Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)In the interests of full disclosure, I received this item through Amazon Vine. However, I try extremely hard to write my reviews as if I had paid the full purchase price, for I think this is only fair for those who read and rely on reviews. ===Before the Treadmill Arrives===
First off, you're going to need a few things handy before you begin to assemble your treadmill. Although the majority of tools needed are included, you will need to have a Phillips screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and scissors. In order to run your treadmill, you'll need a single outlet surge suppressor (I'd recommend buying one on Amazon so you don't end up running all over town to find one like I did). The surge suppressor must have a UL suppressed voltage rating of 400 volts or less and a minimum surge dissipation of 450 joules. The surge suppressor should be rated for 120 volts AC and 15 amps. I paid $12 for mine at Radio Shack, but you can find cheaper ones on Amazon. Finally, this treadmill is a heavy machine and I would strongly recommend some sort of mat to place under it to protect your hardwood floor or carpet. I already had some interlocking padded mats and ended up using those (which work well), but I know there are pads specifically made for treadmills that might be even better. ===Delivery===
I was pleased that the shipping service used made it very clear when the treadmill was to arrive. I received two automated messages telling me when it was scheduled to arrive (and to press 1 if that was acceptable), and I had a real person call the day before the delivery to confirm. The woman who called told me it was the delivery policy to have the treadmill be delivered inside your front door (so for those of you in apartments, they should bring it up to your unit). The box was huge, which is to be expected given that this is a very large and very heavy machine. I live on the second floor of an apartment building and the poor delivery men had quite a time getting the box up the stairs. ===Assembly===
Now the part that everyone dreads - putting the darn thing together. I can't stress enough that this thing is heavy - the delivery guys said it was listed at 300 lbs. but "felt much, much heavier." This means you're going to need to have at least one other person help you move it to your desired location (I had two friends help me). Putting the treadmill together was, all things considered, not too bad. The instructions are fairly detailed and they include helpful illustrations next to each step so that you know what you're doing. I only have two complaints regarding the assembly process.
First, there are a lot of screws and they're fairly similar in size, which makes them a bit of a pain to sort out (though quite doable). Second, Pro-form included an insert that added an additional step that had been excluded from the manual. It's a fairly important step - calibrating the incline so that the safety bar can be attached properly - so be sure to keep an eye out for that. Speaking of the safety bar, the treadmill does fold up, but it does not fold up completely and it will stick out at an angle.
I had my two friends help me and we were able to have the treadmill assembled in less than two hours (and this was at a very leisurely pace). Like moving the box, you'll need at least one other person to help you assemble the treadmill. Unlike another reviewer, I was lucky enough to have no missing or damaged parts, so the treadmill went together without a hitch. Therefore, I have not had the pleasure (ha!) of dealing with Pro-form customer service, so I can't comment on that. However, I did visit their Facebook page and saw that they had one representative posting that was very helpful regarding problems, so perhaps that would be an option. Also, I am aware that while my treadmill may be running perfectly now, the real question is one of durability. I will update this review if I run into any problems.===Features===
Now the fun part - describing the actual treadmill. This treadmill has a lot of really cool features that help justify the price tag. First, you can change the speed in increments of .1 mph up to a maximum speed of 12 mph. As I am solely a walker myself (to save my downstairs neighbor's sanity and to also protect my fickle knees), I use it mostly at slower speeds and use the incline to boost the intensity. The incline feature changes the incline from 0% up to 15%. There are several modes that allow you to change the workout information displayed (shown on the console's seven-inch touchscreen display). You can see your elapsed time, calories burned, distance traveled, incline level, speed, a ¼ mile track that shows you the time it takes to complete one lap and the number of laps completed, time remaining, calories burned per hour, vertical feet climbed, your pace in mph, or your heart rate. You can measure your heart rate using the handgrip pulse sensors, though I don't think they are terribly accurate. I prefer to use a heart rate monitor and I am a bit disappointed that the treadmill doesn't sync with my heart rate monitor, but it's certainly not a deal breaker for me.
The console includes a fan that has three levels, though the fan is honestly pretty weak. Don't rely on it as your only source of air; I prefer to use a little Vornado that I aim right at me! The console also includes built-in speakers. These are not Bose-quality speakers, but I think they're fairly good for their small size. The console has an audio jack and includes an audio wire that you can use to plug into a jack on your mp3 player, CD player, etc. There are volume buttons on the console itself, so you're not constantly fumbling for the volume on your iPod.
Now my favorite part! This treadmill has wireless capabilities (a snap to connect to my wifi network, I might add), so you can download and use your included one-year iFit membership. While I think the iFit service and site are a bit clunky, this is iFit's fault and not the fault of the treadmill.
For example, you arrange your workout schedule on the iFit site and the next workout on your list is downloaded when you start your iFit workout. As of yet, there is no way to choose another iFit workout from the treadmill console if you don't feel like doing the next workout on your list. You have to sign in online and rearrange your workouts so that the one you want is on top, which is kind of annoying. However, other than that I love, love, love the iFit workouts. They have several pre-programmed workouts you can choose from (Central Park, etc.), and you can also make your own using Google Maps, which I think is an awesome feature (I'm currently "hiking" the Inca trail to Machu Picchu!). They also have competitions, trainer workouts and many more features. Check out their site it you want to know more.
Of course, if you don't want to use an iFit workout, you certainly don't have to. You can use your treadmill the normal way by selecting speed and incline, you can select one of the workout settings the treadmill offers (calorie-burn workouts, all-terrain workouts), or you can select a set-a-goal workout, which allows you to set a time, distance or calorie goal.===Overall===
I've only had my treadmill set up a few days and all seems to be working well so far. I'll certainly update if I have problems in the future.
The bottom line is that I think this is an excellent treadmill for the price (currently $1,079.90 on Amazon). The features available on this treadmill make it a joy to use, and I find myself actually looking forward to my next walk.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Proform Power 1080 Treadmill
Get high-powered performance and undeniable results with the ProForm Power 1080 treadmill. With iFit Live built in, this treadmill delivers workouts powered by Google Maps, training with Jillian Michaels and automatic speed and incline controls. This wireless technology is the ulitimate workout experience. The Power 1080 also featers a powerful3.25 motor. It's dynamically spin-balanced and extensivley tested for superior performance.
Click here for more information about Proform Power 1080 Treadmill
0 comments:
Post a Comment