most. Any more than that and you'll have a burned out motor on your hands.

Unfortunately, using the Incline Trainer at lower inclines isn't practical either with its 20" x 52" deck at $1599 price point. Coming in shy of $1600 you can find a number of higher quality treadmills.

For being an iffy workout choice, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Nordic Track X5 Incline Trainer 2 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Two buddahs...that's it.

The Nordic Track X5 Incline Treadmill

Nordic Track X5 Incline Trainer Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2hp
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 30%
Walking Area: 20" x 52"
Max User Weight: 300lbs
Programs: 23
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Display: LED
Folding: Yes
Unit Weight: Approx. 250lbs
Price: $1599

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

The New Balance 1800 Treadmill Review - Fantastic under $1500

Ohiyo!

From time to time the Treadmill Sensei will get a follow up email here at the DOJO from people who have written in the past. A couple of weeks ago I responded to "Lisa" in Mission Viejo about where normal, non-sensei people can go to check out treadmills and ellipticals. She followed up with a note asking about New Balance in general and the 1800 Treadmill in specific. Let's see what she had to say:

Hello again,

I followed your suggestion and looked at the New Balance brand. Sport Chalet currently has the model 1600 on sale for $999.00. It is very quiet, has a nice long warranty and is comfortable to use. The only New Balance model that offers "Silver service" delivery is the 1800. It is being offered for $100 more than the 1600 and includes free delivery and silver service delivery. I think that this model is being phased out. The price is too good and this model isn't on the New Balance website. I'm tempted to buy it just because someone else will get it in the door for me. I read your reviews of the 1200 and the 1400 and they were very flattering of both models. Do you know anything about the 1800? Apparently it has some sort of Ortho flex deck that is different than the other models. I'm wondering if this feature isn't very good and if that is why the model isn't being offered by the main company.

I'm sorry for the long-windedness of this email. I'm getting very discouraged.

Thank you for any insight you can offer. -Lisa

Lisa:

I edited your note down a bit because you had some points I wanted to talk about in another post - including your problems with the Spirit Z88 treadmill and your questions about inside delivery -- hopefully I can get to those tonight. But right now I wanted to focus on the New Balance 1800.

To start off, New Balance has some great equipment -- treadmills AND ellipticals. This is especially true now that Amazon has dropped their price down so low. If the prices had been this low back when I was doing the 2006-2007 Ichi-Ban Awards, New Balance may just have sweeped the Best Buy ranks. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, at the current pricing, the New Balance treadmills are some of the best deals on treadmills around. Period. No one comes close - not Spirit, not Vision, no one. I'm not sure how or why they're doing it, but Amazon is just about giving these units away (same with the Tunturi treadmills, such as the Tunturi T30 - another great machine at much too low a price).

That being said, the New Balance 1800 elliptical is a fantastic unit (it is being discontinued, so act fast if you're going to buy one) and we have been getting in an insane number of them to set up and install for customers. With that in mind, I'm going to do something a little different with my ratings and compare the New Balance 1800 to the other New Balance treadmills which will give it a slightly lower rating.

You see, while it is a spectacular buy at $1299 (and blows away competition at the same price point such as the Spirit XT10), it just doesn't offer much of an upgrade to the other Balance treadmills out there. The bigger motor, slightly higher speed, incline and programs and the addition of wireless heart rate monitoring isn't enough to warrant the additional cost. The "ortho flex deck" you mentioned really isn't anything better than the decks on the other New Balance treadmills and should have been upgraded to a 1" thickness.

Don't get me wrong, the New Balance 1800 is great (awesome at $1299, in fact -- the 20" x 57" deck and 3 HP motor is mindblowing!) when compared to other treadmills but isn't as much of an upgrade when you check out the other New Balance Treadmills. If you need the 3 horsepower motor, additional weight and programs, then the New Balance 1800 Treadmill is a perfect choice. However, if you can make do with 2 or 2.5 HP, then I'd check out one of the light New Balance treadmills.

For being a great treadmill and a mind-blowing price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the New Balance 1800 treadmill 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The New Balance 1800 pulls in 4 gold buddahs out of 5!


Compare and get more information on the New Balance 1800



New Balance 1800 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.0
Max User Weight: 350 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Programs: 20
Readouts: Time, speed, incline, distance, approximate calories burned and pulse rate
Grade: Residential
Treadmill Weight: 254 lbs
Rollers: 2.4"
Deck Thickness: .75"
Running Area: 20" x 57"

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

The Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill Review - Below Average under $1000

Ohiyo!

You know, the Treadmill Sensei really hates to write bad reviews for treadmills and ellipticals. Well, strike that, the Treadmill Sensei hates having to write reviews for bad treadmills and ellipticals. I also hate to write a review which I know the manufacturer (or one of its reps) is going to write me to complain about (again). Unfortunately, because of my love for my loyal readers I have to do it and I have to warn you about less than spectacular treadmills. In this case, the Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill.

Now, the Series 3 treadmill I'm basing my review on is one we purchased about 6 months ago when I thought it was a good idea to purchase some equipment for the Treadmill Sensei reviews. I figured I'd order treadmills I knew people wanted more information on instead of waiting around for one to come through the repair shop. The unit itself has only been used for approximately 30-35 hours since its arrival at the shop. In spite of constant maintenance in our service shop it has not held up very well at all.

Before I get in to the problems I see with our specific model, I want to go over some of the features (and lack of features) of the Bowflex Series 3 treadmill. I'll start with the pros.

