While Nautilus is more known for making health club treadmills that start around $3000+, the Nautilus T514 Treadmill is a more affordable home treadmill unit coming in at under $1000.
While it's definitely not the same quality as the Nautilus commercial units, the T514 does show promise for the home market.
Strengths include a decent 2.75 HP motor, 4 Polar heart rate programs with chest strap included, stable feel and built-in console fan to keep you cool.
Is the T514 treadmill right for you? Here's a review to help you decide.
Quick Stats:
Price: $999
Motor: 2.75 HP Motor
Speed: 0.5 -12 MPH
Incline: 0-12%
Treadbelt: 20 x 55"
Folding: Yes
350 lb Weight Capacity Deck
Console Fan
Built-in Workouts: 19
Warranty: 10 years on the motor, 10 years on the frame, 1 year on electronics, 2 years on parts, 6 months on labor, 3 months on foam/rubber grips/belt
Strengths:
1) Stable Feel
The Nautilus T514 is quite heavy with a fairly high (for this price point) 350 lb user weight capacity. This helps contribute to a stable feel when you run (or walk) on it.
You definitely want a stable feeling treadmill that stays solid when you pick up your pace (however be aware that this also makes it very heavy when you want to move the treadmill and fold it up).
2) Side Handrail Incline and Speed Controls
You can change your speed and incline with the side handrail buttons instead of reaching up to the front console to do it. Many people like this option as reaching up to the console can often break your stride. However note that this is a fairly common feature found on treadmills like Sole and Livestrong as well.
3) 19 Built In Programs
To keep you challenged there are 19 built in workouts including 4 heart rate programs. These help keep you in your target heart rate range by monitoring your heart rate and adjusting the treadmill speed or incline to keep it in that range. There are also time/distance courses, calorie goal, 2 custom programs, and pre-set 5k and 10k courses.
4) Folding With Softdrop Assistance
The Nautilus T514 folds up to save you space, which is fairly common but still a popular feature with buyers. Plus it comes with what Nautilus calls Softdrop technology which basically makes it easier to fold and unfold the treadmill - a nice touch since the deck is so heavy on this machine.
5) Workout Fan
While it's a little thing, it's still a nice thing. The workout fan built into the console is quite powerful and enough to keep you cool while you run.
Weaknesses:
The Nautilus T514 Treadmill has a few weaknesses. First of all, the warranty is one of the shortest you'll find on a treadmill at this price point. You only get 10 years on the motor and frame, 1 year on electronics, 2 years on parts, 6 months on labor and 3 months on foam/rubber grips/belt.
Other brands like Sole Treadmills and Nordic Track have much longer warranties with lifetime motor and frame warranties and up to 2 years on labor.
Also note that you don't get the fun stuff that comes with other treadmills (like iPod docks, console speakers, Wifi connections, etc.)
Overall Conclusion:
The Nautilus T514 Treadmill is a more affordable home treadmill from Nautilus which comes in under $1000 and shows some promise. You get some good standard basics with it plus it's chalked up some decent reviews from users.
However be aware that the warranty is poor and the treadmill is fairly new to the market so it doesn't have a lot of experience behind it (not a good combination).
It also doesn't come with some of the bells and whistles other brands like Nordic Track give you for the same price.
Where To Buy At A Discount:
You can get the sale price on the Nautilus T 514 from Amazon Fitness. They're also throwing in Free Shipping which will save you about $150 also.
