Hi There !

I need to buy a commercial treadmill (new, used, or reconditioned) for
a health club.  The treadmill should be able to hold a person who
weighs 500+ pounds.  The treadmill itself needs to weigh at least 450
pounds.  The motor will probably be ~4 horsepower with a peak of ~8
horsepower.  These commercial treadmills appear to retail between
$5,000 and $10,000.

The only models I've found thus far are the Super Tuff Treadmills. But
I know there must be other models.

A 5-star answer would be 5 treadmills (from 5 different manufacturers)
that can handle a 500-pound person (or five 100-pound people.  heh 
heh  heh).

All comments greatly appreciated!

Thanks.
ron

Wow, Ron, y'all live large in California. Most of the commercial
treadmills that I found have user capacities of 350 to 400 pounds.
Here are seven heavyweights that you may want to consider. Each is
capable of handling a 500-pound user:

======================================================================

"Landice treadmills have over 35 years field experience in the
harshest club environments. The 'Club Series' represents the
culmination of this experience. Using the latest in engineering
technology, uncompromised materials, and old-fashioned American
craftsmanship, these treadmills offer the features and dependability
today's high volume health clubs demand...

L9 Club Series Highlights... 
500-pound user weight capacity"

Iron Company: Treadmills
http://www.ironcompany.com/Treadmills.htm

======================================================================

"Super Tread Commercial Treadmill ST-4600 is available as a Standard
model, Programmable model, or Programmable w/Heart Rate model. The
commercial treadmills in the Super Tread ST-4600 Series are technology
driven treadmills for clubs and medical use. The Super Tread ST-4600
Series offers a 600 lb. user capacity.... and they're Made in the
USA."

Beyond Moseying: Super Tread
http://www.beyondmoseying.com/super-tread-treadmill-st4600.html

======================================================================

"Superior Health Club Quality for an Affordable Price! New Generation
Back-Lit Liquid Crystal Display of the type currently used on lap-top
computers. One of the Best Treadmills on the Market Today! Price
Includes Shipping in Contiguous United States!...

700lb capacity linear actuator motor providing a savage 12% incline." 

Fitness Scape: Cateye T-220 
http://www.fitnessscape.com/116.html

======================================================================

"7HP 500 lb Capacity NEW 2004 TREADMILL...

New and Improved for 2004 with a 2nd contact heart rate EKG monitor on
the handgrips, an Unbelievable 500 lb. user weight capacity (higher
than any other treadmill on the market), and enhanced graphics on the
flat screen computer."

eBay: CardioZone Club Max HR T
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15280&item=3692739604&rd=1

======================================================================

ZTX Commercial Treadmills...

850 ZTX SERIES FEATURES 

. 5-Year Parts Warranty on High Performance S-Drive? Motor and Motor
Controller System
. 3-Year Parts and Labor Warranty - Including normal wear and tear on
all other parts
. Widest Treadbelt in the Industry - 23" 

...Weight Capacity 500 lbs." 

Palmetto Fitness: ZTX Commercial Treadmills
http://www.palmettofitness.com/Graphics/True/True%20850%20Treadmill.html

======================================================================

Challenger 5.0 
Designed and Engineered for Heavy Commercial Use 
 
All Challenger Treadmills ship with a standard control panel featuring
simultane ous display of time, speed/pace, distance/calories and
incline. Our magnetic safety key and heart rate chart give you all the
tools necessary for a safe and effective workout... 600lb user
capacity"

FarsiNet: Tables
http://www.farsinet.com/webpub/webpub_training/table2.html

======================================================================

"The AC7000 treadmill features a simple to use, easy to read control
panel. They also offer one of the largest walking surfaces in the
industry. The heart of the AC7000 treadmill is its state of the art
Torque Vector drive system with on board computer. This drive system
delivers silky smooth, whisper quiet performance across its broad
speed range. The AC7000 Treadmill can handle up to 500 pounds and
elevates to 25%, challenging even the most well-conditioned users."

FitEgo: SciFit AC7000 Treadmill 
http://www.fitego.com/scactr.html

======================================================================

This was the search string that brought me the best results:

Google Web Search: treadmill commercial capacity
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=treadmill+commercial+capacity

======================================================================

For what it's worth, I can offer one endorsement from someone
trustworthy. My friend Kiki is an aesthetician in a spa. She
recommends the Landice line of commercial treadmills (first on the
list, above). She describes them as "workhorses."

I hope this helps! Let me know if anything additional is needed.

Best,
Pink

Hi Pink!  

Californians don't really weigh 500 pounds;  we just have to take two
lawyers with us everywhere we go.  heh  heh  heh

Thanks, as always, for the superlative work!
ron

ROFL @ the lawyer remark! I knew that you Californians liked to take
your pets everywhere, but two lawyers? Won't this frighten the
tourists? :-D

heh  heh  hee   hee   ho   ho

hugs,
ron