The only two things which set this unit above being a glorified dirty clothes hamper are its very spiffy design (if nothing else, Bowflex has some great designers!) and its weight. The unit looks cool and has a very solid mass to it.

That's all.

The cons, sad to say, out number the pros almost 5 to 1.

In spite of being a fairly heavy unit (I'd estimate around 250 pounds), the unit contains a lot of flimsy plastic. Our unit, which sits in my office and gets very very light use (I think only 1 or 2 of the techs have used it consistantly), already has a major crack in the motor shroud, a number of cracks in the console and a crack on the side rails. The shroud crack came strictly from an average sized person running on the deck for less than 2 hours a week. This is not a good sign.

Speaking of the deck, for the $1000 price, I really wish Bowflex hadn't scrimped with a 20" x 54" deck. For the price it really should have been at least 20" x 55" or 20" x 56". The same goes for the 10 mph speed and 12% incline. Most people won't need more than that, but it is a strange place to cut corners on a $1000 machine. The lack of a heart rate control mode or wireless heart rate monitoring is a disappointment, too.

In what we're now hearing is a fairly common occurance, there is quite a lag in response time on the Bowflex Series 3 treadmill's buttons. This was also a problem when we tried out their Treadclimbers at the 2006 IHRSA show, so it may be a company-wide issue.

Other problems come from a tiny 1.75 HP motor which seems to strain under even light usage. A 1-ply belt which on our under 6 month old machine has already begun to fray and come apart. For heavier use my opinion is that the belt will last for 3 months or less before needing replacement.

Finally, due to all of the plastic and the under powered motor, the Bowflex Series 3 is a very loud treadmill to work out on. You'll run in to problems if you like to watch television or hold a conversation while you work out. The sounds which spill off the Series 3 are annoying at best.

In my view, the Series 3 treadmill is lackluster and performs more poorly than its bigger brother, the Bowflex Series 7. For being another Bowflex disappointment, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill 2 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill is another "No Buy" unit from Bowflex...what can't they learn from their sister-company, Schwinn, and put out some decent equipment?


Compare the Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill.



Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.75 HP
Speed: 10 mph
Incline: 12%
Programs: 6
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: None
Display: LED
Max User Weight: 250 lbs
Treadmill Weight: Approx. 250 lbs.
Deck Size: 20" x 54"
Rollers: 2"
Belt: 1 ply
Folding: Yes
Price: $999

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

The Sole S73 Treadmill Review -- A good but not great folding treadmill

Ohiyo!

Today your Treadmill Sensei is just about conviced he's going to die before the end of the day. You see, we had another fairly incompentent driver come in from one of the freight companies to drop off equipment and I wound up pulling a whole bunch of nifty muscles in my back. You'd be surprised at how much muscles there are in your back that you can hurt.

Luckily, I go to a great chiropractor down in Huntington Beach and they have an adjustment table waiting for me tomorrow. Until then I'm hunched over and just want to die.

For now I'm going to review the treadmill which caused me so much pain today, the Sole S73 treadmill. This unit is an easy one to review because it is just the non-folding version of the Sole F83 treadmill, which I've already reviewed.

With the Sole S73 you get the same giant 3 horsepower, high-torque, low RPM motor as the F83. You get the same maximum speed (12 MPH), same max incline (15%), same heart rate monitor and control, same just about everything. The only two differences are the non-folding nature of the S73 and the slightly shorter deck length. The S73 has a 20x55 where the F83 has a 20x58. So, you're getting a slightly shorter deck but saving around $100. Not a terrible trade off, but I would have preferred it if the Sole S73 treadmill had the same deck as the F83.

You really can't go wrong with the Sole S73 but if you can spare the extra $100 I'd just upgrade to the F83 and get more running room. For not being quite as good as the Sole F83, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole S73 treadmill 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Sole S73 comes in at 4 gold buddahs out of 5.



Sole S73 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.0 HP
Folding: No
Max User Weight: 350 lbs
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Running Area: 20x55 inches
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and chest strap
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 6
Display: Tri color LED
Readouts: Speed, Incline, Time, Distance Traveled, Calories, Pulse and Pace
Treadmill Weight: 260 lbs.
Roller Size: 2.75"
Deck Thickness: 1"

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

The Proform Perspective ES Treadmill -- Surprisingly Not Bad

Ohiyo!

Your Treadmill Sensei has finally recovered from his eating binge yesterday and is back in fighting form. So, after a long night of pain and discomfort I thought I'd write about the fitness industry manufacturer that gives me similar pain and discomfort, Proform.

Now, any regular reader of this site knows about my opinions on the quality of most Proform equipment. In order to be fair, I thought I'd write about one of their better units, the Proform Perspective ES Treadmill.

We get in a lot of malfunctioning or broken low-end TV treadmills at the DOJO, and this is probably the sturdiest TV treadmill in its price range. Normally television treadmills are shoddy, full of plastic and over-priced, so when Hikaru came in to my office a couple of days ago and said "Sensei, you have to see this," I wasn't expecting much. When I saw the Proform Perspective treadmill sitting in the middle of the repair bay, I was expecting even less.

After letting Hikaru power the treadmill up and then getting on myself to do a quick warm-up workout, I was blown away by what I saw and felt.

