Home Treadmill Troubles

snubbyfan

snubbyfan

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I mentioned our home spin bike before. It was sitting on a curb with a sign saying, "Free" on it. All we had to do was load it in our truck and take it home. Yeah, I had to take it apart and clean, oil and adjust it but you can't beat the price unless somebody pays you to take it.

We also have a home treadmill. That was free as well. My wife's parents got it and never used it. Again, all we had to do was load it on our truck.
Now it's having problems. The belt keeps folding over on itself. My challenge is to use my fix it skills to, well, fix it. I've found the tensioner screws, just need to get that belt straightened out and centered. My theory is the belt stretched a bit and needed to be retentioned. I just hope it's not too damaged to fix. With cooler weather coming up, we need some indoor ways to burn calories and keep up with our cardio.
 
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My considered diagnosis, based on my understanding of your exercise habits, is that you have, technically speaking, “worn it to a frazzle.”

(Most stuff has online operator/owner manuals with trouble shooting tips. Time to exercise your Google fu. Good luck!)
 
What I found out about exercise equipment is that they are not nearly as easy to use as they show on TV. LOL The ads don't show out of condition fat people using them either. I understand why.

Buy yourself a jump rope, a couple cinder blocks for steppers and two 15# barbells for cheap. You will be able to do most of what those expensive exerciser machines do but for a whole lot less money. Also that way if you don't use them then you aren't out a lot of money.

I do believe the amount of tension on a treadmill belt can cause it to go off center. Mine never went off center but using it for less than an hour total might have been why it never had a problem.

I found that shoving less food in my mouth causes me to lose more weight than using exercise equipment and it is with less discomfort and effort.

LOL Yep there are a lot of exercisers for cheap or free because people seldom use them. I believe the people find they are to much like work using them and they don't get used. I have a brand new exerciser I am already trying to get rid of. LOL I bought two barbells and leg weights that mostly sit on the floor for me to look at also. I keep thinking I need to use them but............
 
I found the schematic for ya.


81edd05473e1b20b87d4f2f15e3a6eb4.png
 
nodpete said:
I think I see the problem, you've got your clothes hanging in the closet instead of draped over the treadmill like everybody else. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
That probably does have something to do with it. It's a smaller compact folding treadmill. It's not as robustly built as a typical full size treadmill.
When it's folded, it sits vertically and would be perfect for hanging stuff on.
 
Onomea said:
My considered diagnosis, based on my understanding of your exercise habits, is that you have, technically speaking, “worn it to a frazzle.”

(Most stuff has online operator/owner manuals with trouble shooting tips. Time to exercise your Google fu. Good luck!)
Click to expand...
Operator/owner manuals, that's kinda the same as instructions. Generally that's just something I use to light my grill.
Actually, I think my wife may have the manual stashed someplace.

The thing is, I think you're probably right. My wife uses the treadmill often and the belt seems a bit stretched. I already found the belt adjusters and I've relieved the tension off the belt 'til I can spend some time on it. It looks like I can pull the folds out then I plan to adjust it a bit tighter. Also there are 2 guides on the bottom that seem a bit out of alignment.
 
gman51 said:
What I found out about exercise equipment is that they are not nearly as easy to use as they show on TV. LOL The ads don't show out of condition fat people using them either. I understand why.

Buy yourself a jump rope, a couple cinder blocks for steppers and two 15# barbells for cheap. You will be able to do most of what those expensive exerciser machines do but for a whole lot less money. Also that way if you don't use them then you aren't out a lot of money.

I do believe the amount of tension on a treadmill belt can cause it to go off center. Mine never went off center but using it for less than an hour total might have been why it never had a problem.

I found that shoving less food in my mouth causes me to lose more weight than using exercise equipment and it is with less discomfort and effort.

LOL Yep there are a lot of exercisers for cheap or free because people seldom use them. I believe the people find they are to much like work using them and they don't get used. I have a brand new exerciser I am already trying to get rid of. LOL I bought two barbells and leg weights that mostly sit on the floor for me to look at also. I keep thinking I need to use them but............
Click to expand...
We're members at the local (out here, inside of 35 miles is local) YMCA. It's 'bout 30 miles from home and we go twice a week for spin class and a full body workout in the weight room. On the in between Y visits days and when the weather cooperates, we hike and bike the area trails. When the weather's not so good, we use the treadmill and stationary bike. We've been having lotsa rain lately.
 
Got it working. My wife did a half hour weight loss program on it. The belt has some ridges and wrinkles in it but it didn't fold over this time.
I did havta keep adjusting it. The belt just kinda wandered back and forth a bit.
 
As noted by others, most home market exercise equipment is not very robust, largely because most users do convert them to clothes racks pretty quickly. I have broken 5 of the 6 exercise bikes I have owned in the last 15-20 years. The I haven't broken yet was over $700 and had to be delivered and set up, and it is showing need for another maintenance visit, too. I'm kinda big and ape-ish, and ride pretty hard, for lots of reasons. It's worse since I hurt my foot a few years ago and stopped mixing running and riding so that riding is my only cardio. It's a matter of priorities, and since my investment in fitness activities probably saved my life when I was diagnosed with a couple of genetic curses, fitness training remains a priority. (I was horrified when the diabetic education folks referred to a 30 minute walk as "exercise" - that's less than the dogs get most days and I train after that.)

A 30 minute ride is as short as I go, and I prefer 40-50, most of which is keeping my pulse at or above 90% of predicted max. I have to change my shirt at least once after I stop, because I sweat like a nasty furry Scot. Other than my now whiter than gray hair, most people have no idea how old I am and are surprised to get the actual age.
 
I wore one out and have been using my second tread mill for about 15 years. I use it 3-4 times weekly and find it boring, but it sure helps my condition. Went two miles at 6% incline this morn.
There usually are tensioning screws on the rear roller. They can be used to properly train the belt.
 
df06 said:
I wore one out and have been using my second tread mill for about 15 years. I use it 3-4 times weekly and find it boring, but it sure helps my condition. Went two miles at 6% incline this morn.
There usually are tensioning screws on the rear roller. They can be used to properly train the belt.
Click to expand...
They are on the rear roller and I've been tweaking on 'em trying to get that belt to ride right. It'll be fine for a while then start wandering after 15 or 20 minutes of use.
 
Doug M. said:
As noted by others, most home market exercise equipment is not very robust, largely because most users do convert them to clothes racks pretty quickly. I have broken 5 of the 6 exercise bikes I have owned in the last 15-20 years. The I haven't broken yet was over $700 and had to be delivered and set up, and it is showing need for another maintenance visit, too. I'm kinda big and ape-ish, and ride pretty hard, for lots of reasons. It's worse since I hurt my foot a few years ago and stopped mixing running and riding so that riding is my only cardio. It's a matter of priorities, and since my investment in fitness activities probably saved my life when I was diagnosed with a couple of genetic curses, fitness training remains a priority. (I was horrified when the diabetic education folks referred to a 30 minute walk as "exercise" - that's less than the dogs get most days and I train after that.)

A 30 minute ride is as short as I go, and I prefer 40-50, most of which is keeping my pulse at or above 90% of predicted max. I have to change my shirt at least once after I stop, because I sweat like a nasty furry Scot. Other than my now whiter than gray hair, most people have no idea how old I am and are surprised to get the actual age.
Click to expand...
Pretty much the same here. With my motor nerve condition, even after I spent 'bout a year relearning to walk, it's still easier for me to ride a spin bike than walk.
The odd thing is, it's easier for my to walk uphill, like up a mountain trail, than dowhill or on even terrain.
Also, I like to get out and get a good bike ride on a local trail when the weather cooperates.
 
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