Sole F83 Treadmill (2009-2010 Model)

by Sole

Product Features

• Features a 3.0 horsepower motor and lift-assist to easily fold
• Includes grip pulse monitoring and a heart rate chest strap
• Six standard programs, six user-defined programs, and two heart rate programs; speed range is 0.1-12 miles per hour
• LED display tracks your speed, incline, time, distance traveled, calories, pulse, and pace
• 375-pound maximum weight capacity; measures 33 by 78 by 58 inches (W x L x H) when assembled; folds to 70 by 45 inches (H x D)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Rated every bit as high as Sole's F80 treadmill but with a step up in power and size, the F83 treadmill is a great fit for serious workout enthusiasts. The F83 boasts a powerful 3.0-horsepower, continuous-duty motor, which delivers a wide speed range of 0.1 to 12 miles per hour and inclines of up to 15 percent. The club-style tri-color LED display, meanwhile, includes a message board for clear instruction and feedback, while also tracking your speed, incline, time, distance traveled, calories, pulse, and pace. There's even a 1/4-mile track feature that you can follow as you run and a peak-and-valley graph that corresponds to individual programs. And when you're not using the treadmill, it folds into a compact footprint and locks securely in place, thereby saving a ton of storage space.

The F83 is outfitted with a host of additional user-friendly features, including six auto workout programs, two custom programs, and two heart rate control programs for cardio or weight loss. And users with creaky joints will love the Cushion Flex treadmill deck, which is built to protect your knees from excessive pounding, with the ability to reduce impact up to 40 percent compared to running on asphalt. Other details include armrest incline and speed controls; a large 20-by-58-inch running surface; a wireless chest strap that measures your heart rate; and armrest cooling fans. The F83 treadmill, which offers a user capacity of up to 350 pounds, carries the following warranties: lifetime on the motor, deck, and frame; five years on the electronics, belt, and rollers; and two years on the labor.

Specifications:

The F83's LED display will track your speed, incline, time, distance traveled, calories, pulse, and pace.

• Assembled Dimensions: 33 by 78 by 58 inches (W x L x H)
• Folded Dimensions: 70 by 45 inches (H x D)
• Motor: 3.0 horsepower
• Speed: 0.1 to 12 miles per hour
• Elevation: 0 to 15%
• Deck: 1-inch Whisper
• Two-ply Belt
• Running surface: 20 inches wide by 58 inches long
• Roller: 2.75 inches
• Fold-up: Easy Assist Fold
• Pulse Grip
• Heart Rate Control
• Heart Rate Chest Strap Included
• Display Type: LED
• Six-Window Display
• Heart Rate graph
• Track Display
• Audio system
• Accessory tray
• Six Standard Programs
• Two User-Defined Programs
• Two Heart Rate Programs
• Twelve Quick speed/elevation buttons
• Speed/Elevation in Handles: Yes
• Built-in cooling fans
• Weight capacity: 375 pounds

Manufacturer's Warranty
Motor - lifetime, deck - lifetime, frame - lifetime, electronics/wear components - 5 years, labor - 2 years

About Treadmills
Walking is still considered one of the most beneficial cardiovascular exercises for people of all ages, body types, and fitness levels. As a fundamental form of aerobic training, walking has numerous physical benefits for the heart, lungs, and circulatory system, while also increasing muscle tone and burning fat calories. Treadmills provide a convenient way to regularly exercise in all weather conditions in the comfort and safety of your own home.

From beginners just starting an exercise regimen to advanced athletes looking to maintain their fitness level, anyone interested in getting and staying in shape can benefit greatly from regular use of a treadmill. Treadmills allow you to determine the pace, distance, and complexity of the workout based on your needs, all while watching television, talking on the telephone, or reading a magazine. Much easier on sensitive joints like the knees and hips, treadmill walking and running surfaces are typically long, padded platforms that allow ample room for a long stride and comfortable, low-impact walk or jog without the harsh contact of a concrete surface.

While many different types, styles, and price ranges of treadmills exist, many of them offer unique features like a fold-up design for easy storage, an electronic display monitor showing speed, distance, workout time, incline level, and burned calories, and EKG grip pulses to monitor the heart rate while exercising. Regardless of the simple to complex features you may choose, treadmills offer an array of aerobic exercise opportunities that will provide long-lasting beneficial cardiovascular results without a commute to the gym or a jog in the rain.

