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treadmill buying tips

TREADMILL BUYING TIPS

Buying a treadmill for home isn't easy there are lots of different makes, models, specs, features and treadmills can be expensive - it can all be a little overwhelming. This buying guide should help make buying a treadmill a little easier by providing some recommendations to help you narrow down your choices and focus in on the things that really count.

Top 5 Treadmill Specs:

Here are the top five specs you should look for along with minimum recommendations, follow these basics and you won't go too wrong:

 

1. Motor: 2.0 HP or better
2. Running Surface: 18" x 50"
3. Speed: 10 mph
4. Price: spend at least $1,000
5. Warranty: 25 Years Frame and Motor, 2 Years Parts, 1 Year Labor

Don't get caught up in the feature wars -- speakers, fans and TV's don't help at all with treadmill performance and are usually low quality and prone to breaking. The bottom line is that you should find the highest quality machine that you can afford that meets or exceeds these minimum specs and doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles.

 

Treadmill Buying Guide Details:

The rest of this article will expand on the key points mentioned above and give more details.

 

• Motor Horse Power - Larger motors run cooler and last longer. But the numbers can be deceiving, look at the motor warranty to help understand how willing the manufacturer is to back their motor. The motor should be rated for at least 2 CHP (Continuous Horse Power).
• Max Speed - 10 mph equals 6 min/mile and 12 mph is 5 min/mile. For most people 10 mph is more than fast enough but for serious training step up to 12 mph.
• Belt Size - Most people only need 18" x 50" belt but if one of the users is over 6' tall then step up to a 55" or 60" belt.
• Belt Construction - Most treadmill belts are 2-ply, the top running surface is a textured polyurethane and the underside, which is in contact with the deck and rollers, is a low-friction nylon-polyester weave.
• Deck - the board under the belt is known as the treadmill deck and is one of the most important parts of a treadmill. Look for a phenolic resin coated deck that's mounted to the frame with shock absorbing rubber grommets.
• Cushioning - Decks are typically isolated from the frame with elastomer (rubber) bushings called grommets. Other innovative designs use decks that offer more flex, suspended frames on a pivot or provide hydraulic shocks. We've found that a lot of these gimmicks don't work as advertised or aren't worth the extra cost or maintenance headaches.
• Price - Price is an important consideration good quality treadmills start around $1,000. If you plan on doing some real running, or if you weigh over 250 pounds you should consider spending at least $1,400 and for serous running and distance training you shoud budget $1,600 or more.
• Warranty - Treadmill warranties are a good indication of how much a manufacturer is willing to back their product. Don't accept anything less than a 25 year warranty for the frame/motor, a two-year warranty on parts and one-year in-home service.

We hope you've found this guide to be informative, it's an abridged version of an article originally published on Real Treadmill Reviews. You can check out the full article there along with other treadmill articles and reviews. When you do buy a treadmill stop back in and write a review to help others who are looking to buy.

 

David Wertheimer editor of Real Treadmill Reviews http://www.RealTreadmillReviews.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Wertheimer