my first 3 treadmills were all used, they were dirt cheap, I was getting them off craigslist, but they started life as the cheap entry level model variety. All three broke within about a year or two of purchase, my kids broke one jumping off the couch onto the deck and cracked it, the motor died in the other two.
I bought my Sole new around 2010 and its old AF now and still works great. I replaced the belt as the original separated from use, other than that zero maintenance and tons of hours/miles.
I would buy one second hand if it was a nicer model, not the $500 entry level ones which are super common.
I’m not a serious runner but we have an Assault Runner and I can connect it to Zwift easily. Seems solid and I’ve had no issues with it. I am not sure what other kind of connectivity it may have as far as other 3rd party apps go but Zwift works flawlessly. Also nice that it requires no power aside from that batteries in the display. I believe the Wahoo treadmill recommends a dedicated circuit. Something worth considering before dropping any great amount of money on one for sure.
following because the treadmill i have has decided to no longer go faster than a very slow walk. I dont run inside often so i am not sure its worth buying a new one. Or i might get a rower instead.
I got one a little over a year ago and it’s been really great way to maintain cardio in the off season and work some body parts that get ignored as a cyclist. If you enjoy mindless deliberate suffering, they are hard to beat.
And if you get one, I’d highly recommend a concept2. It may be the only piece of fitness equipment that actually holds it’s value well in the secondary market. They are like $1k new, but still go for $700+ on the used market even for units that are 10+ years old. Simple machine with parts that are dirt cheap and available for units that are decades old. And basically indestructible. And there is a great user community and online tools to log activities, push to strava, club challenges, etc. I got one on marketplace that was less than a year old for $850, barely used, and still under warranty (concept2 honors their warranty for second hand owners). For anyone considering a rower, a used C2 is a no brainer. If you lose interest after a month or 5 years, you can basically resell it for around what you paid for it.
i’m with you in S. Louisiana - our indoor run season is June-Sept. I ran a Nordic Track to death in the span of 4 years. I replaced belt/motor/rollers and had to use the third party warranty company. I liked the treadmill itself and the iFit options of programmed runs or mapping courses myself /doing parts of courses (like Boston). I would try to avoid a third party warranty company again in the future or get one that is known for quick and easy warranty claims dealings. My treadmill got downstreamed to a pal and still going but with much much less usage. Some tips i got when shopping for a new one were to hit up your State’s used equipment sales - like this: https://www.govdeals.com/en/search?kWord=treadmill. Ask local fitness centers how they unload their treadmills when they upgrade, etc.
It really depends on your budget, but you want a good cushion if you are doing long efforts. I ended up getting a used commercial-grade machine that was ten years old instead of a new mid-range home model. Those things are built to last and the quality of the belt and deck is unmatched for high mileage. Check local gym liquidation sales for a good deal.
I got lucky and picked up a used Woodway 4Front a few years ago. It was something I wanted for years and was able to find a liquidator selling a bunch for 4k each and it was in newish condition. Its worth looking for them, I do hear about people finding deals on them occasionally.
My gym has a couple ones like these. It’s been a while since I’ve run on one but I think the brand was the Woodway Curve. I found it to be just an ok experience. I think if I ran on it more and got us to it maybe I’d like it better. But after a couple runs I went back to using the ‘traditional’ Woodway treadmills at the gym. I think you’d definitely wanna try it out before getting one since it is quite a different feel.