I'm not completely sure how they did it, but the unit weighs in at a bit over 200 pounds and is easily one of the sturdiest treadmills Proform produces. Even more surprising is the mid-size, 3 horsepower motor they've placed in the Perspective treadmill. The motor runs at a slightly high RPM than a Smooth or Sole treadmill, but still runs fairly cool and should have a nice long running lifetime. Needless to say, when I opened up the hood on one of these babies earlier this week and saw something other than the normal, soda can sized motor Proform treadmills normally have, I was a bit shocked.

The rest of the specs on the Perspective treadmill are surprisingly decent as well -- an insane 28 programs, an average 12 mph max speed and 12% incline, and the 20x60 inch running area is great for the under $1500 price point for the Proform Perspective.

All-in-all, the Proform Perspective ES treadmill is a decent buy. The warranty is a bit sparse so I'd suggest getting an extended warranty, and I'd still make sure to take extra care of the motor. Keep it dry and dust free and it should for a good long time. It's not a fantastic treadmill but any means and there is still a bit more plastic in the construction, but it is a good buy for someone looking for a TV treadmill.

The Proform Perspective ES Treadmill gets 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs from the Treadmill Sensei for being a solid TV treadmill and a decent price.

The Proform Perspective ES Treadmill is a solid treadmill offering from a So-So manufacturer.



Proform Perspective ES Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3 HP
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Rollers: 2.5"
Programs: 28
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Running Area: 20" x 60"
Max User Weight: 350 lbs.
Product Weight: Approximately 210 lbs.
TV Screen: 7" flatscreen TV
Price: $1499

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

The Star Trac Elite Treadmill Review -- commercial treadmill at its best

Ohiyo!

I hate to say this, but your Treadmill Sensei is in the midst of a food coma and I'm going to cut today's review a little shorter than normal. We had Mexican food brought in to the DOJO for a local place and I have a special weakness for Carne Asada burritos. Now, I feel like I'm going to explode. Please, if you're religious, say a prayer for Mrs. Sensei because she's going to have to put up with my bathroom visits all night. She's a saint.

As I mentioned yesterday, the DOJO got in a batch of Star Trac commercial equipment that is going to a gym up in Fresno. I've already talked about the Star Trac Pro Ellipticals that were part of that batch, now I want to talk about the Star Trac Elite Ellipticals.

I've already done a fairly extensive review of the Star Trac Pro Treadmills and the Elites are a slight step up from there. You get all of the fantastic features of the Pro: giant 5 hp motor, 62x20 inch running area, 3" rollers, 500 pound user capacity, 1" reversible deck, heart rate monitoring and heart rate clontrol. In addition to that you get 15 programs, a 15 mph top speet and 15% incline.

Like the Pro treadmills, the Star Trac Elite treadmills are as stable and solid as you can find in any treadmills. Today we wouldn't let Hikaru have his tostada until he did a 20 minute run on one of the Elites, and even his 300+ pounds didn't rock the machines. The Elite treadmills are great machines that will run hard and last in even the heaviest of gyms. If you get one in your home it will probably last longer than your wife (or husband)!

If you look below you'll notice I didn't give the Star Trac Elite treadmill a perfect score like I did its smaller brother, the Pro. The reason for that is there just aren't enough upgraded pieces to completely warrant the additional cost. Almost a $1000 difference for a few more programs, a few more miles per hour in speed and a couple of additional incline percents is too much. However, the Star Trac Elite treadmill is still one of the best units out. Star Trac has been doing solid work for 30 years and this is another great treadmill.

For being another winner, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Star Trac Elite Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

4.5 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Star Trac Elite Treadmill




Get more information and compare the Star Trac Elite treadmill. Find the lowest price online!

Star Trac Pro Elite Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 5 HP
Running Area: 20" x 62"
Rollers: 3"
Max User Weight: 500 lbs.
Reversible Deck: Yes
Deck Thickness: 1" - no waxing required
Max Speed: 15 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes, pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 15
Readouts: Dedicated: Speed and incline, time elapsed, calories, distance, heart rate; Scrolling: Time remaining, vertical distance traveled, laps completed, pace (min/mile or km), calories/hour, 1/4-mile motivational track display
Grade: Commercial
Product Size: 85.5"L x 35"W
Product Weight: 323 lbs.
Price: $6399

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

The Ironman 320t / Triad Treadmill Review -- Another decent treadmill hampered by poor customer service

Ohiyo!

Fitness Manufacturers like to confuse the Treadmill Sensei and they like to confuse their potential customers. Instead of keeping the same name and model numbers for their equipment (like car manufacturers do), companies in the fitness industry like changing their models ever 18 months or so to make people think they have new offerings. In reality, a lot of the time they are just renaming older models which have been tweaked a little (or, sometimes, not at all). Today I want to talk about one of those units: the Ironman 320t Treadmill, now known as the Ironman Triad Treadmill.

As regular readers of this site already know, Keys Fitness (the parent company to Ironman Fitness) enjoys renaming treadmills and ellipticals and releasing them out to tons of retailers. They do this so consumers can't price match an Ironman 600e elliptical at one store with the exact same Alliance A7e elliptical at another store. Electronics manufacturers do this as well so it isn't a new trend or one only perpetrated by the fitness industry. Even so, it is still annoying.

Keeping the slightly annoying business practices of Keys Fitness aside, the Ironman Triad treadmill (or the 320t treadmill) is actually a pretty decent machine. we get in a few models of these a month to go out and set up for customers, and we get a lot of calls from customers themselves who have purchased the units from a local dealer and need their new treadmill set up or delivered.

