The Horizon T64 Treadmill (AKA Horizon T64) Review – Top of the home treadmill heap

The golden doors of the DOJO open up once more to allow the wisdom of the Treadmill Sensei to flow freely to all on the internet.

My job as a service / repair tech who works on treadmills and ellipticals puts me in a bit of a strange position. On one hand I absolutely love elliptical and treadmill units which are poorly made and give me lots of work. On the other hand, I can stand crappy workmanship and wish all fitness equipment could be well made…perhaps then I could finally move on to my life long dream of building and racing gas powered miniature boats and planes.

Luckily, Horizon Fitness is putting out a lot of fine treadmills which may not increase the size of my pocketbook from repair jobs, but do allow me the peace of my plane building. At the highest end of the Horizon treadmill line is the Horizon T64 treadmill, priced at around $1299 (which should get you free inside deliver from any respectable internet dealer).

As with it’s smaller, high ranking brother, the Horizon T62 treadmill, the T64 treadmill comes with a very large Johnson Tech 2.5 horsepower motor. And when Johnson Tech puts a motor in a Horizon T64 treadmill, you can be assured that it big, has low RPMs and will last for a long time without hassle.

One of the things I would like to mention in regards to the T64 Treadmill by Horizon is how amazingly sturdy it is for a home treadmill. These things are solid and feel more like light commercial treadmills than the flimsy home versions that come from other manufacturers at this price point (Icon Fitness, once more, I’m pointing my finger at you). The Horizon T64 has a maximum weight capacity of 350 pounds and will hold up well to larger users and longer workouts. The T64 treadmill comes ready to work.

The features of the Horizon T64 treadmill are: 12 mph speed, 12 degree incline, heart rate monitoring and control (meaning: you can set your heart rate and the machine will adjust your programs to keep you at that rate), 10 programs, a built in fan, hydraulically assistated folding (very well done) and Horizon’s patented Gel Cell shock absorption system to reduce the impact on your knees and ankles while running.

The only minor quibbles I have with the Horizon T64 are the size of the deck (an average 55×20) and the lesser warranty. At only 1 year for parts and labor, I wish Horizon would pump it up to be a bit more comparable with its competition. Luckily, the T64 treadmill by Horizon will last a good 4-5 years without any trouble and most of the very few problems that do pop up will be in the control board, which is easily and cheaply replaced.

If you’re comparing the Horizon T64 with the brick and mortar-only Horizon Elite series, then the T64 is going to be slightly better than the Elite 4.2t and just shy of the Elite 5.2t. If you’re looking at the Horizon Elite series then make sure to check out the T64 and its online brethren because you can get the same quality treadmills for a pretty large savings.

For putting out a very solid treadmill in the Horizon T64, I give the unit 4 Golden Buddahs out of 5 and a very hearty recommendation.

Horizon Fitness T64HR Treadmill Specifications
Horsepower: 2.5 HP
Frame Construction: Heavy gauge steel
Shock Absorption: Yes, 60 durometer, GelCell
Maximum Weight Capacity: 350 lbs.
Folding: YesMaximum Speed: 12 MPH
Maximum Incline: 12%
Heart Rate Monitoring: Yes, pulse grip and wireless telemetric
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 10: (6) preset: manual, intervals, golf course, weight loss, race, rolling, (2) custom, and (2) heart rate control programs
Display Readouts: RPM, watts, time, calories, heart rate, distance, and resistance level
Special Features: Built in personal fan and speed and incline toggle switches built into handles