Treadmill recommendations

[Sammy]

We finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a treadmill this month (yay!). I'm doing some research on brands/models, but I thought I'd get some opinions here as well. For those who have treadmills, what do you like/dislike about your particular model?

We don't need super duper features, but I'd like one that's sturdy (we will have runners using it), has some nice features, and because space is an issue, I'd like to get a folding one.

Any information or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Sammy

 

[shortbun]

We bouoght ours maybe 5 years ago. It's a Nordic Track and it's still in great condition. We bought a commercial grade one because we knew all three of us would use it and my husband is 6'5", 220, so he's heavy.

 

[Christine]

I bought the Pacemaster Silver Edition. About $2500 several years ago. Still works like a charm and you can run on it. Love it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We bought a Sole several years ago because my husband wore out the Proform running on it. The Sole is still in great shape because it is meant for heavy running.

 

[rszdtrvl]

We got this one a couple months ago, and it works great.

Very budget, folds up, and has some great settings. I like the 20-minute intensity one.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Weslo-Cadence-G-5.9-Treadmill/14972088

 

[geffric]

i have a proform.. use it several times per week..but i am a power walker not a runner.. anyway, it is in great shape, had it over 2 years..DS does run on it but he is high school skinny..on the track team..

 

[hugscot]

Ok I know some are going to disagree but.....I would bite the bullet and save your money and NOT waste it on a treadmill. I know it sounds convenient to workout at home on a treadmill but I would venture to guess majority of people here don't really use theirs anymore other than to hand clothes on. Now I am sure there are one or two people that will actually use theirs religiously but

First of all its cheaper to go walk outside or jump rope or ride bikes or any number of activities that are cheaper or free. If you don't do those now what makes you think spending tons of money on a treadmill is going to be the motivating factor? Also the cheaper ones sold for home use really suck and break then you got cost of repairs to pay and shipping which cost more than what you paid for it. The really good commerical ones cost an arm and leg. Plus most gyms have TV's or music now anyways. Running on a treadmill as a sole source of cardio will get boring real fast unless you change it up with other exercises.

 

[Momvic5]

I bought one from Walmart about 4 years ago. I paid about $350 dollars for it. Though it is kind of loud, it works great for me. I run about 5-8 miles on it at least 5 days a week, and it has held up well. The most I have ever run on it was 12miles, and it did shut off in the middle of my run to reset itself. I am the only one that runs or walks on it....my dh rarely ever uses it. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one. I just wanted one that cushioned my run a little, had an incline option, and folded up. It doesn't have all the fancy features, but it gets the job done.

 

[somcgregor]

We bought the Sole F80 Treadmill on Friday. I love running and I love going to the gym, however I CAN NOT STAND the Gym in January and February. I run 4 to 6 days a week, and on the days I don't run I use the stairmaster. We googled "best home treadmills" and then I went to a local store to try out the Sole F80 to see if I would like it.

Thinks I looked for including how steady it was when running, most of the other ones were not that great and really woobled a lot when standing on them. I am glad I made the investment and can't wait for it to get here.

Good luck an Enjoy!

 

[momsully]

I bought the Livestrong 13.0 last week. It is being delivered tomorrow. I tried it in the store and loved the way it felt. Also, I like the long running surface since DH is 6'4".

 

[jodeja]

I have the Horizon Elite 4.0T. I've had it about 6 years and I love it!!
I did quite a lot of research before choosing a treadmill. After reading several magazine articles, I sat down one morning with the yellow pages and a pad of paper and a pen. I called 7 or 8 stores and told them I was interested in buying my first treadmill and asked what they recommended. Then I kept track of what were the most common suggestions. However, I ended up coincidently finding a friend from the past that I had lost touch with and it turned out that he had been working in the fitness industry for several years. It really helped to find someone who I knew would tell me the truth, rather than just sell me whatever model got him the most commission.
He recommended the Horizon Elite because he said they had less warranty claims on that one than the other treadmills.
Mine has worked perfect for my use. The only minor complaint is that the heartrate monitor is sometimes slow to work and sometimes seems inaccurate. I don't use the preset programs, I like to manually adjust the speed and incline.
I run and walk outside in the spring and summer, but having a treadmill really saves me from getting pitifully out of shape in the winter. No, I don't use it as consistently as I imagined I would when I bought it, but I definitely work out a lot more than I would if I didn't have it. Especially when you have kids, it's not always convenient to go running outside when you don't have anyone there to watch the kiddos and the gym childcare hours don't always fit with my schedule. I have the treadmill in the same room as the computer, so a lot of time the kids get computer time while I'm on the treadmill so we can visit while each doing something fun. Almost every time I use the treadmill the kids beg to use it to, so I think it is helping them to learn exercise habits as well (they do jog outside with me in the summer, but can't do a lot of miles yet.).
Hope that helps, and I hope you get a treadmill that you love!

