GeishaGirl

I'm thinking of buying a treadmill so I don't have to go to the gym everyday. Are there any of note I should check out? Any functions I should keep an eye out for on my search? Any help would be great

Whiskers

I have a Nordictrac and its pretty good. Seems to be built well. The features it has that I like:
-Lots of programs, plus I-FIT
-Fan
-Ability for a softer track.

cM3go

What's your price range?

I have a tread climber and love it, it really works you.

is300eater

...some people would say, get a treadmill with a heart rate monitor... but, actually most of the H.R. monitors built in are pretty crappy... At the Costcos around here you can get a Polar H.R. monitor for under $30! (usually it's about $75), I think it's really important to watch your H.R. when doing cardio...

...other than that... just make sure it's one that's pretty well padded... better on the joints...

chef chris

Agreed. I have both a treadmill & elliptical and both are built well.

Just don't buy the cheapest model out there...cause there is a big difference in build quality.

ccannizz11

I used to sell treadmills....

Main features to look for......

1. Tread width - ranges from 16" to 30", Wider = higher price but it's also more comfortable and the belt lasts longer

2. Horsepower of the motor - tops was 3hp when I was selling them, but could be better now, more horsepower = longer life

3. Cushioning system - some use rubber stoppers, some use springs, some just use flexible platforms with space underneath, run on it and pick whichever feels best to you

4. Incline and Speed controls - make sure they meet your needs as far as how fast and how steep they will go, and make sure they are digital, some use a manual slider to control speed which makes it hard to control and sometimes dangerous

Beyond that, it's all bells and whistles as far as programs, heart rate monitors, folding capability. Don't get caught up in that, just buy what you will use. don't upgrade because the salesman says it will help keep you interested. What will keep you interested is the results you get, so buy what you will use.

As far as brands are concerned....

Nordictrack is a great treadmill, but that's because they tend to concentrate on the high end models. Their typical treadmills won't be below $1000, I know they make a couple below that price, but chances are they aren't near the quality of their typical treadmill. They tend to try and make up for that by putting a lot of bells and whistles on even their low end models. A lot of people will still buy because of that, but there is something better for the home user......

A good treadmill at a reasonable price for the home user is ProForm. It's not a highly recognized name, but a few years ago, they made up about 85% of the market outside of health clubs. They have since lost some of that share since the health club models started moving into the home market (e.g. NordicTrack), but they make a great treadmill at more reasonable prices.

Hope that helps

chef chris

Sears sells Pro Form units at half the price of a Nordictrack...hmmmm

Sounds like a good deal...

Whiskers

Oh come on, ccannizz11 sounds like he has no idea what he is talking about.

doopstr

If you go to the treadmill forums (oh yeah, they have them). The freaks there will tell you anything under $1500 is junk and bound to break.

Here is what I suggest (after spending $1000 on one), get a cheap decent one. If you end up really using it then use it until it breaks. Then get a good one. If it ends up being something your hang your laundry on you didn't waste that much money.

I got an Alliance treadmill. Its made by Keys fitness. The one I have is similar to the one at the link below. I like it but don't use it as much as I used to. The kids take up too much time.

http://www.keysfitness.com/tr-all800.html

Also, the freaks like "Trotter" treadmills. They do a lot of running. If you don't plan to run on it a cheap one will be fine. They say the decks tend to break if you run on cheap ones.

ccannizz11

Whiskers

GeishaGirl

Thanks everyone! As for price range I'll probably only be using it for around a year or a year and a half so I didn't want to invest more than $1000-$2000 on one. I'm not sure how long treadmills actually last, but hopefully whatever I end up getting will be enough for that period of time The reason being that I am probably going away to law school and will buy another one when I move into my new place, probably a hassle to ship it over.

Thanks for the info! I probably would have fallen into that sales trap about more features keeping me interested Are there any good places to buy treadmills? The only place I can think of that sells them here is Sears. If I buy one online are they hard to assemble?

amisconception

I personally would prefer a treadmill with a good and easy to use heart-rate monitor.

mg7726

go to the gym, there's no substitute for the REAL thing.

my motivation is to watch all the pretty faces

GeishaGirl

There aren't any hot guys at the gym I go to . The only person I see in there consistently is an old woman. Even when I used to go to 24 hour fitness there was no eye candy

ccannizz11

In my experience, Sears (that's who I used to work for) is the best place to go for one-stop treadmill shopping. They have a full range of treadmills that will give you a good selection. So go there to check things out, but once you find one that you like you may want to look around for better prices. The sporting goods stores run sales on their treadmills more often than Sears does.

Also, they aren't difficult to assemble, so feel free to buy from anywhere. The most any treadmill requires is for you to put on the wheels, the handlebars, and the control panel. But they were minimizing that a few years ago, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was no assembly required at all these days.

JJ4Short

Go run outside, fuck treadmills

01_CL-S_COUPE

I would go and talk to the 24 hour fitness staff and find out what they buy, what warranties are offered? which ones tend to break the most, and price. I was tasked to buy some for my command, I remember th good ones were 4k but that was 5 years ago.

cM3go

Bad on the knees

Whiskers

And the penis I imagine...

is300eater

... 24 Hour Fitness, uses treadmills that cost about $5,000 (usually Life Fitness, which is also same company as Hammer Stength). They are meant to last a long time... especially, if purchased for private use... then it'll only be use like... 1 to 2 hours a day at the most... I think that's too much to pay for personal use... and last I heard... they don't make cheaper versons... they mainly stick to the market for gyms.

I know I'm always preaching Costco... but have you ever try looking at treadmills at Costco? You can't beat the warranty, for one thing they even don't offer it... and they take back pretty much everything (except computers), just keep the receipt though, anytime I buy anything expensive from Costco... I tape the receipt somewhere of the actual item, like the bottom side or something.

CrockPot

who's penis are you imagining?

Whiskers

Mine, smacking on your forehead repediatly.

scl23

DON'T GET A TREADMILL! I got one and everyone who I know that got one never uses it. I now just run outside with my dog. Believe me, it'll sit and rot. Either run outside (more fun and interesting anyhow) or do those spin classes in the gym. Biggest waste of money, mostly because it'll never get used!

You live in hawaii! I've got to think there are beautiful trails you can run. And I don't know what kind of 24Fitness you have. The one in Pacific Beach, San Diego has more hot girls 18-25 than anywhere in the world. I'd take pictures to show it but I have to work out there...

Whiskers

I use mine every day.

CrockPot

10 minutes a day doesn't count.

Whiskers

But the penis whacking does.

Fibonacci

Really?


I spent $600 at Dick's - have used it every other day for two years and it still runs fine. It's got a heart rate monitor and it's well padded - dunno the exact model - Pacer Curcuit???

Whiskers

Since Jan 1st, I probably missed about 10-15 days.

CrockPot

well, that's not everyday now, is it? liar.

Whiskers

You've been riding me all day Rockett

GeishaGirl

I think I'd use it at least once a day if not more. The only reason I was thinking of getting one was so that I wouldn't have to drive to the gym everyday. I don't really like the HI trails, too many bugs The 24 fitness places here are hit or miss, some are really small/dirty looking and the really good ones are pretty far away near the bedroom towns

Whiskers

I just got back from running outside. I have to say, pretty inspiring.