Ohiyo!
One of the things the Treadmill Sensei likes to do from time to time is take on a repair/remanufacturing project that is a bit too difficult for some of the younger Senseis here at the DOJO. To me there is nothing better than being able to take a nearly destroyed treadmill or elliptical and rebuild it to look and perform like new. Having recently done a couple of BladeZ Fitness reviews, I decided to see if I could search out and find a BladeZ treadmill to put back together.
What I was able to find, thanks to some contacts at Yellow Freight, was a freight damaged BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill. One quick inspection, the damage was fairly extensive but not unmanagable: a cracked motor shroud, cracked deck, bent wheels and a variety of scratches and dings. I also discovered, part of the way through the restoration that there was a short between the incline motor and board. The remanufacturing process starts with stripping the unit down to the bar frame, sandblasting and repainting it, then ordering replacement parts and putting it all back together. I replace anything with cracks or unfixable scrapes, drop on new overlays, test the electronics boards and motors, replace the belt and anything else which has been worn. When I’m done the machine is as close to new as it can be and, on a lot of treadmills, it will end up with a much better maintenance record than a new unit because we go over the units with a fine tooth comb.
Anyway, that’s enough about the remanufacturing process, let’s get right to the BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill review since that is way you’re here! If you’re looking for a higher end, commercial quality TV treadmill, then look no further than the 710-ME. After my rebuild, I spent nearly 2 weeks running the machine through a very extensive workout with a minimum hour run per day. Because I was a little unsure of the 3.2 horsepower motor on the unit (having been damaged and all), I did a lot of walking to put extra stress on it — as counter-intuitive as it sounds, walking puts a lot more stress and wear & tear on a motor because your slower strides remain in contact with the belt (and motor) much more than when you run.
The second thing I always look at on a treadmill is the frame. Like every other BladeZ treadmill I’ve seen, the 710-ME is as solid as a brickhouse. This thing will stand up to just about any heavy-duty workout you can throw at it. The company sales pitch says “robotically welded frames.” I’m not sure what kind of robots they use, but they do good work. Add in the well-made 2.4″ rollers and you’ve got all the pieces for a treadmill with a very long life.
I have to say that running on the BladeZ 710-ME was great. The gigantic 20″ x 60″ deck had just enough bounce back without having too much recoil. Plus, the extra large running area gave me a lot of room to full out run. I could go on and on, talking about the 15% incline, 12 mph max speed (which, I do wish went up to 15 mph), 10 programs and more, but it all really just comes down to the fact that BladeZ did an excellent job with their engineering and design on the 710-ME Treadmill. This is an example of where you can see the 20+ years of DK City’s experience in manufacturing fitness equipment.
The bonus on this machine is the 10″ cable-ready television mounted in to the console. As with the other BladeZ units, the screen was bright and sharp and quickly hooked up to the cable TV hook-up in my office. Watching the Wiggles while I have my grandson hanging around my body in a Baby Bjorn was more fun than I can describe…although, that 17 pound baby did start to kill my back about 20 minutes in to my run — I mentioned I was getting old, right?
At about $1700 delivered, the Treadmill Sensei gives the BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill 4.5 out of 5 golden buddahs.
At 4.5 gold buddahs out of 5, the BladeZ 710 ME Treadmill
is one of the best higher-end TV treadmills on the market.
Find out more about the BladeZ 710ME Treadmill and get the lowest price online.
BladeZ 710-ME Treadmill Specifications
Motor: 3.25HP
Running Area: 20” x 60”
Max Incline: 15%
Max Speed: 12 mph
Heart Rate Monitor: Pulse grip
Heart Rate Control: Yes
Programs: 10
Display: 10″ LCD monitor/TV, 4 LED windows
Rollers: 2.4”
Belt: 4-Ply
Deck Thickness: 1”
Max User Weight: 400lbs
Unit Weight: 275lbs
-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com
Leave a Reply