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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2019
After searching for a good price point on a treadmill, on Amazon PRIME day (July 15, 2019), I finally pulled the trigger and purchased a NordicTrack 6.5Si, which I had delivered to my home. I'm an older guy who works in an office and previously could never seem to get enough cardio. Though I've heard stories about how the average treadmill becomes a coat hanger after six months, I was determined to never let this happen to me. I looked at several pre-owned units that were for sale on various classified ad websites and also a number of new units on the major reseller websites. After carefully considering all the collective info, I eventually decided on the NordicTrack 6.5Si as the best value for the money to meet my goals.
Delivery
The unit was delivered on-time and no parts were missing upon receipt. I'm SUPER GLAD I had the unit delivered because there is a small set of cement steps leading to the entrance to my home and the shipping carton was very long (5+ feet) and extremely heavy. Two large men took a fairly long time to negotiate the cement steps/doorway area into my home and were greatly relieved to finally be able to set the unit down once inside my home.
Assembly
Though I'm fairly mechanically inclined, it took 9-hours with only a few breaks (far longer than expected) from the time I slit open the carton to the time I tightened the last bolt on the treadmill for use with only a few breaks, so plan your full Saturday or Sunday accordingly. The project wasn't technically difficult, and instructions were clear—just a significant number of time-consuming steps involved in the assembly process. Also, there’s a point toward the end of assembly in which YOU WILL DEFINITELY REQUIRE a second person to assist for a few minutes. No human can simultaneously bear the weight of the entire treadmill deck (belt area) while tightening the underneath bolts that are attached to the frame, unless, of course, your arms happen to be five-feet long and you can also bench-press 300-lbs. Trust me, I tried to accomplish this alone for a long time beyond what I can describe and still failed.
Workout
The next day, though I was still pretty sore from assembling the treadmill, I changed my routine to include getting up ½-hour earlier for my treadmill workout; bio break; two glasses of water w/a handful of raw spinach; then force myself onto the treadmill regardless if I’m tired/sick/lazy….As part of this, I also made a stalwart commitment to NEVER miss a treadmill day—no matter what. For the first couple months, my treadmill routine strictly comprised “Manual” mode in which I manually shifted between treadmill Speed 4 with the incline feature on Level 4, then to Speed 5 w/no incline, then to Speed 7.5 w/no incline, and repeat this cycle for 30-minutes. After a while, my body adjusted to running on the treadmill five times p/week, and I started to mix it up twice a week or so with the available On-Demand workouts to prevent boredom. These modules are interesting to watch and run the gamut from fairly easy novice to insanely challenging expert level. Though I also purchased the upgrade for a personal trainer package, I have not yet tapped this function to date, since I’m still not ready for that high-intensity level of cardio (suspect some of these pro trainers must be T-800 model Cyborgs). Astonishingly, between following Mark Wahlberg’s diet (older ripped guy, right??), along with a very light weight-training/push-ups/sit-ups regimen, I’m actually starting to get ripped—despite in my ever multiplying 50+ years…. Doesn’t matter if it’s raining or 100-degrees outside, every day I get my cardio. Never thought I’d see my abs again, but right now I can probably squeeze out a four-pack. I’m convinced the treadmill is the key to this, since nothing else has really changed in my routine, save for the treadmill portion.
Treadmill Operation
Overall, the NordicTrack 6.5Si is a great little unit and I’m super-happy with the investment. Precise and well-crafted, the unit smoothly folds upright to reduce the footprint in my living space. The console immediately synced with my home WiFi. Graphics/audio on the 10-inch monitor are crystal clear. However, the console’s operating controls must have been designed by a millennial or someone else with 20/20 vision, because I can’t see the 8-point font displayed in white on the control buttons without reading glasses, which I don’t like to wear when I’m running on a treadmill. Moreover, the issue is exacerbated by tiny control buttons that are way too small on the touch screen. It’s like trying to hit a tiny moving target while running. Inevitably, I’ll hit the wrong speed or incline button, which is a distraction from my workout. It would be great if some day NordicTrack can add a voice activation function, so users don’t have to push buttons whatsoever while working out.
The On-Demand modules are interesting, and the aesthetics are breathtaking. Sometimes, it kind of takes the sting out of a challenging run, since the vibe feels like you’re running next to a pro trainer on a beach or through the woods in some exotic location. There are countless varieties/workouts/levels to choose from. That said, I wish there were a few in which the trainers didn’t speak at all. Most of them won’t stop yacking, which is disruptive when I’m trying to get my head in the zone. Also, it could just be me, but I was unable to find a headphone jack or any way whatsoever to sync my Sony XM wireless headphones to the treadmill. The only option I could find was to play audio or my own music through the treadmill’s built-in speaker system. This is not a plausible option for me, since I’m not confident other people in my home would like to listen to Slipknot or the equivalent cranked for a 1/2-hour every morning. As a work-around I usually listed to music on my iPhone with headphones and turn the sound off on the On-Demand modules.
