Each model that is on sale is a solid buy.  Sole has a reputation for building durable and solid machines.  In fact, their treadmills are used for in-room exercising and several hotel changes. Furthermore, all their models that are on sale come with a 5-year parts and 2-year labor warranty.  If you are considering either a treadmill or elliptical trainer, with the discount this is an excellent value.

To learn more go to the Sole Treadmill Reviews and the Sole Elliptical Trainer Reviews. Sale runs until the end of July 2010.

I'm down to deciding between three treadmills.  Sole F80, Spirit XT  385,  and Spirit XT 485. I am looking to use the machine five days a week running between 5-7 miles  a day at speeds of 7 or 8mph.  Although I am a male, I am much shorter  and weigh only 135 lbs so in truth can all these machines handle the demands I will put on them.  According to your review, Sole F80's 3.0 motor can  handle running but  I noticed where your review stated that Spirit XT385 with a similar sized motor could not handle serious running.  Is this the case?

If  I go with Spirit is it best to go with Spirit XT485 considering the heavy demands I will put on it.  It is only me so no other users will be on this  machine.

 Thank you!

Reply:

I feel that either the Sole F80 or the Spirit XT385 should be adequate for your needs, especially considering your weight.
 
I'm not sure where you are considering buying from, but compare the  warranties.  Online the Sole warranty is 5-years parts and 2-years labor,  the Spirit is 10-years parts and 1-year labor.  Personally I would prefer  the longer service warranty.
 
Also, if you buy from Dick's don't buy their extended warranty.  It is a scam.
 
Fred

I often get inquiries as to which is better a Sole treadmill or Smooth treadmill.  First, I have to confess that I use to work for Smooth several years ago, however, I believe both brands offer quality equipment at a value price.  Here are some considerations.

Both Sole and Smooth offer 2-year labor, 5-year parts and lifetime motor warranties on most of their models. This says something about the durability of their machines.  They would go broke with that kind of warranty if these treadmills did not hold up.

Sole sells online and through Dick's Sporting Goods.  That means if you have a Dick's in the area you can try one out.  Smooth online sells online.  Actually they have some retailers in limited areas.  Although I believe that the Smooth treadmills a excellent machines, if a reader contacts me for advice I will often suggest they go to Dick's and see for themselves.  Although, the service and the expertise of the salespeople at Dick's is rather poor.

Smooth has a better deal on their entry model.  They are currently selling the Smooth 5.45 for $899 with shipping.  The Sole F63 is selling for $999.  The Smooth 5.45 comes with a 2-year labor warranty.

The Sole F80 is one of the best values at $1,500.  It has a superb service record.  Their Sole F85 is a solid contender at $2,000.  However, Sole sells through other online resources and, as I mentioned, through Dick's.  This limits them from running special offers and discounting their models.

Smooth primarily sells online and direct.  They are constantly running sales and offering incentives like free in-room delivery.  Also, their two top treadmills, the Smooth 9.45ST and Smooth 9.45TV come with lifetime parts warranties. 

So which is better, Smooth or Sole Treadmills?

If they continue selling the Smooth 5.45 at $899 with 2-years service, I may opt for that.  At $1,500 the Sole F80 is the winner, as is the Sole F85 at $2,000.  The Smooth 9.45ST with the lifetime warranty has some nice features and is a good buy at around $2,300.  The Smooth 9.45TV, with a 15" flat screen TV, is the best TV equipped treadmill on the market.

Hello,I have read carefully through your treadmill reviews and have noted the recommendations and rankings.  I am in Canada, so the pricing is quite different, especially with the January sales on.  As a result, it is a bit tough to directly apply rankings which are presumably based on regular

I am looking for a solid, very dependable machine.  I will use it for walking and my girlfriend for jogging and it is possibly that I might return to jogging after a 25 year absence but am unlikely ever to get very serious about running.  I know that there are cheaper machines appropriate for walking but I want good quality and weighing 210lbs at present, something that will handle my weight and 6’0” height easily. Fold-ability would be nice also but not at the expense of quality.Which would do you recommend most highly?