About Sole
Sole brings over twenty years of treadmill and fitness product design and manufacturing to the table in their line of innovative equipment designed for fitness-conscious people. The company's treadmill line is simple in design, with an emphasis on quality and warranty all at a great price. Sole's easy-to-use treadmills offer a great value and feature a convenient, space-saving portable design. The treadmills have a very stable base with four wheels for ease of movement, folding decks to conserve space, and a 30-year motor and lifetime deck and frame warranty. Sole is always looking for ways to make their equipment better, more efficient, with higher quality at a great price.

Product Description

Rated every bit as good as the F80 treadmill but with a step up to more power and electronic features. Next in the folding series, the F83 treadmill upgrades to a club-style Tri Color LED display with message board and a higher output 3.0 Cont. Duty HP motor. Use the Heart Rate Control to view your pulse on the treadmill console and watch as the treadmill makes adjustments to incline?making sure you stay in your target heart-rate zone. It uses the included wireless chest strap that touts a 99.9% accuracy rating.

Plus, enjoy the workout variety of six auto programs or two customizable programs including two heart rate control programs for cardio or weight loss. Other features include a Cushion Flex treadmill deck, arm rest incline and speed controls, a 1/4-mile track display, wide, commercial-sized belt and low-profile running hood.

The treadmill console is user friendly with a vibrant display that includes a message board for clear instruction and feedback. The information that is displayed at all times include Speed, Incline, Time, Distance Traveled, Calories, Pulse and Pace. There is also a 1/4 mile track feature and a Peak and Valley graph for different programs.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 299 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B001G60YI0
• Item model number: F83-09
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,726 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific treadmill, November 26, 2008

By 

A. Weist "drsimnal" (Indy) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sole F83 Treadmill (2009-2010 Model) (Sports)

The Sole treadmills have been very highly rated by many sites. I discovered this fact during extensive research I conducted when I decided to set up a "work out" room. I wanted to buy quality equipment but not pay premium prices just for a brand name. Sole treadmills sounded like the best "bang" for the buck. I got the F83 because I wanted a folding model. The F85 is their top of the line, but I'm the only one who'll be using it, so I felt I probably didn't need the bigger motor (3.5hp compared to 3.0 in the f83) for my purposes (I am by no means a runner). Now, I ordered mine directly from the Sole website, but for the same price that I found on Amazon. It is shipped by a common freight carrier. I ordered it at the end of October. It was just delivered yesterday, so I waited nearly one month to get it.

I'd like to point out that anything you order that is the size of this treadmill will almost certainly come via a freight carrier. Which means it will take a long time. Now, I paid extra to have them take it off the back of the truck and carry it into my house. The delivery was a nightmare, as they came over 6.5 hours late and were reluctant to drive their semi into my neighborhood....but that is not the fault of the manufacturer. It's just that one doesn't get to choose a freight carrier and it's not like I could pop over to a post office and pick the thing up myself. It's massive. Anyway, it comes in a very, very large box. The deck with the belt is already assembled. You just have to attach the two arms that extend up, attach the computer console and finally the bar across the middle that the drink holder sits onto. Really pretty simple assembly, except that the treadmill is very heavy so be sure to assemble it somewhere where you have plenty of room to maneuver around it.

Once assembled, it's a nice piece of equipment. I played with the speed and incline. It's very smooth and pretty quiet. It has two fans that you can tilt around at the top of the console, though they aren't strong enough to really cool you down. It comes with a chest belt for heart monitoring. I have a polar watch, so I was wearing a polar transmitter and it picks it up too. I haven't tried all the programs, but the manual goes through them all and is fairly helpful. When you're ready to stop, you press the stop button and the incline lowers and the belt slows down gradually for you...it's nice not dealing with an abrupt stop that might catch you off guard. Folding/unfolding is really easy. You lift up the deck at the back..it's not very heavy to do..and it locks in place. To unfold it, you push the tread deck forward with your left hand and use your right to pull a lever. It does not crash down...there is a self lowering process that gently lets the deck down. I'll get some pictures of mine up in a few days. I'll update in a few weeks after using it for some time. But so far I'm very pleased with it.

