The Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill Review – Best Buy at $4000

Ohiyo!

One of the things the Treadmill Sensei is most often called to task on is the current lack of Landice reviews on the website. Of course, most of the people chastising me are Landice dealers and are looking for the sales boost a Treadmill Sensei review will give them (I even had one retailer send me a rather upset note because I dared to give another treadmill a higher rating than a Landice – How dare I?!). With the quality of mid-range units like Sole, Bodyguard and the fantastic Lifespan treadmills, and the downturn of higher end sales, I just haven’t seen the need to review too much on the higher end of the price spectrum that Landice occupies. There just aren’t a lot of people looking for $4000 treadmills right now so the Treadmill Sensei focuses on what his readers (that’s you!) want to learn about.

This week, though, about 10 emails came in here at the DOJO asking about Landice treadmills and their quality. So, in response to my readers (that’s you!), I dusted off my notes for a Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill review from a unit that came in a few months ago.

The low down on Landice Treadmills is this: Landice has been around for over 35 years, making them one of the oldest fitness manufacturers specializing in treadmills only. They produce some excellent, high quality equipment on the upper end of the market ($4000+ for most of their treadmills). The downside of the way they brand their units is that a few very shady individuals use their model structure to sell you the exact same unit, under a different name, at a higher price. If a dealer “upsells” you from a residential to a club model, for instance, you’re getting the same exact unit but with a lesser warranty because the club unit is meant to go in to a commercial setting (commercial warranties are generally shorter term than home warranties because of their higher level of use). This is not through the fault of Landice at all, but don’t get fooled by “used car salesman” masquerading as specialty fitness dealers.

Recently the DOJO received in 3 Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmills to be installed at a Los Angeles area recovery center for plastic surgery patients. It was a high end facility used to dealing with movie stars, sports stars, political figures and the super rich, so having a set of Landice treadmills in their workout room was a natural fit for them.

All Landice L7 treadmills share the same motor, frame, deck and so on, with the only real difference being in the treadmill’s console. You get the same ultra solid steel construction frame that supports a maximum user weight of 400 pounds. The L7 Cardio Trainer treadmill will not shake or bounce during even the hardest of running or marathon training workouts. Add in the large 20″ x 58″ running area and you have a runner’s dream treadmill in the making.

The huge, US-made 3 horsepower motor holds up just as well. I believe the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer treadmill has one of the largest 3 horsepower motors available today. Those things are giant, cool running, geared to run at low RPMs and pull low AMPs even when running at the upper end of capacity. If you keep your motor dust free and have a mat under the treadmill then this motor has a great chance of lasting for 10-15 years or more. Landice has done an excellent job with their motor selection on the L7 Cardio Treadmills and their treadmills in general. One thing you never hear about in a Landice treadmill is motor slippage.

The last thing I want to talk about is the shock absorption and belt on the Landice L7 Cardio treadmill. Landice has been making these treadmills for a long time and have had the time to perfect their cushioning system. It comes in two parts, the 4 ply belt and their “VFX” system. I have no idea what “VFX” stands for but it is one of the most comfortable cushioning systems available at any price and makes the Landice units heaven to run on. I’ve got the standard knee and ankle problems that come with a lifetime of running and playing tennis, but I absolutely love running on a Landice. A normal treadmill workout for me is around 45 minutes in length. However, when I have access to a Landice I often find myself running for an hour or 90 minutes without realizing it.

The Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill, with its painfully long name, is my #1 pick from Landice. It has the optimal combination of features and price to make it one of the best treadmills around and a best buy at $4000. For being a treadmill that makes my bum knee feel good, the Treadmill Sensei gives the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer Treadmill 5 out of 5 Golden Buddahs.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com