- Powerful treadmill for the home with 2.75 HP motor, 12 MPH maximum speed, and 12 percent incline
- Cushioned walking/running surface area (20 x 55 inches); Softrak suspension deck reduces impact to joints
- 19 workout programs, including 6 time/distance courses, calorie goal, 2 custom programs, and pre-set 5k and 10k courses
- 4 Polar heart rate programs, with telemetry, grip and chest belt (included); folding convenience with SoftDrop technology
- 350-pound maximum user weight; 10-year warranty on motor, 10 years on frame, 1 year on electronics, 2 years on parts
Amazon.com Product Description
Ideal for toning up, managing your weight, and improving your cardiovascular health, Nautilus T514 treadmill is designed to help you move from the place you are to the place you want to be. It features a 2.75 HP continuous duty motor, integrated heart rate programming, a dual screen console, and optimally cushioned running surface. It offers a speed range of 0.5 to 12 miles per hour, allowing the pace that suits your need best for varying workout levels, and a spacious 20 x 55-inch walking/running surface. Nineteen workout programs allow you to further personalize your exercise regimen, including several hill, heart rate control, and custom user-specific programs.
Features and Specifications:
- Powerful 2.75 horsepower continuous duty motor
- Softrak suspension deck with cushioned surface area (20 x 55 inches) reduces the impact running and walking may have to your joints
- Four Polar heart rate programs, with telemetry, grip and chest belt (included)
- Conveniently situated remote speed and incline controls, right at your fingertips
- 19 workout programs, including 6 time/distance courses, calorie goal, 2 custom programs, and pre-set 5k and 10k courses.
- Unique fan design integrates convenience and comfort
- SoftDrop folding technology for easy and safe storage
- 12 percent maximum incline
- 12 MPH maximum speed
- Water bottle holder
- Magazine rack
- Transport wheels
- Integrated fan
- Folding frame
- Switchable from miles to kilometers (KM)
- Maximum user weight: 350 pounds
The T514 features a backlit LCD monitor to track your key metrics while exercising. |
Manufacturer’s 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
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
About Treadmills
Walking is still considered one of the most beneficial cardiovascular exercises for people of all ages, body types, and fitness levels. As a fundamental form of aerobic training, walking has numerous physical benefits for the heart, lungs, and circulatory system, while also increasing muscle tone and burning fat calories. Treadmills provide a convenient way to regularly exercise in all weather conditions in the comfort and safety of your own home.
From beginners just starting an exercise regimen to advanced athletes looking to maintain their fitness level, anyone interested in getting and staying in shape can benefit greatly from regular use of a treadmill. Treadmills allow you to determine the pace, distance, and complexity of the workout based on your needs, all while watching television, talking on the telephone, or reading a magazine. Much easier on sensitive joints like the knees and hips, treadmill walking and running surfaces are typically long, padded platforms that allow ample room for a long stride and comfortable, low-impact walk or jog without the harsh contact of a concrete surface.
While many different types, styles, and price ranges of treadmills exist, many of them offer unique features like a fold-up design for easy storage, an electronic display monitor showing speed, distance, workout time, incline level, and burned calories, and EKG grip pulses to monitor the heart rate while exercising. Regardless of the simple to complex features you may choose, treadmills offer an array of aerobic exercise opportunities that will provide long-lasting beneficial cardiovascular results without a commute to the gym or a jog in the rain.
To start, I echo another reviewer in saying that my treadmill was received in bad shape as the base frame and wheels had burst completely through the bottom of the cardboard box. I also discovered evidence of discoloration on the plastic side panels that are attached to the control panel. My best guess is it was subjected to a lot of weight being stacked on it as it traveled first by airline and then delivered by semi truck via a freight company. There was no use blaming either company as they would just deny everything but considering two of three reviewers report delivery problems, this suggests Nautilus may have a problem with their packaging. (My money’s on the airline trashing it). Fortunately, aside from some scuffs and a little pressure discoloration on the side panels, the treadmill seems okay.
Assembly is quite easy but because the product is heavy you will likely need assistance. You simply lift the pre-assembled control panel straight up and screw in a nut and bolt on each side with the provided hardware. After that, bend the handlegrips toward you and screw them in. Finally, attach the two side panels to each side of the control panel and you’re ready to go. I found the left side was easy to screw everything into while the right side of the machine I wasn’t able to screw in the parts without a lot of exertion. I most likely stripped some threads to get the screws tightened in so I wonder if there may be some quality issues in the manufacturing process. Perhaps it was the first day on the job for one of the people drilling holes in the frame. I also found that the wheels didn’t roll but that may have been due to the delivery problems.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before assembly be sure you place the box in the room you ultimately wish to use your treadmill in. Even when folded up, the machine is 32 inches wide; larger than many doorways.
