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10
Nov
treadmills
meeinter asked:


Learning about this subject will help you more in the long run than you may realize, until the time comes when you really need it.

Have you ever wondered what right is up with How to Keep your Treadmill operation? This informative arrive can give you an insight into everything you’ve ever hunted to know about How to Keep your Treadmill operation.

If you find guidely befuddled by what you’ve read to this summit, don’t despair. Everything should be gemstone absolve by the time you complete.

selling a treadmill is hard enough. Choosing the best out of many treadmills in the promote is nigh impossible. But once youve got the treadmill youve forever hunted, are your qualms indeed over? Well, they indeed are, but only if you argue your treadmill right.

Going through the final part of this article, we will see just how important the subject can be to many people.

Your treadmill is perhaps the most classy strength investment youve ever made. Its only genuine hence if you want to prolong its life. One of the behavior to liability that is to keep a fixed maintenance schedule.

A worth treadmill, however, should not entail patronize maintenance schedule. darns for your treadmill contains cycle dusting, and, if penury be, occasional belt lubrication. The next are some tips to help you argue your treadmill and prolong the life of your strength investment.

Keep it orderly and Dust-limitless

The number one root of premature belt collapse is dirt. That has forever been the casing ever while the first treadmill was sold in the strength utensils promote. And the number one way of evadeing dust from entirely ruining your precious treadmill is to adopt a pureing measure of sorts.

Dusting between the belt and deck at slightest once a week will guarantee endurance of the android. The deck should be reserved dry and wreckage-limitless at all epoch. In addition, make steady the section where you place your treadmill is relatively dust-limitless, to decrease the dust from receiving between the belt and/or the deck.

concern the next pureing treat once a week or as penuryed:

Wipe down show with a mild emulsion of Non-Phosphate pureer on damp diffworn strand. Cloth should be damp not wet.

Wipe down handrails and toehold strips with diffworn strand cloth and mild soap and water. Cloth should be damp not wet.

Vacuum or wipe down the deck section between tread belt and entice.

For once a month pureing:

Unstopper treadmill. Let it sit for 10 notes. Take off motor protect and vacuum infence the motor section, being very gentle not to precisely meet the static-aware electronics.

Slide pure wipe under tread belt and wipe deck and under the belt. Rotate belt 180 degrees and replicate.

concern lubrication (only when recommended) under tread belt.

catch propel belt tension and adjust as required.

catch tread belt tension and tracking and adjust as required.

Adjust the Tread Belt correctly

The best treadmills are those that present you with cool access to belt tracking. But even the best treadmills with the most clearly accessible belt tracking are also susceptible to stretch somewhat under early use. That is why it is important that you adjust the tread belt every so regularly to keep down stretching.

Most manufacturers contain the Allen pull in the enclose when you buy a treadmill from them. Use that to stiffen both belt adjustment screws clockwise. If your manufacturer did not reserve you with an Allen pull, use another of the right volume.

A ? stroll clockwise should stiffen tread belt if it has supplened from breach in. The screws for belt adjustment are usually located at the rear end of the treadmill. Some belts do entail suppler running than others so dont be shocked if your tread belt is a little supple even when you havent worn it yet. catch the users pilot before making adjustments just to make steady.

Moreover, be steady to keep the belt running at a low tempo of around 3 mph when adjusting the belt tracking. This is the measure tempo when making any adjustments with the screws.

Ensteady apposite Alignment of Belt

The tracking adjustments may also be worn to right align the belt of your treadmill. So, when adjusting your belt tracking, be steady not to stroll moreover fence more than ? stroll at a time only. Belt tracking adjustments are almost forever junior well, so dont overact your adjustments.

breaker knocking occurs with unlawful belt tracking. This should be evadeed at all epoch. If you heed a knocking racket when running your treadmill, that most regularly means that you have a defective wave. However, there are instances where the racket fallout from the belt insertion too greatly strength on the wave from fence to fence. You will admit the difference between the casings in that the knocking racket in the final will be at a greatly slower rhythm than wave rotation.

