Cheap is a relative term when it come to treadmills due to the fact that the amount of money you need to spend to get a model that is fit for purpose may not strike many people as being particularly affordable. Having said that, prices have come down significantly in the last decade so this great piece of home exercise equipment is now within the reach of far more people.

The price that you have to pay when you’re on the market for a treadmill will depend on what use you are going to put it to. Its not that many of the cheap treadmills at the lower end of the market are particularly bad machines, its just that they can only do they job they were intended to do. If you wan to run at speed for hours every day then these treadmills aren’t going to last very long at all.

The cheapest of the cheap on the market is the manual treadmill which requires you to push the belt with your own power in contrast to the more popular motorized version which uses an electrical motor. The only advantage of a manual treadmill is its price, you can pick them up new for a little over $100 or probably get a second hand one for free off a friend who bought it and realized how bad it was.

Problems With Manual Treadmills

- Given that you have to move the belt with your own steam it can be a struggle to get your workout started although hopefully as it gets used it will start to loosen up.

- The effort to keep the belt moving may tire you so quickly that you don’t much in the way of a meaning full workout.

Forget Manual And Go For A Motorized Treadmill

Save yourself the hassle of buying a manual model just to find out its no good. Better to save up a little longer and get a motorized treadmill which you will be happy with and which will provide the fitness benefits that you are looking for.

The Merit 725T Treadmill

A nice entry level motorized treadmill which you can pick up for under $400 is this Merit 725T. Keep in mind that as with anything you get what you pay for but if you are looking for an introduction to the world of indoor running then you could certainly do a lot worse than take a closer look here.

Many discount treadmills aren’t really up to the job for people who wan tot run and are more suitable for use at walking speed but this machine will have no problems for those who want to run at up to 10 miles per hour. Even if you happen to weight well over 200lbs this machine will cope without any worries thinks to its surprisingly durable build quality at this price point.

With a lifetime warranty on the frame, 2 years on the motor and the fact that this is built by one of the largest manufacturers of fitness equipment in the world you can be sure that it isn’t going to fall apart the minute you start doing a serious workout. Certainly, for a beginner there isn’t much better at this price point and if you are just starting out you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and many models further up the range.

The only disadvantage that I want to bring up with the Merit 725T are that you will have to assemble it yourself on delivery which although most people don’t a problem with, some users report difficulty with the construction process. Also worth mentioning is the noise produced by this cheap treadmill when its in use but for such a low price its hard to hold such a minor factor against it.

Horizon Fitness T91 Treadmill

Get a little bit more money together and you can take a step up in quality and get a Horizon Fitness T91 Treadmill for an experience which will more closely match what you would expect from a machine in the gym. You get a lot for your money these days in a $600 treadmill and the Horizon delivers much more than we could realistically expect for this amount of cash. You get a super tough 2.0-horsepower continuous-duty motor which comes with a lifetime guarantee, you can’t ask for much more than that.

Like the Merit, this machine is great for beginners but its also has the ability to please those with more experience using treadmills so if you have had a gym membership in the past but want to buy something for use at home this could be the one for you.

You get the capability to walk or run from 0.5 to 10 mph an incline of up to 10% and the ComfortZone air cell system to make running more comfortable and easier on your joints. Also part of the Horizon is a control console with back lit LCD screen that offers feedback on your workout, contact heart rate grips, and a 20-by-50-inch running area.

It’s hard to believe you can pick up a home treadmill at this price but you do have to make some sacrifices to do so. For starters this manual treadmill runs on the power provided by the runner themselves, rather than using an electrical motor to do the work for you.

Make no mistakes about it, the Stamina InMotion treadmill is as basic as it gets and it’s not a device that’s going to suit everyone. If you are used to training at a commercial gym and have been spoiled by the top end treadmills they have on offer then you find it hard to get used to a manual running machine that comes without any bells and whistles.

Let’s take a look at the specifications of this cheap treadmill:

• Size of the running area: 41 x 12 3/8 inches
• Overall dimensions: 47 by 22 by 45 inches (L x W x H)
• Size when folded for storage: 17 x 22 inches
• Maximum user weight: 225 pounds
• One-year frame warranty
• 90-day parts warranty

As you can see, if you have compared this unit to some of the others I have reviewed, it has a small running belt which makes it quite a tight area to exercise on. This might not be too much of a problem if you have a small body, and most people will be able to get used to it over time.

What’s good about this discount treadmill?

