

The treadmills we’re going to compare to eachother today are the Nordictrack Commercial 1500 and the Sole F65.
These two treadmills are priced at $1,299. They are both very high sellers in their brands, and top competitors in the price class. Let’s check out what they’ve got under their belts…literally.
The Motor on the Nordictrack is great. It’s a 3.25 CHP motor which is very impressively large and powerful for this price. It has a lifetime warranty on it, and operates pleasantly quiet and smooth. The speed adjusts just fine from 0 – 12MPH. It doesn’t bog down at all when you go really slow or fast, it seems to be right on track with the speed. The Sole F65 has a 2.75 CHP motor. Sole makes great motors, but with the difference in size, this one isn’t as good as the Nordictrack for what you’re paying. So, as far motors go, the Nordictrack’s is bigger and better.
Both have a 350 lb weight limit. The frames on the treadmills are both strong and sturdy. They aren’t made with welded frames, which is a downer, but their nuts and bolts design works sufficiently. The running surface on the Nordictrack is 20″ x 60″ with a good 2-ply belt. The belt makes very little noise on the deck, and has a grippy texture. It uses Quadflex Cushioning which means it has 4 airshocks on both sides to cushion your landing. It works well for cushioning, but doesn’t quite pop your back foot back up like some other cushioning systems. Those are great. The Sole’s treadbelt is just as strong and quiet, but they took off 2″ inches from the end for some reason. That won’t really matter to most of us, but some people really like a those last few inches.
The Nordictrack is able to go down to -3% decline and up to a 15% Incline, it can reach up to 12 MPH. It uses 1 touch speed and incline controls along the sides of the console which is nice. The Sole can reach up to 15% incline as well, and 11MPH speed. The Nordictrack has larger 3″ rollers than the Sole’s 2 1/2″ rollers. The Console of the Nordictrack looks slick, and has great functionality and technology utilizing Ifit Live and Google Maps. The Sole’s looks and feels outdated and doesn’t have near the features or technology built into it. Both consoles have a music port for Ipods or MP3, and have built in speakers to play it. I’m not sure why anyone would rather run with those crumbly speakers rather than just wearing headphones, but to each his own I guess. Unless you’re using the speakers with the built in workouts, with personal trainers training you through them, they’re not great. There are much better ways to listen to music. Both treadmills fold up, and both have backlit LCD screens for their screens.
Here’s a little comparison table:
- 3.25 CHP motor
- 20″ x 60″ 2-ply belt
- 350 lb weight capacity
- 12MPH
- -3 to 15% Incline
- 8″ backlit display
- Ifit Live
- 24 built in workouts
- QuadFlex Air Cushioning
- Fold Up w/easylift assist
- 8″ fan, ipod/mp3 port, speakers
- lifetime frame and motor warranty
- 5 year parts, 2 year labor
- 2.75 CHP motor
- 20″ x 58″ 2-ply belt
- 350 lb weight capacity
- 11MPH
- 15% Incline
- Small Blue LCD screen
- No Ifit
- 6 built in workouts
- Shock Absorption Cushioning
- Fold Up w/easylift assist
- fan, ipod/mp3 port, speakers
- lifetime frame and motor warranty
- 3 year parts, 1 year labor
My my. Well, since the Nordictrack Commercial 1500 is pretty much better in each aspect, and has a better warranty, and costs the same I would have to say that the Nordictrack Wins over the Sole F65! Good Game.
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