For an under $1000 treadmill, the Ironman Triad is good value. Their frames are very sturdy and the running area is very large compared to everything else in the $899 current price range of the Ironman 320t. 20"x56" is nothing to laugh at even in treadmills over $1000! The max user weight is listed at 350 poundsw but I don't know that I'd push it anywhere close to that. Play it safe and figure the true maximum user weight on the Ironman Triad to be closer to 250 or 275 pounds.

The motor is an ok size. They call it a 2.5 horsepower motor but it runs at slightly higher RPMs than I'd like. I would lower the RPMs a bit and call it a 2 or 2.25 horsepower motor. That would give a customer a longer working life on their Ironman Triad.

The top speed and incline on the treadmill are only 10 mph and 10% which keep the Triad from being a top recommendation. If they beefed it up to 12 mph and a 15% incline I think they'd have a Horizon-killing unit on their hands.

The place where the Ironman Triad / 320t treadmill falls short is in the warranty and customer service quality of Ironman/Keys itself. If you log on to the internet and do a quick search you'll discover a large number of Ironman/Keys buyers who were left out in the cold by the company when they needed service or repair. This is the case with a number of the larger fitness manufacturers because they realize there are almost no return customers when it comes to treadmill and elliptical buyers. What that means is a customer's threats of "never buying again" from the offended manufacturer hold little to no weight...they know even a happy customer isn't going to buy again so they have little incentive to support an unhappy customer.

Anyway, from our experience in dealing with these units over the past couple of years, I'd have to say 60%-70% of customers who purchase an Ironman Triad (or 320t) treadmill are happy with their purchase...which isn't a bad rating at all.

For being a decent treadmill inspite of lesser warranties and poor customer service, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Ironman Triad treadmill 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Ironman Triad / 320t Treadmill gets 2.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Compare the Ironman 320t treadmill.)




Ironman 320T Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5 HP
Max User Weight: 350 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 10%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 15
Display: LED
Readouts: Time, distance, calories burned, and heart rate
Grade: Residential
Treadmill Size: 69"L x 32"W x 61"H
Treadmill Weight: 215 lbs.
Roller Size: 2.5"
Deck Thickness: 1"
Running Area: 56" x 20"

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

The Merit 720t Treadmill Review -- A bit of a let down

Ohiyo!

One of the industry trends from the past year that the Treadmill Sensei really hates is the term "THP." What that stands for is "total horsepower" and is another phrase for "peak horsepower." A peak horsepower rating is completely worthless and is a bit of a shady thing some treadmill manufacturers are doing. If you're using horsepower as a guide at all, then you need to reference the continuous horsepower.

I have been very sad to see that Merit Fitness, a Johnson Health & Fitness company, using THP has a rating for their treadmill motors. It is a shame because they were doing so well other wise.

2008 Best Buy Award Winner.

Anyway, today I want to talk about the Merit 720T Treadmill in order to finish up the Merit line of treadmills. The Merit treadmills are part of Johnson's new ultra affordable line of work out equipemnt, all priced at under $599 while still being very solidly built. We went and picked up a unit from Sports Chalet here in Southern California for a nice lady at our local library who wanted something small for her office.

The Merit 720T Treadmill, like its brothers (the 710t and 730t treadmills), is a very slick little treadmill for the price. Coming in at under $400, the 720t treadmill seems to a slight upgrade to the Merit 710t -- the main difference seems to be the larger deck size on the Merit 720t. The units are very simple to put together and you should be up and running in less than 30 minutes.

If you're looking for a decent walker's treadmill I'd suggest dropping down to the 710t or moving up to the 730t. The Merit 720T Treadmill just doesn't offer quite enough to recommend it over the two other treadmills in Merit's current line. It's not a bad treadmill it just doesn't stand out from the other treadmills Merit offers.

For being not quite as good as the other Merit treadmills, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Merit 720t 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

A so-so offering from an otherwise good line, the Merit 720t treadmill gets 2.5 gold buddahs out of 5.



Merit 720t Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.25 horsepower
Max Speed: 10mph
Max Incline: 10%
Deck Size: 18"x50"
Deck Thickness: 0.6"
Roller size: 1.6 inches
Max User Weight: 250 pounds
Programs: 4
Warranty: 90 days parts & labor
Price: $399.99

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

The Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill Review - Below average warranty and customer service

Ohiyo!

Every week the Treadmill Sensei and his crew repair a lot of treadmills. A LOT of treadmills. One of the units we have quite a bit of experience fixing is the Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill. The majority of the ones we service are either freight damage (which seems to happen about 30% of the time with Bowflex) or units that are just over a year old -- which means their labor warrantees have expired. I do believe Nautilus has the timing of their warranties down to a science and know exactly when most of their treadmills will fail. For the Bowflex Series 7 that seems to be at about 14-16 months from the date of purchase.

Anyway, we have 4 of the Series 7 Treadmills sitting in the DOJO waiting to get fixed so I thought I'd get them up and running and do a quick review.

To start off, the Bowflex Series 7 treadmills are actually very sturdy machines with a lot of weight to them. My guess is that they weight around 215-220 pounds, which is quite a bit for a $1400 treadmill. The exceptional 60"x20" deck and steel frame will hold up to a lot of abuse.

