If you are looking to buy a mid-range treadmill that manages to offer a good balance between value, quality, and functionality then you should take a look at the Sole F83. Costing around $1,800, the F83 is often overlooked as it sits right in between the budget and higher end price brackets. However, it does offer a number of features and is priced fairly considering exactly what you get for your money.

What you do get from the F83 is still very impressive. You will find that the 58 inch belt is big enough for most people, except those with very long legs or big strides. The belt is moved by huge 2.75 inch rollers, which you will typically only see on $4,000+ treadmills. These do not wear out as quickly, but still offer a great quality run and tend to be quieter. The 3 horsepower motor is plenty powerful enough for most runners as well. And if you like extras, you also get a sound system for your iPod or MP3 player.

You will still get Sole’s great warranty package as well. You can tell a lot about the quality of a product by the warranty that the manufacturer puts on it. The lifetime warranty covers the motor and frame while you get a 5 year parts warranty and 2 year labor warranty, still better than most comparable treadmills. The quality also shows in the stability of the run. At 275 pounds, the treadmill is very solid. You will also get an attractive three-color LED display and wireless heart rate control monitor, which so many runners would not buy a treadmill without.

When it comes to fitting into its niche, the F83 does a pretty good job. You might find yourself wishing you had upgraded to the beefier F85 down the road or you may wish you had saved the extra cash and bought the F80, but the fact remains that you still can’t really go wrong. All of these models offer slightly different options, but they are all great quality machines.

However, the F83 really does offer the perfect compromise; not only is it a quality unit that has a lot of extras, it is also extremely competitively priced making it ideal for casual and serious users alike.