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Where did you buy your treadmill? (Read 747 times)

Wing


Joggaholic

    I'm tempted to get a TM. I've been looking locally so I can save on shipping (Sports Authority, Academy, Sears, Dick's, Walmart, craigslist). I'm also looking online, I know you can find them easily, but I just don't know which stores are reputable. I'm not comfortable sending $1k to some place I've never heard of before. So I'm wondering if you guys know where are the good places to shop for a TM? Thanks.

    xor


      I don't, but I've helped people choose treadmills and the two things I will say:

       

      1. Treadmills, like shoes, are things you probably want to 'try on' before buying blindly.  Except unlike shoes, if you get one you didn't try and you don't like it, it is a super pain in the ass.  So...I dunno that I would buy one online unless you have already done in-person research elsewhere.

       

      2.  All things being equal, which they never are of course, don't cheap out on a treadmill unless the research indicates that the unit is a spectacularly good buy.  A cheap treadmill is bad news.  It will annoy you, meaning you won't use it much, and it will break.

       

        I think the TM brand means more than where you buy it.  As SRL said, don't go cheap, and try it first.... especially if you're serious about using it for a long time. 

        Wing


        Joggaholic

          I don't, but I've helped people choose treadmills and the two things I will say:

           

          1. Treadmills, like shoes, are things you probably want to 'try on' before buying blindly.  Except unlike shoes, if you get one you didn't try and you don't like it, it is a super pain in the ass.  So...I dunno that I would buy one online unless you have already done in-person research elsewhere.

           

          2.  All things being equal, which they never are of course, don't cheap out on a treadmill unless the research indicates that the unit is a spectacularly good buy.  A cheap treadmill is bad news.  It will annoy you, meaning you won't use it much, and it will break.

           

          I've been looking at the common ~$1k "best buys" on review sites, in that range there're Proform, Sole, Nordic, and Livestrong, many of them I can probably find/try at the local stores. I'm ruling out Sole because I read in some older posts that Spaniel and others had some bad experience with it. I'll be a lightweight user and I'm just looking for a hassle-free one that'll last a few years.

          Wing


          Joggaholic

            I think the TM brand means more than where you buy it.  As SRL said, don't go cheap, and try it first.... especially if you're serious about using it for a long time. 

             

            I've got some idea. TM reviews aren't hard to find here (RA) and elsewhere. I'm not sure about the "where" part since not all local stores carry the various models for me to try/buy, and I've had bad shopping experience online before with little-known stores.


            Jess runs for bacon

              I got mine at a local store that does gym equipment.

               

              It's a lovely story actually. I was just going to buy a cheap one off craigslist, then I stayed at a Westin with a Mac Daddy TM. I realized I didn't want to cheap out on it. So I did some research, and decided on the Nordictrack 1750. It has a built in Android tablet so you can download maps (it'll show the street view on the screen and inclines and declines automatically depending on the elevation) and all sorts of other goodness. It was a little pricier than I wanted to spend, about $1400 list (not including taxes and shipping). So I double checked craiglists one more time to see what was up, and BAM! This place had just posted the same one I wanted, $1099. I went, checked it out, loved it. $1300 after taxes and delivery.

               

              If I did it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate paying full price for it. I actually use it (got it 7 months ago). Some woman had gotten it as a gift, used it once, didn't like it, and traded it up for a $5k model. She took the HRM and the 1 year free subscription to iFit, of course.

               

              I really can't recommend it enough. Don't get it if you don't have Wifi though.

              catwhoorg


              Labrat

                Got my Precor through Busy Body Gyms to go in Atlanta.

                 

                Its also the place a few years before I purchased an elliptical. Would be very happy to deal with them again.

                5K  20:23  (Vdot 48.7)   9/9/17

                10K  44:06  (Vdot 46.3)  3/11/17

                HM 1:33:48 (Vdot 48.6) 11/11/17

                FM 4:13:43 (Vdot 35.4) 3/4/18

                 

                N-Bug


                Will run for beer.

                  I ended getting mine at Sears.  It is 4 years old and still going strong.  At the time it was Nordic Track's better, non-commercial grade, treadmills.  On sale it came in a little under $1k and it was well worth it.   However, looking back, I should have taken the time to shop a little better and possibly dropped some coin in a local fitness shop owners pocket.  Always better to do it that way if you can IMO. 

                  npaden


                    I got mine at a local store that does gym equipment.

                     

                    It's a lovely story actually. I was just going to buy a cheap one off craigslist, then I stayed at a Westin with a Mac Daddy TM. I realized I didn't want to cheap out on it. So I did some research, and decided on the Nordictrack 1750. It has a built in Android tablet so you can download maps (it'll show the street view on the screen and inclines and declines automatically depending on the elevation) and all sorts of other goodness. It was a little pricier than I wanted to spend, about $1400 list (not including taxes and shipping). So I double checked craiglists one more time to see what was up, and BAM! This place had just posted the same one I wanted, $1099. I went, checked it out, loved it. $1300 after taxes and delivery.

                     

                    If I did it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate paying full price for it. I actually use it (got it 7 months ago). Some woman had gotten it as a gift, used it once, didn't like it, and traded it up for a $5k model. She took the HRM and the 1 year free subscription to iFit, of course.

                     

                    I really can't recommend it enough. Don't get it if you don't have Wifi though.

                     

                    I also have a Nordictrack 1750.  I bought it online on sale back in August with free shipping and found an online coupon and ended up paying $1,367.41 for it with taxes.

                     

                    I'm happy with it so far.  I think it has a couple hundred miles on it now, I still try to run outside whenever possible.  Seems like a crap shoot with treadmills under $2K though.  On some sites the Nordictracks get horrible reviews, and the Soles get good reviews.  On this site the Nordictracks get decent reviews and the Soles get horrible reviews.

