30 Second Summary & Outline
The SOLE F80 is a high-value but sturdy treadmill option for your home gym. It includes a strong motor, is easier on the joints than road running, and has a simple console that’s easy to use while giving you different training options. For runners or just someone who has the space and budget for a treadmill in their home, this treadmill can be the affordable option you are looking for.
The rest of the article includes:
Choosing a Treadmill for a Home Gym
Introduction
Treadmills are a commercial gym standard. Except for niche gyms like weightlifting, powerlifting, and Crossfit gyms, nearly all other facilities feature a cardio section with treadmills. Even those specific gyms will sometimes have treadmills as well. Gyms that are severely lacking in equipment will often still possess a treadmill.
With treadmills being so common, they have not been a popular option for home gyms (at least those that also include a strength setup). The simple answer is that they are big and expensive, and if you want to run, you can easily run outside.
With so many options and the higher price tag, it can be tough to pull the trigger.
Nevertheless, there are benefits to having a treadmill in your home gym. Suppose you are getting overwhelmed by the options available. In that case, the SOLE F80 might be an option that is not only affordable but also durable enough to handle bigger runners for long distances, with a few issues to talk about as well.
Choosing a Treadmill for a Home Gym
Benefits
The benefit of having a treadmill in your home gym is being able to run at any time (day or night), which is huge for people with families, jobs, and other life responsibilities. We, as home gym owners can appreciate having the freedom to train safely whenever we need to and not be controlled by weather, daylight, running paths, or schedules.
A treadmill can be a game changer if you have a busy schedule and are into endurance training. Scheduling your long runs can be less challenging now that you can jump on and run from home anytime in the day or night.
Safety is another benefit to bringing a treadmill into your home gym. Outside is great, but running at night can be unsafe for various reasons. If you have concerns about your spouse running at night, a treadmill can be a safer option for you and your home gym.
If you like running or the benefits that running gives you, then a treadmill may be a worthy investment for your home gym.
Why motorized?
Treadmills can be separated into two categories: motorized and non-motorized (motorless). Non-motorized treadmills are a relatively popular choice for a home gym, but motorized treadmills will support endurance training better than their motorless counterparts (like the Trueform Trainer).
Being able to control your pace over a long period and run at a lower effort will be better for building endurance.
Motorless options will also likely be quite a bit more expensive than this option.
Commercial Grade
A term thrown around with cardio equipment a lot is commercial grade. What does it even mean? Is there a true definition?
The commercial-grade “stamp” indicates that a piece is intended for a retail setting. It means that it is going to withstand a lot of use from all types of people. It also implies that the build is higher quality than others (steel instead of plastic parts).
Commercial grade can mean many things, but it gets thrown around a lot and can get pretty gimmicky. Ashton has a ton of experience with commercial equipment. His company buys up a ton of it from gyms and resells it from his store. When chatting with Ashton from Freedom Fitness Equipment, he gave the following bullets on what you can expect when you hear the term ‘commercial grade.
- The biggest differentiator between residential grade and commercial grade is that commercial equipment is meant to be used in commercial settings, more importantly, used and “abused” in commercial settings, like commercial gyms, where the treadmill could, on a bad day, be getting used 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means most of the components of these machines will have higher horsepower motors (3-5HP generally), whereas residential grade will have lower than 3hp (generally).
- Commercial treadmills generally will withstand a minimum of 400lbs of body weight, with some going as high as 500lbs (residential is usually lower).
- Commercial treadmills will have increased power requirements, requiring 20amp outlets instead of the traditional 15amp outlets for residential treadmills. This allows the treadmill to keep up to commercial environment demands and use.
- Commercial treadmills are bigger, heavier, and usually in the 400-500lb range, with residential treadmills being (normally) significantly lighter (even fold-up construction). More metal components, including beefier hardware and parts to withstand the pounding of a commercial environment.
- Commercial treads (the surface you run on) is generally larger than most residential treadmills, allowing for a better and more spacious running surface.
- Commercial treadmill belts are generally 2-3ply (meaning 2-3 layers on the tread/running surface) and will last longer under heavy use, whereas residential treadmills are generally 1 ply and would shred off in a normal commercial environment within months.
