Commercial Grade Treadmill Vs. Commercial Treadmill: What's theDifference?

An interesting phenomenon is happening in the treadmill marketthese days: a lot of home treadmills are being called'commercial grade treadmills'. This can be very confusing forthe treadmill buyer. What's the difference between a commercial gradetreadmill a home treadmill, and an actualcommercial treadmill? First of all there are 2 main categories of treadmills:commercial and home treadmills. Commercial treadmills differ from home treadmills in that theyare made for harsher environments, like the gym or health club,and they are built to withstand frequent use. Because of thisthey are built with a much higher grade of components andsubsequently cost more. For example, most commercial treadmills come with a 4 plytreadbelt instead of the 2 ply treadbelt standard to most hometreadmills. They also usually come with a much higher poweredmotor, built with heavier duty commercial parts. Commercial treadmill prices are much higher and many of themstart at $4000+ whereas home treadmills can range from $400 to$3000. Here's where it can get confusing: Although there used to bemore of a difference between commercial and home treadmills, theline is blurring as more and more people buy 'commercial grade'treadmills for their homes. Because of this, brands like Landice put out 2 versions oftheir treadmill lines: the Limited (or LTD) series of treadmills- built for high end home or light commercial use, and the Clubseries- built for heavy club or gym environments. And former commercial treadmill brands like Sole, (who havebeen supplying treadmills to hotels like Hilton for years) arenow making their treadmills available to the home market - for ahome treadmill price. These treadmills can truly be called 'commercial grade' meaningthey could be used as a commercial treadmill but is mainlysuited for the high end home gym. However I've noticed that even the cheaper brands of hometreadmills are now starting to call their higher end treadmills'commercial grade'. This doesn't necessarily mean it is suitable for a health clubor even a high end home gym. In my opinion, it simply means thatthe treadmill was built with heavier grade components than othertreadmills in that brand's line up. It may still be a great buyif you like that brand name. However, if I wanted to buy a commercial grade treadmill for myhome I would not choose these cheaper brand names - but that'sjust my preference. Bottom line? When looking at commercial treadmills for a healthclub or gym, consider the brand. Make sure it is a well knowncommercial brand with a solid reputation. Some examples areLandice, LifeFitness and Star Trac. When looking for a higher end 'commercial grade' treadmill foryour home gym, consider a 'lighter' version of a commercialtreadmill model or a home treadmill brand that is known forhigher end machines. It will serve you just as well and cost youthousands less. For more examples of top rated commercial andcommercial grade treadmills visit:http://www.treadmillreview.net/Article_Commercial_Treadmills.html, One last note: Keep in mind that commercial treadmills take up alot more space than home treadmills and they're also muchheavier. They may not fold so make sure you have several stronglifters when you have the treadmill delivered. Good luck and have fun!