This treadmill is my first but I have used many others at membership gyms and at friends’ houses. Comparing this treadmill to others, the first thing that comes to mind is, at a whopping 72 inches in length with 54 inches of space to walk or run on, this treadmill is much longer than the residential treadmills I usually see. The second thing I noticed was I was scared to death of pulling this 200+ lb machine around with the bed tilted up. I later figured out they have a tiny shock absorber to help slow things down when you’re bringing the treadmill bed back down to the floor. Even with the shock absorber, don’t let go of the bed as it’s dropping as it will still hit the floor with a loud thunk (and may even put a hole in it.) I wish there was a way to put a pin between the bed and base for added safety while moving it. If you wish to store the machine you will need a space that is 37″L x 32″W x 66″H.
I knocked off a star because Nautilus gives you only five feet of electric cord for a three foot wide machine. The plug is located almost on the right edge of the machine, meaning if your electric plugs are located to the left, you must place the treadmill within two feet of the electric plug. To make matters worse, the instructions specifically say you can’t use an extension cord or surge protector. Nautilus needs to give residential customers a longer cord. I also found it odd that we have to go to the front of the machine, to a spot next to where the electric cord plugs in, to turn the machine on and off. There is no power button on the control panel and it doesn’t appear to shut down during inactivity. Both of those should be fixed to make the treadmill more energy efficient. I was also upset to read that Nautilus wants us to lubricate the machine with 100% silicone lubricant before use. If this is as important as the instruction book indicates, then a small amount should be provided as most households don’t have this lying around (WD-40 isn’t an acceptable substitute). In fact, the only thing I could find at a large hardware chain was a can of Dupont Teflon/Silicone lubricant. Fortunately, a call to Nautilus confirmed this was okay to use. I still needed some direction on how much to use as the instructions were sparse. According to customer service at Nautilus, we should spray a line across the underside of the belt, roll the belt halfway around manually, then do it again. Until Nautilus starts providing lubricant with this treadmill, I suggest including LifeSpan Fitness 100% Silicone Treadmill Belt Lubricant in your order.
In comparison to other treadmills, there is none of the belt slippage as you run or walk in forward motion. In fact, this is the only treadmill I have used that doesn’t have this annoying problem. The motor is quite powerful and fast too. The display shows you the time you have been running, the distance (in km or mph) you ran, and the estimated calories you have burned (always so little!) My favorite display flips between the mph you are running and how long it will take you to run a full mile. Unless you can run a mile in less than five minutes I see little reason to upgrade to the more expensive T516. This bed is rated to support 350 lbs of weight, and given the strength of the frame I think the number is conservative, so it should be able to hold everyone except South Carolinians. I found the walking belt to be centered perfectly but you can adjust the tension or move the belt to the left or right using an included hex key. I did find a problem with the plastic rails on each side of the bed. Nautilus wants us to stand on these when we start the treadmill, however I notice noise coming from them as if they are scraping the belt or bed. The noise stops once we move from the rails on to the walking belt itself.
Workouts consist of either manual or pre-programmed workout modes (i.e. climbing a hill, fast and slow intervals, a heart rate control program, or a custom value for time, speed, and incline that you can program yourself.) The T516 model gives you an extra of each of these programs (three instead of two.) The program features are all nice, but frankly I enjoy the manual mode the best because we have the incline level adjustment (0-12 degrees) using an up/down switch on the left handlebar and the speed control (0-12mph) using a switch on the right handlebar. The grips also include a metal heart rate monitor but I’m knocking off a star because I didn’t find these to be very accurate; either that or my heart rate instantly jumps from 85 to 120 then back again. I think it’s important people know their heart-rate accurately or they could easily over-exert themselves on a treadmill this powerful. The Polar brand chest strap heart rate monitor seems accurate and it works as long as you wet the electrodes first and strap it to your bare skin. Because of the yuck factor of the entire family using, and sweating on one Polar monitor, it could be a nice feature to include one or two more to make the treadmill more family friendly.
Customer service at Nautilus was very responsive and Courtney in particular was very friendly in spite of being bombarded with my questions. The so-called 10 year warranty is a little disingenuous because items defined as wear items (grips, foam, rubber, and plastic parts) have only a 90-day warranty and the belt has only a year warranty. In my opinion, anyone dropping this kind of money on a treadmill should have at least a one year on everything. Still, even the sweatiest of South Carolinians shouldn’t be able to wear through the foam handlegrips. Maybe.