                     

                    I need to figure out the iFit thing.  Mine came with it, but I can't seem to get the street view to work and when you go downhill on it when you are following a map route, it slows the pace down instead of speeding the pace up.

                     

                    Just did an interval workout with it last night.  8.0 mph for 800m then 6.0 mph for the 400m recoveries.  Was pretty easy.  I wish you could program a workout into iFit and download it onto the machine and have it do that workout though.  I really need to figure the iFit part out I guess!

                    Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

                    Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)

                    Wing


                    Joggaholic

                      I got mine at a local store that does gym equipment.

                       

                      It's a lovely story actually. I was just going to buy a cheap one off craigslist, then I stayed at a Westin with a Mac Daddy TM. I realized I didn't want to cheap out on it. So I did some research, and decided on the Nordictrack 1750. It has a built in Android tablet so you can download maps (it'll show the street view on the screen and inclines and declines automatically depending on the elevation) and all sorts of other goodness. It was a little pricier than I wanted to spend, about $1400 list (not including taxes and shipping). So I double checked craiglists one more time to see what was up, and BAM! This place had just posted the same one I wanted, $1099. I went, checked it out, loved it. $1300 after taxes and delivery.

                       

                      If I did it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate paying full price for it. I actually use it (got it 7 months ago). Some woman had gotten it as a gift, used it once, didn't like it, and traded it up for a $5k model. She took the HRM and the 1 year free subscription to iFit, of course.

                       

                      I really can't recommend it enough. Don't get it if you don't have Wifi though.

                       

                       

                      I'm wondering about that iFit thing. Once you downloaded/created whatever routes you want, do they stay on the machine? For example if I have iFit for the 1st year and get all the maps and routes I wanted, and then cancel/not subscribe the 2nd year, can I still run those routes or do they disappear because I'll have to pay to go through their server to keep the routes?


                      Jess runs for bacon

                        Npaden, that's odd. Are you sure you are on streets that have street view? I'd check their facebook page, they're pretty responsive. I know there's a way you can change the speed of your workout when you create the map, but you should be able to override it. Make sure you don't hit "Follow Workout." I know mine also shows going slow on downhill but since I don't follow the "workout" I just go at my own pace.

                         

                        Wing, you would lose the workouts. They aren't actually stored on the machine, they are all basically saved to your iFit page and then when you login on the treadmill and select your map, it gets downloaded for that time. It can be an issue sometimes if your wireless decides to be a jerk. It does come with base workouts though (intervals, two maps, two videos) and is definitely usable without the iFit tech. It's just much more fun with it, and a pretty good deal at $80 a year (I think it's around that).

                         

                        I don't know what would happen if you cancelled the subscription, I think you'd still be able to login on the website and see your routes.

                        Brrrrrrr


                        Uffda

                          I got my TM off of Craigslist. Obviously I paid a fraction of what new costs.

                           

                          I would do it again. Just try it out first! Smile

                          - Andrew


                          Feeling the growl again

                            I've been looking at the common ~$1k "best buys" on review sites, in that range there're Proform, Sole, Nordic, and Livestrong, many of them I can probably find/try at the local stores. I'm ruling out Sole because I read in some older posts that Spaniel and others had some bad experience with it. I'll be a lightweight user and I'm just looking for a hassle-free one that'll last a few years.

                             

                             

                            The reviewed Sole treadmill is now a pile of junk in my backyard awaiting formal disposal.  Their deck design is horrible; perhaps for low mile, slow runners they last, but I would NOT recommend them to anyone.  The deck is just a shiny sheen of polymer over particleboard or something similar.  You get a spot where the lube wears off, it overheats and cracks the coating, which then rubs into the belt and accelerates the process.  You figure it out when you can either feel the ridges popping up through the belt or you smell the belt burning; in either case your belt and deck are both toast.  In 4+ years I went through 4 decks, 2 belts, a speed sensor (which did not fix the speed issue), a start button, and finally junked it when the main control board went out.

                             

                            I now have a NordicTrack 1500 Commercial; quite a few of us bought the NordicTracks here when they ran a deal list winter/spring.  Tomorrow I am having the FOURTH display installed on the thing; very annoying, not one has lasted 6 weeks.  According to the last tech they are solid machines except for a software issue that causes the displays to go bad; I can only hope I eventually get a display that has fixed software.  The machine still runs but only a few basic buttons work (start and stop do not! have to use speed setting to turn it on and pull the safety switch to stop the belt until fixed).

                             

                            Other than the display issue, I have been much happier with the machine so far than I ever was with the Sole.  The only thing that bugs me...which the Sole did too...is only let you display pace in mph.  Runners think in pace/mile, not mph. 

                             

                            At least 5-6 people on here have the 1750 npaden referenced.  So far, the only issues people of had of which I am aware are that you cannot put electronic devices on the console or it temporarily messes the display up do to some sort of electromagnetic interference.

                            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                             

                            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                             

                              I bought a LIVESTRONG LS13.0T Treadmill from a local store last Christmas. It was on sale, 65% off, so it was under $1k. It is great and quiet.

                               

                              http://www.livestrongfitness.com/product/ls130t-treadmill

                               

                              By the way, I heard that Livestrong uses the same motor as Horizon, but it is much cheaper than Horizon.

                               

                              Like others say, try it on high speed and listen if the noise is unbearable.

                               

                              One time I ran on a treadmill in a hotel. It was terrible, the noise was unbearable.

                               

                              MTA: add Horizon info.

                              5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08  (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)

                              MrH


                                I bought my Landice Pro Trainer from a local Fitness Resource store. They matched the price of the lowest quote I could find on the internet. A crew installed and configured it, and it works flawlessly. Smile

                                The process is the goal.

                                Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.

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