Many mid-range treadmills offer a few extras, but they tend to sacrifice quality to save a little on the price.. But Sole is trying to debunk that by offering a sturdy treadmill with lots of features at a price that other mid-range treadmills would have trouble matching. You can find the Sole F80 at around $1,500 if you look hard enough and for that money you get a surprising amount of goodies.

There is a good reason that you would struggle to find a negative review of the Sole F80. Not because it offers better extras than other treadmills, but because of how long they last. But Sole has the upper hand over many treadmill companies in this area. For years, Sole was the line of treadmills that big-name hotels used in their gyms. They needed affordable machines that could stand up to any kind of runner and would last for years. They turned to Sole to fulfill this need and ever since, Sole has been churning out some of the most reliable treadmills you can buy.

The warranty speaks volumes about the quality of the treadmill. The motor and frame are covered under a lifetime warranty and the major parts are covered under a 5 year warranty. In addition, there is a 2 year parts and labor warranty, which is above average for treadmills in this range. But Sole can afford to offer these warranties because they are confident that you will never need them, even in a fairly cheap treadmill.

But the Sole doesn’t have a cheap feel at all. While it is fairly plain compared so some other treadmills, the extra bells and whistles are still there. You get a dock for your iPod or MP3 player, which is typically a costly extra in most treadmills. You also get their cushioned deck which reduces impact but doesn’t spring back at you. Something important to note is that the F80 comes with 2 inch rollers, which is one of the reasons it lasts so long. The big rollers don’t spin as often as smaller ones and wear down less, but they still offer quiet and sustained speed.

Of course there’s a fully functional display so you can monitor every aspect of your workout, and you even get controls mounted in the armrests so you don’t have to stretch out to the main console. Weighing in at about 200 pounds, the unit feels solid and the folding deck is great for saving space when you aren’t using it. However, this does mean that the entire deck is only 55 inches which could be a problem for people with longer legs. To be honest though that is only a very minor complaint when you consider just how much treadmill you are getting for your money. The Sole F80 is an extremely competent mid-range unit and boasts enough features to keep anybody happy.

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