Unfortunately, it's the rest of the treadmill that has the problems. Starting off with the motor. The manufacturer may list the Bowflex Series 7 as having a 3.0 horsepower treadmill motor, but in reality it's more like a 2.0 horsepower motor which spins at very high RPMs. Most Series 7 owners probably notice the very loud sound coming from under the motor hood. That's the motor straining to keep up with their workout. It's a shame to see such a solid treadmill with such a bad choice of motors.

The next batch of problems we run in to is with the electronics. They tend to short out after long periods of use. They seem to be fine for shorter runs. We replace more consoles and control boards on Bowflex units than almost any other brand out there.

A non-repair issue with the units is the poor user interface of the consoles themselves. They are harder to read and even changing programs themselves can be a bit tricky.

Finally, the absolute worst thing about the Bowflex Series 7 treadmills is...Bowflex itself. Their customer service is now legendary for being some of the worst in the industry. If you do wind up with problems on your treadmill, don't expect Bowflex to solve them anytime soon or, in some cases, at all. They difficult to get in touch with and very unresponsive when you do get someone on the phone.

Now, not to be totally negative on these well-built machines, the Bowflex Series 7 treadmill is a great machine for someone just starting out and wanting a more solid and stable feel than anything else in this price range. At $1400 there isn't much else out there with a 20x60 deck on a 220 pound machine. When you stand on a Bowflex you will get a feel much closer to what you might experience on a commercial grade machine. If you take extra special care with the machine -- keep the motor clean and dust free, place the treadmill on a mat and keep the console free of moisture -- then it might give you a couple of years of good use. However, I'd suggest getting an extended warranty to beef up the terrible 2 years for parts and 1 year for labor that comes standard on the units.

For being a solid machine with some solid problems, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill 2.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Bowflex Series 7 gets a surprisingly kind 2.5 gold buddahs out of 5 from the Treadmill Sensei.





Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.0 HP
Max User Weight: 300 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Programs: 15
Max Speed: 11 MPH
Max Incline: 12% grade
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes, pulse grip and wireless
Display: LCD
Grade: Residential
Rollers: 2.5" inches
Deck: 20" x 60" inches
Unit Size: 83"L x 35"W x 55.25"H
Unit Weight: 220 lbs.
Parts Warranty: 2 years
Labor Warranty: 1 year
Price: $1399-$1499

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

The Vision T9200 (Simple) Treadmill Review -- What were the consumer reporters thinking?

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei tends to disagree a lot with other review sites and (especially) review magazines. A lot of it has to do with their practices (accepting bribes in the form of equipment or parts, or reviewing units with little or no actual contact with the machines). There is a certain consumer reporting magazine out there who publishes a new treadmill/elliptical review article every other year or so that is riddled with inaccuracies and poor recommendations. Today I'd like to disagree very publically with one of the reviews they ran last year and the year before. That review was on the Vision T9200 Simple Treadmill.

Vision Fitness, the manufacturer of the T9200 treadmill, is a good company which has been around since the early 1990s. They started off as part of a company which built outdoor bicycles. They began making treadmills and ellipticals in the late 1990s and have been one of the upper-mid range companies ever since. For perspective, they are on par with Sole, Smooth and Spirit, and do well in the $1200-$2000 range for treadmills and ellipticals. As a complete aside, they are in the same corner of Wisconsin which Horizon and Matrix occupy.

Unfortunately, with the production of the Vision T9200 Simple treadmill a couple of years ago, Vision has its first real let-down.

Vision markets the T9200 Simple Treadmill as something for people who just want a basic treadmill unit. What that means is they have produced a treadmill with absolutely no bells and whistles and nothing to make it stand out from the crowd. In fact, with a shorter belt, no programs, lack of heart rate monitoring and control, and a smallish motor, the T9200 specs out quite a bit under everything else in its $1300 price range.

The Vision T9200 Simple Treadmills are well enough built they just can't hold up to anything else in the market. If you want something in this price range I'd suggest checking out something by Smooth or even Horizon. For being a bit of a let down by a good company, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Vision T9200 Simple Treadmill 2 out of 5 golden buddahs.

Poor offering from an otherwise decent company, the Vision T9200 Simple treadmill gets 2 gold buddahs out of 5.



Vision Fitness T9200 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.5 HP
Max User Weight: 325 lbs.
Folding: No
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse Grip
Heart Rate Control: No
Programs: None
Display: LED
Readouts: Elevation, Speed, Time, Distance, Calories, Pace, Heart Rate
Grade: Residential
Unit Weight: 225 lbs.
Deck Size: 54" x 20"
Roller Size: 2.5"
Deck Thickness: 1"

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

The Quantum 3.0s Treadmill Review - Best Buy Winner from $2001-$3000

Ohiyo!

Well, the Treadmill Sensei is a bit of a lazy bum. 4 months later and I'm still wrapping up on my Ichi-Ban Award winning treadmills and ellipticals. The Ichi-Ban Awards for this year will all be done in advance and should be going up in October of this year. I'll be working hard all summer to make sure the reviews are wll packed for the end of the year, especially as I get ahold of the new units being released at the end of this summer. Stay tuned!

Today, tho, I want to take about what I consider to be one of the best home/light commercial treadmills on the market today.

The treadmill I'm talking about is the Quantum 3.0s treadmill from Quantum fitness.

If you're a regular reader of this site, or if you've had a chance to peruse the 2006-2007 Ichi-Ban Awards, the you already know how highly I rated the Quantum 2.5s treadmill. The Quantum 3.0s is a step up even from that bad boy.