Update:1/1/09
Well, I've been working out now since around November 1st. I have a bike, elliptical and this treadmill. Since I started my program I've lost 30 pounds. I was totally out of shape at the beginning. I still have a ways to go, but really enjoy my cardio workouts. I use the treadmill every 2 to 3 days; I find my joints do better with the non weight-bearing equipment for daily use. This treadmill is really terrific though. I typically do a manual program and change the speed and incline to keep my heartrate where I want it. I have done the "fatburner" program once and the HR controlled program once. I just like being the one to control what I'm doing. I love using the fans on my face. The pockets on the console (one on left, one on right) hold a lot of stuff, including water bottles and remotes. I don't have an MP3 player, so I've not used that feature. This treadmill has definitely met my expectations and I really love it. I expect I'll use it more and more as I continue to lose weight and become more fit. I've done some very light jogging on it and feel it is very comfortable. I'm very pleased with my purchase and continue to feel it is a "5 star" product.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Reviews Are Right! Highly Recommended!, February 1, 2009

By 

R. Johnson "Software Architect" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sole F83 Treadmill (2009-2010 Model) (Sports)

This is a great treadmill! It just arrived two days ago and I'm very impressed with the build quality. The motor is smooth and the display looks sleek! It's also very solid and quiet. There's no difference running on this this treadmill vs. the $5000+ treadmill at the gym.

One thing, if you are 5'10" or shorter, go ahead and save some money by purchasing the F80. The deck on the F83 is a few inches longer but it really isn't worth the money - unless you are 6' or taller. I ran full stride on it and there was plenty of room behind me.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Treadmill with minor kinks, August 13, 2009

By 

Scientist "eugene_p" (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sole F83 Treadmill (2009-2010 Model) (Sports)

First of all, this is a great treadmill. It looks great, rock solid when running, very quiet and with just perfect amount of cushioning (gotta believe that it has 40% less impact on joints than running on asphalt).

I actually ordered F80 directly from Sole Fitness. I was trying to decide between F63 and F80, but the better ('whisper') deck (which is really quieter than on F63), warranty, and larger motor made me choose F80. I was surprised to see F83 delivered instead. It was quite nice because I am over 6 ft tall and extra 3 in of the deck is quite good for me. The only other difference is the heart rate % on F83 console, which is not that important. Oh yeah, and F83 is a bit heavier.

Talking about weight, it IS heavy. However, I was able to move it with my friend from garage to the basement (unpacked, of course) with no problems. However, if we had to go upstairs instead of downstairs, it would be much harder. Assembly took about 45 minutes. Those clip nuts are really bad idea, but they worked. All holes aligned just fine. However, my treadmill wouldn't turn on. What a disappointment (read more on Customer Service below).
Now that it works, I love it. Very quiet, smooth. A huge motor which you don't even hear.

A couple of minor issues are:
1. Heart-rate programs HR1 and HR2, while turned on indicate the same thing that they are for weight loss even though HR2 is supposed to be Cardio. Not a big deal because of issue #2.

2. Heart Rate programs will never be used by me. I tried HR2 and I gave up after 5 minutes at speed of about 2 mph (and no, this is not the warm-up, which I bypassed). The programs are so careful as to not to overshoot your target heart rate that they start toooooooo slow for toooo long. On the other hand, using HR2 button as an Autopilot to keep you current heart rate constant worked just fine. So, if I want to use HR program, I would reach my target rate with another program or Manual and then press the Autopilot button.

3. I wish the unit had a couple of buttons to store user info such as age and weight for a couple of users, so you don't need to enter it every time. Although it does remember the previous value entered (you still need to press Enter after it shows it to you). Also, I wish it remembered the maximum speed for each program used in the previous runs just as with age/weight (I have to press UP button too many times each time I choose a program to select higher speed).

4. The console had a little crack at the bottom (under the STOP button) and the middle part of it was scratched (a lot of micro scratches) during shipping due to packaging - the console had to be wrapped with a plastic and it wasn't.

As for some of the complains with Sole treadmills about speakers and fans...the fans are not strong but still they are good for keeping your sweat from dripping all over the treadmill. I ran once without the fans and the sweat was all over. The speakers are not your home-theater-quality speakers. But they are fine to use for 30 minutes while running.

Now about my experience with Sole Technical support (or should I say Spirit Fitness, which actually makes these treadmills for Sole?). I got a call back the next day I reported the issue. The tech said that it is either the console or the harness that is defective. It was Friday and he said he would take it to the shipping warehouse and it would be shipped the same day. On Monday I called and he said it wasn't shipped and he didn't know why. However, he would not do anything else because he did his job: he took the package to the warehouse and his job was done. On Tuesday I called and he said "it seems to be shipped" but no tracking number. On Wednesday I called and he said "it WAS NOT shipped". So, I had to talk to his manager, who promised to find out and call back. Never called back, of course, just as the tech, whom I asked to call back with the tracking number. So, it was finally shipped on Thursday. However, as it turned out, my unit was not defective. One cable near the motor was disconnected (probably during the shipping) and I didn't notice it first when I looked for the problem there. The tech didn't even ask to look there. Anyway, I am glad I got the new console as it was not cracked or scratched as the original one that went back.