The motor/belt have worked perfectly with plenty of power under constant change. However, the console software frequently gets “hung-up” while updating and I have to reboot at least once a week. In fact, a couple weeks ago I had to perform a “hard reset,” which was a hassle because it seriously delayed my only window to work out in the morning and killed my routine.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the NordicTrack 6.5Si. For me, selecting a treadmill was a big investment decision, which, fortunately, turned out to be the right one.
Delivery
The unit was delivered on-time and no parts were missing upon receipt. I'm SUPER GLAD I had the unit delivered because there is a small set of cement steps leading to the entrance to my home and the shipping carton was very long (5+ feet) and extremely heavy. Two large men took a fairly long time to negotiate the cement steps/doorway area into my home and were greatly relieved to finally be able to set the unit down once inside my home.
Assembly
Though I'm fairly mechanically inclined, it took 9-hours with only a few breaks (far longer than expected) from the time I slit open the carton to the time I tightened the last bolt on the treadmill for use with only a few breaks, so plan your full Saturday or Sunday accordingly. The project wasn't technically difficult, and instructions were clear—just a significant number of time-consuming steps involved in the assembly process. Also, there’s a point toward the end of assembly in which YOU WILL DEFINITELY REQUIRE a second person to assist for a few minutes. No human can simultaneously bear the weight of the entire treadmill deck (belt area) while tightening the underneath bolts that are attached to the frame, unless, of course, your arms happen to be five-feet long and you can also bench-press 300-lbs. Trust me, I tried to accomplish this alone for a long time beyond what I can describe and still failed.
Workout
The next day, though I was still pretty sore from assembling the treadmill, I changed my routine to include getting up ½-hour earlier for my treadmill workout; bio break; two glasses of water w/a handful of raw spinach; then force myself onto the treadmill regardless if I’m tired/sick/lazy….As part of this, I also made a stalwart commitment to NEVER miss a treadmill day—no matter what. For the first couple months, my treadmill routine strictly comprised “Manual” mode in which I manually shifted between treadmill Speed 4 with the incline feature on Level 4, then to Speed 5 w/no incline, then to Speed 7.5 w/no incline, and repeat this cycle for 30-minutes. After a while, my body adjusted to running on the treadmill five times p/week, and I started to mix it up twice a week or so with the available On-Demand workouts to prevent boredom. These modules are interesting to watch and run the gamut from fairly easy novice to insanely challenging expert level. Though I also purchased the upgrade for a personal trainer package, I have not yet tapped this function to date, since I’m still not ready for that high-intensity level of cardio (suspect some of these pro trainers must be T-800 model Cyborgs). Astonishingly, between following Mark Wahlberg’s diet (older ripped guy, right??), along with a very light weight-training/push-ups/sit-ups regimen, I’m actually starting to get ripped—despite in my ever multiplying 50+ years…. Doesn’t matter if it’s raining or 100-degrees outside, every day I get my cardio. Never thought I’d see my abs again, but right now I can probably squeeze out a four-pack. I’m convinced the treadmill is the key to this, since nothing else has really changed in my routine, save for the treadmill portion.
Treadmill Operation
Overall, the NordicTrack 6.5Si is a great little unit and I’m super-happy with the investment. Precise and well-crafted, the unit smoothly folds upright to reduce the footprint in my living space. The console immediately synced with my home WiFi. Graphics/audio on the 10-inch monitor are crystal clear. However, the console’s operating controls must have been designed by a millennial or someone else with 20/20 vision, because I can’t see the 8-point font displayed in white on the control buttons without reading glasses, which I don’t like to wear when I’m running on a treadmill. Moreover, the issue is exacerbated by tiny control buttons that are way too small on the touch screen. It’s like trying to hit a tiny moving target while running. Inevitably, I’ll hit the wrong speed or incline button, which is a distraction from my workout. It would be great if some day NordicTrack can add a voice activation function, so users don’t have to push buttons whatsoever while working out.
The On-Demand modules are interesting, and the aesthetics are breathtaking. Sometimes, it kind of takes the sting out of a challenging run, since the vibe feels like you’re running next to a pro trainer on a beach or through the woods in some exotic location. There are countless varieties/workouts/levels to choose from. That said, I wish there were a few in which the trainers didn’t speak at all. Most of them won’t stop yacking, which is disruptive when I’m trying to get my head in the zone. Also, it could just be me, but I was unable to find a headphone jack or any way whatsoever to sync my Sony XM wireless headphones to the treadmill. The only option I could find was to play audio or my own music through the treadmill’s built-in speaker system. This is not a plausible option for me, since I’m not confident other people in my home would like to listen to Slipknot or the equivalent cranked for a 1/2-hour every morning. As a work-around I usually listed to music on my iPhone with headphones and turn the sound off on the On-Demand modules.
The motor/belt have worked perfectly with plenty of power under constant change. However, the console software frequently gets “hung-up” while updating and I have to reboot at least once a week. In fact, a couple weeks ago I had to perform a “hard reset,” which was a hassle because it seriously delayed my only window to work out in the morning and killed my routine.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the NordicTrack 6.5Si. For me, selecting a treadmill was a big investment decision, which, fortunately, turned out to be the right one.
