Need a Good Treadmill
The ClubHouse: Archives: Need a Good Treadmill
Yuhuru | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 04:05 pm     I'm in the market for a treadmill. Please help? |
Yuhuru | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 04:34 pm     I should have said that I need a good treadmill. There are so many to choose from I don't know where to start. |
Spygirl | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 04:40 pm     I bought a treadmill from Walmart in January (or was that February?)....Anyway, I love it. It was about $200, which is very cheap but it is good quality. There are more expensive versions, one is $300 and one is $400, I believe. They have a wider track and more options. Mine is a Cadence 200 CS.
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Yuhuru | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 04:50 pm     Thanks so much Spygirl |
Jewels | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 05:08 pm     You may also want to look at buying used...alot of people buy exercise equipment that they don't end up using, so it is like buying something brand new. Just make sure you get all the product manuals with it too and try it out before you buy it.  |
Gail | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 05:44 pm     I bought mine at Sears - Proform. I was lucky enough to get one that was already on sale and someone bought and returned the next day for a minor little problem. Originally, about $600, I got it for around $400. Mine also doubles as a coat rack in the off season. |
Yuhuru | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 05:52 pm     Gail, What's the model number? I've gome to some comparison websites, and then when I go to the sporting goods website I can't seem to match up the model numbers. |
Gail | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 05:57 pm     I have the 740CS - and, the price I mentioned about was wrong - it was $799 marked down to $559. |
Gail | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 06:02 pm     Shop carefully - I think the reason there is such a price variance has something to do with the warantee. Some have a 90 day warantee, others have a year or more. Mine has a lot of nifty options - things you can do online, on your computer, etc. I have never used those things and they were part of the high price. I occasionally use the incline part but never use the programs. Mine is capable of letting you run your ass off but I prefer to just do a brisk walk. One feature mine has that I love is it has a 1/4 mile track that tracks your progress. Good motivator when you are ready to give up to go the extra mile.
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Yuhuru | Friday, March 29, 2002 - 06:08 pm     Thank you so much, Gail |
Admin | Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 08:56 pm     First decide if it's for running on or walking. If it's for walking, lighter duty will work. For running, you need heavy duty. I can give you my experience with heavy duty for running. I've owned 2 running quality treadmills. The first was good, but had many problems and was finally replaced under warranty with a completely new one (different manufacturer)! They had manufacturing problems (too much demand meant sloppy construction) and that company eventually went out of business. NOTE: Warranty is important!! We bought this treamill at Sears, and I don't regret that decision one bit..their warranty is excellent! They completely replaced our treadmill with a brand new one, different make, worth more money, with no hassle! The second one (replacement one) is what many consider to be the defacto standard in running quality treadmill design. It's made by Hebb Industries Inc, Tyler, Texas. They package their treadmills under many different names, but the guts are Hebb. I'm sure there are other quality makes out there, but if you get a Hebb, you won't regret. I know 3 people with a Hebb and we all use our treadmills hard and often. Here's what you need to look for: Frame Make sure it's all welded, not spot welded or bolted together. Motor you need a strong motor. I believe a 1.5HP or 2HP is the best (I might have my numbers wrong here) Controls I find all the computerized stuff is nice to have, especially the accurate control for speed, but I that's the only part of it I use. Get one with good digital controls (as opposed to a manual dial or slider) for speed, but forget about all the other stuff like heart rate monitor, programmed runs, pulso-gadget-meter, etc. If you want a good heart rate monitor, get a separate one you wear on your wrist and you can use it outside when/if you go running outside! Belt This should be seamed very strong. Again, if you go with a Hebb you won't have a problem. The Board is what you're jumping on, where the belt slides. This needs to be cushioned a bit and should be made of MDF (medium density fiberboard) Incline This should go from 0 to 15 degrees. You'll never go all the way to 15, but it's the standard range. That's my Good luck! They say a treadmill is the one piece of home exercise equipment that is most likely to actually get used! |
Alaskagal | Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 04:12 pm     I have a Proform, I got it from Sears in Dec and it has been great. My husband runs on it a couple nights a week and I walk on it daily. We have had no problems with it and I am a firm believer this is not something you should go the cheap route on. I have a friend who after a couple of months of use her treadmill started leaving grease marks on her carpet. I have also heard that it is not uncommon for the belts to tear easily on some of the cheaper versions. We waited for a sale at Sears and still spent around $700 but I knew I was going to use it seriously and it was cheaper than a year gym membership. |
Yuhuru | Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 06:35 pm     Well, we selected a treadmill. Got it at Sears. We got a Nordic Track. 1.5 continuous HP, 20" x 55" belt (my Hubby needs a longer belt for running. He's 6'1" and I'm only 5'4") Lots of bells and whistles. We had a hard time choosing between it and the comparable Proform. A good friend of mine has a True. She loves it, but it was way oughta my price range. Thanks for your insight. |
Admin | Friday, April 05, 2002 - 12:54 pm     I believe NordicTrack is one of the leaders in the business, so I'm sure you'll be happy! Plus, if Sears is like it is in Canada (I think Sears USA is actually better than Sears in Canada) then you should have a yearly check-up and great warranty all included! Now, just make sure you use the thing! Good luck! If not for running (outside and on my treadmill) I would have about ZERO exercise in my life. It's one of the best large purchases I can ever remember buying! |
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