Customer Reviews

Bowflex Series 5 Treadmill

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We live in the country on the great plains. Keeping in shape during
the spring and summer is easy, but when the cold winds and snow start
to blow across the prairie, it is impossible to walk the 2 to 3 miles
that I do during the warmer season. I've wanted a treadmill for years,
I've tried cheaper brands that didn't work or broke after a few months.
This is the absolutely best product that I've ever walked on. I've only
had it about 2 weeks, but have already lost several pounds and my jeans
are getting looser, so I know the inches are coming off. The features
that this machine has is superb! A fan to cool you off, two places for
water or gatorade. For an intense workout, set the incline higher. I do
want to mention, that this is a huge machine, it is not for a small space,
even though it is possible to fold-up the deck, it is very, very heavy,
so it will be great to clean under, but not to store away between uses,
as it weighs almost 300 pds. We also have a bowflex weight machine and
now have turned a small spare bedroom into a workout room, next we are
planning to put a flat-screen tv in there, so that will be an incentive
to not be a couch potatoes and to workout and watch our favorite shows and
movies, and get into shape during the long cold winter. If you do choose
to order this product, and choose free shipping, it will take 3 to 4 weeks
to get the machine. But it will save you around $200 for the free shipping
and well worth the wait.

Well built machine. Sturdy, powerful, quiet. However, we have had issues with the incline. When adjusting the incline sometimes the whole unit just shuts down. We have contacted bowflex to inform them of this problem. They have yet to get back to us...

As was the case in the other reviews (reviews for the other bowflex treadmills), the shippers would only unload the box into the garage. I expected this after reading the other reviews, so this was not a big problem. I found a moving company who would move it to the bedroom for $95. The console was rather difficult to put on with only one person. I finally recruited someone to help me hold it up while I connected the cords and got it into place. Overall, set up was fairly easy. The first problem I found is that the plastic film that goes over the console parts seemed to have melted onto the console. While I did manage to get the plastic off, there is a sticky residue left. The next problem I encountered, after calibration, is that there seems to be a bump or wobble in the treadmill itself. It's not too bothersome to walk on, but it worries me there may be a bigger underlying problem. The final problem is that when I turned on the fan, it started making a very loud rattling sound. The fan doesn't work at all. It sounds like a piece may be broken off inside. It makes a sound like a garbage disposal makes when you turn it on. I've contacted Amazon customer service about the problem. I'll update my review once I see how the resolution plays out. For now, I can't rate this product well because it is filled with defects. Because most of the other reviews have been so positive about this product, I think I must have just received a lemon.

To begin this product is massive, it took forever to get it in the workout room. It was easy to put together though, right after putting it together it seemed to work fine. The very next day i went to use it and it was making a really loud noise, and it turns out the motor is faulty. So now its been 3 weeks and I'm waiting on getting a new motor and getting someone out here to fix the treadmill which is a huge hassle considering this treadmill was brand new when i bought it. I know theres the risk of getting a faulty product, but this treadmill has been nothing but a headache. The Bow flex reps have been nothing but courteous and helpful though.

I bought this machine second-hand sight unseen. I didn't realize it was so huge and heavy, but it is sturdy, so that was okay. Everything seems to work fine except the heart rate. The guy I bought it from didn't have the booklet any more, so everything has been mostly trial and error figuring out how to use it. Since it is discontinued, I can't find a user guide online for it. When I put my hands on the handles, it says, "hr." and flashes that until I take my hands off. Other than that, it's a good machine. Anyone know how I can find out about the heart rate montitor?

Not really the quality you expect after all the adds on TV. Didn't get what I paid for but made overseas. Would not buy again.

We bought a Bowflex 5 series treadmill and used it pretty often for about 22 months. It has a nice wide tread, is quiet, and has the features we wanted.

Then we got an Error Code "SAF" and it died. Apparently it thought the safety harness was unplugged, something we never used. Nope. Turns out the electronics were fried. (It took a week to get a technician) 12 month warrentee on electronics means we can pound sand for some additional exercise. We have had the board on order for about 2 weeks and no word from Bowflex on when we might get it even though it was 'in stock' when we ordered it. In stock in China maybe? It was about a $250 piece of electronics and we still get to pay to have it installed. A 'certified' installer is about $120 to walk in the door.

Long story short: buy something else. We spent pretty good money on what we thought was a brand name (we did the research...) and now we are in the dead of winter... with a dead tread...for a month+... and hoping--- hoping! to pay 1/4 of it's new cost to get it to work, because a 'feature' we never used broke.

Overall my wife and I are happy with the treadmill.

The build quality is good, and is very stable when I run (180 lbs). The unit is HEAVY.

The fan is noisy and doesn't move, so unless you're the perfect height it doesn't help. After keying in the program on the right keypad, you have to hit start on the left. Minor issue, but weird that it's not on the other side with all the other buttons.

Oh, and I get shocked whenever I touch the side rail. If you walk, and are holding on, it's fine. But, when you let go for a while and then touch, it sets you back on course.

Overall I'm glad we got it.

Aesthetically pleasing, easy to use, and convenient. It's heavier than it looks, but that just makes it sturdy. Great product overall.

So far I love the treadmill!--well worth the money--very easy on the feet--fan to cool you as you walk--digital readings for heart-distance-ect.---great investment--as always I love dealing with Amazon--they are the best!