Buying a New vs Used Treadmill: The Cost Differences Explained

Treadmills are an amazing tool for exercising and getting in shape. Cardiovascular exercise is the best way for nearly everyone to burn calories and lose weight. Not all of us current or future runners are made of money though.

This is where buying used workout equipment comes into play. A used treadmill is one of the easiest things to find on the internet as far as work out equipment goes. People buy treadmills all the time in hopes to lose a few pounds before the beach and then never use it.

We are going to provide you the tools to find and purchase your own used treadmill. Finding a diamond among the rough can be extremely rewarding and oddly easier than you’d think!

What Affects the Cost of a Used Treadmill?

There are many obvious things that change the cost of a used treadmill such as the brand and where you’re purchasing it. There are also a lot of other factors that you can watch out for to see if you can get a cheaper version of the model you want.

A Manual Treadmill vs. an Electric Treadmill

What affects the cost of a treadmill the most is if it is manual or electric. When you’re buying a treadmill, the first thing you think of is the one that you’ve seen or used at the gym. Not all treadmills plug into the wall and get going on their own though.

Manual treadmills require effort and they are effectively a belt on two wheels that will rotate as you walk or run on it. If you see a treadmill that costs less than a couple hundred dollars, it is most likely a manual treadmill.

If you want a nice treadmill like the one at the gym, you’ll want to ensure that the treadmill is electric before you make a purchase.

Maximum Speed of the Treadmill

Treadmill speeds vary and the maximum speed has a huge impact on the cost. Not every treadmill is for a sprinter, so this means that some have lower max speeds than others.

The speeds on cheaper treadmills can range from 8mph (12.9kph) to 10mph (16.1 kph). If this isn’t fast enough for what you’re training for, you may need to find a faster treadmill.

More expensive treadmills top out at 15mph (24.1 kph). These will cost you a bit more,  but if you’re looking to train for maximum speed, it may be necessary to increase your cost to gain more speed.

Some Assembly Required

Surprisingly you can get a treadmill that isn’t fully assembled! This can decrease the cost if you’re willing to turn your treadmill into a DIY project.

It can also save you a bit of money if you want to receive the treadmill unassembled. Transporting a fully assembled treadmill can cost a bit more money because it requires a larger truck to move.

Is it functioning?

Another one that you might not think of is if it is running or not. If you think you’re handy, you could actually buy a broken treadmill and put in a new motor or belt and be on your way.

If the treadmill is not functioning, you can get it for a fraction of the cost. Motors are the most expensive replacement at $2-500, but if it is just a small belt or even the largest belt, you can get a nice treadmill for only $50-200 in repairs.

If the owner doesn’t know what’s wrong, then you could be taking a gamble. You can also resell the broken treadmill though if you aren’t able to do the repairs yourself, so there could be no risk to you!

Quality Difference Between Used and New Treadmills

We could discuss the quality of treadmills all day with you if we’d like. A lot goes into the current quality of a treadmill, and you can get one that is lightly or heavily used. The quality is what will determine if you made a great buy or a less than great buy.

The main things that go wrong with a treadmill are the belt and the motor. You can get a treadmill that says it’s going 5 mph, but in reality, it’s only going 4 mph. This is indicative of a failing motor and that the treadmill is heavily used.

You will want to ask the current owner or company you’re buying from about the current state of the treadmill and how long it has been used. It may be worth negotiating the price if it is heavily used because replacing a motor or other parts can be costly.

Questions you’ll want to ask to test the quality are fairly straight forward. You can ask if you’re able to plug it in and see how it runs before buying it. If they say no, this can be a bleak sign that you might want to walk away.

Other great questions are: is it making any noise that is louder than normal, does the treadmill have any damage or missing parts, or how many years has it been used. Being able to assess the quality of the treadmill will give you a lot of power in how much it is actually worth. No one wants a piece of equipment that is on its last leg.

Use a Reputable Vendor

I cannot stress enough that working with a reputable vendor is paramount to choosing a great treadmill. Most people will stop by garage sales, Craigslist, or other auction sites to find the cheapest deal possible.

Cheaper isn’t always better. There are boatloads of reputable vendors out there with hundreds of reviews and sales. These are the people you should buy from.

If you have a specific price range and the more popular vendors aren’t falling within it with any of their models, you should consider increasing your price a bit. Treadmills can last decades if they’re taken care of, so purchasing one good one is all you may need to do.

Purchase Used Equipment and Save Some Money

All-in-all if you know how to shop for used equipment, you can strike gold and find the right piece of equipment for you. Try to find a model that fits all of your minimum workout requirements and then hunt down a used treadmill.

If you want to access one of the largest stores for used exercise equipment, you can always visit our site to hunt one down. Feel free to ask any questions or bring up any concerns you have with the equipment, and we’ll get you moving onto your next big goals.