True Treadmills ReviewedTrue treadmills have received some noteworthy praise and impressive reviews recently. They have forged a reputation for ultra quiet operation, stability and cushioned feel. In a recent Runners World article (December 2002), the True 540 HRC was rated the overall winner in a strong field containing 11 other brands. It received top marks for the control and display panel and came a close second for cushioning and stability. Runners World are not the only independent assessor to speak highly of True. Tennis Magazine (2001), Men’s Journal (2001) and Men’s Fitness (1999) all have good things to say about True treadmills. Categorized in the higher price bracket True’s residential treadmills (as opposed to their commercial machines) start at around $2000, with their top end models weighing in at over $5000. True treadmills come in five series… True 400 Series Consisting of two models (with and without heart rate monitoring) this is True’s lowest priced series. Still a high quality machine however. True 450 Series True market this as their space saving range. Machines in the 450 series are built with the same quality components as the more expensive True treadmills only with a smaller running surface. True 500 Series This is perhaps True’s most popular range. Similar to the 450 series only with a larger running area. True 540 Series The premium series from True that was featured in the Runners World review. Large motors, generous running decks and excellent reputation. True 550 Series New for 2003 this series of True treadmills offers enhanced programming over the 540 series and an even bigger running surface. A prestige treadmill with a hefty price tag. The warranties on True treadmills are quite good with 5 years cover on the motor, tread belt and running deck. Labor is covered for one year on most models. There are brands that outperform True in this area however… Smooth and Keys offer 10 years on most of their treadmills and are priced similarly to the 400 series. As you move above towards the $3000 mark there’s strong competition from Landice who offer a lifetime guarantee. Overall, in the premium class, higher end True treadmills rank favourably alongside the likes of Precor, Landice and Star Trac. Their more competitively priced 400 Series has some strong competition in the $2000 price bracket...
True Treadmills to ConsiderFinding True treadmills online proves to be quite difficult. There are one or two little known sites that sell older models but the large, well-established fitness stores don’t stock them. You are best sticking to an offline dealer if you want a True treadmill (use the dealer locater at truefitness.com).True 400 HRC Treadmill
Motor Size: 2.75 continuous duty
True 450 HRC Treadmill
Motor Size: 3.0 continuous duty True 500 HRC Treadmill
Motor Size: 3.0 continuous duty True 540 HRC Treadmill
Motor Size: 3.0 continuous duty True 550 HRC Treadmill
Motor Size: 3.0 continuous duty The quality of True treadmills is unquestionable but you may need to consider some lower priced alternatives. Two good starting points are Smooth and Keys who offer outstanding warranties and also rank highly in independent reviews. Of course when you are spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars it’s worth doing all the research you can...
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