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Reebok S 9.80 Treadmill - Full Review - 12/09/2008
We could not bear outdoor running any longer in this cold season, so we decided to do our part to urge on the economy by plunking down some cash for a treadmill. Since there was not much information online about the Reebok S 9.80 Treadmill, we will try to write as much as we can about this product and point you to the best links available.
First things first, we are runners here at Forum Gym. With that in mind we needed a sturdy treadmill (think 3 CHP/HP Motor). On the other hand, there is nothing in the world like the joy of running outside, so we did not want to spend an arm and a leg on something we were only going to use in the winter. With those factors and a budget in mind we did what any good online shopper would do and started looking online for reviews. We found the best review information in the best buy section at a website called The Treadmill Doctor. We figured that anyone who called themselves a doctor in a subject must know a thing or two about treadmills. The reviews were fun, fast and friendly and we encourage you to stop by the website.
After looking through the best buys at the Treadmill Doctor, we narrowed down our selection to 2 treadmills. It would either be the Reebok S 9.80 at Sam's Club for $693 or the NordicTrac Commercial ZS at Costco for $999. Each were best buy winners, but we ultimately chose the Reebok S 9.80 because it had two major features we wanted (discussed later), was smaller and easier to negotiate / lift down a flight of stairs, and the price was lower. If you are interested in the NordicTrac Commercial ZS at Costco, be sure to check out this forum over at Runners World. They really say this is a great treadmill at this price point. Do note that nearly the same model in previous years was called NordicTrac Commercial 1500. It is also worth noting that both of these treadmills are built by a company called ICON Fitness who produce quite a few of the treadmills at or around the consumer level price point.
Okay so on with the review...the two primary features we needed were a nicely cushioned deck and a powerful motor. With regard to the cushion, all we had to go on were the Treadmill Doctor's reviews and he gave both treadmills we were looking at a 7.5 (high) rating in this category. As for the power, we were happy to see that the Reebok S 9.80 had a powerful 3 CHP motor. This is probably the minimum any serious runner should consider. When considering CHP vs HP, CHP stands for Continuous Horse Power. The Continuous tells you the ongoing horsepower the treadmill will provide with the maximum weighted person on the treadmill (325lb for this treadi). So we are definitely good with power. For the record, Dr. Treadmill gave this treadi a 7.5 power rating and said it had a beast of a motor. We were ready to buy!
When we went over to the local Sam's Club we told the lady up front that we needed to visit the Service Desk because we were not members at Sam's Club. After she pointed us in the right direction we made a few dekes and head fakes and darted straight toward the treadmills to have a look at the thing. Upon first look we were happy to see that it looked sturdy, professional, and the box was small enough for two people to carry. When we headed back up front to buy the treadmill, we paid the $693, state taxes and the $40 Sam's Club Member Fee...oh well, maybe we can go back and buy that 10,000 Cheese Ball Canister later this year when we get tired of the treadmill. We did not add a warranty because we were satisfied with the lifetime warranty on the motor and frame and we are aware of the liberal return policy for broken items at Sam's Club. Additionally, we paid with our credit card so we should be okay if anything goes totally wrong.
Once the we got the treadmill home, two people took it apart in the garage and carried the deck and parts down a flight of stairs with no problem. This is a treadmill where it pays to break it apart in a roomy garage (others are not). The carry was quick and it was tool time. It took one person about 2 hours to put together the treadmill. However, this job would have been safer and quite a bit faster with 2 people. Most treadmills require two to four people to carry and put together, so I would call this a benefit to the smaller treadmill. As far as the building process goes, I would call it handy and hard. Handy because ICON does a nice job setting you up for success with ties, cord rope lines, and instructions to walk you through the process. Hard because it takes some strong hands to manipulate the provided Alan wrench in some tight situations. Generally, we stink at putting things together but the finished product was definitely worth the effort.
After standing back to look at the beautiful finished product it was time to give the treadmill a spin. We put on some running gear, hooked up the plug in to a surge suppressor (as guided), and flipped on the switch. The first test run was for two miles at varying levels and speeds. The first benefit we noticed was that this baby flies. It is really quite fast at even the 6/half level (10 min / mile). The 12 degree incline system worked great. The buttons on the head plate were extra large and the digital statistics were useful and fun. We love the little turning road. Two things that really surprised us were the loudness of the MP3 speakers and the powerful little fan. We also liked the big cup holders. There was no treadi wobble or rattle during the test run and the running deck was as cushioned as advertised. Lastly, the treadi was actually much quieter than we expected. It was as quiet or quieter than comercial models at the gym.
As for things we are unsure about...there was a slight, unexpected belt noise that we think might go away with a little wear. We also noticed that if pushed, the frame / head plate will sway a bit more than a commercial model. I guess this means no monkey business on or around the frame. We also thought it was a little harder than it should have been to wrench the face plate on to the side rails, but this might be where two people would have saved the day. There are some running programs built in and an iFit Personal Trainer apparatus (no cartridges included). But we are really not interested in these things since we listen to music/podcasts while running on manual modes.
Overall, we are extremely happy with our purchase after a few short test runs. The Reebok S 9.80 is fast, powerful and soft! It is really all that we needed and more for inside running. We agree with Dr. TM's Best Buy Rating and encourage anyone interested in a great treadmill for around $700 to pick up this treadi! Here is a direct link to the Reebok S 9.80 if you want to buy it online or read the full product specifications. As a final note, we did not discuss reliability, rather we plan on coming back from time to time to provide an updates on our experience with this product in the comments portion of this review.
Keep running!
E & C
Your Friends at ForumGym.com
Update: 12/17/08 We have put about 10 miles on the treadmill. The slight sound has subsided which is good. There was one time during the longer run that the machine shut off. Admittingly, we were using a multilpe surge supressor chain (like one for computers) when the directions said to use a single surge supressor with lights and specific minimum code specifications. I went over to Ace Hardware and picked up a single surge supressor. I completed a three mile run with no problems. Keep in mind I am no electrician, and the problem could be the wiring in my house. At any rate, you should make sure to get the correct surge supressor since the directions indicate a shut down could hurt your machine or worse cause a treadmill injury. Overall, we are still extremely please with the Reebok S 9.80 treadmill. It really is a horse of a machine in a small package.
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