Recently one of my readers asked my recommendations between buying the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 treadmill vs. the Sole F80 treadmill.
This was his inquiry and my response is below…
Hi Fred:
I am really struggling with my decision on choosing a treadmill. As of now I am down to the Nordictrack Commercial 1750 treadmill or the Sole F80 treadmill . I hear really great things about both and see that you have very high opinions for both as well. As of now, I really do not think that I will take advantage of iFit, but who knows down the road and I also have read some reviews regarding the Android tablet (along with iFit) on the 1750 that it can be quirky and had/has some issues.
I believe, however, that those Android issues might have be resolved with the newer model. I am also VERY concerned regarding Nordictrack’s customer service / warranty program and have read some horrendous reviews as recent as last month. I have heard that F80 has had some issues with the deck cracking, but I believe that is covered under a lifetime warranty. I also read that Sole’s customer service / warranty practices are pretty good.
Not sure if this is the forum or if you respond to these types of questions, but if you do, please help! Obviously, I am potentially spending a good amount of money and want to make the right decision and I trust your opinion so any info that might help would be appreciated!
Best Regards, Mike
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NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill vs. Sole F80 Treadmill: Which is Better?
Hi Mike,
You know, I get asked this kind of question often about purchasing either a NordicTrack or Sole treadmill or elliptical trainer.
Let’s start with the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 treadmill…
Reliability
I have had a NordicTrack treadmill for approximately 2.5 years and have been very pleased with the performance and have had no service issues. Overall Nordictrack builds durable machines, are they the most durable in their price range? I wouldn’t go that far.
Innovation
NordicTrack excels in having the most innovative treadmills on the market, with technology like iFit Live and Android browsers. I have iFit live on my treadmill but used if a few times and went back to listening to music and manually controlling the treadmill. Although, iFit Live can be good for tracking your results, but of course you pay extra for that feature. Regarding the issues with the Android browser, like you I have heard from potential customers that they heard there had been problems, but I have never gotten any first hand feedback on problems with the browser. One note is their speakers in their machines are better than most brands, including Sole.
Customer Service
NordicTrack is owned by Icon Fitness, which also owns ProForm. They are the biggest fitness equipment manufacturer in the world. Particularly the winter, their customer service can get overwhelmed. They try to handle the surge with part timers from the local college, but some customers fall through the cracks. If I am ever contacted with a customer service issue from a customer, I direct them to someone that solves the problem.
Regarding the Sole F80…
Sole does not offer many bells and whistles on their machines. They do have Bluetooth fitness tracking technology that was added in 2016. What they do offer is some of the most reliable treadmills in their price range. In fact, the Sole F80 is often on our Best Buy Treadmills list.
I have one of their ellipticals and have had no issues with it. Also the Sole F80 is specifically built for runners. I would give it a slight edge to the Sole F80 for reliability over the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 treadmill. And because of the smaller volume of sales Sole generally has less problems dealing customer service issues.
I hope this helps.
Regards, Fred