The Quantum Q 3.0S Treadmill comes with one of the largest running areas around on any treadmill -- 60"x22" -- a huge, coll-running and low RPM 3.0 horsepower motor and monster 325 pound user weight. Add 16 programs, heart rate monitoring and control, an include Polar HR strap and one of the sturdiest steel frames around and you can see why the Quantum 3.0s rates so well with us here at the DOJO. These treadmills are a joy to set up and a joy to use. One one minor quibble is the same one I had for the Quantum 2.5s: some of the screw and bolt placements are a bit hard to access. Putting the uprights and console on the base may be a little frustrating for the average consumer.

If you want an incredibly solid, high end commercial feel to your treadmill then the Quantum Q 3.0S simply cannot be beat.

For being as close to perfect as you can get and for having insane pricing, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Quantum Q 3.0S a perfect 5 out of 5 golden buddahs!

5 gold buddahs out of 5 for the Quantum 3.0s treadmill.


Compare the Quantum 3.0s treadmill.




Quantum Q 3.0S Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.0 HP
Max User Weight: 400 lbs.
Max Speed: 10 MPH
Max Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 16
Display: LED
Readouts: Heart Rate, Heart Rate Zone, Speed, Incline, Time, Calorie, Distance, Pace, Cal / Hour, Laps
Made In: USA
Treadmill Size: 80" x 33.5" x 56"
Unit Weight: 325 lbs.
Roller Size: 2.5"
Running Area: 20"W x 60"L

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

The Spirit XT600 Treadmill Review -- A solid unit under $2000

Ohiyo!

Eegads! Things get busy here at the DOJO and suddenly almost 3 weeks have gone by since the Treadmill Sensei's last review! I'm working on a new format for the website which should be finished in this next month and will make finding reviews a lot easier. I'm also going to be reviewing entire lines instead of jumping around so much. Since a good chunk of the Spirit line is already done I'll start there. After that I'll do the new Landice treadmills which are looking fantastic. So keep an eye out and, if there is a line you guys are interested in, zap me a note and let me know.

Today I am going to start with a treadmill from Spirit Fitness' new X line of equipment. Well, not exactly new as it has been around for about 6 months now and is really just a retooling of their older Z series. The concept behind the "X" series of equipment seems to be to offer brick and mortar dealers (meaning walk in stores) an alternative to treadmills and ellipticals from Sole. The units aren't seen as widely on the internet because of Spirit's separation of internet and regular stores for some reason...don't let that lack of internet presence scare you off because these are some very nice machines.

The Spirit XT600 treadmill is the top folding treadmill in the X line of machines. After having set up about 10 Spirit XT600 treadmills this past month, I've been able to see the inner workings of these machines. They use the standard XT series treadmill console and struts but with a longer running area than the other units. In fact, having worked on a lot of Spirit and even more Sole treadmills, I'd have to say the Spirit XT600 is basically a reworked version of the Sole F85 with a shorter running area.

The Spirit XT600 is a great treadmill -- sturdy, great motor, lots of extras, easy to assemble and well built -- but why Spirit decided to skimp a little on the running area baffles me. Sure, the unit is generally about $100 less than the comparable Sole F85, but I'd go ahead and pay that extra cash for the additional 2 inches of deck length.

The pros on the Spirit XT600 are the giant, cool-running 3.5 horsepower motor, 2.75 inch rollers, 10 workout programs, heart rate monitoring and control and general solid, sturdy construction. When you get on an XT600 treadmill you get a good solid run without a lot of the wobbles you see in lower end machines.

The only real con on this machine is when you compare it to Sole F85 treadmill and see the slightly shorter deck. When judged on its own, the Spirit XT600 is nearly perfect.

For only having one minor quibble, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Spirit XT600 treadmill 3.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

UPDATE: This unit has been discontinued and sold out by the manufacturer. Check out the best buy Sole F83 treadmill for an excellent alternative with a larger deck.

Continued excellence from Spirit Fitness gives the XT600 treadmill 3.5 gold buddahs out of 5.


Check out the Spirit XT600 now! Save an additional 3% with coupon code TMSENSEI.


Spirit XT600 Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 3.5 HP
Max User Weight: 375 lbs.
Folding: Yes
Max Speed: 12 MPH
Max Incline: 15%
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 10
Display: Time, speed, distance, incline, calories, laps, pace, and heart rate
Grade: Residential
Roller Size: 2.75"
Deck Thickness: 1"
Belt: 2 ply
Running Area: 20" x 58"

Price: $1899

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

The Sole F80 Treadmill Review - Solid upgrade under $1500

Ohiyo!

We received a batch of freight damaged Sole treadmills here at the DOJO yesterday from a local dealer. Every so often a freigh company will drop a load or damage a shipment with a poorly maneuvered forklift blade and the units are brought to a repair facility like ours to see if they can be salvaged. We fix them and return them if we can. If not, the freight companies pick them up and take them away. Unfortunately, I think a lot of these repaired machines wind up on ebay and sold as new.

2007-2008 Ichi-Ban Best Buy Award Winner.

Anyway, in this batch of freight damage we discovered a nearly perfect Sole F80 treadmill. Since all it had was a couple of cracks in its upright support casings, your Treadmill Sensei decided to go ahead and put it together to do a quick review.

The Sole F80 has much heavier uprights than most other units at this price range...up to a good 2 inches thicker to be precise. If you're going to be doing a lot of hard running or are a heavier runner, then the Sole F80 is going to feel quite a bit more solid and sturdy.

