treadmill input

“I began to look today at treadmills. There are a lot of names out there but it's hard to determine quality. Anyone have input? Also, any ideas where I may find a deal?”

“I have used a Precor treadmill regularly for the past 5 yrs. I just recently had to replace the tread. Precor isn't cheap, but they make a fine machine. Your best deal would be on a reconditioned machine, there are several vendors that sell them...search the 'Net.”

“Also, there's an article about treadmills in the February '04 edition of Consumer Reports.”

“Precor is the brand at the gym. They get a lot of abuse, but still keep working.”

“Cool, thanks guys.”

“Dhutch, I bought a "nordictrac apex 4001c" from sears 2 years ago and love it. Its held up well. I replaced the board inside the belt area (free replacement) after running a hole in it. I guess the pounding from a 195# fella was a bit much. Anyway no complaints and I'd recommend the brand to ya. Cost was about $1700.”

“www.precor.com has prices online.

The gym membership is a bargain.”

“I have a gym membership. Use it, but would like to work out at home to be there with my daughter. I'm out and about enough as it is. It's one thing to take an hour and go running. It's another to go out for two hours, between the drive to the gym and the workout. And add to that horse training time, friend time, errand time. A home treadmill will allow me to hang out with her while she chats on-line, watches tv and hangs around the house. Typical 15 year old stuff. Plus she could also use it.

Maybe I can find something that someone bought and finds they don't use. That must happen often with gym equipment. Thanks for the name brand suggestions. I'll go see what I can find.”

“How about cheap treadmills, for those of us who really aren't sure that we will end up still using them a year from now. Anyone have anything they own that they like? I won't spend $1000 for a machine when I can go outside and walk for free (but don't because I don't like walking in the dark in the city.)”

“Around have "Play it again" stores. You take in and sell equipment that you no longer want/use. Can be some good bargains--especially on bearly used rowers, treadmills, etc. Probably similar stores in may larger urban areas.”

“Ooooh forgot about them. Good idea stumprider.”

“dhutch - check ebay to get an idea of what some of the used ones are going for. Even with shipping you can get some pretty awesome deals off there.

Sears has some good bargains and services (for a fee) what they sell..

Unless you're going to give it the abuse one would get at a gym (avg use is 6-8 hours/day) I don't think you need to drop that kinda money.

You should be able to get one for around $500 or $600 that will do what you want...

Try Sears...you can use their display models to figure out what configuration and bells/whistles you like.

Good Luck!

Tex”

“Dhutch, when we bought ours, we tested like 15-20 of em. Lots of the lower priced ones wobbled and bounced around. Plus the frames seemed cheap. I would invest in a good one if you are gonna spend the money.”

“D, you might try the Trade-In-Times paper. Sometimes you can find some real bargains. And I agree with Birch, spend the $ on a good one.

One good thing about the gym is that you can usually find some real good 'inspiration' to run behind.;)”

“So far my treadmill has made a wonderful place to hang my wet clothes to dry. That's about it.”

“Go to treadmilldoctor.com they review a ton of them and give the specs. (It's free) Good luck”

“Trouble is, they only like the high end machines - and not all of us can spend a couple thousand for a toy.”

“Ltwtbkpkr - lol you are so right. Those jiggling masses walking in front are inspiration. Or are you talking about that buff dude in the tights? (sub girl for you)

Nigal, what model clothes rack do you have and have you ever thought of selling it to a loving home?

I do intend to spend the money for a good machine. I KNOW I'll use it. Thanks again for all the great tips.”

“Here are a list of treadmills by category

Treadmill best buys”

“I ended up getting a Nordictrac from Sears. Great Price on sale, great service protection and they assembled and delivered. Ok, so it was 10:30 last night. I tucked it in and had sweet dreams.

I ran on it this morning and as my daughter said, SWEEEEET! She seems anxious to use it as well. And as for shanedog, well, first I have to get him to run in a straight line!

