Nautilus T518 Review

What the reviewers like:
Besides general praise for its build and reliability, reviewers like how the Nautilus T518's controls are on the handlebars as well as the console. Shorter runners also appreciated this machine's low display height, and users and reviewers like the included programs, including hill repeats and speed intervals. Generally, experts say the Nautilus has the solid feel of a commercial treadmill.

What reviews don't like:
Reviewers acknowledge that the Nautilus T518 is one of the priciest treadmills on the market, but they say it's worth the investment. However, there's a lot of competition in this price range, making it hard for the Nautilus T518 to really stand out.

Nautilus T518 review highlights

With its 60" x 20" belt, 375-pound user capacity and 15 programs, the Nautilus T518 receives good notices from reviewers. This machine has a good 3-hp motor, as well as both a touch and a chest-strap heart-rate monitor. It also has memory for personal training logs. Most reviewers say the Nautilus T518 is a great treadmill. The trouble is that in this price range, there are a lot of excellent treadmills with similar features, making it tough for the Nautilus T518 to really stand out.

We found the best reviews of the Nautilus T518 treadmill at TreadmillDoctor.com and Runner's World, which both perform detailed tests according to well-defined criteria. We supplanted our research with write-ups at About.com, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Unfortunately, Consumer Reports did not include the Nautilus T518 in its recent roundup of treadmills.

Also see full report: Treadmills

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. TreadmillDoctor.com
Nautilus T518 Review
Clark & Jon Stevenson

According to the editors at TreadmillDoctor.com, runners will love this machine, which competes well against models by Precor, Landice and other runner's treadmills. Editors here don't care for the Nautilus T518's ortho belt, but they say "the ability to customize the machine to fit your needs is very nice, if not revolutionary."

2. Runner's World
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Running in Place
Megan McMorris

Runner's World tests high-end treadmills for serious athletes, so its ratings are based on heavy-duty use. In this review, the magazine asked a panel of treadmill experts to share their top picks, then they had 150 runners put the recommended treadmills through a pounding. Users say the Nautilus T518 is "excellent across the board, the deck was smooth and not too bouncy."

3. About.com
Nautilus T518 Review
Paige Waehner

In this article, Paige Waehner (About.com's exercise guide) tries out the Nautilus T518 and gives it perfect scores. Though its price is high, she thinks it's worth it. Unfortunately, Waehner doesn’t compare the Nautilus treadmill to any others.

4. The Wall Street Journal
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Marathon-Friendly Treadmills
Ellen Gamerman
Oct. 5, 2005

This short article lists three new treadmills for serious runners, including the Nautilus T518. The review is interesting, but the three models are neither rated nor compared.

5. New York Times
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Gear Test With Brady Crain, Running Coach; This Workout Offers The Run Of The House
Donna Raskin
Feb. 16, 2006

This short writeup describes running coach Brady Crain's top picks after using five high-end treadmills for a few weeks. The Nautilus T518LC and NordicTrack S3000 are rated best of the five models tested.

Also see full report: Treadmills