Archive for May, 2009
There isn’t much maintenance needed on a treadmill. Other than making sure that all pressure points are secure and that the treadmill is kept clean and oiled (some treadmills need occasional oiling) your treadmill is pretty much maintenance free.
However, if you own your treadmill for quite a while you may notice that the treadbelt is getting worn. When it does look worn or frayed it’s time to replace the belt. Don’t stress as it is fairly easy to do.
Before attempting to replace your treadmill belt, be sure that you have unplugged your treadmill and that you are only using a new belt that is made for your treadmill model!
First remove the cover that protects the engine. You will normally find this at the back of your treadmill and is held on with a few screws.
As you loosen the belt, push the roll toward the rear of the cover. It’s best to work with the front roller first moving on to the rear roller last.
Now remove the screws holding the hood, removing the band and the cover at the same time. This exposes the deck and check to see if you need to oil, clean with a clean cloth or lubricate it. Now before you remove the old belt take a good look and notice how the old belt is attached.
What I normally do with any type of maintenance, is to take a picture or a video and then when it’s time to attach it again I can follow the video. If you are working with a partner, have one video while the other one removes the old belt. You’ll find putting on the new belt super easy.
Now slide the old belt off (again taking notice of how it looks and where it is attached). Also don’t forget to keep track of the screws that you have removed so that you don’t lose them.
Now it’s time put the new belt on starting on the back of the treadmill and slide the rear roller via the belt. Put the screws in place in the same way that you did with the front screws.
Slide the front roller forward of the strap and position. Then do the same for the rear roller. Go ahead and push each screw in partially to hold it in place and when all the screw have been added you can start to tighten each one..
Test the best by pulling on it to see if there is to much slack. If there is you will have to work on the rollers again. If it feels fine (and most of the time it will) plug you treadmill back into an outlet and turn the treadmill on at it’s lowest speed.
Watch the belt turn a few time to make sure that nothing is holding back. Then stop your treadmill, then this time turn the treadmill back on and start using it on the lowest speed. Do minor adjustments as needed.
Before you attempt to remove your old best be sure to check the literature that came with your treadmill to see if there are specific instructions for your particular brand and model.
It should take 20-30 minutes at the most to replace your treadmill belt.
ProForm treadmills are one of the most popular brands of treadmills for home fitness.
The ProForm 780 Crosswalk treadmill has been sold out and is no longer available at ProForm.com
To view the newest and most popular ProForm treadmill models for 2011 just visit ProForm.com
You’ll be quite impressed with all the new features and technology & will appreciate the fact that treadmill prices have remained low and affordable.
Thank you!
Folding Treadmills
Folding treadmills can be a great choice for a small living space as they can be folded away, placed in a closet, against a wall and pushed under furniture such as a bed.
Folding treadmills often have hydraulic folding mechanisms so that they are very easy to fold and also easy and safer to unfold.
In the past when you unfolded a treadmill the deck would come crashing down if you didn’t assist it, but with the newer models this is no longer an issue as they slowly fold down on their own. However treadmills vary greatly in quality.
When folding treadmills first came out they were also classed as not sturdy enough for running, and were limited to walking only.
Running use of course puts the equipment under more stress as each foot comes down carrying more momentum and more of a shock. These early fold-up treadmills were lightweight and also sometimes had stability issues with runners. It is clear that if you are running on a treadmill it needs to be more stable than if you are just walking.
However, in the last few years the quality of folding treadmills has improved greatly and now you will find foldaway treadmills that are virtually the same as the non-folding variety. In fact, it would probably be true to say that most home treadmills now fold. They can take runners, are not so lightweight and have a good warranty.
With treadmills you get what you pay for to a great extent and if you are planning to use it heavily you will need to invest over $1,000, or for top range models in the range of $2,000 to $3,000. This is true whether or not you want a fold-up treadmill.
Heavy use for a home treadmill would be if you are a race runner or marathon runner training on it daily, or if you have several people in the household who will use it regularly.
If you are planning to give your treadmill lighter use, either just for walking or for short weight loss workouts, you should be fine with a cheaper model. For example if it will only have occasional use because you would exercise outdoors in good weather, you can get away with much less. Be aware though that anything under $500 will be a very basic treadmill unless the $500 is a sale price and the original price is a bit higher.
Sturdier treadmills weigh around 200 pounds or more so even folded, most people would probably not easily be able to lift one.
Consider where and how you will store it. For example, if you want to store your treadmill under the bed, will you be able to push it sideways? Most folding treadmills have wheels, but do the wheels rotate or can you only push it back and forward. This could make it difficult to move under the bed as you would have to turn it around to roll it under there.
So there is plenty to think about when considering your foldaway treadmill purchase but you can also be sure there is plenty of choice available with many brands and models of folding treadmills on the market, and you should have no trouble finding the best one for your home and your workout needs.
You will find a large variety of high quality folding treadmills on this site and by reading a few of the reviews you’ll be able to find the perfect one for you and your living space.
You can also visit the home page of the top treadmill manufacturers and view all of their current folding models.
May we suggest:
Smooth Fitness Treadmills
WorkoutWarehouse which carries several major brands