Sole F80 Treadmill Review

Before purchasing the F80, I chose the Precor 9.23 at my local fitness store ($2,400) but the waiting period of over a month did not sit well with me. I went back to the store after a month of waiting tried the 9.23 once again and was not as impressed as I was initially, so I canceled the order. I race-walk and jog during the winter months about 4-5 miles a day (I'm in South Florida) and relegated to the treadmill during the hot, sticky summers.

The F80 build quality was similar to the Precor, but the F80 provides a more cushioned running surface than the entry level Precor. I also tried various treadmills in Sears (Nordic Track) as well as Lifetime Fitness and Pacemaster at Busy Body fitness center (all between $2,200 and $2,500). F80 price is right considering the high quality of this treadmill

The treadmill came in 10 days and was assembled on day 11. The professional assembly took about 90 minutes. I did not want to assemble it myself because of the sensitive electronics and posts of problems with the screws aligning correctly. I'm a female 5'3" weighing in at 123 pounds. I was NOT looking for bells & whistles (IFit, many programs, tv in the console, etc) but rather a solid, quiet machine that reminded me of the StarTrac I use in my clubhouse fitness center. I tweaked it to my specifications:

1) I use my own Polar soft chest transmitter with my Polar watch because I don't like the stiffness of the included Sole brand waist transmitter.

2) I also use Shure noise canceling ear buds attached my 52" LCD tv with a 25" headphone extension cord so I don't hear anything at all around me during the workout. I also used my iPod, interchangeably, with the same Shure Noise canceling ear buds. I pop in a DVD and I'm good to go for 60-75 minutes or so. The first day I worked out 72 minutes with just the volume of the TV and it was fine. I had to pick up the volume about 1 notch and all I heard was my own feet on the deck.

I'm pleased with my choice and I do recommend the F80 highly.



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