 

[KatieA]

My husband and I were also thinking about purchasing a treadmill but I am so afraid that it will break and I will be left with and expensive clothes rack. I currently do aerobics tapes but my husband would like to be able to use the treadmill. We don't have sidewalks close to our house and the main road is very busy. We don't live far from the high school but they keep the track locked so that is not an option either.
Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. It is really helpful.

 

[VAfamily1998]

First of all its cheaper to go walk outside or jump rope or ride bikes or any number of activities that are cheaper or free. If you don't do those now what makes you think spending tons of money on a treadmill is going to be the motivating factor? Also the cheaper ones sold for home use really suck and break then you got cost of repairs to pay and shipping which cost more than what you paid for it. The really good commerical ones cost an arm and leg. Plus most gyms have TV's or music now anyways. Running on a treadmill as a sole source of cardio will get boring real fast unless you change it up with other exercises.

Not everyone lives in an area where they can go walk/ride bikes/jump rope outside. If you live in perfect climate year round, sure...but if you live where it gets freezing cold in the winter or blisteringly hot in the summer, it's hard to get motivated to go outside and excercize. Even if you do live in a perfect year round climate...or the weather isn't bad, not everywhere is "safe" to run/bike/etc.--crime, busy streets with no sidewalks/etc. can make it dangerous.

I'm not the OP, but I know that I personally am looking to get a treadmill. Normally, I DO go outside for my runs, but lately, the weather has been very cold/windy/etc. and I just don't feel like running outside when the temperatures are in the teens.

Also, I have kids at home. My husband travels a lot for work, so I can't count on him to always be around to watch the kids while I go for a run. Therefore, I need a type of excercize I can do while I am still at home with them. Sometimes the only time I have free to workout is from 5:00 am -6:30 am. Here, it's still dark out that early. I feel safe running in my immediate neighborhood at that time, but that's only good for about 3.5 miles, otherwise I'm running in circles. In general, I like to run more like 7-10+ miles, 3 days per week.


I don't see where the OP ever said she "doesn't do those now" (when you refer to walking/rideing bikes outside/jumprope) or that using the treadmill will be her sole source of cardio. In fact, she says there will be "runners using it" which to me, indicates the people using it are already active/experienced runners.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Something that many people don't know about, is that treadmill belts need to be lubricated occasionally. I've been asked to look at a couple treadmills recently, and after years of use and no lube, the motors were burnt out. The lube is a powdery substance that you spread under the belt every few months.

We have a StarTrac 1800HR treadmill. It's considered a commercial treadmill and at the time it had the longest and widest belt. It also picks up my Heart Rate from my Polar strap so I can work my heart doing intervals.

 

[Momvic5]

Not everyone lives in an area where they can go walk/ride bikes/jump rope outside. If you live in perfect climate year round, sure...but if you live where it gets freezing cold in the winter or blisteringly hot in the summer, it's hard to get motivated to go outside and excercize. Even if you do live in a perfect year round climate...or the weather isn't bad, not everywhere is "safe" to run/bike/etc.--crime, busy streets with no sidewalks/etc. can make it dangerous.

I'm not the OP, but I know that I personally am looking to get a treadmill. Normally, I DO go outside for my runs, but lately, the weather has been very cold/windy/etc. and I just don't feel like running outside when the temperatures are in the teens.

Also, I have kids at home. My husband travels a lot for work, so I can't count on him to always be around to watch the kids while I go for a run. Therefore, I need a type of excercize I can do while I am still at home with them. Sometimes the only time I have free to workout is from 5:00 am -6:30 am. Here, it's still dark out that early. I feel safe running in my immediate neighborhood at that time, but that's only good for about 3.5 miles, otherwise I'm running in circles. In general, I like to run more like 7-10+ miles, 3 days per week.