Aside from that the Sole F80 has a commercial style LED console very similar to what you might work out on at a gym. Standard on this unit are 10 workout programs, a 20x55 running surface, very large 2.75 inch rollers and a huge 3 horsepower motor. As with all of the Sole motors from Dyaco, you get a very big motor, running cool and at lower RPMs with a lot of torque. Sole has done an excellent job in choosing the motors for its units. They are easily the best grade motors in the $1000-$2500 range.

A great feature that no one really mentions is the hydraulic-assisted folding on the Sole F80. With one hand you can easily raise the deck in to the folded position and, with a click of the safety switch, it slowly lowers itself all the way to the ground without the painful drop a lot of other units experience.

If you need a heavier machine and don't want to pay $1700 or more, then the Sole F80 is an excellent choice. For continued excellence, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Sole F80 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Sole F80 gets 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5.




Get more information on the Sole F80 Treadmill. Find the best price online and Save More by paying No Tax and get FREE Shipping!


Sole F80 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3 HP
Speed: 11 mph
Incline: 15%
Unit Weight: 250 lbs.
Max User Weight: 335 lbs.
Running Surface: 20 X 55
Belt: Double Woven 2 Ply
Rollers: 2 3/4 inches
Folding: Yes - with hydraulic assistance
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip and wireless
Display: LED
Standard Programs: 6
User Defined Programs: 2
Heart Rate Programs: 2
Cooling Fans: Yes

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

The Merit 730t Treadmill Review - A solid treadmill under $600

Ohiyo!

Today your Treadmill Sensei emerges from the DOJO once more to continue his review of the Merit Fitness line of treadmill and ellipticals. Today I want to talk about their top end unit, the Merit 730T treadmill.

The Merit 730T is an upgrade to Merit's very slick Merit 710t treadmill which I've already reviewed. The main differences between the units are the motor, number of programs and deck size. It is also a nice change up to the Horizon T71 treadmill which has similar specs. With the Merit 730T you get a nice sized 1.5 horsepower motor -- I wish it was a bit bigger to match the 1.75 on the Horizon T71, but the rest of the Merit 730T specs more than make up for this minor complaint.

For a sub $600 treadmill, the Merit 730T has a very good sized 18x52 inch deck and surprisingly large for the price 1.6" rollers. It has also more programs than most with 6. Walkers who want a larger running area and a few more programs, the Merit 730T is an excellent choice. Just keep in mind that this treadmill is for walking and light jogging.

Another excellent budget treadmill, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Merit 730T treadmill 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Merit 730t gets 3 gold buddahs out of 5.


Compare the Merit 730T Treadmill


Merit 730t Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.5 hp
Folding: Yes
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Speed: 10 mph
Incline: 10%
Running area: 18"x52"
Deck Thickness: 0.6"
Rollers: 1.6"
Max User Weight: 275 lbs
Programs: 6
Features: Cup holder and built-in fan
Price: $599

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

The Merit 710t Treadmill Review -- good walking treadmill under $400

Ohiyo!

From the depths of the DOJO the Treadmill Sensei comes forth once more to enlighten the masses desperate for treadmill wisdom. I arrived at the DOJO this morning at about 6am because I'd been kept awake most of the night by my beloved newborn grandson. I will refer to the golden child as "He who was not named after me" from now on. For some reason the child just didn't want to sleep and decided he wanted to awaken at 3am to play with grandpa. Luck for him he is a cute little poop-machine because I normally kill anyone who wakes me up before 5am with my trusty katana.

But I digress.

I've been getting hounded by some of my readers to do more reviews of entire lines of equipment each week. You know, start with one unit in the line on Monday and move through all the units offered by a manufacturer each day until I'm done and then begin on another company. I don't know how consitant I'll be with the reviews, but I'll give it a shot. For the next couple of days I'll be reviewing equipment from Merit Fitness.

Merit itself is a relatively new brand but it has an amazing pedigree as the latest offering from Johnson Health Tech. Johnson Tech is one of the leading health and fitness companies in the world and produces a lot of great equipment under their Horizon and Matrix brands. They also produce equipment for companies like Schwinn and Precor.

The Merit 710T is the lightest treadmill I've come across that is still worth recommending to a buyer. These things weigh in at less than 125 pounds and fold up very small. The unit weight and smaller running area make the 710t very much a walking treadmill.

Don't like the Merit 710T treadmill's weight or size fool you, if you give it proper maintenance -- keep the motor and deck clean, place it on a good treadmill mat -- and keep to walking workouts, it should last you 4-5 years without much trouble at all.

Johnson Tech has done an excellent job in their design of the Merit 710T. The motor, while a bit smallish at 1.25 horsepower, still runs cool and at lower RPMs which help extend its life far beyond any Icon or Weslo treadmill in its price bracket.

This is a great $399 treadmill. Now, keep in mind what that means. When compared to other sub $500 treadmills, the Merit 710T is an excellent choice, but you get what you pay for. This is a very light weight unit and, like any lower price unit, should only be used for light workouts.

For being a nice low-end machine at an affordable price, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Merit 710t Treadmill 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Merit 710t pulls through with 3 gold buddahs out of 5.