As I was reviewing everything, I couldn’t help but think that this was a gymnasium strength treadmill that Nautilus suddenly decided to offer to residents without taking into consideration the special needs residential users have. Considering Nautilus also owns the famous Bowflex home gyms it seems odd that they haven’t thought things through a little more. I’d like to give them high marks for the machine’s strength, steel frame, and overall toughness but the little things like the power cord, the side rails, the metal heart rate monitors, and the disingenuous warranty make me hesitate a little. Above all, the treadmill packaging must be upgraded so it’s idiot proof or Nautilus will be fielding a lot of calls from upset customers. I give them a solid three stars.
Hope the review helped.
Rating: 3 / 5
Buyer beware! Received at a gift. Opened the box and console trim covers gouged the running/walking belt in several places. It was not dented on the outside of the box, rather, Nautilus simply does not package the treadmill appropriately. The box was not reinforced on the edges or corners. So I called Nautilus customer service to give them a chance to make it right, two phone calls over two days and about two hours of wasted time later, they will not make it right. The Nautilus customer service rep at first appeared to be helpful after waiting on hold 45 minutes to get to one, but after further discussions, pushed the problem back to me. They denied any responsibility for packaging the item inappropriately and actually forced me back to the retailer to resolve the problem. I offered pictures but they were not interested. Neither the retailer or shipping company is responsible for damage from poor packaging…the responsibility is with the manufacturer! Nautilus who also makes Bowflex and Schwinn pushed me back to the retailer so it will be returned although all the wasted time receiving it, opening, waiting on the phone for Nautilus, talking to Nautilus, waiting again, talking and now I still have to ship it back….its all time that I’ll never get back.
Besides the poor packing, the warranty is very poor, the belt is only guaranteed for 90 days and labor 6 months or less, after 6 months all labor is on the buyer. If you dont have a local Nautilus service repairman you will be charged a trip surcharge to get one to come to you. Every other treadmill in this price bracket and many less expensive treadmills have a much better warranty. Sole, Smooth Fitness, True Fitness, Epic, Life Fitness, Precor, all the Icon Fitness brands, and many more all have at least one year on everything including labor, and some lifetime frame/motor, 5yrs+ yrs on all parts.
Nautilus also owns Bowflex, Schwinn Fitness, Stairmaster, and Universal. At this point I would not take an item from any of these brands even if it was free. They are not the same company today that built the name. Now they are just building products to improve their bottom line for the current financial quarter to stay afloat (stock symbol NTL).
Nautilus probably saved 50 cents or $1 on packaging that would have likely prevented this problem, and suprisingly would not work with me, what a great company.
Rating: 1 / 5
For those of you that do not live in North Dakota, just know that we get absolutely insane winters that last 8-9 months with sustained temperatures of -20 (not including the wind chill). While Lewis Black would classify this as a “national emergency,” I call it “home.” However, despite being able to tolerate the intense winters, I cannot go running during that time as jogging in 2 feet of snow is incredibly difficult if not dangerous.
Enter the Nautilus treadmill… and just in time for winter no less!!
I’ve only had the Nautilus treadmill for about three days now but I’ve already used the device heavily and have been greatly impressed by it’s quality. After spending an hour trying to unpack the 300lb monstrosity by myself I finally got to see the highly digital layout of the treadmill itself. Unlike other treadmills I’ve owned the Nautilus has a full digital readout with control on the arm grips. The entire front panel is one large LCD screen with multiple readouts including heart-rate, exact speed, estimated calorie loss, incline, etc. This is somewhat standard on other lesser quality treadmills, but the Nautilus has a very easy-to-read blue and white LCD display that is quick to reference while jogging. Meanwhile, I can check my heart rate with the meter embedded in the metal grips, that measure your pulse while you casually grip the sides. This is very handy as most treadmills, I’ve noticed, require a clip-on pulse meter that becomes just another thing plugged into you.
Another thing I liked about the Nautilus was it’s overall strength in frame and quality. Most treadmills cannot support much weight while the Nautilus can support 350lbs, which is good for me since I’m just over 300 (I’m also 6’5). I can jump around on the treadmill all I need and not have to worry about the device telling me that it is not a freight scale and demand I remove my gargantuan hide off of it like my Wii Fit does. Fortunately, the device comes with an extended frame warranty in case I do break it. Meanwhile, while I cannot truly objectively compare the Nautilus to other treadmills (I think I’ve used three in my entire lifetime), I can say that I do not feel as though I’m walking on pavement while maintaining a 5-7mph jog. I won’t go as far as to say the belt is “ample,” but it’s certainly not concrete either. Plus, I do not have trouble with the supplied space given my height and proportionately sized long legs. This is a commercial treadmill and, as such, should have ample space (guess I did use the word, after all), for people of all kinds of heights.
