The Big Guy Treadmill Review & Bikes team was excited to put together the Sole F80 Treadmill and have “Big” Mike Sullivan hop aboard for a test run (and, of course, a walk).
The Sole F80 is a common find in retail big box stores, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods so our team looked forward to letting our loyal followers know if it’s worth the money.
The treadmill is solid when walking or running on it, with a good feel. It’s sturdy and easy to fold up and down.
A major concern occurred when Big Mike raised the incline and the combination of his 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame and gravity caused a “run-away belt” speed burst. The treadmill suddenly went from a speed of 2 to about 5.
“That’s not safe,” Big Mike stated. “We are assuming it’s an isolated issue and not a design flaw. What is concerning is that it didn’t trigger a ‘speed error’ message and shut the treadmill down.”
Despite a concern over the incline for bigger users and a reduced warranty – down to three years parts and one year labor – the Big Guy team gave the Sole F80 an 87 out of 100 ranking.
“This treadmill checks enough of the boxes for me to say that this is a decent treadmill,” Sullivan said in the YouTube review on the Big Guy channel. “I really do like some aspects of it. The price points are decent.
“I don’t know that you’re getting a top-end treadmill – just know you’re not getting a commercial piece or anything like that.”
This newest version of the Sole F80 features an upgraded console.
There’s a 22 x 60-inch belt with a low step-up height and it’s rated for a user weighing up to 350 pounds.
“It’s still a big footprint when you fold it,” Sullivan said. “This is a massive piece. It is heavy and very substantial. When it’s folded up, my opinion is that it’s not appetizing to the eye. It looks too bulky and robotic, but it is very easy to bring up and down.”
To take full advantage of using the Sole there’s a free app, but it will require a paid monthly subscription to use it. Do your research on what treadmills require subscriptions and which let you hook up your own iPhones or tablets to sync your fitness apps for free.
“The Sole app probably won’t work unless you actually pay for it,” Sullivan said. “That’s very typical of these types of brands that are always trying to get you on a membership. From what we know in the past, Sole’s membership is more reasonable than brands such as Nordic Track and Peloton.
The overall machine is really good!
“Walking on the 2024 version did not leave me feeling like I was too much to handle,” Sullivan said. “On many treadmills, I don’t feel confident that the machine can handle my 300-pound big butt.
“To be honest, other than the 3G Cardio Pro Runner this is the only other treadmill selling for under $2,000 that I would recommend.”
