Need advice on treadmills!

[Thea]

Hello everyone-

I am thinking about investing in a treadmill and was wondering if anyone out there had any advice on brands, models, etc? I have heard that Proform is a good brand but I'm not sure. I was looking to spend about $500. I am curious about "wear and tear" and how sturdy some models are or aren't. I will be using it for running. Any advice anyone has would be great and much appreciated!

Thanks!
Thea

 

[Andrea]

I love mine!

I bought a treadmill almost 2 years ago. It cost about $600 at Sports Authority and I think it is a ProForm. Can't remember, but it is a well known name. It has auto incline, laps, distance, speed, calories, fat calories, and goes up to 10 or 12 mph. It has everything I have ever needed and has held up very well. I really don't use it in the warmer months though. And in the winter it only gets heavy use (3-4 days a week) from November to March. I run a race in March and after that am usually ready for a break from running!

There are also tons of different workouts in magazines that are fun to follow and tough! I would definitely buy one if I had to do it again and don't regret it one bit!

Andrea

 

[competition bound]

RE: Mine's a Weslo

DX-12, and let me tell you, I could've done better. Like Andrea, mine only sees use during the cold months. I'm not a runner, but I love to walk and do walk/run intervals. It's noisey, it drowns out the t.v., but it gets the job done. I just wish it were quieter. If you're going to be watching t.v. while working out, don't buy this one. Other than that, it's great. BTW, I spent $200 on it. New Year's sale, I couldn't pass it up!

 

[Rose031]

Treadmills

I used to have one because I love to walk, and I thought it was a great idea to be able to walk rain or shine. The one thing I never even thought about that made me get rid of it was how loud it was. We paid about $500, and it was a Proform. It was impossible to watch TV or listen to music with it on. You had to turn it ALL the way up and then it was still hard to make out, and with the loud treadmill, the loud TV, my family trying to talk above the noise, it was just a total exercise in frustration and aggrivation.
When you go to buy it, try it out first and listen to it. Try to carry on a conversation near one this running with someone on it (louder then if it's just running with no one using it).
I hope this helps.

Rose

 

[Thea]

Thank you everyone!!

Thanks to you all for your advice. I will definately take it all into consideration! I would really love to get one. I took up running this summer, and since I live in Wisconsin, I don't think it will be much fun trying to run outside all winter! Having it be too noisy to listen to music or watch tv is a big concern of mine, so I'll be sure to test that out before I buy too! Thanks again!!!

-Thea

 

[kristina]

Treadmills

Hey Thea. The thing about a treadmill is that it's really a serious piece of equipment and worth the investment. Look for the power of the motor, and the sturdiness of the overall machine. If it's flimsy and looks scary to run on, the "bargain" price isn't worth it. A lot of the flimsier ones are cheap and boast that they slide away easily, but if you are looking for quality...that is not it. Especially if you jog/run (vs. walking), you really want something that is study and won't bounce and joggle you around as you run. $500-600 is the right price for a quality NEW treadmill, and a store usually has a floor model.
However, remember most people impulse buy exercise machines that turn into expensive coat racks. Check your penny saver/classifieds. You can often buy almost never used treadmills at a steal if you are a little patient.
I don't know where you live, but in California and Nevada there is a chain called Play It Again Sports that buys and sells exercise equipment, they have good deals as well.

 

[lwseymour]

Hi Thea,
We love our Sears treadmill. It's called a Lifestyler and obviously, you can buy it at Sears. We spent about $400 (that was 6 years ago). I'd figure that it sells now for $550-600. Anyway, its very study, and haven't had any problems with it. It's held up very well. It has an incline also. It's not too noisy. I use a cd player with headphone's for music. It's wonderful to be able to keep up walking and running even when it's raining and freezing outside!!! I think you'd be very happy with a Sears treadmill.

Lisa Seymour

 

[Kay]

I have a Proform also

I too, only use my proform mostly in the winter. I think we paid closer to $700 range for ours. It's seen heavy use by myself, mostly a walker, hubby an infrequent jogger & by my youngest son, the college runner who likes to try to max it out.(he stops when he smells the motor getting hot.)
In my treadmill research I've read that any treadmill under $3,000 is considered a 'throw-away', not worth the $ to get it fixed if something goes wrong. For a nominal fee I bought a 3 yr. service contract which I figure is well worth it, not being a fan of extended service contracts.
As for noise, yes it's very noisy. But I have the advantage of being isolated in the basement. I shut the door turn up the volume of the TV & let'er blast! It's a great way to preview videos!
Kay