Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Pertinent info up front...I'm an ultra-runner, so I run a lot. I weigh about 150lbs and will run anywhere from 5 to 20 miles at a time for my daily runs. I prefer to run outside, but when the weather doesn't cooperate I hit the treadmill. This Lifespan is the first treadmill I've owned, but I've used industrial treadmills at the gym for decades. When I initially began shopping for a treadmill, I was inclined to purchase a StarTrac or LifeFitness industrial machine. I was willing to spend a lot more than I did on the LifeSpan TR4000i. I was lucky enough to find a local store that specialized in higher-end cardio equipment so I was able to go in and try numerous different machines. I immediately liked running on the TR4000i. The deck felt very solid and smooth--no bounce. The noise level was low. It gave me the sensation of running on the road (which I find desirable). The control panel and electronics seem to be solid; much more so than lower-end treadmills with cheap, flimsy plastic housings. Basically, everything seems well made on the device. I didn't want a folding treadmill and after placing the machine I haven't used it. I'm actually surprised that the folding feature hasn't compromised the feel of the deck (but it hasn't). The speakers work fine, but I don't use those either...just easier to wear earbuds or have the TV on. There is no built in fan, which I believe is a plus--my experience is those break quickly. I prefer just using a floor fan. The cup holders on the treadmill are wide and deep and actually hold stuff in--I normally keep a TV and DVD remote in one, while keeping a sports bottle in the other. Many other treadmills have poorly designed cup holders, often just leaning bottles next to the panel. LifeSpan got it right. Also, the treadmill has a place to put a magazine or book (with anchor points for pages), but this will cover up the display--no different than what you'll find on most treadmills. I do not use the built in training programs on the device so I can't comment on them. I have played around with uploading the run data on the USB to the Interactive Health Partnet (IHP) website and found it of marginal value. It would be awesome if they'd develop that feature, but it is barebones giving you minimal data (e.g. run time, distance, steps, heart rate). To IHP's credit, they do let you sync data from Garmin Forerunner devices, but again, once imported the data is stripped down. For example, you cannot see splits, cadence, etc....just very basic info. One positive comment about IHP--I had a problem uploading my data so I emailed them and they were very responsive and helped me. A couple of other minor notes--the Heart Rate Monitor for the treadmill isn't Ant+ or Polar compatible--so your Garmin & Polar HRMs won't register on the device (and therefore won't be recorded on the USB). I'm using a Garmin paired with a footpod & HRM to capture my relevant data so I can get cadence and splits...works fine (when uploaded to SportTracks or Garmin Connect). The treadmill also takes about 20 seconds to attain speed upon commencement of exercise; this is a safety feature...some folks often prefer a quicker start (I consider this a non-issue). Once you're running at pace, however, speed changes are very reasonable. Some features of the device aren't explained well in the manual, e.g. using the USB stick to record data. If you run a manual run, press stop on the machine (which merely pauses the workout) you can then remove the USB and upload it. However, if you keep the USB device plugged in and officially "end" the run by resetting the workout, all data on the USB is lost. Again, a minor annoyance regarding a feature of marginal value to begin with...the point is that some of the ancillary features of the USB implementation aren't well thought out. All that said, the mechanical components and construction of the TR4000i seem to be very high quality. I'd recommend this machine to folks who run anywhere from 30-80 miles weekly. If you run less, then get a lower end machine. As an avid RUNNER, I don't personally want a lot of bells & whistles on a treadmill. I just want a device that feels very comfortable, isn't loud, is safe, and is solid. The TR4000i has met all my requirements and I'm personally very happy with it.