Before buying a used treadmill, be aware that new treadmills are very well priced and could save you some money in the long term, if the second hand model keeps breaking down. However, there are some very good reconditioned or second hand models available. These can be bought from dealers or via newspaper advertisements. Some dealers even offer limited warranty on used treadmills. When buying a second hand unit, try and determine how old it is, how much it was used and if the model is still being manufactured, which will directly influence parts availability.

Some department stores do offer second hand or reconditioned/remanufactured units from popular treadmill brands. You may find some used treadmills are better than others, and may even be the best value for money in their price range. Some second hand units can be discounted up to 50%.If you want one of these brands, this is the way to go. Another small advantage to buying the treadmill from the department store is that brand names are more discounted when second hand. You may also not take much loss if you plan to resell the machine in a year. You might take a bigger hit reselling a less known brand from a specialty fitness store. Because the second market for department store treadmills is so lively, it’s quite difficult to get a good used treadmill deal. Check out the warranties, which are often indicative of the quality. While most of the department brands have mini-warranties when new (as little as 30 days) compared to the lengthy warranties of better brands (as much as 10 years or even lifetime), the department store treadmill warranty can generally be extended several years for a reasonable cost.