Treadmill Buying Guide
treadmill BUYING
Buying a treadmill can be a frustrating experience for many buyers as the range of treadmill pricing and features can confuse purchasers and they often end up with a machine that is not suitable for their needs.
Here we are going to try and simplify the process and use our many years of buying from quality manufacturers to help you look out for the same things we do when purchasing a treadmill.
As an importer of treadmills, we must have intimate knowledge of treadmills from the computer systems to motors to quality of the treadmill plastics and rubbers as a mistake can be costly for us. We must also come to a compromise on what treadmill will suit our client base at the right price point and best quality that our customers are searching for.
When looking to purchase a treadmill you may notice that the price does not necessarily reflect the quality and there are also several factors, which can inflate the prices of ordinary treadmills and leave you wondering why some machines look better than others in build quality and price yet another treadmill with inferior quality has a high price tag? The main reasons for this are
Supply
If the retailer is not a direct importer then the middle man (the importer) will add his margin to the selling price to the retailer and in some cases the treadmill will be brought in and sold to an agent who distributes the treadmills nationwide adding more cost before it reaches the retailer
Franchises
Some retailers are franchises, which have big advertising budgets and have to pay up to 20% of their profits back to the master franchiser and guess where the money comes from? Yes, it has to be added to each machine to cover these costs
Low volume
If a retailer has too many treadmill models on offer at their store then it is difficult to buy a particular treadmill in bulk as the sales are spread among up to 15 different models or more making each one a relatively low volume purchase. Buy limiting the range you not only get the pick of the bunch as far as the best quality and value for money, but it also helps narrow the choice for the buyer and allows the retailer to keep a good parts supply for 3 to 4 treadmills as it would not be cost effective for any retailer to stock parts for 15 different treadmills, therefore the customer may have issues with spare parts should a problem arise in the future. At Right Fitness we bulk purchase one or two models at a time and get fantastic deals for our customers.
Store overheads
We all like going into flash new showrooms with the latest fit outs in the best location, however once again guess who is paying for this? yes, the customer. While all retailers would like the biggest and best showroom it is our biggest expense by far and the cost for rent/repayments, electricity, staff, are all factored in to the final selling price of the treadmill otherwise the retailer could not have a sustainable business model. Buying a treadmill from a smaller retailer also has the benefit of more personalized service and often you are dealing with the owner so if you want a better deal haggle away with the boss. Also, if an issue arises you often get a much better response instead of being palmed off because the sales staff you spoke to have moved on or are not familiar with the technical side of treadmills and treadmill repair, saving you from unnecessary call out fees. You can also speak directly to the owner if you are not happy with the staff’s response.
So, you have chosen your store and have seen several treadmills and now you want to narrow down the choice
Warranty
PLEASE-PLEASE is wary of sellers offering lifetime warranties. We have asked for clarification from consumer affairs and it is difficult to ascertain how long the warranty is, but one thing is for sure, it’s not for your lifetime. The explanation we have from them is it depends where the purchase price fits within the price range of the product, i.e. if treadmill prices range from $400 to $8000 and you purchase one at $1000 then your lifetime warranty would be approx. 1-2 years and if you purchased one for $8000 then you could expect a 10 year warranty, but this is open for interpretation by the retailer so our advice is either get it in writing how many years you are covered for or try consumer affairs yourself for clarification on what lifetime means for your purchase.
The most asked question relating to warranties is ‘‘what is the motor warranty”. It should be “What is the lower control board warranty”, and more importantly, the cost of a LCB once out of warranty as this is the Achilles heal of treadmills, NOT the motor. As we only sell treadmills with high quality motors 2 CHP or greater, we may have one motor replacement every 7 years, yes! They are rare and usually damaged by a third party issue, i.e. excessive workshop dust, dog hair, treadmill got wet, power blackout issue surge etc. this is why warranties for motors are longer because quality motors simply don’t cause many issues. Lower control board failure can happen for apparently no reason, but these intricate electronic components are affected by static, dust, moisture, surge, low current, over tightened belts, extension cord use, lack of silicon under belt all of which can cause the LCB to fail.
Customers’ not adhering to maintenance is the primary cause. Some retailers charge excessive amounts of money for LCB replacement mainly because they simply don’t have the spare parts available so they overcharge to get the customer to reject the repair and buy a new treadmill. Right Fitness carries spare parts for all the machines they import and we sell parts at cost and some at no charge as part of our service.
