The York T780 Treadmill Review – High quality backed by a so-so warranty

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei is always amazed at the odd assortment of equipment which makes its way here to the DOJO. About 3 weeks ago we had a set of York T780 Treadmills roll in to the DOJO for installation at a local YMCA. You’re probably thinking exactly what I thought when they arrived – York Barbell makes Treadmills? Yes they do, but the things just don’t pop up very often at all. Let’s see how they faired up against 12 days of testing by the Treadmill Sensei crew.

York Barbell was founded back in 1929 and has a long history of producing some very solid weight lifting equipment. York began producing treadmills in the mid-1990s and their equipment is well-known in the industry for having some of the best rated treadmill motors around. In fact, their treadmill motors produce a reported 7 times the torque of most other home or light commercial great treadmills. What that means to the everyday user is that the treadmill will operate much more consistantly even when running at higher speeds, higher inclines or under maximum load conditions. In other words, York treadmills will out-perform just about every other treadmill in their class and their motors tend to have a much longer life-span without repair.

The York T780 Treadmill we received here at the DOJO was very easy to put together. Total assembly time for us was right at about 10 minutes with 2 people. For someone going solo, figure it will take 15-20 minutes and should cause very little frustration at all. York has done an excellent job in the machining of their parts.

In putting the York T-780 together we noticed some very interesting things. First off, the cooling system for the motor is top-notch and one of the best we’ve seen. Keep your motor cool is one of the key components to a longer life for the entire treadmill and the York’s high volume fan produce excellent results.

The next thing we noticed was the high-quality, 4-ply treadbelt on the York T780. The diamond cut design is such that it gives some great traction while running. A lot of home grade treadmills have thinner belts with a much slicker surface that can be a bit slippery to run on. The thickness and design of the York belt also prevents it from stretching and becoming misaligned, allowing for fewer belt replacements over the life of the York T780 Treadmill.

Finally, the rollers on the York T780 are works of art. Both front and rear rollers are crowned and fitted with precision bearings. Those two things, when factored together, ensure proper alignment and position of belt and roller, greatly reduce lengthening (or stretching) and give users a much quieter operation, less maintenance and add to the life of the treadmill belt.

When you add those components in with the monster 3 horsepower, ultra-high torque motor and rock-solid steel-welded frames, what you come up with is one of the most durable, most reliable and, just as important, most comfortable treadmills around for under $2000.

While the York T780 treadmill ranks high in components, design and performance, there are a couple of minor issues I’ve got with the unit. First off is the size of the running area, where the York T780 comes up a little short when compared to competition in its price range. The 20″x55″ is just a tad short for what most people expect from a just under $1800 treadmill. Keep in mind, though, that for most people 20″x55″ is actually more than enough. Only the super tall (6’4″+) or those doing intense running/marathon training will even notice the difference between a 20″x55″ deck and a 20″x58″ one.

The second nitpick I have is with York’s warranty. For a treadmill that performs as well and is built as solidly as the York T780, it is a shame to see a 10 year motor and 5 year deck warranty. I’d love to see both of those upped just a bit.

For being an excellent machine, and a solid contender for a best buy treadmill award next year, the Treadmill Sensei gives the York T780 Treadmill 4 out of 5 golden buddahs.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com