- Warranty side note: commercial treadmills also come with actual commercial warranties (this is somewhat important, as something might say “commercial grade” but won’t come with the requisite warranty) that will apply to the treadmill in a commercial setting for 5-10 years, and cover labor costs (from the manufacturer) to replace parts.
To summarize: don’t fall for companies throwing around the term commercial grade, but look for some of the above-mentioned qualifiers. Things like a high-powered motor, something that can withstand a lot of weight, a heavier machine, a wide running surface, and a quality tread that won’t wear as quickly.
Which treadmill do you pick?
There are so many treadmills on the market, and some of them are just plain bad. If you have been to a small commercial gym or a hotel gym and have been on a bad one, you know that some are just unable to support real running.
So how do you go about choosing?
Social media can be a great tool. You have access to professionals all around the world. When we were looking at SOLE treadmills a certain hybrid athlete stuck out; multiple world record endurance athlete who goes by the name ‘The Bulk Piny’ and uses the hashtag #bicepswinraces: Hunter McIntyre.
Hunter has a home gym and trains for endurance events at a ‘heavyweight, and he does it on a SOLE treadmill. We reached out to him via Instagram asking how he liked his treadmill and he had this to say”:
“I love it. It’s simple. Not the greatest but affordable.”
An affordable treadmill for the home gym, that can get the job done. It also works for a 200 lb+ athlete who runs a lot.
The SOLE F80
SOLE has a large catalog of treadmills. The F-line of treadmills is going to SOLE’s intermediate line of treadmills. They are reasonably priced and are built well enough to take a beating. SOLE phrases it like this: “high quality you would find at a gym, in a treadmill for your home”.
The Features
The F80 has a lot of features, but without being overwhelming.
Motor and Speed
The F80 has a 3.5 HP motor. If you do a search on sufficient treadmill motors, anything above 3 HP is usually recommended. From the first run to the last, the motor has remained consistent and strong. During long slow runs, short fast runs, and interval runs the motor has never struggled. This includes over 3-hour runs.
The F80 has a max speed of 12 mph. That’s a pace of a 5:00-minute mile. It moves in increments of .1 mph, and it does so relatively quickly. The console has preset speeds and inclines built in so you don’t have to move 1 increment at a time. You can jump up speeds and inclines quickly and easily with a touch of a button.
Running Surface/Deck
The deck of the F80 gives you a 22″ 60″ running surface. They also call it a “Cushion Flex Whisper Deck” that is supposed to absorb 40% of the impact from running in comparison to running on asphalt. It is unsure how they came up with that number, but the deck is easier on the joints in comparison to road running.
The deck also inclines. The treadmill goes from a flat running surface and can move up 15 levels to a steep running surface. While inclined the treadmill remains sturdy, and you are able to run at incline comfortably.
This treadmill is more heavy-duty than other residential options, and it is still able to be folded up. It is easy to fold up as well as to let down. When it is folded, the wheels allow you to easily move it. The release lever can be used with one hand to unfold the treadmill, and it lowers slowly. There is no need to touch the treadmill as it lowers to the ground.
The Console/Display
The console has a 9″ screen. It also has speakers where you can hook up your audio and a fan. The speakers can be used via Bluetooth or with an aux cord. There is also a USB charging dock. Features like the speakers and fan are a nice thought, but if you have your own options they may be something that you use instead.
SOLE sends you a chest strap, and the treadmill has Bluetooth so you can get your heart rate reading on the screen, as well as heart rate monitoring handles to get readings throughout workouts. The 9″ screen gives you basic readings, but does not display video like some others. For that you can use a personal device and the device holder that is positioned above the screen for holdings things such as phones or tablets.
Additional Features
The treadmill comes with plenty of storage space. You have two storage/drink combination storage areas on each side of the console as well as areas underneath. There is also a phone/tablet storage device that fits above the console. The tightening aspect of this device storage is great for holding devices securely while working out.
The handrails are heavy and rubber-coated. They are also equipped with speed and incline controls. This makes adjustments easy when working out rather than reaching up to the console when you’re fatigued.
For safety, the treadmill has a tether cord for a quick kill if you ever need it.
