Sole F85

January 2009. Five different professional review sources pick the Sole F85 as a best buy. TreadmillDoctor.com bases its pick on quantifiable expert ratings, while TreadmillSensei.com relies upon the reviewer's experience installing and repairing Sole treadmills. TreadmillTips.com, Treadmill-Ratings-Review.com and About.com do not mention testing the Sole F85 themselves, instead basing their opinions on other reviewers' tests and on the treadmill's features.

For tall or frequent runners -- who might be too demanding for even the top-ranked Sole F80 (*est. $1,500) -- reviews recommend paying an extra $250 to step up to the Sole F85. It adds a more powerful 3.5-horsepower motor and a longer 60-inch running surface to the Sole F80's award-winning list of features. The F85 also goes faster (12 mph versus 11 mph) and can handle a heavier user (400 pounds versus 350 pounds) than the F80. Experts can't find much fault with the F85: They say it's quiet, sturdy, folds easily and includes an impressive warranty (lifetime motor, deck and frame; five years electronics, belt, rollers and labor; and two years in-home service). However, one reviewer points out that Sole is a young company that hasn't established a reliability record. In this price range, reviewers pick the Sole F85 more often the slightly cheaper Bowflex 7-Series (*est. $1,330) and the slightly less powerful LifeSpan TR3000 (*est. $1,500), as well as the highly rated Smooth 9.35 HR (*est. $2,000) and PaceMaster Gold Elite Fold-Up (*est. $2,500). If you plan to run hard on your treadmill every day, experts recommend an even heavier-duty machine such as the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer (*est. $3,300).