SOLE F80 Home Treadmill

The treadmill motor horsepower rating is probably the single most recognizable spec that jumps out at a consumer when he or she begins to do their buying research. Here is an article that commends our Sole Fitness Treadmills on their outstanding motors. Please scroll to paragraph 2 and view the 2nd last sentence.

We usually believe bigger is better. However, the truth is, the ratings and numbers can be very confusing and ultimately incredibly misleading. Here are some tips to help you sort through some of the terms and numbers you may have read about to find out what is important when trying to understand this integral part of the treadmill.

What to look out for?

CHP – Continuous Horsepower. The power output on a continuous basis. Anything below 2CHP will not be in your best interest and will affect the durability and performance of the treadmill. We do not recommend treadmills with a motor size below 2 CHP. Always check the CHP output of the treadmill you are interested in.

PHP – Peak Horsepower – Maximum horsepower a motor can generate when working at its hardest. This is only sustainable for a short time. Peak output denotes the highest possible rpm with minimal load. Since an efficient motor is not going to run at this high rpm all the time, it is not an accurate horsepower measurement. Peak Horsepower is used to mislead you into believing the motor is stronger than its true continuous output.

Home Use DC Motors:

Walking: Choose 2.0 CHP or higher
Jogging: Choose 2.5 CHP or higher
Running: Choose 2.5 CHP or higher

Commercial Use AC Motors:

For Commercial use we recommend treadmills with 3CHP or larger AC Motors
We do not recommend motors below 3CHP for commercial use.

AC motors do not have brushes which cause friction so they tend to have a longer life span in a commercial environment. However, for most home use applications a good quality DC motor is more than suitable to last a lifetime

Rotations per Minute (RPMs) is important in motor design. The relationship between continuous horsepower and RPM is torque. This is the most significant factor when determining the best suitable motor for your needs. The lower the RPM of a motor, the more torque it will have – torque being the measure of a tendency to cause rotation; in other words, the power to turn. This allows the motor to last longer. We strongly recommend a motor with an RPM rating of 4500 or lower, but never more than 5000.

This is crucial because this is where a lot of manufacturers begin to play with, and boost, the ratings. In a lot of those cases, if we examine the plate stamped on the treadmill, you will find RPM ratings in the 7000 to 8000 range. This is how they can get away with these bloated HP rating numbers. These motors are spinning way too fast and working way too hard to last the years you should expect out of a quality treadmill.

Another crucial component of a treadmill is the deck. Cushioning of the deck helps protect your joints from the impact of walking, jogging and/or running. For example our Sole Fitness treadmills make use of a CushionFlex Deck which reduces joint impact up to 40% and increases your stamina.

This might not be the case with all treadmills and that’s why we strongly advise you find out more about the deck on the treadmill you’re interested in.