All eyes are turned today on the Nordictrack C900 and the Smooth 5.65, as they prepare for an unforgettable faceoff.

We’re going to get down into the small details of these treadmills to determine which comes out on top. Both are very impressive treadmills in their price class, and can probably take on the majority of the other models in their class, but let’s see how they do when pitted against eachother.

Today’s round is between the Nordictrack Elite 9700 Pro and the Freemotion T5.8.

These two treadmills are actually out of the $2,999 price range, but I figured I would include them anyways since they are very relevant to the tournament. The Nordictrack Elite 9700 pro costs $3,299 while the Freemotion T5.8 costs $3,499. For this price you want to make sure that what you’re getting is exceedingly fine, because there is serious competition when you get up to mid $3,000’s, and you can find some incredible treadmills. So just make sure you don’t settle for less than you could get.

Back to back today we’ve got the Proform Performance 1450 and the Sole F80.

This will be a showdown to remember. You all know how much I like Sole treadmills, particularly the F80. However, let’s see how it fares when pitted up against the Current Best Buy Winner, the Proform Performance 1450…

There are many reasons the Proform Performance 1450 is the current Best Buy Winner between $1000 – $2000. The fact that it lives up to every expectation I would put on an expensive $2500 and beyond unit is one reason. The fact that it is currently one of the top selling treadmills in the industry, and one of the highest rated by consumers and critics alike is another. Sole, however, does have a standing in this battle. Let’s pull them apart and see who wins and why.

The contestants for the day are the Livestrong LS 10.0T and the Healthrider H95T.

Today we’ve got a couple of lightweights pitted against eachother. The best of these two treadmills will move onto the next tier. The place we’ll start today is in the strength. Both treadmills have a 2.75 CHP motor. Like I have said before, I would recommend staying at 3.0 or higher, but if you can’t fit that into your budget, 2.75 CHP wouldn’t be the end of the world. If you’re over 250 lbs, and run a lot, I would not recommend either of these. If you’re light, then you should be okay. Livestrong motors are known to be quiet and smooth, and many consumer reviews praise if for its quality and feel. The Healthrider motor is pretty much average in noise and quality. When it comes to the frame, the Livestrong has more steel and better design, which makes it feel sturdier and stronger than the Healthrider. Neither are terribly weak or rickety, but Livestrong is stronger. Both claim a 325 lb weight capacity, but, as I mentioned before, a consistent 325 lb runner would likely crack or break the deck after not too long. Go for a higher-end model if you’re over 250 lbs.

On the floor today we’ve got the Sole TT8 and the Smooth 9.65 LC.

Here today for our daily treadmill showdown we’ve got a couple alpha-males competing for their place at the top. The Sole TT8 isn’t just another Sole treadmill, it’s their best and most expensive model, priced at $2,299. And The Smooth 9.65 is the same story. This is Smooth’s top of the line unit and most expensive at $2,174 (aside from the 9.65 TV which is the exact same model except for an added built-in TV). We’ve got some heavy competition in the ring today so stand clear and enjoy the show.

The two opponents for the day are the Freemotion 750 Interactive and the Healthrider H155T.

The Freemotion 750 Interactive and the Healthrider H155t are great competitors for this price range. The $1,299 price range is a fierce battlefield in the treadmill marketing world. There are a lot of treadmills competing at this price, and some of them are pretty dang good. These are two of the better treadmills in the class. It’s going to be a game of inches, but we’re going to figure out which one comes out on top in a closer look.

Today we’ll start with something different. We’ll get the features and extras out of the way first. The Freemotion offers Ifit live. IFit Live was yesterday’s luxury, but is quickly becoming today’s necessity. Soon all treadmills will have this. It’s an incredible program that allows your treadmill to record your progress online, let you race with others, be coached by Jillian Michaels, and create your own trails using Google Maps, and more. It adds a depth and richness to your relationship with your treadmill that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

The contestants today are the Nordictrack A2750 Pro and the Livestrong 8.0T. Two lightweight, but very popular and high selling treadmills on the market today.

Both of these treadmills are currently going for $799, so we’re on a level playing ground today. Let the battle begin! We’ll start with the engine. The Nordictrack engine is slightly larger and more powerful than the Livestrong. The .25 difference isn’t much, but makes for a better, stronger engine. The Nordictrack has a 2.75 CHP motor while the livestrong has a 2.5 CHP. The Nordictrack, however, makes a bit more noise than the Livestrong which is its only downside.

The battle today is between the Nordictrack C1250 and the Proform Pro 4500. Two very stalwart opponents in a high class price.

We’ll start with the Nordictrack C1250. The motor is the first thing to look at because it determines a lot about the quietness and the solidness of the machine, as well as how smooth it runs, how fast it goes, and how long it lasts. Motors are usually covered by a lifetime warranty, but they are a pain to replace, and most people just have a service tech come do it for them, which costs money. So you want to get a motor that won’t need to be replaced. A motor that operates at low RPMS, has a high CHP, and doesn’t make much noise is what you’re looking for. The motor in the C1250 is great in all those areas. It has a 3.5 CHP motor, which isn’t quite as high as the Proform Pro 4500’s 3.8 CHP motor, but in all the other areas it beats it, so I would rather have the C1250 motor in my treadmill than the Pro 4500 motor. However, both are excellent motors.

Today we’re going to compare the Yowza Biscayne to the Freemotion XTr90, and see who comes out on top.

From just the looks, I would have to give it up to Yowza. If I had to choose one to put in my front room as a piece of art, it would be a snap. Yowza puts a lot of effort into the aesthetics of their treadmills, and they do a good job. So, let’s see if the beauty is only skin deep, or true blue, dyed in the wool, through and through.

In the ring today is the Proform Performance 400 and the Horizon Evolve SG. Both are currently priced at just $599, so they’re on level ground.

Let’s start with the basics. Which can hold more weight? Horizon is experienced in producing low-cost treadmills, but for some reason, their treadmills are still a little wobbly and rickety. The proform treadmill has a much sturdier feel to it than the Horizon. That feel says a lot. The actual weight capacity of the proform is 300lbs, which is impressive for a $599 treadmill. For the Horizon it’s 250 lbs, which isn’t bad for the price class, but not like quite as strong as the proform.