Let the serious training schedule begin!”

“I hate treadmills, they are very bad for your knees. Eliptical runners are much better. I'm not too fond of the Nordictrac type things either. Besides going outside and running, or swimming, rowing on a concept II rower is one of the highest calorie burning exercises there is. Plus if done properly it works a large assortment of muscle groups.”

“Cool Dhutch! We've had pretty good luck with our Nordic Trac treadmill. It's three years old now and going strong. Birch has been pretty rough with it running as much as he does, as hard as he does. We've had nothing but good experiences w/ the company. When we needed a replacement part they sent more than we needed, right away. I think for the prices they run you can't do better. Many happy miles to you....”

“I've been using a treadmill as part of my workout routine for 8yrs now. I enjoy using them whether I'm running or walking. Good luck with yours and put that baby to good use!! :O”

“Dhutch, glad to hear about your "new addition"! You'll love it!

Dub, treadmills are not bad for your knees. They offer more cushioning then roads. I have run treadmills for over 6 years (winter only)Nary a problem,. Knee pain is usually caused by overtraining,inadequate rest,poor nutrition,dehydration large increases in mileage.”

“I read in a fitness magazine that treadmills were bad for your knees due to the jarring that occurs when your feet land. Something about the rough treadmill vibrations from your feet landing caused your joints to buckle unnaturally and cause unnecessary wear. Where as when you run on a road there is no jarring as the foundation is solid. Supposedly this is the reason that eliptical runners were developed. You get a smooth natural running form with no vibrations...actually the impact from the eliptical runners is less than running on a street.”

“Eliptical machines are zero impact. Obviously the best for knees (other then like swimming). I would think that a very cheap and poorly made traedmill may cause the problems you read about but a quality one (like in a gym) would be harmless. I tested like 20 before I bought mine, there is some crap out there for sure.

What you lose from eliptical excercise is the building of balance and the strenghten of very minor muscles and connective tissue as the body is essentially locked into one position. Kinda like the difference of freeweights vs machines. Machines are great for isolating a muscle but freeweights help develop form and balance more easily.”

“Hi Everyone,
I thought I'd ask again what people think of different brands of treadmills...

Thinkbubelz & I are looking at some "Horizon Treadmills" as well as the Nordictrack at Sears.... Costco had one by Epic (I think). Has anyone had any experience with these 3 treadmills?

We liked the Horizons Clubline and the Nordictrack seems nice, but is quite noisy when put on the incline.... Although they seem to have one of the best warranties--lifetime on the motor....

Any comments & suggestions? I think it was the Nordictrack 2200 that we were looking at... Looks like the ones that seem good for the price are mostly around $600-800 in price range...”

“Pink, we have owned a nordictrak for 4 years now. (my mom uses it these days). The machine is excellent (though the model escapes me, it was $1700 or so and worth every dime). The warranty and service are amazing. We wore out a deck (I actually broke it after 30months) and got a new motor shortly before the warranty expired ($500, we paid $0).

The machine was smooth, quite and easy to use. I bet ours has 3000 miles on it. Get the nordic trak.”

“I have the Pacemaster Pro and I quite like it. I paid about $2000 for it, and since I have a history of breaking exercise equipment, I think it has stood up to me quite well. I only have to adjust the belt tension now and again. The elevator slips downward during the workout, but I don't make use of elevation now that I'm running on it. I have over 3000 miles on mine and it seems to be doing just fine. I like it's function to calculate aerobic points, I use those extensively to plan my workouts.”

“get one with lots of arms and other parts coming off of it so when you stop using it as a treadmill and start using it as a clothes rack it will hold more clothes”

“We have one of the heavy duty ones from Sears. We had a lighter one but found that we hang a lot more clothes on the new one.”

“the latest runners world mag does a summary on several models, they are all a little pricey though...”