One way to lessen the credit on belt is good tracking. Not only that, it will also help pilot the belt and guarantee that the front and rear waves are equal. Just track the manufacturers directions on belt tracking to keep from misaligning or over-stretching the belt. A word of caution: be gentle not to over-stiffen belt when adjusting alignment.

Use Treadmill on demolish deck

Wondering why your treadmill is making all those squeaking sounds? Well, before you conclude to harvest up the telephone and call your manufacturer, rein if your treadmill is running on a non-direct stagger. regularly, the number one analyze why treadmills make squeaking racket and its belt mistracking is that people place their treadmills on ground that isnt consistently directed, lacking even realizing why.

Most treadmills have direct adjustment in rear chains. If your treadmill cannot be directed with the stagger, then direct the stagger with your treadmill instead.

strength twine, Belt, and Deck

Its measure treat among all electronic utensils you should keep the faculty string limitless and away from seats where people are expected vacant to movement on it. The same judge applies with treadmills, especially if you are with the electronic kind as disparate to its guide counterpart. Also, make steady that the faculty string is absolve of the slope apparatus.

When it comes to maintenance of your treadmills belt, it is accepted that you grease the belt every so regularly. When you do that, try to evade with silicone or oils, except the manufacturer itself recommends it. The measure combination for a long-lasting treadmill is regularly a pure, dry and dust-limitless bed and belt.

Only use silicone spray when the manufacturer recommends it. And even then, be steady to track the manufacturers directions densely, especially when it comes to application schedule and kind of lubricant. Some treadmill decks may entail early waxing to help lessen friction with the belt. bank recommended by the manufacturer, however, do not wax a deck. Lubrication to pretreated wax decks may gump the wax.

Ensteady Low Friction between Deck and Belt

To instigate with, you want low-friction dealings between the deck and belt. injure to the motor electronics is more expected if the friction between the deck and belt is high. In addition, high friction belts will not coast when faculty is close off. Nmoreover will they be cool to extinct-stride on when the faculty is off. mostly, high friction belts can root the motor to stall a condition which you do not want to occur as this is one steady-fire way of injurious your treadmills motor.

To evade high friction dealings between the deck and the belt, be steady to track your treadmill manufacturers pilotlines for good deck and belt maintenance. Lubrication when unrequired can chief to undue amp draw and subsequent spoil to motor electronics.

Blown Fuses

You dont usually disprotect propel fuses, except you are liability or having somebody do some expert diagnostics on your treadmill. And even then, it is usually not recommended for users to supplant propeln fuses in the motor or motor contwave.

When reinsertion propeln fuses, you have to use the recommended fuse. This is faithful even if youre referring to an electronic part that isnt a treadmill. When it comes to treadmill fuses, however, you have to understand that they are not interchangeable with automotive fuses. And so, if you disprotect a propel fuse in your treadmill, do not even effort to make supplantments on your own. Instead, dealings a dealer for good supplantment.

Ground to an AC fence market

Why an AC fence means, you ask? Well, with many users owning treadmills that come equipped with treator consoles (such as those with programming) these existence, console foldes are also proper frequent. A treator fold may be something that occurs out of the regular, such as a show blanking out, locking up, or not restringing information. It could even be that the treadmill austerely wouldnt close down altogether. One way to govern that a fold is not due to a defect is to stroll the treadmill faculty off and then on again.

The treat of cycling faculty on and off will reset the treators most of the time. If the fold is rootd be a treator defect, this will expected upshot in thrashing of direct to slope and tempo or the treadmill may not even pioneer at all. One way to safeguard your treadmill from console foldes is to stopper the utensils into a ashore AC means.

If, however, the fold occurs patronizely or is replicateed, then confencer the selection of having it supplantd. Most manufacturers that submit warranties in their harvest contain console foldes in their warranty.

Read the Owners physical

All of the above are doomed to be movements you take once everything moreover in the owners guide fails to yield the upshot you want. But as what the old adage says: An little of avertion is better than a squash of medicine. No total of darn and maintenance tips can evaluate to what you can avert by just recital through your treadmill owners guide.

