Pacemaster Gold Elite treadmills and their decks cracking.
When the deck cracks, it often results in a loud noise. You can’t always see the cracks but you can definitely hear them. Here’s what one user said:
At about 500 miles two of the four screws holding the deck guard down snapped in half causing a very irritating sound when in use. . .
A guy comes out and takes a look at the treadmill. He said that the deck had been drilled into too much during the last repair. He would screw in some more screws but the deck would have to be replaced. He also noticed that the rollers were very rusted. . .
Four weeks later (not three) they call to make an appointment. The guy came out today and replaced everything including the deck belt. He noticed that the deck itself was completely cracked. He told my wife that the treadmill was best for walking not running (WTF?) and that they only last about 3000 miles (WTF? again) and that this type of wear usually is only seen when the owners are 250 lbs or heavier (I am the “heavy” one in the family and I weigh about 140 lbs. so WTF? once more). Of course he didn’t have the screws for the motor cover and told us to go buy some from a hardware store.”
You can read the full thread here.
There’s an obvious issue with Pacemaster’s service department but the bigger issue is the deck cracking. I have always thought Pacemaster to be a great treadmill brand but I had to dig into this deck cracking on the Gold Elite further.
What I found
The review on Runner’s World (above) is not alone. Sure enough, there have been other reports of the deck cracking on the Pacemaster Gold Elite.
Take the following review from Epinions for example:
My Treadmill does not have even 400 miles on it. Pacemaster said that with some runners you need a rear deck support. However when I called them before I bought the treadmill and told them how much I would be running they assured me that it would work just fine. I have a Clicking sound again that is the sound it made when the deck was cracked. I am getting rid of my Pacemaster Gold Elite.
Here’s another:
“I’ve had a Pacemaster Gold Elite since 2006. It works just fine when it’s working, but…
I’ve been through 3 decks (all cracked) and an elevation motor (cracked motor casing) since buying it new. So far, after a LOT of complaining, I’ve been able to get everything replaced at no cost. (Although I did have to replace the elevation motor myself.) But, if the deck cracks again, I don’t like my odds. This latest deck has lasted longer than the others. So, it’s possible that they got their issues worked out. It’s still always in the back of my mind, though.
For reference, I weigh ~190lb and am the only one that uses it. I do use it quite a bit in the Winter, but nothing ridiculous (maybe 500 miles per year).”
There have also been rumor that the deck cracked during an official test done by TM. So far this is only hear-say and I can’t actually confirm. But the above 3 user reviews are enough proof that the Gold Elite has some deck issues.
2003-2005 Models Only?
According to a retired service technician who owns this treadmill himself, the cracked deck issue was big with the 2003-2005 Gold Elite models and has since then been improved upon with an inch-thick deck.
If you’re looking at a new model of the Gold Elite treadmill by Pacemaster, you should be in the clear with the deck cracking problem. If you have a newer model Gold Elite and the deck has cracked, please let us know in the comments!