• It’s very easy to put together so you will be exercising in no time at all when it is delivered
• Because it is much lighter then an electrical treadmill, folds up easily, and comes on wheels, you will find it very easy to move this unit around your house when needed
• It folds up smaller then many of the electric models so it’s possible to store it out of the way when not in use
• Can be set at an incline to increase the intensity of your workouts
• Because it’s manual you don’t need to have an electrical supply available to use it
• It has a battery-powered monitor which tracks distance, workout time, speed and calories burned

Is there anything negative we can say about this Stamina treadmill?

• The aforementioned small running area is going to feel quite cramped to runners used to exercising on a commercial treadmill at the gym
• The fact that it’s a manual treadmill means it’s never going to be as pleasurable to use as a high quality electric model

Conclusion

Manual treadmills are not to everyone’s taste and are generally only purchased by those of us who don’t have a fortune to spend on our home exercising equipment. This Stamina manual treadmill is as cheap as you are ever going to find a treadmill, and for the price charged is does a perfectly good job of allowing you to run indoors whenever you want.

If you are looking to spend a bit more cash on the best treadmill you can afford then take a look at the following pages:

1. LifeSpan TR 1200i Folding Treadmill
2. Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill Review
3. Merit 725T Plus Treadmill Review
4. Confidence Power Plus Motorized Treadmill Review

Fold up treadmills are the type that you can fold up and put in a safe place so that you set them up and use them when you want to exercise. When you are done using them, you can fold them up so that they don’t take up as much space. These treadmills can be classified according to two main criteria: how they operate during the workout, and how they are set up.

How They Operate

You may either choose a manual folding treadmill or an electronic treadmill. The manual treadmill moves according how fast or slow your workout rate is. It is set in motion by your movement, which means you control how hard your treadmill workout is. Many people find this unchallenging because the treadmill will allow you to slow down your pace when you really could run faster.

The speed of the electronic folding treadmill, on the other hand, can be controlled by its own internal electrical mechanism. With this type of treadmill, you can set the treadmill to move at a particular speed independent of your speed. Some other features of this type of treadmill include the detection of your heart rate, the number of calories burnt, and the amount of weight loss during the session. Those who are looking for a more challenging treadmill will find that this type fulfills their needs better than a manual treadmill.

How They Are Set Up

Fold up treadmills can either have power setup or manual setup. Fold up treadmills with power setup can be set up by simply pressing a button. The treadmill opens by itself and is ready for use. Manual folding treadmills require human force to set up.

While the powered treadmill is easy to pack and unpack, a defect in the power system might make it difficult to use. However, manual treadmills might require some strength to set up. If you are not that strong and there is no one to help, you might not be able to use your treadmill.

Which is the best folding treadmill? This is a great concern for many people because, as usual, we all want value for money. However, no one can categorically say that a particular type of treadmill is the best. The best treadmill in this case then, is the one that you can afford and that meets your workout needs.

Certainly either of these two devices will probably beating having to go down the the gym every day to get the required amount of exercise to keep fit but the motorized treadmill, powered by electricity is miles ahead of the manual version if you have the extra money to spend and want use your new home exercise equipment over the long term. The fact that an electric treadmill is so much easier and more pleasurable to use means you are more likely to put it into action and get fit, and no doubt save money on more equipment in the future.

Yes, the electric treadmill is the right choice for anyone who is looking for this tyoe of exercise machine, so throw out any ideas you might have had about saving cash with the inferior manual version which requires your own strength to get the tread moving in the first place. You might think this is a great idea and would lead to you getting an more effective workout, but the reality is that the extra work is wasted and will only lead to frustration. When using a treadmill you are hoping to get the same pleasure you do when out running on the road and this can only be accomplished when using motorized treadmills.

You will quickly see that they cost more money, perhaps more than you would like to spend, but getting fit is a serious business and its worth making that initial investment now to reaps the benefits in the future. Plus, you should be able to find a treadmill for sale at a reasonable price if you are willing to put a little effort into your research. On the Internet you should be able to find great prices for the best home exercise machines by looking at Craigslist or Ebay, and Offline you will find smashing good deals in your local paper, you might just have to be a little more patient.

If you want to buy electric treadmills brand new then you will want to set aside around £400 to get something that will do the job well enough to get you fit. But if you are used to using the high quality treadmill machines found in the commercial gyms then you are going to have to spend a whole lot more. Nordic Track Treadmills are renowned for their high levels of workmanship and should be looked into if you want something extra special for your home gym. Expect to pay anything from £600 all the way up to £200 for a top of the line commercial Nordic Track machine.