I'm in the market for a treadmill......

[Kitty 34]

What kind or brand would you recommend? I plan on using it just to walk, not run.

 

[mnrose]

I like mine by Smooth Fitness....they sell direct to end user off their website. I "inherited" mine from a friend who moved across country and could not take it with her. They had it for 5+ years and her husband ran on it pretty extensively in the winter. I've had it for three years and walk on it. I (finally) had to have the belt replaced (not surprising after that many miles!) but other than that, it has been extremely reliable and dependable. We do put silicon on the track a couple times a year, but that's it. I estimate that I put 80-90 miles a month on it, so nearly 1000 miles a year. Very pleased with it. The cost is around $900 for the model I have. It goes to 12 miles per hour and 15% grade on the incline.

 

[Bilberry]

In the past when I walked o treadmills I thought True treadmills were nice.

I'm in a similar situation with my treadmill. I'm moving across the country soon and will be needing to find a new home for the treadmill.

 

[nkereina]

I have the most basic treadmill one can buy - it's the generic model from Sears. Not even sure what brand, I just know it was around $500 and the cheapest one they had. We've had it for 4 years now and have had no issue with it. It's perfect for walking or running, counts calories, and has incline which is really all I wanted. There are much more expensive ones with more bells and whistles but I don't find those necessary for just basic walking.

 

[kidshop]

I bought a Schwinn about 20 months ago and I really like it. I had some issues with the electronics after a year and their customer service is incredible! We tried a few fixes but they ultimately sent me a whole new treadmill! they have a 2 year full warranty and they honor it. Anyway I just use it for walking and it's perfect. It has a smaller profile than some, but still feels very sturdy. My dh will run on it sometimes.

 

[Klayfish]

If you plan to just walk on it and never run, then get the cheapest one you can find. Get something on clearance at Sears or a sporting goods store. They will all serve your purposes perfectly. The real differences come in when you start to want to use them for running, interval training, including use of the incline, etc... Then it makes a real difference. Brands like Smooth Fitness, as mentioned above, are worth the extra money. But for walking, any basic one will do.

 

[Micca]

I think I'd go to Craigslist or a garage sale and find something cheap (but still functional.)

 

[yoopermom]

The one thing I would watch for, if the user is a larger person, or has balance issues, is the width of the belt and the basic stability of the machine as a whole. My YMCA has about six different models, and one has way too narrow of a belt for fat me, I am nervous the entire time that I'm on it that I'm going to go flying off of it.

Terri

 

[Kitty 34]

The one thing I would watch for, if the user is a larger person, or has balance issues, is the width of the belt and the basic stability of the machine as a whole. My YMCA has about six different models, and one has way too narrow of a belt for fat me, I am nervous the entire time that I'm on it that I'm going to go flying off of it.

Terri

I'm not too big ( ) but I have had problems in the past of feeling dizzy when I get off a treadmill. Hopefully if I buy one and use it regularly that dizziness will pass!

 

[klo1335]

Since the treadmill makes you dizzy have you thought about trying some Walking Workouts? There are a bunch on Youtube. My favorite is Jessica Smith. She has a YouTube channel with a lot of workouts.

 

[mnrose]

I think I'd go to Craigslist or a garage sale and find something cheap (but still functional.)

Just be aware that treadmills DO wear out. Belts can be replaced (cost to replace mine, including labor was $253) (and I feel like for the work involved, labor was very reasonable...it took quite a bit of time). He told me that replacing the motor is even MORE expensive. Also, there are some types of machines he simply will not work on at all, not because it's "impossible" but because the amount of labor involved to do even something simple is prohibitive...as in 4+ hours to replace a belt. So be somewhat cautious of "used" equipment or any "savings" can go right down the tube in repair costs. Now, I got mine for "free", so spending $250 to repair vs. $900 to buy new seemed like a reasonable way to go. And, my treadmill belt looked "fine" until, well, it failed. I was using it extensively, with no issues at all, until the moment is stopped working. So, there's simply no way to look at it, or test it, and determine whether it's about to go. Maybe an expert could....but a regular user, probably not.

 

[Blackadder337]

I bought a Nordic Track model from Sears. Initially I just walked, with inclines and slight speed increases, no problem. But the past few months I've actually been jogging on it and even running on it still with inclines etc.. I paid about $500 for mine, and got the extended warranty. No problems or concerns at all.

 

[Praying Colonel]

We bought this Proform treadmill 5 years ago and it's worked great for us. I'd worry less about brand and more about features and reviews.

We bought ours not because of the iFit, but we hoped it would be a neat addition. Wrong. Not intuitive, doesn't work well, not worth the annual subscription. After the 1-year subscription that came with it, we didn't renew. Maybe it's better now, but it sucked back then.

 

[piccolopat]

We have a treadmill (actually our second) and bought a nice one with incline, programs, etc. I don't know the brand offhand but will check later. It works well but we don't use it much. Yes, at first my DH was on it everyday but now if he is on it once a week it's a lot. The thing takes up a huge amount of space and weighs a ton. We gave away our first treadmill because he lost interest. Personally I'd rather walk outside as much as possible as I find the treadmill boring. When we eventually move, this one is going and we'll go to a gym if he decides to start using one again.

I guess what I am saying is make sure you really will use the treadmill. Too many people buy them and then they become dust and junk collectors that are a pain to get rid of.

 

[gracie1]

I have a Nordiktrack. Love their equipment (actually getting rid of mine). Do you live near Delaware? Lol