We have a fun question from one of our loyal readers today that I thought would be good to post.

Dear Sensei,

After years as a college instructor, I’ve become an editor and work from home, sitting for upwards of 8 hours a day…ugh! My back and waistline are feeling the effects of this new job. I’ve read about Walkstation desks, but don’t have the $4,500 for one of the Steelcase beauties. My plan is to build my own, but on a very limited budget ($300 max), by purchasing a used treadmill. From what I’ve read, it’ll need:
a wide belt – the wider the better
a motor that can handle 5+ hours a day at 1.2mph
sturdy construction

Any suggestions?

Many thanks in advance!
Ruth

Hi Ruth, Thank you for your question..That is a fun project. There are a lot of different brands of walkstations, which are becoming more and more popular these days, and we are seeing the price become more and more affordable. However, as you said, they are still all well above the budget price class. After you build the walkstation I would like to hear about how it works for you. That will be very interesting.

Here are a few suggestions for you and anyone else wanting to build one of these.

Motor Size: 2.5-3.5 (or higher) you might think a smaller motor would be good because you’ll only be walking 1.2 mph, but that’s actually not the case. Treadmill motors actually have to work harder at lower speeds, and belts are more likely to slip. With a long duration of walking, a small motor would burn out quickly. The larger motor you can get, the better.

Wide belt: A wider belt is only for convenience. The reason a wide belt might be a good idea is because your focus won’t be on the treadmill, so you’ll want a little extra room for drifting, and mis-steps. It’s not actually going to make much difference in the quality or performance of the treadmill though.

Short belt: You can afford to get a very short belt because you won’t be drifting to the back like you do on a running treadmill. This may help you cut some cost off the overall price.

Lightweight deck: You obviously won’t be needing a very strong deck because you won’t be slamming your weight on it like you would when you run. This could also save you money.

I might actually suggest a Horizon T101, or a lightweightGold’s Gym. Both companies make quality treadmills in the budget area. $300 – $600. If you find a used treadmill in that range, just make sure it has a motor sufficient to handle it. The motor should be your main concern.

Thanks for the question and Good luck with it! Hope it all works out well for you.

Hello, we’ve got an excellent question from a college student named Heather that I thought I would like to address.

Hi! Your website has been very informative and helpful! I’ve read every review on treadmills in and out of my price range.
I’ve a quick question. If a treadmill is rated at 2.25 or 2.5 chp for 300 lbs, and supports a 10 mph speed limit, why are they not good for running or jogging? My typical workout at the gym is to run 2-3 miles set between, 5.3, 5.6 and 6 mph, with a final burst of 7 sometimes near the end, 4-5x a week. (I’m 5’1/ 102 lbs which is why 5.3 feels like a good pace:) ).
My problem is, I’m a college student, paying full tuition and books without student loans, and paying for a wedding in April, 2012. I’ve no credit cards and can only afford a treadmill around $600-$750.
Can a 2.25 chp support my weight to desired speed ratio for 5x a week, for at least 3 years without the treadmill motor spitting fire and the deck crumbling?
Thanks so much for any advice or a quick/ yes or no!
Best,
Heather, TX.

We had a question in our reader mailbag that just got me to the heart. Dear Ann says:

I am wanting to buy a good solid Elliptical. I have read so many and am not sure which to buy. I just want a really good one that is sturdy and will last and not get squeaky. Don’t really care about a lot of bells and whistles. I am not overweight, just want to maintain my weight. I am 58 yrs old and do have a treadmill but would like a good elliptical that is not so expensive but mostly work on calories. I don’t think I need a lot of programs. I would like to know what you prefer. I have looked at the sole and espirit. I just don’t want to buy something and it not be a good one. Thanks for your time, Ann

Things to look for in a Treadmill

This picture on the left is a blown up view of a treadmill and all of its many parts. There are so many parts, it’s amazing that these things can hold together as well as they do. All these different parts are much of the reason why some treadmills are excellent, and some are just pathetic. Some manufacturers choose to use quality parts that are designed to fit together seamlessly, and some choose to throw a bunch of cheap parts together and hope it holds together.

While, the price is often a good indicator of the quality, it’s sometimes completely irrelevant. The best way to decide on a treadmill is to actually use it before buying it. When you’re testing a treadmill look for a few main things.

Okay, today we are going to address what seems to be a common issue: A problem with the motor or drivebelt slipping. It’s a little tricky to explain how to fix things for all treadmills in general because all treadmills are different. But, I will explain it as simply as I can, and if you run into something that looks a little different than I explain you may have to use your creativity.

OHIYO!

Today I’m going to answer some questions from the reader mailbag. The first will be from Liz:

“My treadmill is from York fitness and unfortunately the instruction book cannot be found, as well as the wee container of oil. I would be very grateful if you could tell me what I can use to oil the belt.”

