Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

ProForm Pro 2000 vs Sole F80 I first purchased Sole F80 treadmill (now unavailable, but comparable to F85 or F65), then returned it after 3 weeks for the ProForm Pro 2000 instead. This review essentially compares these 2 models. 1st things 1st: -I cannot comment on the iFit module function of the ProForm as I have not attempted to use that function -amazon listed the ProFrom 2000 product as having a 1-ply belt, but the manufacturer's website listed it as 2-ply; this played a role in my choosing the sole over this product initially; I can now confirm that the belt is 2-ply (NOT 1-ply) per manual and the feel of the belt being comparable to the sole (which is 2-ply) -Advertised as 20" but is actually 22". Another reason I went with Sole first, BUT the ProForm is 22" wide confirmed after delivery - crazy why they/amazon would mistakenly put this as 20" wide on the description Why did I send the Sole F80 back? -MAIN reason: F80 was making grinding noise coming from motor area - maybe a bearing, maybe a motor issue, who knows - it did smell a little mildewed upon removal from the box - HOWEVER, the company was very willing to make this right and sent me a replacement front roller and scheduled a technician to repair ASAP, but I was overall dissatisfied with other aspects and ended up cancelling altogether and returning -*UNABLE to quickly choose running speeds between 6.0 mph and 9.0 mph on the F80- this might be my biggest gripe, that the 'quick speed selection' skips from 6.0 to 9.0mph - why would they omit this zone for serious runners? interval training is the new rave - having to keep the speed change button depressed while running or exhausted (even if on the handlebars) is unacceptable - proform destroys Sole in that area as you can choose any speed instantly with the touch of 1 button if a whole number or 2 buttons if a tenth place (i.e. press 5 to change speed to 5.0 or 6 then 3 for instant speed change to 6.3; thus ANY speed is instantly possible) -minimal places to put phone, TV remote, or other items while on sole treadmill (conVEX design of console unit seems trivial, but when you use xbox to watch TV during run, it becomes important - seemed there was no where to put anything/didn't fit well) - confirmed this gripe for sole unit when I got ProForm b/c everything seemed to fit better/more space, concave design felt better on ProForm to hold remotes, tablet, phone, xbox control, including drink space, etc -feet hit plastic area at front of treadmill when running/seemed plastic was too far back in relation to console unit above, including the general angle of this front piece/motor cover - thought it was 'normal' until I got the ProForm and 'foot scrub' rarely occurs b/c proform has lower angled plastic front and is further to the front relative to the console unit above it -plastic coverings felt cheap overall First Impressions Upon Receiving ProForm 2000 compared to Sole F80: -*One of the BEST features of the ProForm is the ability to quickly select any speed from 0-12mph to the 10ths place: i.e. you hit the 7, then 5 button, the speed changes to 7.5 mph instantly - no holding down on the up/down buttons and "waddle running" while you hold the up or down button until you reach your desired speed - THIS IS THE KEY TO INTERVAL TRAINING! Blast it out at 11 mph then hit 8 then 5 to drop to 8.5 mph for 1min, then 6 and 5 quickly to drop to 6.5 mph...and so on (any number, 10.3, 8.7, 4.6, etc). I was initially worried about this omission on the sole and for good reason; it ended up being a big missing factor (from the Sole) that the ProForm surprised me on - they don't even advertise this ability for the ProForm, which is amazing as I am an interval junky -better materials/more sturdy, plastic parts felt/looked better (except for handlebars - those on the F80 seemed more solid, better feel since straight metal vs plastic with slightly misfit on ProForm) -packaging was ridiculous - extremely well packed -run is very smooth vs "running in sand" with the F80 as another reviewer put it and well said - the F80 seems to have too much space between belt and surface, and though feels highly durable and stable, also seems to add too much resistance at baseline height- the ProForm is smooth (and feels durable) while the F80 felt elevated even at baseline -incline/decline capability is nice (though beyond a certain incline, you cannot slow the speed enough to matter; i.e. gravity prevails; you can't really go slower than a 3.5mph beyond an incline of 10-12% as the belt seems to move faster -initially got static shocked frequently, though this waned with time (I had a 20-amp outlet professionally installed just for this unit to ensure proper grounding and capacity); I did some research into this and it may be related to weather more than anything - lower humidity in winter? I am in Seattle and this seemed to fade with use after a month (jan 26th into March) - some say the "grounding brushes" that ground the belt had to be worked in, which may be true b/c after the 1st month it subsided to rarely ever shocking me if at all when I touch the metal on the unit, but it occurred regularly at first and was somewhat concerning (my advice: give it some time) -low profile/angle of proform plastic covering the motor leads to less chance of hitting this part of the unit when running Other observations of the ProForm 2000 -platform is higher than the F80 (maybe 2 inches higher); I was originally concerned b/c I had an olympic weight platform near the rear of the unit where I was concerned that my weights while using a barbell would not clear - I needed 8" to clear (the size of standard olympic weights on a bar where total weight height is 17.5", thus half that minus radius of bar is roughly 8") - it has not been a problem, even though the ProForm is noticeably higher than the F80 -even though the platform is higher on the proform than the F80, it allows for a lower overall height (or at least comparable to max height of F80) when using the elevation b/c it seems the proform can adjust the back of the unit also (lowers the back while elevating the front portion) during elevation changes -the reading stand attachment is too high to view a TV mounted on the wall in front of the unit for my wife who is 5'4" tall, thus I had to remove the reading stand/tablet holder (though not missed b/c there is a lip that spans about 16" on the console below the display that holds my phone and would likely hold a tablet as well) -the 'plastic' molding that goes over the 'feet' portion of the proform feels much more sturdy than that of the F80 and looks nicer too (more of a matte feel/look) -proform console display does NOT include a "minute per mile average" display function from what I can tell; something that some may miss (my wife pointed this out), though this does not bother me Conclusion: I am way more satisfied with the ProForm 2000 after 2.5 months of ownership and many miles of use (12-15 miles per week) and am glad I returned the Sole F80 (hassle free with one caveat*). It feels better when running and the console feels more conducive for holding various items as mentioned above. It is also much easier to change speeds "on demand" than the F80, thus does not need speed adjustments on the handlebars (which the F80 has and proform does not). -I got the proform when it dropped to a low of $1279 vs the sole which dropped to $1200 when I purchased it *Caveat to returning the Sole F80: amazon said I did not need to disassemble however when the return shipping company (Pilot) came to pick up the unit, they said it needed to be disassembled - luckily, I convinced them that I could disassemble in short order, which I did, and they returned the unit with all original packaging and parts Hopefully this review helps shoppers decide between the ProForm Pro 2000 and a comparable Sole model - if I had read a review stating details such as those I have included on the proform above, I would have selected the Proform 2000, even at the regular (higher) price point of $1400 or even $1500. Let me know if there are any questions and I will try to respond.