Treadmill Advice

[cwnhokie]

so I've decided the best thing for me right now to get back on track with my running is to get a treadmill. I've been looking at used ones but I am overwhelmed. Don't know what I should be paying or what to look for. Any advice?

 

[WDWFAN9]

Hi!

I bought a Nordic Track C2420 at Sears 5 years ago, on sale for $1200. It has a lot of bells and whistles that I don't use, but I walk on it 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes more. Some things that I really like - it has a large platform area, so that if my tall DH wanted to use it he could. It has a cup holder and fan. The display numbers are large and easy to read. The best part is that it is right here and there are no excuses for not using it.

Good luck with your search!

 

[cewait]

http://www.trainersecrets.com/treadmill_guide.htm
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-322--9266-4-1X4X8X12X16-6,00.html

Here is a decent guide to as to what you should be looking for. For most folks who want a piece of equipment that will serve more than a clothes hanger a 3 Hp DC motor is required. You are looking for a solid deck with an 18” wide belt. The controls should be simple enough that you are going to use the machine. Try it before you buy it...just like you would a pair of shoes

I have the Pace Master Pro Plus; purchased in 2002. It has well over 5,000 miles on the original belt. If you are looking for a used mill, look to see if it is set up on a rubber training pad (especially in a carpeted room). One of the biggest killers of treadmills is dirt between the belt and deck. On carpet, the treadmill just sucks fibers up into the belt and wears the deck out. Also, ask to look under the ‘hood’ at the motor. If the area is grimy, dusty and otherwise unkempt, the unit has not been serviced (cleaned) and should be avoided.

Finally, I would avoid fold up treadmills if you are serious about using one. While it’s cool to fold one up out of the way, it is also the Achilles of the unit. It requires a little more effort and adjustment to keep everything working well. Plus, if you fold it up, you may start to see it as furniture and it will soon be a clothes

 

[FireDancer]

You may also want to consider looking locally for a company the sells refurbished professional gym equipment. When a health club replaces machines they often do so all at a time and there are machines that might need some fine tuning but are by no means at the end of their life.

Those machines are made to be beat on daily but multiple people so having it in your home would be like buying a race car and letting it idle everywhere.

You'll want to make sure it comes with a warranty and that it isn't just being sold as it was when it left the gym but was looked at and anything needing replaced was replaced. A new belt would be a but plus.

 

[cwnhokie]

Thanks for the advice. I thought I found the one I wanted on Craigslist, a Sole F80, but they person isn't calling me back now, so maybe she already sold it.

I'm torn between buying something cheaper to get me started just to make sure that I'm going to stick with it and then replace it when it dies with something better, if I've proven myself. Or just deciding to go with something good from the start.

 

[bounceliketigger]

You may also want to consider looking locally for a company the sells refurbished professional gym equipment. When a health club replaces machines they often do so all at a time and there are machines that might need some fine tuning but are by no means at the end of their life.

Those machines are made to be beat on daily but multiple people so having it in your home would be like buying a race car and letting it idle everywhere.

You'll want to make sure it comes with a warranty and that it isn't just being sold as it was when it left the gym but was looked at and anything needing replaced was replaced. A new belt would be a but plus.

Great advice on the used gym equipment!! Wish I had thought of that!

 

[BamaEd1]

I don't mean this to be flippant but my advice about treadmills is to avoid them altogether. Get outside and enjoy God's creation, hot cold wet and dry. Feeling the wind on my face and on my bald head makes me feel alive. I just don't get that on the dread mill watching TV. Sorry.

 

[cewait]

I don't mean this to be flippant but my advice about treadmills is to avoid them altogether. Get outside and enjoy God's creation, hot cold wet and dry. Feeling the wind on my face and on my bald head makes me feel alive. I just don't get that on the dread mill watching TV. Sorry.

Only reason I am on one is for hills. Kind of hard to get a great hill workout in a flat city

 

[BamaEd1]

Only reason I am on one is for hills. Kind of hard to get a great hill workout in a flat city

They are good for hill repeats, no doubt. I'll use one for about 3 workouts a month if I have a hilly race coming up. Otherwise, I just run on the flat stuff with a few hills.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Another web sit you can try is Treadmill Doctor.com Hope you find something. I love to get outside as much as I can too, but here on the North Coast we get some icy slippery stuff and those times TM is my only option.

 

[cwnhokie]

I would much rather be outside too, but there are too many things that conspire against me. Trying to run with a baby that won't sit in the stroller, running with a sick baby, cold weather, afraid to run after the kids go to bed by myself. Things like that. So I run outside on the weekends when my DH can watch the kids and continue my search for the perfect treadmill.