Sole F63 Treadmill Review About the Sole F63 Treadmill Sole has earned the reputation of building quality treadmills using the best components, the F63 holds true to this even at a lower price. At this price point, Sole manages to add a 2.5 continous duty horsepower motor that delivers a top speed of 10 MPH. It also provides an incline at 15% which is 5% more than the average in this price range. I really like the Sole treadmill, not only for it's quality and durability but also for one of the best, if not, the best warranty for this price range. Check out the warranty: You simply won't find a better warranty for this the F63 treadmill for $1,000. The Sole F63 is considered the best buy in it's price range. Let's take a closer look at the Sole F63 Treadmill and find out if it's the best buy and what kind of grade it receives. Direct Competitors - Vision Fitness T1450 ($999); The Sole F63 is a mid sized, folding treadmill. For the price, this is one solid treadmill. The size is a little larger than most in it's class. Take a look at the Smooth 5.25 and the Vision Fitness T1450 sizes: Vision Fitness: As you can see, the Sole F63 is pretty solid. Generally, a solid and sturdy treadmill will be a bit larger and will weight a little more to provide a solid base in which to exercise on. I will always pick a heavy duty treadmill to a light one. The tread belt is the largest in it's class. For the price point, your not going to find a larger tread belt than the Sole F63. Does the size of the tread belt make a difference? It makes all the difference in the world. A longer tread belt means a more expansive stride and can accommodate taller users. A fantastic plus for the Sole F63 since it can accommodate the most expansive stride. You don't have to worry about running out of room with this treadmill. Speed/Incline Control Compared to other treadmill models in this price range, such as the Smooth 5.25, the motor is pretty much at the top end. Most other models in this price range come with a 2.0 continous HP motor. The speed of a treadmill motor makes all the difference in the world. Anything lower than a 2.0 motor, and depending on your fitness levels, a good hard run might burn the motor out. That's why it's important to have a solid treadmill motor in place. The Sole F63 out powers most of it's comptetitors in terms of it's motor. It's interesting that the Sole F63 has a 15% incline. The highest elevation I could find in this price range went up to a max of 12%. At higher inclines, you are going to be provided with more intense workouts resulting in more calories being burned. The final result? More fat loss. Again, the Sole F63 outperforms the competition. Display/Console I really love the layout of the console. Check out the console below.  You get all the basic readouts that come with most treadmills in this price range. What I really love about this layout is the track feature. If you look close enough at the console image, you can see the track inside the screen and this gives you an indication of how much distance you've covered. Absolutely lovely! You won't see this kind of feature on any treadmill in this price range. The console is all state of the art push button technology. Of all the consoles in this price range, this is my favourite layout. There are only 6 programs on the Sole F63 treadmill. I would love to have seen more programs, specifically a heart rate training program. However, this is pretty much a standard package on top treadmills in this price range. Both, the Smooth 5.25 and Vision T1450 have 6 programs each. I like the fact that the Sole F63 comes with user defined programs. This features is usually only available on high end treadmills. Nice to see it here. Durability This treadmill should hold up for individuals over 200+ pounds, even at the highest incline and at a brisk running pace. Sole is a reputable company and the warranty states that. I have complete confidence in Sole's component parts and construction process. Heart Rate Monitor There are contact pulse pads on the treadmill plus a wireless chest strap. The features on the Sole F63 keep getting better and better. No other treadmill in this price range offers a wireless chest strap. What is the advantage to a wireless chest strap? You don't have to interupt your exercise by trying to hold onto the handle bars to get your pulse. With a wireless chest strap, you keep on walking or running without compromising your exercise session. However, the only downside is the Sole F63 doesn't come with a heart rate training program. That feature would put this treadmill completely over the edge. This warranty is top of the line. The only warranty that's better than the Sole F63, in this price range is the Smooth 5.25 Treadmill. Smooth's warranty for the 5.25 Treadmill is the best in this price range. That warranty has the following warranty: But than again, the Smooth 5.25 is $200 more expensive than the Sole F63. What does Sole's warranty say to me, as a consumer and exerciser? It says, we have all the confidence in the world in our product. This warranty is top of the line in this particular price range. A quick word to any exerciser looking for a treadmill for home use. The very first thing you should do is look over a companies warranty information. If you see a weak warranty, don't even bother looking at the product because it simply reflects the quality of the treadmill. A strong warranty on the other hand speaks volumes about the quality of the product. A company with confidence in their product gives me, as a consumer, the comfort in knowing that their product is a solid one. Price/Cost Effectiveness Actual price minus taxes is $1,338. Now, you don't have to go with the in home set up but beware, the curbside delivery is just that, curbside. They will simply deliver the F63 to the curb and that's it. I strongly recommend you get the in home set up because it will get done right, the first time. I don't care if you order Lifefitness' top commercial treadmill, if you set it up wrong, your going to end up with a peice of junk ($6,000 peice of junk!). Always go for the professional set up! In terms of the Sole F63's price and value, your not going to find another treadmill quite like this one. It has an expansive 55" tread belt that can be used by anyone, regardless of height and leg length. This length is one of the longest in it's price range. The F63 is a solid treadmill, weighing in at 245 pounds. It's one of the most solid treadmills you'll find at this price range. The motor is powerful at 2.5 continous horesepower. It's one of the most powerful motors in this price range. The console is beautiful and all necessary programs are in place. The warranty is also top of the line and you won't find a better one, besides Smooth's 5.25. All in all, the absolute best buy in the $1,000 to $1,300 dollar range. Treadmill Rating A+ To purchase the Sole F63 Folding Treadmill, click here.
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