“LOL, runners world...the runners equivalent of the backpacker magazine...lots of pretty shinny over priced stuff”

“In 1989 I bought one from Sears for $3,200 including sales tax. I used it for three years and then returned it. It had a slight problem with the on/off switch, which they had been unable to repair in my home. So I let Sears take it to their shop. Then I learned the unit was from Finland, but the company had changed suppliers and parts were hard to get Worried about parts for any future repairs and while it was in the shop, where they thought they had it fixed, I asked if Sears return policy was still good. They told me, "yes." So I asked them to keep it. They returned the entire purchase price, including the sales tax.

Just calculated that $3,200 can cover my current health club fees for almost eight years. The health club has about 30 treadmills.

BTW, that model could hold a lot of laundry.
last edited: 1/09/06 8:53:48 AM”

“I got my last gym mebership yanked cause some whinner complained about me hangin' my wet laundry on their treds. I mean, who's the victim?”

“Nigal - Perhaps you should have washed the laundry, first! Ugh, what a smell that must have been, those sweaty jocks, sweatshirts and socks.

LOL.
last edited: 1/09/06 9:00:33 AM”

“could have been worse, you could have peed in the shower

"they're all pipes!!"”

“I have a "Smooth" treadmill I bought at a web site that only sells online. It's super great. Very quiet, even with my speed workouts. It's also very stable. I have had it 5 years and never had a problem. It's a real workhorse.”

“pink, I was thinking about getting an elliptical machine. They are supposed to be easier on the joints and burn more calories than other machines. I did find that the good ones were also priced above $700 to start. It's good to have a machine that quotes your heart rate, and how fast you are going to know if you are in the "fat burning" range.

I did see on tv that elliptical machines are one of the few items that you should spend the extra cash on for extended warranties for some reason along with lap top computers.

About what Nowslimmer mentioned, you have to make sure that when you buy something that is big and get an extended warranty that it can be fixed in your home or see if they pick it up for free which is somewhat doubtful.”

“I, also, have a Smooth treadmill: Model 9.15 HR. Great product. Yes it is quiet. The thing is, how are you going to use it...to walk or to run...both? With or with out a pack? How often will you use it?

I've had mine for about 2 years now. I use it fairly often. I average about 2 times per week, when I'm not doing laundry. I use it with a pack sometimes. I'll walk 2.5 mph @10% grade for an hour at a time.

It's great when the weather is really bad out and I can't make it to the park. It's a very solid unit. It weighs 260 lbs. and is rated for a 350 lb. user. It has: 2.75 hp continuious duty rating, 12 mph, 15% incline, heart rate strap.

It has good strong arms for hanging laundry plus a post almost hip high across the front which is great for hanging about 3 pairs of wool hiking socks or a pair of hiking pants. It is a power folding model, so when it is in the up position...you can hang even more stuff on the up end of the treadmill. It also has wheels so you can roll it from the dryer to the ironing board. Sad, that, they don't make this model anymore.

Try this thread: http://www.treadmilldoctor.com
for info on all treadmills. They'll tell you alot.

Dan”

“my problem with ellipticals is this... and it's somewhat a "personal problem".

if you want to improve in a sport then you need to spend time training in that sport. Muscles develop in balance to one another to support the specific activity you want to improve in. If you want to run faster then only way to do it is to run faster, for example. The motion of an elliptical doesn't really match anything I do.

I don't know about the easier on the joints thing either. My ortho doc told me that a joint is a connection of bones supported by muscles. Weight-bearing exercises that build muscle on either side of the knee strenghten the joint... which is why i like backpacking so much.

that's a nice way of saying hiker chicks have sexy legs, right?

well, it's true isn't it?”

“I have used elipticals when I was injured in the past. I like em for a standby but dont like them for regular use. The movement also seems a bit unnatural too me. I would rather stationary bike or get on a rower. I have been drooling over the new concept II kayak rower.

ugh, its not a concept II I cant recall the brand. I have it written own somewhere.
last edited: 1/09/06 8:12:57 PM”

“I have always thought I would like a rower to combine with our treadmill. Whenever I have used one at a gym it seemed I was getting a great aerobic workout. Post it if you can find the specifics Birch.