The guide contains all the tips and guidance for your treadmills good maintenance something you can truly use if you want to bank from costly darns. All maintenance treats should be scheduled in the owners guide, along troubleshooting pilotlines, parts listings, and instructions on darns. injure to your treadmill from unlawful use or unauthorized tampering can upshot in the manufacturer voiding the warranty. That is why, if you are in disbelief about good managing of your treadmill, dealings moreover your dealer or the manufacturer for recommended bother.

There’s no disbelief that the subject of How to Keep your Treadmill operation can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about How to Keep your Treadmill operation, you may find what you’re looking for in the next item.

Share the information that you have learned with your friends and family. They will be impressed by your knowledge and happy to learn something new.



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23
Oct
treadmills
The Treadmill Sensei asked:


Ohiyo!

As the Treadmill Sensei and knower of all things fitness related, a lot of readers email me here at the DOJO and ask, “Oh, great Sensei, where should I purchase my new treadmill or elliptical? Should I buy it at a local store or online? Which is better?”

While I don’t really like recommending specific stores or websites to purchase from, I can break down the pros and cons of placing an internet order versus going in to a local store and buying the unit from a brick and mortar location. I’m not going to get in to “how to choose” in this post because I’ve already done that in my “Treadmill Buyer’s Guide” and “Elliptical Buyer’s Guide” articles. Check them out if you haven’t already done so.

The single best way to start researching a treadmill, and the easiest, is to load up your favorite search engine and start poking around. The internet has more information on it than any sales rep at a brick and mortar store…more than any 10 sales reps combined into a super sales rep. Start with review sites like this one (the Treadmill Sensei, www.treadmillsensei.com). Take a look at multiple sites because a lot of them out there have personal agendas in regards to which treadmill or elliptical they are “prescribing.” I’d suggest checking with at least 3 sources.

Once you’ve got a decent handle on a few ellipticals or treadmills that meet your needs, I suggest trying to find a local store to go and try them out. This is a large purchase for most people and it is for a piece of equipment that you’re going to spend a lot of time sweating on. Make sure the unit feels good to you.

Once you’re completely convinced you’ve found the perfect treadmill for yourself or the perfect elliptical for your den, get back online and start doing some price comparison. There are a lot of places online that will give you some fantastic prices on equipment. You’ll also generally get free shipping and won’t have to pay sales tax. Shopping online can save you hundreds dollars on the “hidden costs” that will pop up when purchasing at a local fitness store.

Let’s go over some of the pros and cons for online stores versus local shops.

Local Stores — The Pros:

1) The best thing about a local store is that you’ll be able to try out the actual equipment you’ve been researching online. You can do a run on a treadmill or take a quick workout on that elliptical you’ve had your eyes on.

2) The other positive is that you’ll be able to walk out the door with the equipment right there. You see it, you like it, you buy it and you take it home. Instant gratification is a wonderful thing.

Local Stores — The Cons:

1) You may get instant gratification, but more than likely it’ll cost you. Even if the actual cost of the elliptical or treadmill is good at a local shop, don’t forget you’re going to be hit with taxes which can add up to a hundred dollars or more on a lot of the treadmills and ellipticals. You might save that $25 or $50 on the price of your dream treadmill but that gets eaten up by $80 in sales taxes!

2) From there, you’d better have a big truck or SUV to cart that unit home because once you buy it you’ll have to deliver it yourself! Or, for anywhere from $50-$200, that local store can deliver it for you.

3) Now, the biggest Con about brick and mortar stores in product knowledge. Unfortunately, in my experience, most brick and mortar sales cashiers have very little actual product knowledge. In fact, if you go to your local seller of sporting goods/fitness equipment you’ll find it very hard to even get someone to help you! Most of the reps you’ll encounter are going to be young kids who get paid a minimum wage for a minimum amount of work…which is a shame because that will be a turnoff for most people interested in actually buying a treadmill or elliptical.

4) The last major problem you’ll find at a local store is: pushy salesmen. There’s nothing I hate worse than a sales person who treats me like an idiot and pushes hard on whatever product will get them the best commission. I dislike the “used car” style sales people you’ll find at a lot of fitness specialty stores. There is a big company here in the LA area that is known for their hard-selling salesmen who bully customers in to some truly bad equipment. If a salesmen gets pushy with you just walk out and don’t go back. There are lots of other places to buy a treadmill or elliptical where you won’t have to put up with that sort of attitude.

