I've been working in the sporting goods department of Sears for almost three years now, selling treadmills, weight systems, and various other types of exercise equipment. Our peak business comes from December right through to March. This is the period in which New Years' resolutions stemming from the holiday food-related expansion of the American waste line have more and more people looking for fun, unique ways to work out and get fit during the months of the year when the weather isn't friendly to out-door joggers and power walkers.

My department carries two main brands of treadmills, the Proform brand and the Nordic Tracks. Usually, when a customer comes in asking about a treadmill I start them off on the Proforms, taking them from machine to machine and showing them the various features and characteristics that set them apart. I know usually that at some point in the sale they will almost always happen to glance at the three big, black-framed machines we have sitting prominently out in the front and ask,

What's so special about the Nordik Tracks?

I usually start the customer off on a general run down on the Nordik Track name and a comparison of the EXP1000, 2000, and 3000, the three main Nordik Track machines that we carry. The EXP1000 has the same 1.5 continuous horsepower motor as most proforms, so there's really no difference there. In case you were wondering, the horsepower of the motor affects its durability and its performance under the stress of normal use. The EXP2000 has 1.75 continuous horsepower plus a few more workout programs, and the EXP3000 has 2.0 continuous hp, the most of any machine we carry, as well as even more in the way of electronic features.

Basically, the proforms are different from Nordik Tracks for three main reasons. The Nordik Tracks have heavier frames able to stand up to more abuse, more electronic features, and a better standard warranty. On Proforms, the factory warranty is 90 days from the manufacturer, with the option to purchase optional maintenance plans from the retailer. The Nordik Track standard warranty is three years of coverage for the motor, two years for the frame, and one year for the labor.

But among the three Nordik Tracks, which is the one for me?

Well, my personal opinion is, either go all out and get the EXP3000 or stick to the 1000. It's not even like I have any issues with the 2000. It's a good treadmill that we don't see come back for repairs very often, and it's smooth running and feature laden.

The thing is, I have trouble seeing why it's worth 2-300 dollar premium over the EXP1000 when it really doesn't offer much of anything that makes a huge difference. When you take the step up, what you basically get is 1/4 more horsepower and a few more built-in workout programs. Other than that, the features and characteristics are basically the same. With any Nordik Track, you get 1/4 inch of thick foam padding beneath the walking surface to protect the joints, customizable workout programs that allow you to record your own workout into the machine, and built-in pulse readout sensors, among various other du-dads and gizmis. Other useful features include one-step speed adjustment, which allows you to select your speed anywhere from 1-10 miles per hour with the push of a button. This means you can slow down quickly without having to stop completely or go straight to your comfortable speed without having to push the up arrow and go up 1/10th of a mile per hour at a time until you get there.

When I use the 1000 first and then go to the EXP3000, I can feel the difference in smoothness and motor power. When I step from the EXP1000 to the 2000, I would be hard pressed to tell the difference blind folded. For that reason, though the EXP2000 is not in anyway a bad treadmill, I cannot recommend it because it does not offer as much value for the price premium over the EXP1000 as the top of the line EXP3000 does.




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