Hello!

It’s been a while since I’ve used this mailbag to answer your questions. I’ve been using them in the reviews I’ve been writing, but haven’t addressed your questions directly much. Well, I’ve decided to begin actively using the mailbag again. You know what that means. If you have any questions about any treadmill or elliptical machine, all you gotta do is ask me and I’ll use my bottomless pit of treadmill knowledge to enlighten you. Sometimes you can get it down to just a few choices, but aren’t sure where to go from there. Well, let me know where you’re standing and perhaps I can help compare them. So ask away!

Today I’m going to answer some questions about incline trainers. A lot of people ask about whether certain incline trainers will hold up to regular running. Here’s an example from Joe on the Mileage ST 7100 Incline Trainer.

“I am interested in this machine, however, is it good for running purposes as well? I am currently a marathon runner and am looking for a good treadmill to run on during the winter.”

I had one of Our AWESOME readers ask me to take a look at the Horizon LS 645E. I had a chance to go to Sports Authority the other day and wanted to check it out (since it is Exclusive only to SA). So I go into this Mega store, feeling like I do in all these warehouse places…GRAY. Well, as I am looking at the ellipticals, I notice that most of their prices are fairly competitive.

Then I see the item in question, the Horizon LS 645E. Appears to be fairly sturdy and priced on sale at $499……Then I get on it! UGH, I don’t like the feel of it immediately! That does not always mean anything, but this elliptical is no bargin! I noticed that this ellipitcal is very light weight, and does not feel sturdy when working out at a slow pace. I cannot imagine if you were really flying on the thing! The LS 645E is also on the loud side, which is never a selling point to anyone I have ever known!

Besides the noise, I also notice that the flywheel felt light, well 14 lbs is on the lighter side (compared to a 23 to 29 lb flywheel on other brands). This is a standard size, but some just feel better, and this was not one of them!

The positives were fairly commonly found on ICON/Horizon ellipticals, like the decent sized pedals, and the 16 inch stride. That was about all I could give this one, not typical from Horizon!

So Ana, keep looking. I know you can do better in this same price range! Try Schwinn or Healthrider!

Ohiyo!

Sole Fitness has become one of the dominant brands in the fitness industry over the past few years. Their great position has come from producing some of the best treadmills and ellipticals for some of the best pricing, and also from their great customer service. That being said, even the best companies have problems with their equipment and we’re here to take them to task for it.

Over the past couple of months, the DOJO has been receiving emails asking about issues with the current Sole E25 ellipticals. A few readers a week have written in and mentioned they were having problems with their E25 and asked if we could help them out with it. I know there is nothing worse than getting a new piece of equipment and not being able to use it. For me, it’s computers. I always seem to buy a computer that has some sort of problem which requires me to pack it up and take it back to where I purchased it from. I hate that feeling.

Before I get to addressing the problems with the Sole E25, let’s hear from Dan in Texas who has a question about problems with the unit. Let’s see what Dan has to say. Take it away, Dan!

Hi Sensei,

Thanks, -Dan from Prosper, TX

Dan:

Thanks for the note and the great question. We’ve been getting in a lot of reader emails about problems with the Sole E25 elliptical, but this is the first real chance we’ve had to sit down and investigate the issue.

First off, the Sole E25/E55 and the Horizon E900 are all very solid units. The difference between the Sole E25 and Sole E55, and why only one of the units has had any problems, is probably because they are manufactured at two different plants (from what I understand, the Sole E25 comes from a Chinese plant versus a plant in Taiwan for the Sole E55). The Horizon E900, in particular, is a spectacular incline elliptical for the price. It is a very tough elliptical to beat for those looking for a sturdy incline elliptical at a budget price. The Horizon E900 elliptical is a great value for your money and I whole heartedly recommend it even over its bigger brother, the Horizon E1200 incline elliptical.

In regards to the issues with the Sole E25 ellipticals over the past few month, we’ve turned up two recurring problems. The first was from a thoroughly annoying squeak coming from the pedal assembly. We received a number of readers asking about the issue and whether or not it would work itself out. The problem itself came from the articulating pedal assembly and how it connects to the E25 itself. The squeak didn’t affect performance of the unit but was annoying to find on what is normally a very quiet elliptical. The fix came in the form of a bushing which can be obtained from Sole’s customer service department. From what we’ve heard, this problem was in a small number of units and Sole reported to us that the issue had been fixed back in January.

The second issue we’ve been hearing about sounded a lot more drastic. We received emails from our readers reporting a problem with the pedal assembly of the Sole E25 elliptical jumping or popping off of the track during workouts. When we heard this we ordered up a Sole E25 elliptical to test out ourselves and saw no mechanical problems in the machines at all — in fact, we couldn’t for the life of us get our unit to jump the track like we’d been hearing about. So we took the mass of reader emails directly to Sole Fitness to find out what the issue was.

