Treadmill advice

[WDWFAN9]

DH and I are thinking of investing in a treadmill and I am looking for experiences, advice, and recommendations. He is a big guy (6'3") so we need something good, but definitely under $2000. I will be using it mostly for walking, but he will be running. There are SO many choices out there.....what should we be looking for? What kind of features do you use, and what kind are a waste?

I appreciate the help!

 

[lizdotcom99]

I don't have any treadmill advice to give you, but it looks as if we may be neighbors. Where are you from? I am in Norhtwest Indiana, in Crown Point. Good luck with your treadmill purchase. I know you will get some good advice here.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have an inexpensive treadmill...

The things important to me: Automatic incline (press a button)...pulse meter....drink holder.

I would kill for a unit with a fan on it.

I like to see speed, time, and calories. I do not like that mine has some features that share....so for example I can see speed or time, but not both as it flashes back and forth (it might be different features, I just don't recall as I haven't been on my TM in a month or so).

Big screens are nice so that you do not have to flip back and forth for the information.

 

[chimera]

I would kill for a unit with a fan on it.

I like to see speed, time, and calories. I do not like that mine has some features that share....so for example I can see speed or time, but not both as it flashes back and forth (it might be different features, I just don't recall as I haven't been on my TM in a month or so).

Come on over, Lisa. My fan has two speeds

Ours is a fairly cheap treadmill. We have the auto-incline, but I have my doubts on the accuracy of the pulse meter. You also have to lean forward and grab a bar in front of you to check your pulse. Not my favorite.

I second the motion on having shared features. Just when I want to see my elapsed time or distance, it's stuck on the incline level or my pace. There's no options to change it...just have to wait it out. We also have one with the pre-programmed workouts and more that you can download. I think that's one feature I could have lived without...never use it, but maybe I'll try them down the road when I get my speed and mileage up more.

There was a website we checked out when buying ours...I think it's treadmilldoctor.com. They only liked the really expensive ones (well, out of our price range anyway). But it was helpful to learn more about the features and what to look for.

 

[WDWFAN9]

Thanks chimera for the website, I will check it out. We want something nice, but don't want to spend dollars for features that we won't use. We saw a Nordic Track c2420 on sale at Sears that looked pretty good, but we are just getting started on our search. I am seriously considering participating in the half-marathon next January, and the weather around here (south of Chicago) isn't the best for walking/jogging outside...especially if you are a beginner like me, so a treadmill seems to be the answer. Thanks for everyone's help.

Liz, I live near Joliet, which is close enough to Chicago for some of the benefits of a big city, yet far enough away to avoid some of the negatives.

 

[Christine]

I have the January Consumer Reports right here with me. They rated treadmills and ellipticals. Here are their "Quick Picks":

Best for avid runners, well designed, and especially sturdy:

1. Landice $2900
2. True $2300
3. Precor

Best folding models (both are Consumer Report's Best Buys):
1. Horizon Fitness $1800
2. Life Fitness $1400

Here's a brief synopsis on what they said:

Models that did best in our tests cost well over $2000. Paying that kind of money gets you solid construction that comes close to the quality of a gym machine, very good ergonomics, and a wide range of exercise intensity. You also typically get a more generous warranty. Serious runners, especially, should look for excellent quality, ergonomics, and exercise range that the top machines provide.

For $1,100 - $1,800, we found several CR Best Buys that lack the gym-machine feel of the top-rated models but should be fine for most users (Horizon Fitness Elite 5.1T, Vision Fitness T9200, Life Fitness Essential FT6, Schwinn 820P).

You can spend even less for treadmills, but you're likely to notice the reduced feeling of quality and shortcomings such as a reduced range of exercise. Treadmills under $1,000 are generally suited only for walking.


Consumer Reports then goes on to "blast" models such as NordicTrack, Proform, New Balance, and some others. They are all made by one company now, apparently, and are commonly sold at Sears, Wal-Mart, Sports Authority. They had serious problems with them just in the test phase.

Hope this helps.

 

[DoeWDW]

We are also seriously considering a treadmill and I read the same article that Christine read. They basically said you get what you pay for and you should plan to spend $1200 - $1400 for something that is sturdy and reliable.

I'm off to check out the treadmilldoctor website - thanks for the tip!

 

[keenercam]

Our treadmill was very inexpensive -- I think around $700 at sports authority or someplace like that. It has been fine for me because I don't require much at this point, but there are many things I'd do differently if I were buying one now
1. you can't change the incline while you are on it.
2. it is very very loud, so watching tv or listening to music isn't easy
3. mine cycles through time, calories, distance, and speed. It can also be set to one of those modes, but it would be nice if it showed time, distance and speed at the same time
4. the bars you can hold onto at the sides are so far forward that holding them requires you to bend forward or your shoes hit the front frame of the base

Good luck in choosing. It is a great "toy" to have -- ours is probably 4 years old and still gets used whenever one of my kids gets motivated and now I am using it very frequently.

