Not all treadmills are created equally, and part of that is due to the treadmill motor.
The treadmill motor is not the only criterion to weigh when buying a treadmill; however, it certainly is something you want to look at.
The following are some treadmill motor factors and information you should know about before buying a treadmill.
Continuous Duty Motor
If you’ve been researching treadmills you’ve probably read about the importance of getting a treadmill with a continuous duty motor. What does this mean?
A continuous duty motor is one that can run continuously without harm; whereas an intermittent motor must stop to cool down. Most intermittent motor is designed to run anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes.
Obviously you don’t want a treadmill that must be stopped to cool down and that is why a continuous duty motor is the best motor for a treadmill.
Treadmill Motor Horsepower
The typical treadmill motor horsepower range is 2.0 to 4.0. The amount of horsepower you need depends on what you will use the treadmill for. If you will walk only, then 2.0 can do the job. However, if you run hard, then you’ll need something in 3.0 to 4.0 range. My research tells me that 3.0 treadmill motor horsepower is plenty to serve a strong runner.
Treadmill Motor Warranties
I’m not one to pay much attention to warranties because I simply don’t count on my purchases to break down so that I need to ship it to a manufacturer. That said, one way to see if a treadmill motor is quality is to look at the warranty for the motor. Treadmills offer different types of warranties for different parts of the treadmill.
Take the Smooth Fitness 6.75 Folding Treadmill for example – the warranty is as follows:
“Lifetime on frame and motor, 5 years all parts & electronics and 2 years of in-home service.”
Yowza Fitness treadmills also offer a lifetime warranty on its motors.
Although you may not count on having to replace the treadmill motor, the fact a treadmill manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty on its motors is a positive sign the treadmill motor is high-quality.
AC vs DC Treadmill Motors
DC (direct-current driven) treadmill motors are quieter than AC (alternating-current) treadmill motors. One of the suggestions made in the Treadmill Buying Guide is to be aware that treadmills are loud – not only can the treadmill motors be loud, but the foot-pounding can be loud. Therefore, if your treadmill is in a place where other people may hear it, you may opt for a quieter treadmill motor, which is DC. It’s also good to have a quiet treadmill if you like listening to music and/or watch TV while using a treadmill.
I know looking carefully at technical details for products isn’t fun because you have to learn about terms and concepts not familiar to you. However, the few minutes you take to read up what is a quality treadmill motor, or more importantly, what kind of treadmill motor will best suit your needs is time well invested before purchasing your treadmill.
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