Hello!

I am looking to buy a treadmill to have here at the house, but most of the ones I see are rated for no more than 250lbs. Unfortunately I weigh closer to 300lbs. Does anyone have any suggestions for a reasonably priced, yet well-built treadmill?

I am looking to spend about $500.

Thanks in advance for any comments...

Karen

I believe you need to increase your limit a little bit. The problem is, that you can barely find anything that is approved for this kind of weight in the $1000 category.

I have a Sole, available at Dick's Sporting Goods and now I saw also at Sears. I love my Sole and we actually just got a second one. I wanted something different with more electronic frills but man was I sorry immediately. The Livestrong treadmill (which was actually more expensive) was such a disappointment - clearly they spent more on frills and less on sturdy built and smooth operation. Switching between speeds almost came to a halt for a second, speeding up was nice and fast but slowing down almost made me stumble every time. In addition - and I didn't know that was important - the Livestrong does not have the bottom of the belt covered. Well, you may think you don't need it but if you are using it in a carpeted area even on a rubber underground, it will pick up static...and ours picked up so much, that when I touched a metal part while running, it would reset within a fraction of a second and reset all my running and what not. Livestrong -- totally NOT recommended.

Now, here is what I can say about the Sole:

• 325-pound capacity
• 245-pound machine weight -- I believe the much higher weight of the treadmill itself is responsible for "see below"
• Very solid built, made me feel very secure at 270 pounds. Just because they are approved for your weight doesn't mean it feels good to walk on it.
• No squeaking, let me repeat that. No. squeaking. I never liked treadmills that were too flimsy because with every step I took on them I heard them call me FAT. COW. FAT. COW. It was so depressing. The Sole is totally "sound free" and tells me "Come on, walk a little on me!!!"
• Oh, and that is even true when I was running at 4mph with 260 pounds. And I can tell you, a 260 pound woman running is quite the stress test for a treadmill. Walking is one thing, running...oh my!
• Comes with a heart rate strap and integrated heart rate monitor (but I have my own and don't use it)

Treadmills are always on "super sale", pretty much always half off, I don't know why. Dumb marketing...

http://www.dicksspor...oductId=4307837

http://www.sears.com...=2&blockType=L2

You may want to check Craigslist for your area, or eBay maybe you can get a deal.

Mine is a Pro-Form Crosswalk Sport that I bought on sale at Sears. It has the arm extensions, 8 pre-sets for workouts, a kill switch and a built in heart rate monitor. It is very quiet. Although it is rated for 250 lbs, I bought it weighing 265, and had no problems with it. It has a wide belt, and the normal speed and incline controls. I am well satisfied and recommend it.

We bought our IMAGE tm with all the bells & whistles from a newspaper ad for a $100. I have also had a GAZELLE for several years that I love...very easy on joints, knees & feet.

I just bought a ProForm StepUp Personal Trainer Treadmill from HSN for $699.....it is $1200 treadmill. You can do 5 monthly pmts of $139.99 and it's free shipping right now (saves you an additional $125.00). It has a 300 lb. weight limit. Check it out....I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting mine

you're goign to have a hard time finding a treadmill in that price range for that weight limit. You would probably have a better chance at finding either an eliptical or recumbant exercise bike for that weight.

Not helpful I know, but the heavy duty treadmills are incredibly expensive.

My treadmill said it had a 250 pound limit, but I used it at my highest weight with no problems (286). I have had it for about eight years. You probably will be losing quickly. Just a thought if you are in a budget crunch. I only use it when I can't make it to the gym, about one to two times per week.

i have an older weslo cadence lx 45, i was 430 lbs and had no problems with it...not sure what the weight limit is supposed to be on it thou. im sure you could find a used one for $200 on craigslist.

people are all of the time selling stuff. i would try to find a used one on craigslist or your local paper. sometimes hsn or qvc have great deals on treadmills and offer free shipping. if the weight limit is 250 and you are 300, i would buy it and not worry too much about it. you would be fine! and if you have already had surgery, you are going to lose that weight so fast that it wont matter anyway!

best of luck to you!

kelly

Wow~!

So many replies...I am so thankful! I am definetly going to look into craigslist and ebay. And yes, I may need to up my budget to get a well-built sturdy machine. I sure don't want to have to replace it quickly...

Thanks everyone!

KAren

I bought a ProForm from a family friend and it had a limit of 250 but her hubby was almost 400 when he started his wls journey and I was 330 when I bought it. Had no problems or even lag when on it. I think it would be easier to go to Sears or somewhere to try them out first. You will drop to 250 in no time if diet and exercise is done right. I went from 330 to 300 in 2 weeks pre op. Why spend extra $$$ for a few days when I am sure you can get one at $500 or even $299 that will do you just fine. Good luck

I am contemplating purchasing a treadmill now as well. The Bowflex catalog store has one I can currently use rated for 350 lbs it is the Nautilus T514, and that one is 1199. There is one that is rated for 300lbs and I believe it is currently 999, it is the Schwinn 840 model. it is definitely a challenge to find these things at a decent price. Trying to convince my husband to let me finance it with Boxflex. Right now they have free shipping with a promo code and I believe there is no interest for 18 months or something to that effect.

I've done my research, Sole treadmills are very high quality for a reasonable price, but more expensive than your mass made treadmills. They are supposed to also have a great warranty and customer service. You get what you pay for. I know proforms are ok, but a coworker of mine has had to replace her proform twice because she uses them so much. The have horrible service.

I've had the Sole for about two years and have had zero problems. It is sturdy, quiet and convenient (platform tilts up out of the way). I was sceptical with the $1000 price tag, but I am thrilled with the quality of this unit. Like grandpa always said, "buy the best quality and you'll most always be happy with it!"

I have a Gazelle Glider that is great, because I have a bad back/hip problem, and it's easy on my joints. I have also been seeing tons of exercise stuff at yardsales lately. I am considering getting the Wii Fit since I already have the Wii system.

I bought mine at Wal-Mart for $377.00. I'm about 260# and it works fine for me although it's rated for 300#. Has 10 speeds, 1-10% incline and like 8 preset workouts you can do. Heart Monitor and kill switch. Check it out.

My link

Note: When I bought mine, Upromise was running a promo so I got 10% back instead of the normal 1%. Paid the $19.95 shipping just for the convenience of having them bring it to my job instead of me having to go home to wait for the delivery.