Treadmill Buyers Checklist

1  Motorized Treadmill or Manual Treadmill?

2  What Maximum Speed do I require if it’s Motorized?

Remember – For a walking or a gentle running regime a speed of up to 7.5 m.p.h. 12k.p.h) might be fine, but for harder training at higher running speeds this would be too slow and a faster machine should be chosen.

 

3  What about the Treadmill Motor?

Typical Treadmill Motor from Proform

An electric treadmill can have two motors; one to drive the belt and the other to raise and lower

the bed for changing the incline. When considering your treadmill motor that drives the belt the specification figure that is important it is the “Continuous Duty”, more than “Treadmill Duty” or

“Maximum Power”. A continuous duty motor with at least 1.5 horsepower motor is recommended, some higher horsepower figures quoted are peak power, rather than continuous, don’t be fooled by the sales pitch!

4  How many incline settings?

(Min 3 recommended)…Y/N

5  What size is the treadmill?

Do you have room when you get it home and use it, plus the access to get it where you want it? If you don’t have room to leave one in its own space all the time a folding treadmill could be the answer, however you may need to make some extra checks, see earlier under build quality

6  What about the treadmill running deck and its size?

If you plan on running get one at least 48″ long and 16″ wide, the deck should feel cushioned to absorb shock and the belt should not move around with each stride

7  What thickness is running deck?

Schwinn 840 Treadmill

Most treadmills depending on price range have ¾” – 1″ decks, the ¾” decks can break over time with a runner, since they put a considerable pounding force on a deck. That’s why there are some postproduction deck reinforcement kits available, so if you are a runner it might be better to buy a machine with a 1″ deck.

8  What information can I get from the display?

Examples below:- Heart rate monitor  Y/N Calorie counter, for those weight loss diets? Y/N Average Speed Y/N Average Distance Y/N Time Y/N Programme progress/tracking Y/N Any must haves for me

9  Overall Build Quality

If you have the opportunity to use the machine you have selected do it! The machine should run quietly and smoothly and should feel solid and stable when in use, the frame should not be shaking violently and the belt should not be sliding about with each stride taken.

10 Warranty

These vary between manufacturers, some are more comprehensive than others.

Alternatively you can buy an extended warranty from an independent specialist company that will cover other fitness equipment too.

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Making That Final Decision to Buy from all the Treadmills on Sale

Obviously it is not feasible to test out a large number of machines, but if you make a shortlist of say 3 or 4 machines try and find out if there are suppliers near you that have these models available to try out or at least see.

Price and convenience are probably going to be factors in where you eventually buy from, remember though you don’t want a cheap treadmill ,you want a well made value for money one!

Cheap treadmills can be more expensive in the long term!

With it being easy to shop around online and maybe get a real good deal not available locally, but as with local retailers ask about after-sales service unless you happy to do any maintenance yourself?

Good luck and enjoy your treadmill.

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