Internet Stores — The Pros:

1) You’ll find the widest selection of product around. The big fitness sites will have hundred or thousands of products available for you to take a look at and compare.

2) With that extensive product selection you’ll also find a lot more product knowledge. If you’ve got a question or problem, you can generally call up or email an online rep and find them to be incredibly well-informed on everything they carry.

3) You will also find better pricing, free delivery in most cases and most of the time you won’t have to pay taxes. When you add it all up you’ll find yourself saving a lot of time and money when ordering online.

Internet Stores — The Cons:

1) No instant gratification — you will be waiting around 2-3 weeks to receive your order. Most of the units will be shipped out via a freight company which take 7-10 business days to travel across the country.

2) The big con for internet stores is that you don’t get to touch or test out their equipment. You’re having to deal with facts and opinions. Luckily, there are tons of sites out there and you’ll be able to get a good idea of what is a well-built machine and which ones are duds (Icon Fitness).

All-in-all, buying online is a lot easier and less painful. The brick and mortar shops have their place (say, for buying a floor model at a ridiculously low price), but for buying a new treadmill or elliptical I’d say check out online stores for a great deal and larger selection.

That’s it for today. Take care!

-The Treadmill Sensei



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21
Oct
treadmills
The Treadmill Sensei asked:


Ohiyo!

Hello again from the Far East on the West Coast, and greetings from the DOJO. This week, before I get in to the nuts and bolts of the treadmills and the ellipticals I work on, I’m going to start with a quick guide to how to choose a treadmill — well, how to choose a residential / home grade treadmill. Choosing a commercial treadmill tends to be a bit easier — go Star Trac, Matrix, Landice or Life Fitness and, in spite of their great ellipticals, avoid Precor treadmills. Precor is a great company, they just don’t quite have treadmills down as well as the other companies. With the commercial treadmills it’s kind of like choosing between a BMW, a Mercedes and a Lexus. It’s all about bells and whistles more than performance…they’re all great machines and we’ll talk about them another time.

Home treadmills are a tough sea to navigate for most buyers — there are so many different brands and they all look alike to outsiders. Luckily, over the past 20 or so years, I’ve had to repair just about every treadmill ever made. In other words, my pain will be your salvation!

My first piece of advice is: avoid anything and everything from Icon Health and Fitness. They’re the manufacturer of the units you’ll find at places like Sears — nothing against Sears, but the treadmills they sell tend to be on the lower end of the quality scale. Their treadmills seem to have specs that are too good to be true for their cost and, truth be told, they are. The old proverb, “you get what you pay for” comes in to play with them. Small motors with high RPMs to give them a perceived higher horsepower (most of their motors should really be rated at under 1.5 HP regardless of what they tell you — a motor the size of a soda can should not be powering a full sized treadmill!), lots of plastic pieces, tiny rollers, and generally unstable machines are par for the course for the Icon brands like Proform, Weslo, Healthrider and Image. Just stay away from them! There are better treadmills even at the more affordable prices that Icon tempts the unlearned consumer with.

On with translating the arcane lore that is treadmill purchasing for the lay person.

Let’s start with the motor. The first thing you want to do is make sure the motor is rated with “Continuous Duty.” Any sales person or manufacturer who gives you a “Peak” rating is trying to sell you a bag of magic beans. Peak is best described as the maximum a motor will perform at before it breaks down. What’s more imporant is: how the heck is that motor going to perform when you’re actually using it? Another thing a shady salesperson might mention is that a common home circuit (120v/15amps) will only let you run about 2.5 HP and any motor larger than that is a waste of money. Technically that is true (about the amps vs. HP, not the waste of money), but the larger motors will tend to last longer as they are not running at the higher RPMs of a smaller motor. And, if nothing else, the larger the motor, the smoother the “ride.” A bigger motor will allow you to run or walk on it without slipping.

The next thing to look at is the size of a treadmill’s rollers. The bigger the rollers, the longer your belt will last and the better the running experience.

