I've used this treadmill quite a bit since I got it and in terms of ease of use and durability I have no complaints. This feels like it belongs in a gym and can be useful to beginners and trained athletes alike with its speed and incline maxes. The running surface is generous and the cushioned surface saves my ankles. There were a few things missing on this treadmill that, having used many gym treamills in the past, I thought were just standard issue such as:
- No cool down mode after a run. When your time runs out, the machine just gradually stops. Normally I just quickly start another run on low speed.
- No increase/decrease time function in case you want to run a little more. If you want to run less I guess you just stop whne you want.
- Fans are a nice idea but don't cool your front at all. You may gain a small sensation of running outside by turning them on, but if you want to be cool have AC and a ceiling fan running like I do.
- User ID's are not really "your personal profile" like I thought, but rather you can design your own run, defining speed and elevation at each point. Also, once you start your workout the machine will fight you to return to the programmed settings if you plan to change the parameters on the fly. Eg. you're tired and want to slow down on the run you designed, well too bad cause I'm changing back to full speed even though you just slowed me down.
- Heart rate monitor on the console is tough to hold onto while you're running. Worse yet, is that the HR takes a LONG time to count up to your true heart rate which is very awkward if you're trying to run at the same time. The included chest monitor is necessary if you want to know your HR during the run.
- Speed and incline adjustments are only in units of 2 (i.e. speed buttons 2, 4, 6, etc. incline 2, 4, 6). If you want to run at say 5 mph, you have to pick 4 and fine adjust in 0.1 mph intervals to get to 5. This can be tough if you're running intervals on the manual setting.
- Preprogrammed workouts are not really explained and hard to get an idea of what to set the "max speed" at. For intervals I want to jog then sprint but I end up with a walk and run at a low max speed or a jog and insane sprint at a higher max speed.
- Most importantly, although this thing is very sturdy once assembled. This thing is a huge pain to assemble. From hauling this thing up the stairs to trying to interpret the awful directions to working with wierd clips to put scres through for holes that don't line up (think of IKEA furniture when the holes don't align) to feeling the wires from the console in a very non-intuitive way to the base, you will hate this task. It took about 90 min to get it together and I was so frustrated that I wished I had paid for the delivery and install even though I was capable of doing it myself.
Overall, these gripes are not as big as they seem. I am happy with this treadmill and for the price, the quality of the materials can't be beat. I just wanted people to have a buyer beware in case any of these things matter enough to be a deal breaker. But looking at the other brands in this price range, you're not going to get much better than this.
(79 customers reviews)Customers Rating=4.5 / 5.0
More Detail For
Sole F80 Treadmill- Features a 3.0 horsepower motor and lift-assist to easily fold
- Includes grip pulse monitoring and a heart rate chest strap
- Six standard programs, two user-specific programs, and two heart rate programs; speed range is 0.1-12 miles per hour
- LED display tracks your speed, incline, time, distance traveled, calories, pulse, and pace
- 350-pound maximum weight capacity; measures 33 by 75 by 58 inches (W x L x H) when assembled; folds to 68 by 43 inches (H x D)
