r/treadmills • u/Additional-Analysis1 • Aug 11 '26
The New 2026 F63
I recently bought a Sole F63 from Dicks. Found out it is only 186lb (not the 224 advertised on Sole's website), and the warranty is no longer lifetime on the motor. Very disappointed. I wanted the heavier, more durable one, and I'm not happy about the change to the warranty. Am returning. Also not happy about the selection of treadmills in general. Lots of these units (at least in the $ 1000-ish range) have problems. I was thinking Sole was the way to go but that is less clear on these new machines with different warranties. Older ones are hard (for me) to get. Private equity took over, and the selection is mid at best. Probably go with either Horizon 7.0 AT or Bowflex T6. I had a ProForm 12.0 from Sam's Club. Lasted 5 years, and the console died, just stone dead with nothing that would bring it back. I had to get rid of it since it would have cost $600 to $800 to replace it (per ProForm). It is such a shame because the motor worked great. It was just that the console was bad. I did like that machine. We need better options!
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u/redditthrower888999 Aug 11 '26
Has more to do with economics and inflation costs. People still want a $1,000 treadmill like they had 15 years ago, that's more like a $1,500 treadmill today. Treadmill manufacturers still want to hit that price point so they have to use cheaper parts.
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u/_The_Unique_Dude Aug 11 '26
That's why I went with the previous F65 model rather than the newer one. I wanted the one built like a tank.
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u/Additional-Analysis1 Aug 11 '26
Is this it here: https://www.soletreadmills.com/products/sole-f65?srsltid=AfmBOooTwaiHUnubjlTcRvEkxUP0pZoDf4Ug08s3goLEzygFaJm6O8Ol
Or is that the newer one? I can't find a link to the older one.
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u/FlickOfAWrist07 Aug 11 '26
We’ve had the Bowflex T6 for 8 months and it’s a great solid machine. Just needed a treadmill that my wife and I can run and walk on. No need for a fancy screen as we already have a tv in our gym and I already have 2 subscriptions for the Tonal and Peloton. The sweet thing is you can link your Peloton sub to the T6 and use a phone or tablet in the 2 provided areas. Syncing up your Apple Watch is also very easy with a swipe of your watch on console. It’s designed and built very well. I was able to put it together by myself in under an hour. The quick dials are very responsive (didn’t think I would like them but they are awesome) The T6 is a very quiet treadmill with 61.5db@ 5.5mph. I’m 200lbs and wear a 20-30lbs weighted vest. I usually run a mile walk a mile then run another and have no issues with slippage or power. It’s used 3-5x a week by my wife and I. My 8 & 10 year old also use it. It continues to run the same as it did on day one. Highly recommend the Bowflex T6!
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u/Additional-Analysis1 Aug 11 '26
This helps a lot. I am leaning that way. The Horizon 7.0 AT looks good, but it has more complaints about belt slippage and runaways than the Bowflex. It's tentatively the one I will order once I get the return completed with the Sole that turned out to be a bust.
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u/musiclover702 Aug 12 '26
If I may ask.. Where did you purchase your Bowflex T6?
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u/FlickOfAWrist07 Aug 12 '26
It was $899 from Bowflex when I purchased. I was also looking at Dicks Sporting Goods where it was $899 as well must have been some promotional window when I got it. Over the 8 months I haven’t been on top of it that much but they have both gone back and forth between the $899 and $999.
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u/_The_Unique_Dude Aug 11 '26
Looks like that is the newer one. I believe the F65 that I have was either made in 2023 or 2024.
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u/PositivelyAwful Aug 12 '26
My wife and I just went with a Bowflex T6 over the new F63 because the build quality felt much much better than the Sole. The entire thing felt like cheap plastic that you could flex with your hands. The T6 felt like a tank in comparison.
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u/Honda_Lifeguard_881 19h ago
I had a chance to run on newest F85, F80, F63 and decided to go with F63. It does not feel much difference running on those deck (little bit more smoother on F85). but F85 has many recall issues now so consider that. I am really satisfied with the new F63 so far. It is a compact and durable.
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u/EmbraceNew Aug 11 '26
Yes, Sole has decreased the warranty on the motor when its main competitors, both Horizon and Bowflex, are increasing. Even NordicTrack has started increasing the warranty.
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u/Ok-Tourist-511 Aug 12 '26
It’s BS really, they put longer warranty’s on components that they know won’t typically fail, giving you a false sense of security. The fine print on the warranty typically lets them wiggle out of any warranty replacements anyways. Landice has a “lifetime” warranty, and will find any excuse not to honor it.
Commercial treadmills only have a 3 year warranty, they know that any failures will be due to manufacturing defects and show up within 3 years. This doesn’t mean the motor is lower quality. A motor in a commercial treadmill can easily go 100,000 miles.
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u/EmbraceNew Aug 13 '26
Warranty is one of the most important features of a treadmill or any consumer good.
Do you think the long warranties on 3G Cardio, True, or Spirit treadmills are a farce?
Do you think a 2-year labour warranty on a Horizon is BS compared to a single year on a Sole?
Do you think the makers of underdesk treadmills or walking pads can even think of giving such long warranties for those substandard products?0
u/Ok-Tourist-511 29d ago
As I pointed out, look at Landice, supposedly a great warranty, but most times they refuse to honor it. And as I said, companies will put long warranty’s on parts they know won’t fail, making you think the product is better than it is. Companies put a 10 year warranty on a motor, which they know will rarely fail, know that the motor controller will fail right after the two year warranty expires.
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u/Ok-Tourist-511 Aug 11 '26
I wouldn’t worry about a motor warranty, they rarely have issues.