Customer Reviews

Merit Fitness 715T Treadmill

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have had this treadmill for about a month. Setting it up was fairly easy and only one of the pre-drilled holes was not aligned perfectly. It was off just a tad so I had to work the screw a little more to make it go in. The treadmill is the most basic model this company carries, but they are very well known for high quality.

Pros
-VERY quiet
-excellent, smooth walking experience
-light weight (about 100 lbs) compared to others
-solid, quality product
-4 preset programs
-incline
-foldable
-the front handles are ideal for placing a board across so I can surf the net (2 mph) or watch a dvd (3 mph) while I walk.

Cons
-probably best for walking instead of running.
-The on button is in the front of the unit, low, where the motor is. It's a pain to have to turn it off and on everytime I want to use my treadmill. When I leave the on switch "on" it beeps at me every 5 min. to remind you to turn it off. I have never tried to keep it off for a long period of time to see if it will go into sleep mode or somthing like that. So it has to be powered down every time you use it.
-incline is manual (you have to get of the treadmill to adjust it by hand)
-the mph is in .5 increments. I prefer to be able to go up .1 or .2 at a time.
-no hydraulics when folding it up. If you drop the platform while trying to fold it, watch out, it will come crashing down and can cause harm. This is one area they should not have cut back on. Too much liability. I keep the platform down at all times so it is not an issue. However this can be a serious issue for an older person or someone who has children.

Overall I am very pleased with the product. I had to give up some of the extras to afford a quality machine. You could spend the same amount of money for something with a lot of bells and whistles, but you might end up with a loud, clunky machine with a belt that always goes off center all the time. That is a description of my last machine.

Update: It has been almost a year and I am still very pleased with my treadmill. I have not had to adjust the belt, it is not making any weird sounds or losing parts. It is still as reliable as the first day I got it. I actually have run for short periods of time and it works well with that, but I'm small (5'0 woman, healthy weight) so it may shake, rattle and roll with a large 6'0 man.

This machine is exactly what I was looking for. It is low cost, yet high quality. Having a treadmill comes in very handy this time of the year when it is just too cold to go outside. I walk/jog for about 30 minutes per day on my 715T and have not had any problems. The features aren't overwhelming, and it has the prefect amount of programs for me.

Only had this machine for about 4 months. The motor is speeding up for no apparent reason. The company will not honor the year warranty on the motor. They expect me to pay for a repair person to come to my house to find out whats wrong. This machine should be on recall because it is very dangerous. I am 68 years old, and I am scared it is going to throw me off. I do not recommend buying this machine. Cheaply made for the price. Save your money for a better machine.

I bought this for my mother and I knew she would only be walking slow on it.It has a decent size belt and it is fine for her.This would not be very good for anyone expecting to run on it.It is simply not built for that.She really likes it.I tried it and it is fine for walking.

This is the best treadmill you can buy for the cost. I wasn't sure what to expect from a lower cost treadmill but this thing has exceeded my expectations. It is sturdy and well built, the motor is relatively quiet and has a very comfortable surface. You have to adjust the incline manually and there is only 4 training programs but for the price of this thing the extra features aren't missed. If you are looking for a great treadmill for a good price without all the bells and whistles , this is the one you are looking for.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a good piece of equipment for the price. I have had it for about 3 or 4 days but I find that it is easy to use, easy to fold up and easy to move out of the way even on carpet. It was very easy to assemble and the instructions were clear and easy to understand. Would recomend for anyone who wants to put together a home gym without spending an arm and leg.

I bought this for my wife, but both of us have been using it! Really easy to operate -- one touch start. The speed goes up in increments of 0.5 MPH, so beware if you are pace-setting that you may not be able to hit your "perfect" time. Surprisingly quiet compared to the $1,000 treadmills at the gym. The manual incline doesn't really incline all that much, but it is good enough. Be aware that although it does fold up (a huge plus), it folds up into an angle (in other words, the base isn't directly straight up). Folded up it uses about 2 1/2 -- 3 feet of space. The treadmill requires assembly. Be prepared to spend about 2-3 hours assembling if you are doing it yourself (yes, it can be assembled by one person). But, note that the treadmill ways over 100 lbs, so if you are taking it upstairs, grab a friend.

2011.06.09 -- update
I have now had the treadmill for 2+ years. It has moved with us to an apartment and then into a house and it still runs flawlessly. I have literally no complaints about the product at all.

I recommend this treadmill for its price and performance. It is very sturdy, and because it is not too big, you can easily maneuver it. However, the speed increments is 0.5 miles/hour, and sometimes that step is too big.

Overall, it was a good product for its value.

This treadmill is really flimsy. Not solid at all. After several months the platform broke and there is a loud creaking when stepping on it. The motor is also clicking. It's still working and in use but next time I will spend more money up front to get a better quality machine.

By the way, I am only 150lbs. Do not recommend...

The speed increases are in 1/2 mile intervals. It's easy to keep count of calories burned, miles and time elapsed. The space itself is good enough for running, I've done as much as 8mph but any further it seems that I would need more space. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this product.