When looking at warranties always makes sure the company is capable of repairing the item themselves first at the lowest cost and then compare the warranty offered. This is one reason our customers recommend us to family and friends; because we are treadmill specialists we can diagnose/repair quickly and normally over the phone so you avoid costly call outs. If you have a question contact Right Fitness on our contact us page and we will be happy to answer your treadmill query.
Running or walking
Firstly how many people will be using the treadmill and are they runners or walkers and what is the heaviest user weight. Our Treadmills can handle weights over 125kg and has a softer running action due to a revolutionary honeycomb cushion deck system to protect your joints from impact injuries. The GV5053 is a great all-rounder, which will accommodate most families and serious runners without breaking the bank. Right Fitness, treadmills Perth only sells large motored treadmills and avoid 1.0hp-1.75hp motors. This eliminates most of the issues in selling treadmills because treadmills with motor sizes higher than this will easily accommodate runners as well as walkers. We have tested and used the treadmills import for over 12 years and have found bigger motors to be more suited for the Australian market.
Motors
Also don’t get fooled into buying a treadmill advertising a peak hp (PHP)*GENERALLY ANY TREADMILL ADVERTISED WITH A HORSEPOWER RATING OVER 3.5HP*. You must always ask for the continuous horsepower (CHP) to get the true motor size as the peak horsepower is irrelevant when buying a treadmill as you cannot determine the actual size of the motor from this information. This is not the hp the treadmill can continuously run at. If you ever get confused ask the question “what is the continuous horsepower”, if you don’t get an answer, walk away.
Programs
Some people love them, most never use them. Just because a machine has 100 programs does not make it better than a treadmill with 20 programs. It depends on what type of programs is available and are the majority of them just variants of the first one. Personally most treadmills have more than enough programs for the average user, and most people never use these. The more advanced user may require user sets, which are generally included in most treadmills today. If you are a big user of programs look for a treadmill with a range of unique programs rather than one, which may contain 5 programs, and ten variants of each of those 5,it will give you a better spread for your training needs.
Frame
Most good quality treadmills with motors 2.5 CHP and above have sufficient frame strength to support users as in these bigger motored machines frames are normally upgraded.
Our treadmills has very strong frames and will provide a lifetime warranty on all our frames.
Some high-end treadmills come with aluminium side rails instead of abs plastic, this is always a preference but can also add $$$to a treadmill but they will never need replacing. ABS plastic side rails are a good option and side rails such as the ones on the OMA SKYHAWK treadmill are incorporating new acrylic impact resistant technology and are very tough. We have tested these to the limit and are impressed with the strength and durability.
Belts
Treadmill belts are one of the selling points buyers are alerted to when purchasing but from our experience belts on GOOD quality machines have reached a point where most operate better than expected and we see little to no issues with these belts. However, we have seen some sellers using poor quality belts that need replacing frequently which can become an expensive maintenance item. The thickness of the belt also does not necessarily determine the quality but rather the quality of the backing material is essential for longevity.
As for the look of the belt and grip, personally they are all suitable for the average runner with it being difficult to single one out from the other in longevity and grip. Some treadmills offer orthopedic belts which have an underlay, which makes the mat, feel slightly softer but unless it is good quality and correctly engineered and maintained these types of belts can cause issues with home treadmills so it is best to avoid them. Right Fitness use only high quality belts and should you ever need a new one we sell them at our wholesale cost so you can get up and running without delay
Monitors
Basically, these fall into 2 categories, led and LCD, once again both systems work well and once again on the latest models and good quality machines neither type has shown any sign of failures so it may come down to personal preference. LCD can encompass a greater range of display options and some offer backlit options.
Deck size
One of the most asked questions when purchasing a treadmill is what deck size should I have. Well everyone is different with different sizes and shapes and heights and stride lengths so let’s make it simple; for a small person walking a minimum of 43cm wide x 130cm length is suitable and for runners around 46cm wide x 136cm length. These sizes should accommodate most people but the best advice is visit the store and try the treadmill you want as they all feel different and the design of the handlebars and uprights may make some of the mat space unusable even though the deck may be longer than a comparable treadmill. We have seen a lot of treadmills with longer decks but up to 20cm is wasted as the design of the console and uprights prohibits the user from accessing this area. Also be aware that overly long and wide belts on poor quality machines may cause failures to the machine as if they are not engineered correctly the oversized belt will cause undue strain normally on poor quality components and your treadmill will fail. Remember bigger is not always better.