The last set of features I liked about the Nautilus was the incline and just how fast the treadmill goes. My last treadmill could barely do the mile in under 10 minutes and could not incline without adjusting it from underneath with a ratchet set. With the Nautilus, I can go up to 12mp (a five minute mile), which, pretty much, is marathon speed. This gives any user, a high range of speeds from sluggish walk to Olympic speeds. I can recall spending the other night with my friends seeing how fast we could shoot M&Ms off the back with the treadmill at full speed. We didn’t send them into the wall but it sure shot them out pretty darn fast. This may seem juvenile to many of you out there, however, I’m used to running outside only and the last treadmill I had access to was my parent’s old clunker that had a max speed of 6mph… that and us guys were really bored the other day and had always wanted to try it (next time, we’ll use raisins).
The Nautilus also can incline up to 15 degrees up bubble, which doesn’t sound like a significant grade but it’s incredibly wearing on anyone over extended periods of time. This is good since a good scenic hiking or running trail are in short supply for the good majority of us, especially if you live in the flat lands. If you want a real challenge, keep the incline on full as well as the speed and see how long you last. I lasted 10 seconds before I had to yank the emergency stop key out less I become embedded in the same wall as my M&Ms. Naturally, in case I do fall back too far the safety key (which should ALWAYS be clipped on to the user) will easily become unplugged and stop the machine.
All in all, I can see why many professional gyms use the Nautilus as their standard treadmills. Granted, I prefer running outside a LOT more than an indoor treadmill; however, when winter sets in I’m gonna be super glad I got this one. It’s well worth the money!!
Update: After two weeks of prolonged use and now that it is snowing I’ve come up with a very effective exercise regimen that maximizes physical training and weight loss. I finally figured out how to program the track pre-sets to where it’ll speed up .1mph after every minute until it reaches 6pmh and then steepens the grade after 15 minutes, and then slows down after 30 minutes. I’m trying to simulate the 4-mile hike I used to do around Mountain Lake on Orcas Island (Washington State) and it’s worked out very well and all I have to do it hit pre-set 1 (there are over half a dozen) and off it goes. This treadmill continues to amaze me.
Peace out!
Rating: 5 / 5
Once I got news the treadmill was on the way, I had to figure out where to put it. I’ve always wanted one, but my house is crammed with books, everywhere. I’ve converted my garage to a library, got bookcases galore in it. It’s were I keep my fiction, over five thousand books, which take up half of my two car garage. In the other half I have my computer against one wall and a table and chairs between the wall and the bookcases. The room is comfy, comfy with lots of throw rugs and my grandad’s paintings on the walls.
I haven’t opened the garage door in years, got it unplugged, didn’t even know if it still worked. But when the truck came, I plugged it in and up it went. I moved my table and chairs a little closer to the back wall, leaving plenty of room for the treadmill, but I was worried it might disrupt the feng shui of the room.
The big truck was too big to back into my driveway. It took up most of the street. My neighbors came out to look. I think they thought I was moving. The driver opened the back, lowered the gate and there it was, on a pallet, which was on a hand type forklift, and the box was broken! It was obvious there was going to be dammage. I was heartbroken.
The driver wheeled the treadmill into the garage, positioned it on top of a purple throw rug, then left. I waved to my neighbors who were more than curious, because I have never, ever opened that garage. Kevin, the guy from next door, came over and asked if I wanted help and I told him no, because I was going to write this review and I wanted to see if I could do everything myself.
He asked if he could watch. I told him and a few others, sure. Then I got a utility knife and cut away the package, because noway Jose could I lift it. The package away, I gave my utility knife to Kevin and he cut the cardboard packaging into manageable pieces which he put in my trash can.
The machine came in four parts, not counting the screws; the treadmill itself, the two side panels which hold up the center consol and the power cord. The side panels, both left and right, were broken. However, luckily for me, they were still able to do their job.
My brother Ken called Nautilus, because I hate doing that kind of stuff. He got through to a customer service rep named Courtney who went above and beyond in getting me sorted out and getting the parts on the way. And they didn’t break ‘em, the trucking company did. So I’ve gotta give a couple huge thumbs up to Nautilus. So Courtney, if you’re reading this, Ken says, “Hey,” and “Thanks from both of us.”