Compare the Merit 710t Treadmill


Merit 710t Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.25 hp
Folding: Yes
Speed: 10 mph
Incline: 5%
Running area: 16"x45"
Deck Thickness: 0.6"
Rollers: 1.6"
Max User Weight: 250 lbs.
Programs: 4
Heart Rate Monitor: Thumb contact

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

The Proform 1000s Treadmill Review - Great Improvement

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is going to do something that he never thought he'd do, at least not before Hell froze over...give a decent review to a ProForm Treadmill. In general, Icon Health and Fitness (the manufacturer of the Proform line), puts out some of the lowest-end equipment on the market with their Weslo, Cadence, Nordic Track, Image and Proform Lines. They have done some decent work with the Reebok ellipticals but aside from that not much has been good.

I had a reader email me recently about the ProForm 1000s Treadmill. Let's check out what she said.

I hope you can shed some light on this treadmill for me. I know the poor quality of ProForm first hand, and that they usually reveiw poorly. I however after days and days of research, I keep coming back to this treadmill, the ProForm 1000s.

Of all the treadmills I looked at in my price range, this one had the highest ratings on the doc site, and he seems to have a general harshness for proform, which has led me to beleive this one may just be suitable. The smooth 5.25 is not reccomended for runners, and running is what I am looking to do. Also the high cushion rating on the 1000 S appeals to my knees. Question is, I cant find anymore info on this treadmill online, except at the Proform site were they are selling it for just under $800. That is even streching my budget a little but It does rate higher than the new balance and horizon in the same price range I was looking at. Do you know ANYTHING else about this treadmill. Does the docs high rating for it indicate a better quality proform product? Thanks -Gina

Gina:

Thanks for your note. About the ProForm 1000s Treadmill: it's not a bad treadmill at all, surprisingly enough. It is a little sturdier built than most of the other Proform units and doesn't have quite as much plastic in key structural supports. I'd rank it as very similar in feel to the Horizon T72 or one of the upper New Balance units but at a better price and with a larger running area. I still wouldn't use the ProForm 1000s as a running treadmill, but it should be good for walking and light jogging.

In regards to the "ProTech cushioning" system on the 1000s. It's really not any better than any other system out there, but it's not any worse. They all feel and work in very similar fashions...companies just like to give their shock absorption systems cool names that sounds great.

Overall, the ProForm 1000s is a slightly better than average under $800 treadmill. For the price I'd suggest looking at Horizon, Proform, Sole or Spirit because of the shorter warranty on the Proform models. However, if you like the 1000s I'd suggest getting it direct from Proform because of their cheaper pricing.

As one of the few Proform models that aren't terrible, the Treadmill Sensei gives the ProForm 1000s treadmill 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The Proform 1000s Treadmill gets a solid 3.5 gold buddahs out of 5.



Proform 1000s Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 2.75 HP
Shock Absorption: ProTech cushioning
Folding: Yes
Max Incline: 12%
Max Speed: 12 mph
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Programs: 10
Display: LCD
Readouts: Speed, distance, incline, time, pace, calories, and pulse
Running Area: 20" x 60"
Price: $799

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

Reader Mailbag: Nordic Track C1800 Review and Treadmill Deck Replacement

Ohiyo!

Now that I'm finally getting caught up on the Ichi-Ban Award reviews (the second annual awards will be a lot more organized!), I've decided to answer a few pieces of reader mail. Strangely, even though the busy season is coming to a close, the Treadmill Sensei is getting more and more mail every day. I'm spending almost an hour a day trying to sort through 50+ email messages. I apologize for not being able to get back to everyone who writes, but Mrs. Sensei is already annoyed with the amount of time I spend on the website.

The first note of the day comes from Daniel who has a broken deck on his Nordic Track.

My Nordic Track c1800's walking deck broke and I have removed it. Can I replace this with a piece of 3/4" plywood? The part will be on back order with Nordic Track or Sears for a few weeks, not to mention that it will be $100 + S/H. I can salvage the mylar sheet and the hardware guides on the bottom. Also, do I need to treat the board with any special type of paint or anything? Thanks. -Daniel

Thanks for your note, Daniel.

Sounds like you're in a bit of a pickle! The short answer would be no -- you could probably cut a piece of wood to size and then mount it on the Nordic Track c1800 treadmill but it would never feel quite right. The reason being not only the mounting (very specific grommit types and placement and so on), but also because the decks are actually multi-layered pieces made up of different woods which have undergone treatments to make them rebound just right. It's a bit more than just sliding a new piece of wood in.

With the amount of abuse a treadmill gets during even a walking workout, the plywood would fail fairly quick and you'd have another broken deck and potentially an injury if it happened during a run.

Unfortunately, with the Nordic Track C1800 I really wouldn't even recommend getting the deck replaced because you will continue to run in to problems with it. The c1800 treadmill has a very small motor for the price (generally these things run for about $800-$900), the decks are poorly constructed (as you've learned), the belts are cheap and fray quickly, there is a lot of plastic in the Nordic Track c1800 and the console tends to be a bit user unfriendly. Luckily, I believe the C1800 has been discontinued.

If this unit were priced at about $499 it would be a good unit, but at the higher price point the Treadmill Sensei gives it 2 out of 5 golden buddahs...and that might be a bit generous.

Move along, there's nothing to see...the Nordic Track c1800 treadmill
gets 2 gold buddahs out of 5.


Click for more information or to purchase a Nordic Track.

Nordic Track c1800 Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 1.5hp
Running Area: 20"x55"
Max Speed: 10 mph
Max Incline: 10%
Folding: Yes
Display: LCD
Max User Weight: 250 pounds

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