Sole F63 Treadmill – High Quality at a Great Price
The Sole F63 Treadmill is the least expensive of the Sole Fitness folding
treadmills, but having said that it does come with some great features only found on more expensive machines. Sole has been in the fitness equipment design space for a while now, and their machines reflect that experience.
Motor
Rated at 2.5 HP continuous operation, so it has sufficient power to suit the vast majority of users. People who are on the heavy side may wish to look for a machine with a more powerful motor if they are seriously into running.
Deck
The belt is 20” by 55” which is reasonably generous for this style of entry machine. Again, it will suit almost all users; although those with a longer stride may find it too short. The speed range is 1 to 10 mph, and up to a 15% incline.
It is fitted with larger 2.5” rollers, which are not normally seen on lower cost units. Larger rollers mean less component failures over the life of the machine. The belt is good quality for this price range, and if treated with care will not give any real trouble.
Sole have added a 1” phenolic deck to minimize joint stress during an exercise program by providing some shock absorption.
When it comes to making adjustments to the tread belt tension and tracking to correct for normal wear and stretching, it is a very simple adjustment via two 6mm Allan bolts. This can be undertaken by anyone. All treadmills require periodic adjustment, so this is nothing unusual.
Controls
One of the really nice things about this machine is it’s possible to adjust the speed and inclination using controls on the actual hand grips as you’re exercising. Ten out of ten for this feature alone! It has a straight forward ‘Quick-Start’ operation that is safe and predictable.
The unit supports one Manual program (P0) and five Preset programs (P1-P5). The display will prompt for changes as it is set up, or you can just press Start to use the factory pre-set values. All very straightforward. It also supports two User Defined programs. These take a bit of time to set up, but once completed can be saved away for ongoing use.
The console is also fitted with cooling fans. They’re nothing brilliant, but they do the job. It also has provision for an iPod via a plug-in and built-in speakers. Sound quality is passable from the speakers, to say the least. The console display is easy to read, and uncluttered.
Heart Rate Monitor
It is possible to use a wireless heart rate monitor chest strap with the Sole F63 Treadmill to enable continuous hands free monitoring. Again, a feature found only on the more expensive machines.
Folding
Has a solid and reliable folding/locking arrangement. I found that slight forward pressure on the deck was required before operating the unlocking lever to allow the deck to be easily lowered to the floor.
Weight
The unit comes in at a beefy 245 pounds weight, but it is rated for up to 325 pounds user weight, which should cater for just about everybody.
Assembly
The F63 Treadmill requires a six step assembly; and it is pretty straightforward so that almost everybody should be able to complete it easily. Average time to assemble would be about 60 minutes. Compared to a Bowflex Treadclimber, this is a walk in the park!
Warranty
Sole Fitness offer a first class warranty, which is lifetime on motor, frame and deck. Parts and electronics are covered for three years, labor for one year.
Best Price
At the time of writing, you can get the following incredible deals.
Amazon.com
Sole Treadmills
– $999.99, but in addition they’ve got this great promotion going at the moment where you don’t pay any Sales Tax on Treadmills (Except for Utah).
Both Amazon and Sole Fitness offer rock solid money back guarantees, so there’s not a lot of risk here.
Either way you’re going to save yourself serious money, as the list price is $1849.00.
Verdict
“We did a lot of research on treadmills and this one was the winner. From our research we were able to find that Sole is higher-end manufacturer of treadmills, so that was a plus.”
K. Towle (Amazon.com)
The feedback on Amazon to date reinforces my verdict that it is a sturdy, value-for-money exercise unit that will give years of trouble free operation. I’d give it 4.25 stars.
One last thing. If you’ve never used this style of exercise machine before, always make sure that the safety tether cord is attached securely to your clothing. If you start to lose it, the tension on the tether cord will immediately stop the unit.
I hope you found this Sole F63 Treadmill Review helpful. I don’t think you can go too far wrong with this unit.
Have fun!