Like Leofric above, my wife and I have a Pacemaster. We have had it for probably 5 years and have used it quite regularly without a single problem. It's a good company that has been making treadmills for a long time.”

“Speaking of getting kicked out of your health club...

This morning I was on a dep regarding a lawsuit over just that sort of thing. This guy three years ago was using the hot tub in the men's locker room at his health club. Allegedly, more than once he inappropriately touched another man who was also in the tub. The other guy (victim) claims that he (perp) also had an erection. So after one too many times of being touched, he leaves the tub and reports the incident to the club management. Club management calls the police. After the police make an occurance report and after the club made their own investigation, they revoke the guy's membership.

So now this guy is suing for emotional distress yadda yadda yadda. Today's dep was of his doctor who he went to see for his perceived panic attacks and anxiety related to being "falsely accused," which of course he still suffers from even today. In my humble opinion, the guy is a melodramatic idiot who is making a really big deal over this in order to hide the fact that he did touch the other guy and is in fact homosexual. You should have seen his face today when the attorneys brought out the fact that in addition to treating for panic attacks he also had complained of rectal bleeding and requested an HIV test.

Geez oh Pete!! If you're gay, you're gay.
last edited: 1/09/06 8:46:51 PM”

“hubcap here ya go...

http://www.pogies.com/speedstroke/speedstroke_movie.htm”

“whoa...that thing is pretty wild. It looks like it would give you a kick ass workout. I can't imagine how much my shoulders would ache after 20 minutes of that. I am not a kayaker and don't pretend to be.”

“I think it'd be a blast to have one of em. Being able to have some variety is great,pricey though. And I agree, that workout would be a tough one.”

“ok, treadmill advice.

if you are heavy don't get a folding model because they break easier... the hinge gets the krap beat out of it. i don't know what 'heavy' means in this context but if you are heavy and get a cheap lightweight treadmill you will pound it to death.

get a treadmill with a motor rated far more than what is needed. think of it this way. You can drive both an economy 4-cyl engine and a V-8 engine 90 mph for weeks and weeks but the V-8 will last longer than the 4-cyl because it's components are stronger and hence last longer. the same is true for electric motors. no, you won't need draw amps above a certain level (it's our household electrical circuits, not a machine shop), but the motor will be stronger and made of heavier components that should last longer... in theory anyway.

ok, that's all i can think of.

like i said, i have mad my smooth for years now (like 6?) and it's as nice as the day I bought it. I use it several days a week and it's the most useful piece of training equiptment I own next to my running shoes.”

“Sears, Nordic Trak, Weslo, Proform, Weider, Health Rider, they are all built by ICON Health and Fitness, as well as several other brands that escape me. Personally we've worn out three of them over the years. Fortunately I've never had to pay for any of them. My wife does a lot of video work for ICON, and as a result we usually have a late model treadmill here at the house. They have all been terrific. As well as the Cross-Bow Gym in my loft.”

“Hi All,
Good advice.

We have a limited budget, so are looking in the $600-800 range, vs. the over $1000 range...

We're looking at a few by Horizon (10-15 yr motor warranty), one by NordicTrack (lifetime motor warranty) and another that we saw at Costco....

Apparently, there is only a 1 year on the rest of the treadmill. We plan mostly to walk, and do a little running... I didn't even think about carrying a pack, but that' is a great idea!

As for an elliptical, I have a pretty inexpensive one from K-Mart (only cost us $99 because the store was going out of business, I think it was about $200-300 originally). No, it's not the biggest and best, but it does well for a small model and we seem to feel the workout, so that's fine for us...

I am truly excited about owning (hopefully, soon) our own treadmill!!!”