Horizon Fitness T202 Treadmill

I did a lot of research both online and in person before making this purchase. I used Consumer Reports as a source. I also went to several sporting goods stores, etc. and actually tried some out --I found this to be the most valuable information -first-hand. I was unable to try this actual model, but the T101 was available and I actually liked it even better than many of the more expensive models, so I was confident the T202 would be what I was looking for. The size is great -not too big but big enough, has the right amount of horsepower. The speakers are not great, but I use a stereo or headphones with MP3 player, so not a big deal for me. My husband had no problems putting it together -TIPS: make sure to have it in the actual room in which it will be used before putting it together -it will probably not fit through the door afterwards. Also, make sure to read the troubleshooting tips -I have found the negative reviews about being "shocked" to be from improper assembly. For the price, a very good mid-range treadmill. So far, I am very pleased. Finally, I chose this brand/model due to its cushioned deck -it was so much more comfortable that the higher-priced brands/models! I would never have known this if I had not tried them out in person -makes all the difference!

The treadmill began shocking people after the 2nd day. The iPod connection stopped working after 2 weeks. The warranty support for this item is a joke (when you call they will say there''s high volume and disconnect you). When I finally did speak to someone, they instructed me to take the system apart (top control board and motor housing), and "look around, tug on all the wires, and see if anything seems out of place". They seem to want to avoid replacement parts and technicians coming out at all cost. Currently waiting a week now for a techician to call and make an appointment.

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The T202 is a nice machine and I would buy again. I''ll point out what needs improvement

1. Like all treadmills I have tested, the percent incline is not accurate. Advertised as 12%, it''s max incline is only 6%. Not sure is this is incompetence or deceptive on part of the manufacturer.

2. It beeps loudly and repeatedly when switched on. Also beeps loudly when changing a setting.

3. Although calories burned are given, there is no place to enter your weight. So this is useless unless you are of the weight they use in their formula.

4. Pulse meter is good. But takes 8 seconds to give correct measure. Before that, numbers are way off; no info should be displayed while correct value is being derived.

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My wife and I so wanted to like this treadmill. We researched quite a long time before taking the expensive plunge in buying this model.

We were encouraged by the mostly positive reviews on Amazon and other sites for this model in particular and the model just under it.

We felt confident in buying from Amazon especially with their return policy.

The unit shipped via a local company quickly, and was arranged to fit our schedule.

Assembly did require 2 people and probably only took us 30 minutes to put it together.

This is where the first issues arose. The bolt threads on the frame arms on the left side were not machined properly so we could only secure the headboard/control panel with 1 bolt on that side and not the 2 or so it should have been.

There was also some shipping damage to the rear of the unit and a plastic cap that protects the right side belt adjustment was broken.

We contacted Horizon Fitness and they were quick to order a replacement plastic cap.

The instructions for operations on the treadmill stated the belt was positioned/centered correctly at the factory but that you had to loosen it up to squirt silicon lube under the belt.

The adjustments to loosen the belt did not work as intuitively as you would think and after playing with it for 20 minutes or so I was able to lube the belt.

We then came to issue 2, trying to recenter the belt ended up being a major headache as well as getting the tension back to factory specs.

The beep when the machine starts up is VERY loud, just be warned.

We did enjoy the deep water bottle cups on the unit and of course the iPhone connection to the unit. Programing for individual people seemed less than user friendly so we initially ran as "guests".

Incline and speed control worked well. The deck seemed cusioned well when we ran, the unit barely moved/shook. And the motor was a lot quiter than I thought it would be although still loud enough you have to turn your TV up a bit to compensate.

We waited several days for the replacement parts and when installed the unit worked for a week or 2 before the motor began to stop randomly.

The first time my wife was running and nearly hurt herself when the motor skipped/stopped.

Finally the motor failed to turn on. We read the help section of the user manuel and it mentioned to check contacts under motor cover as well as resetting the system.

This would sometimes start the unit back up for a few seconds to a few minutes before it would shut off again.

We tried various outlets on different circuits as suggested in the manual, it almost seemed as if the motor was working fine but the power supply/control unit was malfunctioning as it would make an odd and disturbing electric "crack" noise and a led indicator would flicker wildly in time with the motor skipping.

We know this unit came with a manufactor warranty but honestly with this many issues with the primary motor/controller in just the first few weeks we were less than thrilled to try.

Knowing Amazon''s return policy we contacted them and they arranged for the unit to be returned for a full refund.

Finally if this happens to you, good luck. We did not keep the original box after a week or so since it was so big and akward.

Amazon and the company that was scheduled to pick up the unit (same company that delivered it) stated to try to rebox the unit for shipping back.

It took several large boxes cut and frankensteined together with tape and straps to get something around this 250lb beast.

Overall we were disappointed. This was the first major (read hundreds of dollars) purchase from Amazon and even though delivery and return was hassle free, the overall quality of the treadmill is suspect.

We may have received a bad unit but it made us leary of dropping that kind of money on an item like this in the future.

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The shipment received very rough treatment along the way. When it arrived I briefly considered not accepting it because of the beating the box had taken. Sure enough there was some damage. Fortunately it was only to 3 plastic parts the upper and lower plastic that covers the motor and one small plastic piece along the rail. I called the manufacturer/distributor and they were very responsive I was impressed. They immediately sent me replacement parts. I can''t really blame the company for the unfortunate shipping damage.

This is a heavy piece of equipment. You may need help in assembly and movement. There is not much to the assembly however it is difficult in the sense that the bolts are very difficult to screw even with the included wrenches. In one case I had to use my own allen wrench with an small pipe extension. And a couple of them are difficult to get at without laying down on the floor. You need to be patient, take your time and feel free to use your entire vocabulary. The replacement parts were also slow to assemble. Once assembled and ready to move into place the instructions appear clear but in reality are not. It has a built-in easy lift hydraulic strut which allows you to lift up the back of the treadmill and lock it into place. Then you leave it in the locked position and tilt the whole unit back down and it is easy to move. I got my neighbor to help just in case of trouble.

I have used two other treadmills at a training facility. One was a gigantic professional unit and the other was more like a typical consumer product similar to this one. I must say this unit is far and away easier to use than either of the two at the training facility. It has some features that don''t interest me and I don''t use. One is a holder and plug in for Ipod. The other is the ability to program a workout routine. It is extremely easy and intuitive to set and change the speed and incline while using it. It also has a set of handles with built-in sensors to monitor and display heart rate. I checked it against my own chest band heart monitor and found it sort of wanders around 5-10% above or below my chest monitor readings.

Finally, it comes with a small bottle of silicone lubricant which must be used on the platform under the belt that you walk on. I got the job done after placing the bottle in a pan of hot water so I could get it out of the bottle. You have to loosen the belt first (using the supplied wrench) to get some space to stick your hand under the belt to spread the lubricant. Very messy business. I promptly bought a large bottle of lubricant with a spray attachment I hope it works better. Depending on how much you use the treadmill you may have to lubricate every few months.

So, even though it has some drawbacks in assembly, etc as mentioned above It works great. Seems to be well constructed. Very easy to use. I like it.

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