Next, and this is my favorite thing — especially when recommending cardio equipment to my in-laws — the warranty. Like anything else, the better the warranty the more piece of mind you will have. The 5 year parts warranty on Spirit treadmills, for example, is one of the best in the business. For me, the more faith a manufacturer has in its own product (i.e. the warranty), the more faith I have in that product. Of course, doing repairs I absolutely love the lower end warranties as it means more paying work for me!

What’s next? The weight and stability of the machine. There is nothing worse than getting on a treadmill and having it move back and forth, or shake, or, even worse, creak as you run on it. The heavier the unit the longer it will last. If you’re used to running on a treadmill at your local gym and then get on most home units, you’ll immediately notice the difference. You don’t want to be running around on something that feels like it is going to fall apart now do you? Don’t answer, that was a rhetorical treadmill question.

The tread and the deck are where most problems for treadmills happen. When the friction from your running builds up between the deck and the tread, the badness begins. Stick with the 4-ply belts/treads that help to reduce the amount of friction, and look at units with reversable, phenolic wax coated decks. Reversable decks let you flip over your running surface to use the opposite side when the original wears down. It’s like having a free second deck if you wear out the first one.

Programs. Don’t be fooled by this. Most people only wind up using 3-4 programs. If the treadmill has 20, that’s cool, but you’ll rarely use them. If you do heart rate training, then heart rate control is great. If not, it’s just an extra you’ll never use…like the clock you’ve never set on your VCR.

Speed and Incline are worth talking about. Most treadmills can go up to about 10 miles per hour and a 10 degree incline. Don’t let speed or incline become a deciding factor unless you’re doing a lot of high speed or high incline training. Obviously, electronically controlled speed and incline are the way to go. If those feature are manual just move on.

Finally, test out the shock absorbtion. You want to make sure you aren’t running on a hard surface. This is a “feel” thing more than a “scientific” one. If the deck is bouncy, move on. If the deck feels like running on concrete, move on. If the deck moves from side to side, move on. You want to find a deck that feels good, with just enough give and little to no lateral motion.

Beyond that fans, speakers, cup holders, magazine racks and even television sets on the treadmill’s console are all just icing on the cake. It’s better to get a good treadmill without a fan or TV and spend $50 to buy your own than to get a crappy, fully loaded treadmill which will eventually just become an expensive coat rack for dirty clothes.

Now, I know I alread typed “finally” but there is one last piece to consider: PRICE. You can only get what you can get but don’t be fooled into buying a lemon. There are decent (and some downright Great) treadmills at just about every price point. I’ll go over some of the best, at least in my experience, treadmills in the under $1000 range in the next week.

Don’t despair, there is a good treadmill out there you can actually afford



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03
Oct
treadmills
Vienna Miller asked:


Buying a treadmill? There are so many brands and features to choose from. How do you know which treadmill is best for you?

This treadmill buyers guide will tell you exactly what to look for when buying your treadmill. Knowing this will help you choose the best treadmill for your fitness needs (and it might even save you some money!)

So here’s what to look at when choosing a treadmill:

Motor:

The motor is the heart of your treadmill. Motor power is measured by horsepower - HP. Unless your treadmill has a strong motor (at least 1.5 horsepower) you can quickly wear it out, even if only moderately walking.

When looking at motors and horsepower, there are two different ratings:

- Continuous Duty (which is the rating for steady, continual 24 hour motor use), and

- Peak Duty (which is the maximum power potential, however it cannot be maintained).

When looking at treadmills you want to know the Continuous Duty motor power. It’s recommended that you go with at least a 1.75 HP continuous duty (CD) motor (preferably higher).

For runners or those planning heavy use of their treadmills, experts recommend at least a 2.5 - 3 HP continuous duty motor so that your motor doesn’t quickly burn out on you and end up costing you in expensive treadmill repairs.

Tip: Many cheaper treadmill brands will often give you the Peak Duty motor power (since it’s always higher than the Continuous Duty rating) just to impress unsuspecting buyers. Make sure you know the continuous duty rating when comparing units.

Frame:

There are two types of frames: aluminum or steel (NEVER plastic!). Steel is heavier than aluminum which potentially increases stability. However steel may also rust or corrode from sweat (unlike aluminum).