Cost
The cost of the F80 is affordable when compared to other ‘commercial’ grade treadmills. It is currently priced at $1,700 with financing options. SOLE offers free shipping. The treadmill is delivered in a single box strapped to a pallet. We will also talk about buying these treadmills used, and if that is an option you should explore.
Assembly
The treadmill (when shipped from the company) comes on a pallet. The deck comes strapped down, and the arms and console will need to be assembled. The deck is heavy and will require help moving around. The entire unit weighs just under 300 lbs and most of that is in the deck.
The assembly is pretty basic. The step-by-step instructions are simple to understand and follow.
The plastic cover for the bottom of the arms gave some issues. In assembling two of these treadmills, these pieces were difficult to assemble each time. Other than these small parts, the treadmill was an easy ‘build’.
The plastic sleeve that goes on the bottom of the arm for aesthetics is an issue to get screwed in. The screw that is used is extremely small, and where it goes in is high in an indent of the plastic where only a screwdriver will fit. You need to place the screw on the screwdriver, without looking put the screw up in where it needs to be screwed (no predrilled hole) and punctured the plastic while screwing it in. It can be pretty frustrating.
From start to finish the treadmill can be set up and ready to use in about an hour with a single person.
Testing
Before giving any information, the treadmill has been used and abused for around 5 months. The treadmill has been used 4-5 x week and has seen over 400 miles. It has been used by a larger (6’2″ 200+ lb) runner as well as a 130 lb female.
Throughout all of the training, the tread has never stuck or stuttered while in use and has performed the same from day one. It does well from walking to sprinting at full speed. While on the incline, the treadmill remains extremely sturdy through walking as well as running. The machine has done well with short 10-minute warm-ups, all the way to 3-hour distance runs.
From time to time there are some noises at the beginning of some runs. This started after the first two months and does not happen all of the time. When weight came down on the treadmill it would creak. It only lasted for the first couple of miles of running. It was not very loud at all, and certain parts may require oil throughout use. The noise seemed to be coming from the joints of the treadmill and not anything that had to do with the motor.
There is also some mechanical noise when the treadmill goes into an incline. Once the treadmill hits the incline, the noise goes away.
Through all of the miles that have been put on the treadmill, the tread would start to get pushed toward one side of the deck. By intentionally putting opposite pressure on the tread you can work it back into place.
As part of the maintenance of owning a treadmill, every 6 months (depending on use) you are supposed to loosen the tread and oil the deck. There are many complaints about getting the tread tightened evenly. If it is not tightened even or tight enough it will cause issues when using.
These issues were very minor and did not have any effect on the overall experience.
Our Opinion
If you are looking to add a piece of cardio for your home gym, a treadmill should not be on the top of your list unless you know it’s what you’ll ultimately use the most. There are so many other, more affordable, and effective ways to bring cardio into your space.
If you are looking into a treadmill because you are a runner, or you are at that place in your home gym where you have the budget to bring in specific items, then this is a good option. It has enough features to satisfy your training, and for other features, you can add SOLE’s training app Studio.
Would You Buy Used?
It is no secret, that a lot of people buy treadmills and then end up selling them because they didn’t use them. Avoid this by first really figuring out if a treadmill is right for you. If it is, it may be worth checking out the used markets.
If you find a treadmill on the used market, we have some things you should look for. For this advice, we asked Jay from “MyFreeHome” on Instagram. Jay has been buying and keeping/flipping used gym equipment and has dealt with a lot of treadmills.
Here’s what he had to say. Things to avoid would be bad motors, boards, and bad treads. Always check the miles to get an idea of how abused they may have been. Things like hand grip buttons he says are easy to replace don’t let those stop you from buying.
As far as his opinion on the F80 (which he currently owns):
“I’ve had no problems with it, and it feels the same as commercial ones we’ve used. It’s definitely on the higher end of residential without going too crazy.”
Conclusion
The Sole F80 is a well-priced treadmill that gets the job done. It has some neat features but isn’t anything too fancy. It does well to support long-distance running, as well as short warm-ups. The durability of the treadmill has held up to larger runners, and the ability to fold it up makes it easy to save space in a home gym. If you are someone who would benefit from a treadmill, the SOLE F80 is a pretty basic option that should fit your needs.
Comments