| Moshi Moshi!Hello again from the Far East on the | | | | the best in the business. For me, the more faith a |
| West Coast, and greetings from the DOJO. This | | | | manufacturer has in its own product (i.e. the |
| week, before I get in to the nuts and bolts of the | | | | warranty), the more faith I have in that product. Of |
| treadmills and the ellipticals I work on, I'm going to | | | | course, doing repairs I absolutely love the lower end |
| start with a quick guide to how to choose a treadmill | | | | warranties as it means more paying work for |
| -- well, how to choose a residential / home grade | | | | me!What's next? The weight and stability of the |
| treadmill. Choosing a commercial treadmill tends to be | | | | machine. There is nothing worse than getting on a |
| a bit easier -- go Star Trac, Matrix, Landice or Life | | | | treadmill and having it move back and forth, or |
| Fitness and, in spite of their great ellipticals, avoid | | | | shake, or, even worse, creak as you run on it. The |
| Precor treadmills. Precor is a great company, they | | | | heavier the unit the longer it will last. If you're used |
| just don't quite have treadmills down as well as the | | | | to running on a treadmill at your local gym and then |
| other companies. With the commercial treadmills it's | | | | get on most home units, you'll immediately notice the |
| kind of like choosing between a BMW, a Mercedes | | | | difference. You don't want to be running around on |
| and a Lexus. It's all about bells and whistles more | | | | something that feels like it is going to fall apart now |
| than performance...they're all great machines and we'll | | | | do you? Don't answer, that was a rhetorical treadmill |
| talk about them another time.Home treadmills are a | | | | question.The tread and the deck are where most |
| tough sea to navigate for most buyers -- there are | | | | problems for treadmills happen. When the friction |
| so many different brands and they all look alike to | | | | from your running builds up between the deck and |
| outsiders. Luckily, over the past 20 or so years, I've | | | | the tread, the badness begins. Stick with the 4-ply |
| had to repair just about every treadmill ever made. | | | | belts/treads that help to reduce the amount of |
| In other words, my pain will be your salvation!My first | | | | friction, and look at units with reversable, phenolic |
| piece of advice is: avoid anything and everything | | | | wax coated decks. Reversable decks let you flip |
| from Icon Health and Fitness. They're the | | | | over your running surface to use the opposite side |
| manufacturer of the units you'll find at places like | | | | when the original wears down. It's like having a free |
| Sears -- nothing against Sears, but the treadmills they | | | | second deck if you wear out the first one.Programs. |
| sell tend to be on the lower end of the quality scale. | | | | Don't be fooled by this. Most people only wind up |
| Their treadmills seem to have specs that are too | | | | using 3-4 programs. If the treadmill has 20, that's |
| good to be true for their cost and, truth be told, | | | | cool, but you'll rarely use them. If you do heart rate |
| they are. The old proverb, "you get what you pay | | | | training, then heart rate control is great. If not, it's |
| for" comes in to play with them. Small motors with | | | | just an extra you'll never use...like the clock you've |
| high RPMs to give them a perceived higher | | | | never set on your VCR.Speed and Incline are worth |
| horsepower (most of their motors should really be | | | | talking about. Most treadmills can go up to about 10 |
| rated at under 1.5 HP regardless of what they tell | | | | miles per hour and a 10 degree incline. Don't let speed |
| you -- a motor the size of a soda can should not be | | | | or incline become a deciding factor unless you're |
| powering a full sized treadmill!), lots of plastic pieces, | | | | doing a lot of high speed or high incline training. |
| tiny rollers, and generally unstable machines are par | | | | Obviously, electronically controlled speed and incline |
| for the course for the Icon brands like Proform, | | | | are the way to go. If those feature are manual just |
| Weslo, Healthrider and Image. Just stay away from | | | | move on.Finally, test out the shock absorbtion. You |
| them! There are better treadmills even at the more | | | | want to make sure you aren't running on a hard |
| affordable prices that Icon tempts the unlearned | | | | surface. This is a "feel" thing more than a "scientific" |
| consumer with.On with translating the arcane lore | | | | one. If the deck is bouncy, move on. If the deck |
| that is treadmill purchasing for the lay person.Let's | | | | feels like running on concrete, move on. If the deck |
| start with the motor. The first thing you want to do | | | | moves from side to side, move on. You want to find |
| is make sure the motor is rated with "Continuous | | | | a deck that feels good, with just enough give and |
| Duty." Any sales person or manufacturer who gives | | | | little to no lateral motion.Beyond that fans, speakers, |
| you a "Peak" rating is trying to sell you a bag of | | | | cup holders, magazine racks and even television sets |
| magic beans. Peak is best described as the maximum | | | | on the treadmill's console are all just icing on the cake. |
| a motor will perform at before it breaks down. | | | | It's better to get a good treadmill without a fan or |
| What's more imporant is: how the heck is that motor | | | | TV and spend $50 to buy your own than to get a |
| going to perform when you're actually using it? | | | | crappy, fully loaded treadmill which will eventually just |
| Another thing a shady salesperson might mention is | | | | become an expensive coat rack for dirty |
| that a common home circuit (120v/15amps) will only | | | | clothes.Now, I know I alread typed "finally" but there |
| let you run about 2.5 HP and any motor larger than | | | | is one last piece to consider: PRICE. You can only get |
| that is a waste of money. Technically that is true | | | | what you can get but don't be fooled into buying a |
| (about the amps vs. HP, not the waste of money), | | | | lemon. There are decent (and some downright Great) |
| but the larger motors will tend to last longer as they | | | | treadmills at just about every price point. I'll go over |
| are not running at the higher RPMs of a smaller | | | | some of the best, at least in my experience, |
| motor. And, if nothing else, the larger the motor, the | | | | treadmills in the under $1000 range in the next |
| smoother the "ride." A bigger motor will allow you to | | | | week.Don't despair, there is a good treadmill out |
| run or walk on it without slipping.The next thing to | | | | there you can actually afford!-Tony Taira The |
| look at is the size of a treadmill's rollers. The bigger | | | | Treadmill SenseiThe Treadmill Sensei is your source |
| the rollers, the longer your belt will last and the | | | | for reviews and information on treadmills and |
| better the running experience.Next, and this is my | | | | ellipticals. The Treadmill Sensei has nearly 20 years of |
| favorite thing -- especially when recommending cardio | | | | experience in building, restoring, repairing and |
| equipment to my in-laws -- the warranty. Like | | | | maintaining fitness equipment. Let his wisdom guide |
| anything else, the better the warranty the more | | | | you along the path of righteous treadmill and elliptical |
| piece of mind you will have. The 5 year parts | | | | purchasing. |
| warranty on Spirit treadmills, for example, is one of | | | | |