I don't see where the OP ever said she "doesn't do those now" (when you refer to walking/rideing bikes outside/jumprope) or that using the treadmill will be her sole source of cardio. In fact, she says there will be "runners using it" which to me, indicates the people using it are already active/experienced runners.

I hear ya! I have literally become "the lady who runs circles around the neighborhood". My immediate neighborhood is only 1.5 miles so in order to run any distance, I have to circle the neighborhood many times. It can become so redundant that I lose count of my loops. There is something mental about knowing that you have 10 loops to run. Our neighborhood also has concrete sidewalks and streets so my knees ache when I run long distances on them. My treadmill has become my best friend and my escape - I have our TV set to closed captioning and my MP3 player is loaded with my favorite music. With 3 kids, the only time I have to run is after 7pm - tonight I finished at 9:15pm. For me, the treadmill has been a great purchase and a lot easier on my knees.

 

[hugscot]

Not everyone lives in an area where they can go walk/ride bikes/jump rope outside. If you live in perfect climate year round, sure...but if you live where it gets freezing cold in the winter or blisteringly hot in the summer, it's hard to get motivated to go outside and excercize. Even if you do live in a perfect year round climate...or the weather isn't bad, not everywhere is "safe" to run/bike/etc.--crime, busy streets with no sidewalks/etc. can make it dangerous.

I'm not the OP, but I know that I personally am looking to get a treadmill. Normally, I DO go outside for my runs, but lately, the weather has been very cold/windy/etc. and I just don't feel like running outside when the temperatures are in the teens.

Also, I have kids at home. My husband travels a lot for work, so I can't count on him to always be around to watch the kids while I go for a run. Therefore, I need a type of excercize I can do while I am still at home with them. Sometimes the only time I have free to workout is from 5:00 am -6:30 am. Here, it's still dark out that early. I feel safe running in my immediate neighborhood at that time, but that's only good for about 3.5 miles, otherwise I'm running in circles. In general, I like to run more like 7-10+ miles, 3 days per week.


I don't see where the OP ever said she "doesn't do those now" (when you refer to walking/rideing bikes outside/jumprope) or that using the treadmill will be her sole source of cardio. In fact, she says there will be "runners using it" which to me, indicates the people using it are already active/experienced runners.

Yes you make some points and I think few people live in ideal climate even in Charleston, South Carolina the heat can get unbearable in the summer at times. We don't know the whole situation or reasons for buying and if runners are purchasing then yeah a different story most likely but I am referring to people that are just getting into cardio exercise and looking to buy a treadmill right out the gate. I can relate about the kids and exercising that is one of the reasons I love the gym because ours has a daycare so can drop them off and go workout. I think it would be hard to do that at home with the kids IMO. I usually have to go outside or in the garage when I do. But I guess I am saying you need to crawl before you walk. Don't go full tilt if just starting out. You know the folks that make a new years resolution to exercise and go spend bunches of money on outfits and equipment and supplements and are done after a month. We all see these folks at gym beginning of every year. I am just saying it is a big commitment and investment to make so make sure you are serious about it and that cheaper alternatives are out there if you are just starting out.

 

[Sammy]

OP here....thanks for all the information so far. This will be our first treadmill, but we've been thinking about getting one for over a year. It's pretty difficult to get outside in the winter (New Hampshire) to even walk, never mind run. I'm able to use the treadmills set up in a clinical area at my work, but it has to be after the patients are all done (after 4 PM) There's just too much going on after school with my youngest DD to stay late most days. I'm looking forward to being able to hop on the treadmill without driving to the gym!

I appreciate all your opinions...now it's time for me to get out to the stores and check the treadmills out in person.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Almost 3 years ago I bought a Nordic Trac at Sears for about $600 and love it!!!
My DH thought it ewould collect dust but at the time I was very motivated to lose weight asnd lost about 40 pounds in 6 months. I did an hour a day, 6 days a week on the treadmill. I did high incline and low -moderate speed.
I still use it but not as much.

I just joined Planet Fitness with my DD. They have a cardio /eliptical leg machine that works great.
If I was buying a treadmill now I'd look into those high incline/ stepper machines.

Whatever you decide good luck on your journey and enjoy!!!