Title:

Remanufactured Treadmills, Ellipticals and Fitness Equipment --
Why and How to Buy It

Author: The Treadmill Sensei

Article:
A few days ago I testified a bit on how to properly choose a
home / residential grade treadmill. This time, since it has been
a quiet day at the DOJO, I am going to ramble a bit on the ins
and outs of remanufactured commercial equipment. This guide can
be used not only for cardio equipment like treadmills and
ellipticals, but also for strength equipment...although I get
more than enough of a strength workout every day lifting and
moving heavy treadmills around the DOJO.

Remanufactured equipment (sometimes called refurbised or
reconditioned -- it all depends on which company you are dealing
with) has taken off quite a bit in the last few years as gym
owners and home buyers both have realized they can purchase
ultra high quality commercial equipment, in great condition for
a fraction of the cost. Most remanufactured equipment with sell
for 30-70% off of the original price! If you've ever wanted to
have a Precor Elliptical or Life Fitness treadmill in your home,
now you can!

The single most confusing thing about remanufactured equipment
is just what it means...and what the difference between a
remanufactured treadmill, a refurbished treadmill and a
reconditioned on is. Unfortunately for buyers and poor service
techs like the Treadmill Sensei, there are no industry standard
definitions for these terms and what you get will vary from
company to company. If you are going to buy remanufactured (or
refurbished or whatever) equipment, make sure to ask what a
company's definition of what they are selling you is because you
might be surprised at the answer. Some companies will just wipe
a unit down, touch up the paint and then send it out the door as
"remanufactured." Beware of these companies!

Let's go over the life of a piece of gym equipment destined for
remanufacturing...this is something I do nearly every day for my
repair clients so I know of what I speak!

Most larger gym chains lease their equipment instead of buying
it. This allows them to trade in their equipment every few
years. Once that equipment has been returned the the
manufacturer, it is then resold to a remanufacturer (or reseller
who then turns the unit over for remanufacturing to someone like
your Treadmill Sensei). A quality remanufacturer will then strip
the unit down to the frame, sandblast it to remove any traces of
rust (a number of less reputible vendors will just paint over
rust) and then repaint it using the same high end paint
($250-300/gallon!) used by the manufacturers themselves. We do
powder coating here at the DOJO, but the regular repaints can be
almost as good. At this point, all wear items are replaced --
bearings, grips, rollers and so on. Diagnostics are then run on
the electronics to make sure they are up to snuff and then
cleaned up or replaced. On most equipment (treadmills and
ellipticals, for example) the majority of problems will,
luckily, come in the form of the control board. I say "luckily"
because the boards can generally be replaced for $30 or so and
take almost no time to reinstall. Also, most structural problems
with a treadmill or elliptical will pop up in the first 30-60
days. Once you've made it past that point you should be in the
clear and have a fine piece of equipment on your hands.

In my personal experience, and this may be because the DOJO
turns out great work, remanufactured units tend to have a much
lower rate of problems or defects when done correctly. This is
because the treadmills and ellipticals (or strength equipment)
are gone over with such a fine tooth comb and service so
completely that any defects or problems which might have been
missed by the manufacturer are caught and fixed as part of the
servicing.

With a little bit of research, going the remanufactured route
will allow a smaller fitness facility to compete with larger
chains by offering competitive fitness equipment while saving
money. In fact, many fitness trainers and gyms are finding they
are able to reach a profit much earlier by taking advantage of
the lower cost and high reliability of remanufactured equipment.

For home buyers, remanufactured equipment lets you purchase the
same high end commercial equipment you work out on at your local
gyms for a fraction of the price. And, if you've ever tried to
go from working out on a Life Fitness, Matrix, Star Trac or
Landice to working out on a crappy Proform machine, you're
already familiar with the disappointment a lot of wind up
experiencing when they try to make the transition. Buying
remanufactured lets you stick with what you know.

A quick tip on where to buy remanufactured equipment: places
like Megafitness, Big Fitness, Fitness 909 and Fit4Sale sell it,
but the highest quality units seem to be coming out of
Treadmills Central right now. I've seen a number of their Precor
544 and 546 units, as well as quite a few Life Fitness 9500 Rear
Drive Ellipticals, Star Trac Treadmills, and Matrix Ellipticals
at a recent Fitness Trade Show, and I've been impressed every
time. You can find them at http://www.treadmillscentral.com .

Good luck with your purchasing and feel free to drop me a line
if you have any questions or comments. The DOJO is always open.

-The Treadmill Sensei