So there are advantages and disadvantages to both and it really boils down to a matter of personal choice. One thing to keep in mind however is that aluminum is more expensive than steel so it may be built into the price of the treadmill.

Belt:

Average treadbelt widths range from 17″ to 22″ and lengths from 51″ to 61″. Never go below a belt width of 16 ” and make sure that the belt is long enough to accomodate your stride.

If you are tall and/or have long legs, it’s better to go with a longer belt (54″ or more). Make sure you also consider anyone else who will be using the treadmill and their height as well.

Cushioning:

Treadmill cushioning is the ability of the treadmill to absorb the force of your step. Better cushioning means lower impact on your joints and ligaments. Cushioning is extremely important as poor cushioning can cause injury and muscle strain.

Many quality treadmills have their own form of cushioning system to protect you. Make sure your treadmill has a quality cushioning system to protect your joints over the long run.

Stability:

According to Runner’s World, stability is the most important quality in a treadmill. Stability is how smooth a ride the treadmill provides you. There should be no shaking or wobbling when you start to run.

Generally with treadmills you get what you pay for. For a high stability, high quality treadmill you should be willing to spend at least $1000, and definitely more if you plan on using it heavily. There’s no use spending $500-600 on something you’re scared to use.

Console/Display:

Consider both the layout and user-friendliness of the information displays and controls. This is largely a matter of personal preference since some people want to see a constant display of calories burned or miles covered,etc.

For safety concerns, make sure the speed and incline controls are prominently displayed and easy to reach.

Heart Rate Monitor/Control:

Again, this is largely a personal preference whether or not you want to monitor your heart rate. A heart rate monitor simply shows you at what rate your heart is beating while you work out.

Some people like to take a step up and get a heart rate control which can actually adjust the treadmill pace to keep you in your target fat-burning zone.

Warranty:

Treadmill warranties vary across the board and again, you usually get what you pay for. Don’t waste your money buying an added warranty when most quality treadmills include a good warranty in the price already.

Tip: The warranty gives you a good idea of the quality of parts used in building the treadmill (ever wondered why those cheap department store brands only offer you 90 day warranties?).

A quality warranty will include at least 10 years on the frame, 3 years on the motor, 2 years on parts and 1 year on labor. (Keep in mind that the motor is usually the most expensive to fix).

Price:

A quality motorized treadmill is going to cost you at least $1000. The quality of treadmills (cushioning, construction, parts, quality) drops substantially once you go below $800.

According to expert Gregory Florez, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, “Just about anything under $900 is not made to be used over the long haul.”

There are ways to save on your treadmill of course (buy direct, online wholesalers, etc.) but the bottom line is that a treadmill is an investment in your health. It will last you 10 years or more so you really want to invest in a quality unit built to last.

Where to Buy A Treadmill:

There are a number of options here but they mainly fall into 2 categories:

1) Store

2) Online

- Store Advantages: You can actually try out the treadmill.

- Store Disadvantages: You’ll probably pay more for the same treadmill you can get online simply because the store has overhead costs and salespeople to pay. Stores will also charge you for shipping and delivery and you’ll also pay sales tax.

- Internet Disadvantages: You can’t try out the treadmill

- Internet Advantages: You can save a lot of money buying direct from the manufacturer, sometimes $600 or more. You can usually get free shipping and save on sales tax too. Plus you have a larger selection of treadmill to choose from so you may be able to find a treadmill that is more suited to your needs.

It really comes down to what you’re comfortable with.

So that’s it! You now know what to look for when buying a treadmill. Just remember to take your time and select a treadmill that fits your fitness goals. And you’re guaranteed to find the best treadmill for you.



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02
Oct
treadmills
Vienna Miller asked:


Buying a treadmill? You’ll probably want to research before you buy - including reading treadmill consumer reviews.

Consumer reviews are very popular on the Internet at places like epinions and Amazon. And they can give you an overall idea of the strengths and weaknesses of certain treadmills.

But there are some major pitfalls to them that most people don’t realize.

This article will outline some of the major problems with treadmill consumer reviews - and some other features you can look at to find the best treadmill for you.

So what’s the problem with Treadmill Consumer Reviews?

