Treadmill options for $1000 (Read 904 times)

I'm looking at buying a treadmill for myself and my wife to use during our Montana winters.  Don't have a ton to lay out, but I know that I'll need to spend at least $1000 to get anything decent.  I run between 30 and 40 mpw and she is 15-20.  What I'm wondering is should I buy a lesser treadmill new (NordicTrack 1500 on sale) or something used.  I found the following used locally:

 

Spirit XT200 w/ 50 miles on odometer (five-zero, not a typo!)  - $899

Spirit XT375 w/ 750 mileson odometer - $999

 

 

Any suggestions on these two Spirits?  Or should I look at ordering online?

 

Thanks!

I would not buy a Sole for the amount your family plans to run on it.  I had one and went through 4 decks, 2 belts, and finally the main control board went, in ~5 years.  I put about 1000 miles per year on the machine.  Their CS is pretty good (all of the above was replaced free of charge) but even lubing it religiously the decks would start cracking under where you run (from heat) and if you don't catch it immediately it starts burning through the belt. 

 

The first deck lasted the longest, ~2 years.  It got progressively shorter from there.  The last one made it 3 WEEKS.

 

I have a Nordic Track 1500 Commercial that I replaced it with.  Several people on here do and most report no problems.  I bought it in March and am on my 3rd electronic console.  I know another RA member who also had electronics issues.  The console started acting funny again yesterday so I assume we will soon be calling for a 4th.  The last time I made them send a tech out under warranty and he told me that they have very few problems with those machines....except for the consoles, which have a software glitch that causes them to malfunction and become non-repairable.  He said it's luck-of-the-draw if you get a good one or bad one.  I never buy extended warranties on anything but I did on this, I figure if I can make them fix everything out to 7 years it is worth it and I will save up for a Landice. 

Also looking at a treadmill.  Which Sole, or do youthink it matters? 

 

The Sole F80 is on sell for around $1000 with free delivery.  Their TT8 is around $2000, and has a 4 ply belt.  Still alot cheaper than Landice.   Of course, Landice are supposed to last forever! 

 

If you had the $$$, would you get a Landice, or one of the other premium brands such as the Life Fittness 7 series. 

 

 

I don't think it matters which one. I had quite a few problems with my Sole too. I eventually gave it to my inlaws who primarily walk on it, sometimes,

 

I upgraded to the Landice L7 and haven't regretted it.  The "feel" from the Landice is much more road like that any treadmill I've ran on, including ones in health clubs.

I have an F85 with 3000 miles on it, average 9 min/mile at 190 lbs.  It is on its second belt and deck.  I used a Kill-A-Watt to measure high current draw at normal speed in order to prove to the customer service people that there was excessive drag, prior to getting deck replaced.  I've had it for 3 years.  I do think it is a very good machine but it does not appear to have good reliability for high mileage.  Nevertheless, I have already had it apart completely once already and will keep replacing things as they wear out for as long as the parts warranty lasts.  I think the deck is lifetime warranty.

 

$1000 is about as cheap as you can get for any kind of decent new machine.

I have an F85 with 3000 miles on it, average 9 min/mile at 190 lbs.  It is on its second belt and deck.

.

.

.

I think the deck is lifetime warranty.

 

$1000 is about as cheap as you can get for any kind of decent new machine.

 

If they warranty the deck for life now, that was a change since I bought mine in January 2008.  I had to push a bit to get the last one out of them this past January.

 

I'm sure a Sole is OK for people who don't use them much and don't run very fast.  But I've had too many issues, and know too many people who have had issues, to recommend them.

 

I would never spend money on a machine under $1000.  Unless someone was going to walk on it.

Yeah.  Treadmilldoctor.com has the F85 as the best folding treadmill.  Damned internets, can't trust anything you read on websites or message boards.  If you don't run much or fast, and need it to fold up, it is perfect.  If you are an actual runner, then not so much. 

 

I doubt TMD.com actually runs the things for 1-2 years to see what would happen if you own/use one (correct me if I am wrong).  I thought it was fine in the store too.

 

Interesting comment about folding TMs...I can see how some people need that feature at any level of usage due to space restrictions, but now that I think of it the only time I ever folded it up was to clean underneath.  Same with my current folder.

Not that we should always believe the internet, but Quote from treadmill doctors on Nautilus "Company Outlook: To put it kindly, the Nautilus Fitness Group is in a freefall. Heads have been rolling and finally the architect of this Greek tragedy lost his head just a short while ago. Whether they can pull it out is an outcome that is getting cloudier by the day. For several years, their customer service has been horrible and now, with the leadership changes, many in the industry wonder not whether the company will fail and hit the ground but how big a sound it will make when it hits."