Review by R. Roberts for Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill
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I did a fair amount of looking before I bought this model and I am very happy with it. I became interested in Bowflex treadmills after Consumer Reports rated the Bowflex 7 series as one if its best folding models. Shopping on Amazon, I realized that Bowflex made 3 folding treadmills–the 3, the 5, and the 7 series. Online, these look very similar, with the 5 and 7 series having longer tracks and a bigger motors. Strangely, the best source of information on these was not the Bowflex website itself (it has *no* information on the 3 ,5 and 7 series treadmills–just those crazy tread climbers), but rather the specs from Amazon.

Consumer Reports indicated that the best way to buy a treadmill was to actually see how the machine felt. I agree. I managed to find a store that had a 7 series in stock. I was impressed. The 7 series was rock stable and has a very nice folding mechanism–it locks in the up position and drops down slowly when released (a great feature if you worry about your kids getting crushed by the track accidentally). Unfortunately, I could not find a dealer that carried the 3 series to try in person, but it seemed like it would be optimal and very cost effective.

I also tried several Nordic Track treadmills in person. These seemed to have very unappealing walking decks (sproingy!, in a bad way) and even on high hp power machines, the motor seemed to power the track very unevenly.

I decided to take a chance that the 3 series would be as sturdy as the 7 series I tried—I am very happy. Amazon shipped the thing super-saver in a relatively short period of time–very appealing! It was very straightforward to assemble once I got the thing in place–parts are labeled and the assembly pictures are really self explanatory. It is also a quiet machine and the deck is *very* sturdy even for a big guy like me (200+ lbs). One quibble–the grip heartrate monitor could work better–sometimes it does not give a reading after even 10 sec of holding. Also, be aware the deck will not lock in the up position unless you reset the incline to 0 degrees. The incline automatically resets to 0 every time the machine is powered on.

I use the machine primarily for walking, for this application it is great, the machine handles inclines and relatively fast walking speeds with no problem. I can’t comment on how well this machine compares with others for running fast. For jogging it seems just fine.

A note on delivery and installation. This thing is *very* heavy (~275 lbs). The shipping company chosen by Amazon (Eagle) did a great job. I called them prior to delivery to schedule when they would drop it off–thats the good news.

The bad news, they would only bring it to the threshold (just inside the house). I asked if they would bring it upstairs for an extra fee and they said–”no way.” Three calls to moving companies and an estimate of ~$250-300 to move it from my entry up a flight of stairs–this is not a two person job–the shipping box is enormous (80″ x 35″ x 16″). I solved this problem by recruiting my father-in-law (also a big guy). We turned the box on its side, opened it, and moved the main piece (track and motor together) by itself. Make sure not to cut the restraining strap, this keeps the frame and the track held in place making moving *much* easier. Even then, the main piece weighs about 200 lbs and was serious work getting around corners. Very glad at that point that I bought the shorter (56″) track!

Overall, a great mo-chine–equal to much more expensive models! Glad I managed to avoid a hernia during installation.

Review by Rufus McGee for Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill
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This treadmill is a great product–very sturdy and runs smooth. It is better than the treadmills that I was using at the high-priced gym where I was a member. The only problem that I encountered was getting it into the house–it took 3 strong guys grunting pretty hard to get it in the house. Once inside, though, set-up was easy and took about 30 minutes. The only thing needed was a phillips screwdriver ( the one supplied could have done it-but it wasn’t too easy with it.) All in all, I am really happy with this treadmill–it’s a well made product!

Review by S. Marks for Bowflex Series 3 Treadmill
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I just recveived this treadmill after ordering on Amazon less than w week ago. It is a solid piece of machinery and goes together really fast. It took me 30 min to put together. I did my research on treadmills and tested alot of them. This is a great treadmill for the price. No vibrations when running.You will be happy you bought this