Thanks, Karl

Hi Karl,

Your list below are all good choices, and it is hard to choose one.  Pacemaster has a good reputation, although I have gotten a couple of complaints.  The Bodyguard treadmill is an excellent choice and a Best Buy from Treadmill Doctor.  They have a slightly longer 57" belt.

The Sole F80 is another good choice.  The 2 year labor warranty is attractive.  I believe it comes with a 55" belt.  For walking or jogging it should be an adequate length.  The service record is impressive.

The Life Fitness T3.0 is their entrance model.  Still, they priced it competitively, and you are getting the Life Fitness quality.  Second to none in the industry.  At $1,667 that is a hard one to pass up.

Which would I choose?  All of the above, however the Life Fitness price you have below is appealing and makes it a stand-out. 

Hope that helps,

Fred

1. It comes with some impressive features like a 3.5 continuous duty HP motor, 60" long running surface and 2.75" rollers. 
2. It has a good service record. From the feedback I have received, it holds up well for both joggers and runners. 
3. It has an impressive warranty.  In addition to lifetime coverage on the motor, and five years on the parts, you get a two year service warranty.

For the reasons above, I gave this treadmill a "Best Buy" rating, and I feel it is as close as you are going to get to commercial grade at a $2,000 price range.  However, no treadmill is perfect.

I recently received a review from a customer and they have the following complaings...

1. He is 5'9" and found the heart rate sensors too low on the handlebars.  That is a problem with most treadmills, either the handlebars are too high or too low.
2. The heart rate monitor took too long to provide a readout.  He mentioned, as long as 2 minutes.  That seems exceptional, but if so, it needs to be fixed.  However, this model does come with a heart rate control strap, which is another alternative to get a readout.
3. The plug in for the speakers did not take the plug he had for the iPod.  I have received this complaint for other treadmills.  It would be helpful if they would provide an adapter plug, however, this is not a big expense.
4. When the Sole F85 treadmill is folded it is not very compact.  That is true.  In fact, I use to have a folding Smooth Treadmill that was the same way.  Actually, I find the design for the F85 contributes to the stability and gives it a more solid feel.  If it had a smaller footprint when folded it probably would not be as stable. 
5. Finally, he stated it was not as quiet as he expected.  I've been on this treadmill and found it reasonable quiet, especially considering it is running such a huge motor. 

These comments were good insight, and once again shows that no treadmill is perfect.  However, I still believe at $2,000 the Sole F85 is one of the better treadmills available. 

Regards,
Fred

Customer Question: I am looking for a treadmill for my wife and I to use.  She only weighs about 135lbs, but I weigh about 195lbs.  I want to find a treadmill that is built for running, not extremely fast, but a good solid jog.  I want something that will hold up for a long time and take some good abuse from daily running.  I know that I will use it 4-5 times a week.  I was going to purchase the ProForm iLog, but after reading your review, I am concerned that it will not hold up with constant jogging.  I don’t have a lot of money, and $1000 was a stretch for me, but I am willing to pay that much to get a good machine.  Can you recommend what would be the best treadmill for $1000 or under that will be used as I have described above?
Thank you,
Scott

My Response: I would normally suggest that a treadmill at $1,000 is good for walking and light jogging.  That does not mean you can't get a treadmill for a $1,000 or less and it won't hold up to multiple users that are also runners.  It just means there is less chance that it will hold up. The motors and rollers are smaller and often the deck is not as thick.  However, if your budget is maxed at $1,000 consider the following:

Smooth 5.25 (Good service record) Bowflex Series 3 (Good reviews on Amazon)

The ProForm iLOG 550 (New treadmill, no track record, but good features)

Sole F63 (Go to Dick's Sporting, they may have it cheaper than their site)

Epic treadmills at Costco (There have been some issues about the quality, but Costco really discounts their epic models)

Hope this helps. Fred