 

[njcarita]

i got mine for $10 at a yard sale

nothing fancy- but i'm just starting out with walking- and it serves my purposes
i've been using it an hour a day-

i figure it should keep my happy for a while

 

[r3ngels]

Mine is a Proform (one of the ones that was not rated good in consumer reports) but I have had it for years and it works great. I got it at Sears.

It has auto incline, 4 different "modes" that you can choose from with various speed settings, it folds up (to keep the kids off it)

It cycles through the laps and miles but it fairly quick I don't have to wait long. It also has cal and fat cals burned but I don't like to look at that because it is depressing that I can't even burn enough for a snickers

It has a pulse setting that I don't think is that accurate.

My dad is 6'2 and he has trouble buying just any treadmill. Have you husband get on the treadmill and walk as fast as he would walk and then have him run too, to make sure his legs fit comfortably.

Good Luck

 

[welovedis]

I have a Pacemaster Platinum Pro and we got a discount so I think we paid around $2K for it with the group discount. My local gym was buying these and some Precor models and offered a discount if you wanted to buy one for home use.

I really like it because it has a nice wide and long track so that if I am using or my (much taller) DH uses it, we both feel comfortable. Everything on it has a separate display (speed, time, incline, etc..) it has a nice HR monitor and you can also use something called "e-courses" which is like a different way to do workouts more similar to outside running. It has a good warranty, I think lifetime on the frame, 12 years for the motor, 5 years for the part and (I think) 1 year for the labor.

I also like it because you can speed it up to 12 MPH in little increments and the incline goes up to one of the highest (15%) which is good for someone (like DH) who likes to test his race walking and running on that type of incline.

Here's their website if you are interested:
http://www.pacemaster.com/

I personally wanted something that was well-constructed, had a good warranty and servicepeople to back it up, and had the options (separate displays, lots of program memory, etc..) we both wanted. DH wanted a longer track and a decently wide one, along with a good HR monitor (it exactly matches the HR on the watches we both have so we know it is accurate).

I don't know if you have a local store nearby that sells to health clubs or is more of a fitness store, but I recommend those if you do. Generally those salespeople have a lot more knowledge of exercise physiology and can really pinpoint what you need vs. what you don't really want. Good luck with this investment, it can be hard to find something but it worth the effort in the long run.

 

[wiskband]

HI, I have a TM but dont consider myself an expert! I use it and love it! I spent about 500-600. on it last year, around this time, I bought it at Sears, mine includes incline, and I can run up to 10mph ( which, I never will LOL)
has a fan ( like lisa said VEry imnportant) two cup holders, all the cool LCD features with a heart rate monitor, which I havent yet fisgured out how to use.
Mine is perfect for me and was in my price range.
Trust me, all us Tm owners are so syked about getting it just like joining a gym! doesnt get used as much as I liked to however, my clothes fits good on there. I know I know you say you wont (use it for clothes) and I hope you wont but, consider perhaps buying a cheaper one ( good but cheaper) and if you use it as much as you think then go for the big one. There are alot of really nice ones at 1,000, and under. Anywho, I think the most important thing for me was the shocks! I needed them cause I wanted to run. and since your hubby is big that may be one of your biggest concerns. good luck.
renee

 

[chimera]

Sounds like we have the same one, Renee!

 

[AlreadyexcitedGrammy]

I have a Precor 921 SI ($2,799- $500 rebate +mat under equipment= $2,500)

Purchased this tm 1-01 and I really like it! Haven’t had any problems at all and it does get used frequently (4-5 times weekly average 4-5 miles each session). I started logging miles at one point – but that fell by the wayside a long time ago

When we decided on getting a tm for home – we listed what we thought we needed for options – did a lot of internet research and then went to a specialty store and tried this model out. Well, I say don’t try out the “best” ones first, if you don’t really think that is where you will end up, because it was difficult to then go to a lower model and think that we could/would be satisfied! (sidenote- my DH has had triple bypass and my argument at the time was that we definitely needed one that would not be a disappointment and truly be used – also – I had a gym membership which I cancelled, so all in all the rationalization to get a “really good one” wasn’t hard to do).

I agree with previous comments – you get what you buy – and one “biggie” for us, was that we needed something that would handling running for DH. That requirement led us directly to a model that had a longer belt area. Also, my research (agreeably that was 4 years ago) indicated that the fold-up models were not rated as high for running quality machines (my first choice until we actually did the research and talking to the folks at a fitness store).

My DH does NOT use the tm much at all – he hits the streets – (unless it is just waaaaay tooooooo cold) me on the other hand, I use it consistently – but I don’t want to give the impression that it gets a lot of “running” time, but when he uses it, has no real complaints and none about the machine itself. I feel “at home” on it and now count it something I can’t do without!

Good luck and let us know what you decide!