Okay, was it easy to set up and get going. Yes and no. Had I started with a proper extension cord, then I woulda been in like Flynn, but I didn’t. The power cord that came with the machine was a bit too short, so I took a thick extension cord I had around. The middle ground plug was broken off, but hey it still worked fine. Not. I couldn’t get the machine to work. It would start for a second or so,then stop. For ten or fifteen minutes I felt like a clown in a circus show as my neighbors watched me getting more and more frustrated.
Then Kevin from next door says maybe I should try another cord and he goes and gets this hundred foot look orange cord. We tried it and presto bango the treadmill worked. This machine knew it wasn’t grounded and it wasn’t gonna run till it was.
So, I’ve been using the machine faithfully every day. It’s a breeze to operate, tells me my heart rate and has all kinds of ways you can set it, but since it’s just me on it, I just turn it on, set the speed and start walking. Well, I’m jogging now. I love, love, love this machine. I use it everyday, every single day. Thank you Nautilus for making such a wonderful thing.
Oh yes, I set the machine up all by myself, easy as can be. And I threw away my bad power cord. I guess they have that third prong on there for a reason. Oh and that feng shui business, the treadmill looks just gorgeous on top of that purple rug. It’s just a friendly big machine, begging me to get on it and work out.
Rating: 5 / 5
Once I got news the treadmill was on the way, I had to figure out where to put it. I’ve always wanted one, but my house is crammed with books, everywhere. I’ve converted my garage to a library, got bookcases galore in it. It’s were I keep my fiction, over five thousand books, which take up half of my two car garage. In the other half I have my computer against one wall and a table and chairs between the wall and the bookcases. The room is comfy, comfy with lots of throw rugs and my grandad’s paintings on the walls.
I haven’t opened the garage door in years, got it unplugged, didn’t even know if it still worked. But when the truck came, I plugged it in and up it went. I moved my table and chairs a little closer to the back wall, leaving plenty of room for the treadmill, but I was worried it might disrupt the feng shui of the room.
The big truck was too big to back into my driveway. It took up most of the street. My neighbors came out to look. I think they thought I was moving. The driver opened the back, lowered the gate and there it was, on a pallet, which was on a hand type forklift, and the box was broken! It was obvious there was going to be dammage. I was heartbroken.
The driver wheeled the treadmill into the garage, positioned it on top of a purple throw rug, then left. I waved to my neighbors who were more than curious, because I have never, ever opened that garage. Kevin, the guy from next door, came over and asked if I wanted help and I told him no, because I was going to write this review and I wanted to see if I could do everything myself.
He asked if he could watch. I told him and a few others, sure. Then I got a utility knife and cut away the package, because noway Jose could I lift it. The package away, I gave my utility knife to Kevin and he cut the cardboard packaging into manageable pieces which he put in my trash can.
The machine came in four parts, not counting the screws; the treadmill itself, the two side panels which hold up the center consol and the power cord. The side panels, both left and right, were broken. However, luckily for me, they were still able to do their job.
My brother Ken called Nautilus, because I hate doing that kind of stuff. He got through to a customer service rep named Courtney who went above and beyond in getting me sorted out and getting the parts on the way. And they didn’t break ‘em, the trucking company did. So I’ve gotta give a couple huge thumbs up to Nautilus. So Courtney, if you’re reading this, Ken says, “Hey,” and “Thanks from both of us.”
Okay, was it easy to set up and get going. Yes and no. Had I started with a proper extension cord, then I woulda been in like Flynn, but I didn’t. The power cord that came with the machine was a bit too short, so I took a thick extension cord I had around. The middle ground plug was broken off, but hey it still worked fine. Not. I couldn’t get the machine to work. It would start for a second or so,then stop. For ten or fifteen minutes I felt like a clown in a circus show as my neighbors watched me getting more and more frustrated.
Then Kevin from next door says maybe I should try another cord and he goes and gets this hundred foot look orange cord. We tried it and presto bango the treadmill worked. This machine knew it wasn’t grounded and it wasn’t gonna run till it was.
So, I’ve been using the machine faithfully every day. It’s a breeze to operate, tells me my heart rate and has all kinds of ways you can set it, but since it’s just me on it, I just turn it on, set the speed and start walking. Well, I’m jogging now. I love, love, love this machine. I use it everyday, every single day. Thank you Nautilus for making such a wonderful thing.
Oh yes, I set the machine up all by myself, easy as can be. And I threw away my bad power cord. I guess they have that third prong on there for a reason. Oh and that feng shui business, the treadmill looks just gorgeous on top of that purple rug. It’s just a friendly big machine, begging me to get on it and work out.
Rating: 5 / 5