By Jim Belling, Senior Mechanical Design Engineer
I bought a treadmill about six years ago - $2400, welded steel frame, 2.5 Hp DC Servomotor, big running deck, the works! I am a relatively big guy, 215 pounds. In runners circles, I think that we’re known as Clydesdales.
I run for about 20 minutes most mornings at a fairly slow pace. No world-class miles here. Two days ago, I was on about minute 10 when I saw a blue flash under the front motor cover and the belt stopped. Error Code 22. Hmmm, what does that mean?
A call to the local dealer told me that the motor control board was DOA. An SCR had blown. Oh, and I can get a replacement board for $375, plus a $60 trip charge and $15 per 20 minutes.
No thanks! Off to Craigslist to look at mountains of treadmills - most of them appear to have been used as clothes racks or jungle gyms in home daycare centers. For $375 I could get a “slightly used” treadmill with low factory miles but here’s the rub - NOT delivered.
Hmmm, truck rental, hernia surgery, old treadmill disposal. Grand total $5200 assuming outpatient surgery.
So one more time online to search for a replacement motor control board: $204 for a refurbished board plus a $75 deposit to insure that I send them my broken board so they can “refurbish” it and sell it to someone else. Man, I gotta take up bicycling again!
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