MAIL TIME!! I get so excited when you guys ask me for advice on which treadmill to get. Today’s mail comes from Aaron who is looking for a cool treadmill but not too cool. He doesn’t need fancy features; he just needs a treadmill that is going to work when he needs it too.
Here’s what Aaron asked:
Good Morning, I found your website, and thought it was very helpful and informative. Guess I was wondering if you could help me find a treadmill for myself. Little about me, I am a dedicated and avid runner, who is looking for a treadmill for my home. Prolly looking for a heavy duty built one with a decent motor on it (thinking 3 cHP or higher) and a big running area. One that can take a beating on it (I will use it !!!). The things I don’t need is all the bells and whistles on it. Heck I don’t even need any programs on it, I know what speed and incline I need to run at, so just need to push some buttons to set my pace and I am off. Any ideas or suggestions?
So in a nutshell Aaron wants:
- 3+ HP Motor
- Big Running Area
- Durable
- Incline
- No programs, bells, whistles, etc.
My Recommendations
This was my reply to Aaron.
Hi Aaron,
Thanks for contacting me. I’m thrilled that you came to me for some advice. I’ve given it some thought and hope I can be of some help.
To get right down to it, I would recommend Vision or Smooth.
Vision T9600
Vision has a build-it-yourself type of treadmill. You can choose between three consoles- simple, deluxe, and premiere. You would probably want simple because it costs less and lacks all the crazy features. Then you can choose your deck and I would choose the T9600 which is their best deck. It has a tread belt that is 60″ long which is great and the motor is 3 HP. Also has a pretty decent warranty.
You can read more about the Vision T9600 here.
Smooth 9.65LC
However, Smooth might be the better choice. I’m not sure what your budget is like but I’m assuming you’d like to stay on the cheaper end. The Smooth 9.65 LC is on sale right now for $1999 which is a great deal today only. And if you click the link from my site it will take an additional $50 off in the shopping cart automatically. It has a slightly larger walking surface, which is what you said you wanted, and the best warranty in the business. Still has a couple bells and whistles but not near as many as there are on the 9.65 TV model. I would think the 9.65 LC is your best bet for sure, but if you want to get a simpler console, you could spend more and go with Vision.
More about the Smooth 9.65 LC here.
If those two treadmills are not what you’re looking for, I’ve put my top picks, organized by price, on my Best Treadmills page.
Let me know what you think. If you want to give me some more information about the type of treadmill you’re looking for, I’d be more than happy to provide you with some more recommendations.
Always Happy to Help
If you would like me to offer some personal recommendations or if you have any questions regarding treadmills, feel free to ask.