First of all, the numbers can give you the wrong idea.

Most people read reviews of several different treadmills before buying. They may notice that one treadmill has more negative feedback than another.

Logically they assume that the treadmill with less negative feedback is better than the treadmill with more negative feedback. That’s where the mistake is made.

Here’s the thing. In the treadmill business, certain brands or manufacturers are larger than others. They make and distribute more machines than the smaller brands. This will skew the results that you see with consumer reviews.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to decide between Treadmill A and Treadmill B.

Treadmill A is made by a large company which sells 10,000 units of Treadmill A per month.

No treadmill is perfect and all treadmills will have some level of customer dissatisfaction. A high quality treadmill will have lower level of customer dissatisfaction than a poor quality treadmill.

Let’s assume that Treadmill A is a high quality treadmill with a very low rate of dissatisfaction of 1%. That means that out of 10,000 machines, only 100 customers will be unhappy and will leave negative reviews of that treadmill.

Now take Treadmill B. Treadmill B is made by a smaller company and only sells 1,000 units of Treadmill B per month.

But Treadmill B is not as high quality and has a much higher customer dissatisfaction rate of 5%. 1000 treadmills x 5% = 50. So 50 people are not going to be happy with their treadmill purchase. So you’ll see 50 negative reviews of Treadmill B.

Result?

Treadmill A - 100 Negative Consumer Reviews

Treadmill B - 50 Negative Consumer Reviews

So you, as a discerning buyer, logically assume that Treadmill B is the better treadmill since it has less negative feedback.

However in actuality, Treadmill B has a 500 times higher customer dissatisfaction rate than Treadmill A. So it’s actually the worse treadmill.

That’s an example of how the numbers of negative versus positive reviews can be skewed - and how many buyers can easily choose the worse treadmill.

There are a couple of other things to know when reading consumer treadmill reviews:

#1 - Reviews can be written by people working for that treadmill company - or even the competition. Trust me - it happens - more often than you think.

#2 - People are much more likely to complain than praise. It’s a shame but it’s human nature.

This again skews the results. So you may have a treadmill that gets 10 negative reviews. But there are 10,000 people who are perfectly happy with their machine and they never leave a review.

So while there’s nothing wrong with reading consumer treadmill reviews as part of the overall picture before you buy, you really can’t judge the quality of a treadmill solely based on consumer reviews.

So how can you find a high quality treadmill? There are several other ways to decide if a treadmill is a high quality machine. Here are 3 key factors to look at:

1) Price - The market is so competitive that treadmill manufacturers don’t have a lot of margin to play around with their prices.

Because of this high competition, the treadmill market is really very efficient. This is actually a good thing because it means prices are coming down to the lowest levels in years. Manufacturers are squeezing their margins in order to compete.

However it also means that in general, you get what you pay for. A $600 treadmill is just not going to have the same quality of construction as a $1600 treadmill.

If you want a higher quality treadmill, built to withstand heavier use, be prepared to spend a bit more. It may actually be worth it in the long run, when you consider the cost of repairing the cheaper unit.

2) Warranty Coverage - The warranty coverage is a huge indicator of the quality of construction. Servicing warranties cost money. Manufacturers know this.

So when they give a long warranty, it’s because they don’t think they’ll have to repair those treadmills during that time frame. When they know that a certain treadmill is not built well - they don’t want to pay for servicing them. So they slap a short warranty on them.

If you want a well built treadmill, examining the warranty length is a great indicator of quality.

3) Details of construction - If you want a great treadmill, examine the details of construction.

For example, Treadmill A may have a 1 ply treadbelt whereas Treadmill B may have a 2 ply treadbelt. It isn’t hard to figure up which one will last longer.

Treadmill C may have a 2.5 HP motor and Treadmill D may have a 1.25 HP motor. Again - not hard to decide which is the better treadmill. By looking at certain details of construction, you can often see which treadmill is the stronger machine.

So those are 3 effective ways to find your best treadmill. Again, treadmill consumer reviews are not bad - they can actually be very informative.

Just don’t make your final decision based solely on these reviews. Remember that the numbers can be skewed - and may lead you to the wrong conclusion.



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