Surprisingly, Sole was completely upfront with the issue. I say “surprisingly” because a lot of other manufacturers would try to hide problems like this from us. The problem itself comes from over lubrication at the overseas manufacturing plant. Too much lube on the rails causes the wheels to slide over the track instead of rolling along it. This sliding would cause the wheels on some units to pop out of place and would cause scratches in those that didn’t. The fix is to clean off the lubrication and then reapply a small amount back to the rails. If you contact Sole Fitness customer service they can walk you through it and have a PDF they send out to illustrate how to do it.

Sole said they have since fixed the over lubrication issue and new units are back up to the high quality consumers have come to expect from them. That being said, there are probably still a few of the over-lubed units running around at local fitness dealers.

Sole E25 Elliptical

The Sole E25 elliptical was and is a very solid budget-priced elliptical, even with the pair of burps it experienced recently. However, there is a great alternative with the same basic design. A great alternative to the Sole E25 is the Bladez 850e, which is an almost identical elliptical in feature and design to the E25 but at a crazy-low price of just under $700. The Bladez 850e elliptical also features one of the coolest new technologies out on the market, adjustable width on the pedals. The AWT feature of the 850e elliptical allows you to change the distance between the foot pedals, giving you a much higher level of comfort to your workout.

The Bladez 850e elliptical is easily one of the best deals for ellipticals going on right now.

Thanks again for your note, Dan. Good luck with your elliptical search!

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

Ohiyo!

For today’s episode of the reader mailbag we have the fitness version of the Celebrity DeathMatch, this time featuring two very solid performing best buy ellipticals priced under $1000. Brad from Pennsylvania wants to know how the Bladez 850E Ellipticalstacks up against the Horizon E900 Elliptical when it comes to value, durability and performance. Let’s see what Brad has to say. Take it away, Sir!

Ohiyo!

Anyway, here’s my issue – The Bladez 850Ereview you wrote really has me thinking, do I want to throw caution to the wind and order it? I dunno how important the pedal spacing feature is to us, but it seems like the main reason you love it so much. The pro is the price is SO good, it’s got a 20″ stride, I pay no tax or shipping on it. We’re in Pennsylvania, and have Dick’s all over the place, so if I buy there, I gotta pay 6% tax. I was looking at the Horizon E900 which you gave 4.5 and the Dicks site visitors unanimously LOVE. Is that a better built unit than the 850e? I realize it’s costing me $300 more plus tax, but I’m wondering, comparitively, is it better?

Much thanks for all you do! -Brad

Brad:

Thanks for your note and your very kind words. Believe it or not, you’re in a really good position. You’ve picked two very strong, well-designed ellipticals and which ever way you go you are in a win-win situation. The two units are going to feel very similar when you get on them. They have nearly the same stride-length and unit weight – the Horizon E900 is about 160 pounds with a 19″ stride and the Bladez 850e is around 175lbs with a 20″ stride length. They are also both based on a shorter frame style, similar to the Sole E25 elliptical in feel…although I believe both units are more sturdy and durable. If I was placing a bet, I’d say strides on the two units are actually the same — closer to 19.5″ from what I’ve seen.

The Bladez has a heavier flywheel upfront, but the Horizon E900 is balanced with its heavier backend to even things out. The only significant differences in the two units (since they are both based off the same basic elliptical trainer design) is going to come in the form of the incline and additional price on the Horizon E900. You’re paying for the ability to add an incline to your workouts, which can be a great thing for sure.

If I was nitpicking, I would say that the Horizon E900 has a sturdier upright support which does make a difference during heavier-duty workouts. Of course, just to be difficult, the adjustable width technology is a fantastic new feature and is great if there is a major height differential between your wife and yourself.

I’d suggest going in to Dick’s and trying the Horizon E900 out. The Bladez 850e will feel very similar to the E900, but you can also hop on a Sole E25/E35 for another unit with a similar design. That should give you a decent comparison in regards to the basic feel of both units. Just keep in mind that you will be able to adjust the pedals with the 850e to your individual stance style and that will make a bit of difference in comfort.

Yes, Brad, I realize I’m probably not helping you make your decision! I’m going to make it even worse by saying, if you’re used to a Precor then you really should go out and get on a home grade elliptical to see how you like the feel. There is a difference (it’s kind of like going from driving a BMW to driving a Nissan…both are good cars, but they’re hard to compare).

My advice would be to buy the Horizon E900 if the incline feature is important to you and something you’ll use. If it’s not, I’d suggest saving the $300 and going with the Bladez 850E Elliptical (and, really, the savings will be closer to $450 or so after shipping and tax is factored in).

Thanks again for the note and the fantastic question, Brad. I hope I didn’t make things worse for your decision-making!

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