Fuel Fitness ET488 Treadmill Review

The Fuel Fitness ET 488 was one of the first treadmills from Fuel fitness that we reviewed. We gave it an exhaustive test in every sense of the word and came away with some very positive views.

It is a very durable treadmill and feels very good to run on. It looks good too and has a lot of features that other treadmills of the same price do not have.

The ET 488 has a powerful motor that delivers 2.5 HP in continuous duty, with a peak of 4.0 HP. This powers the belt up to 20kph / 12 mph with an incline that goes all the way up to 12% and gives the ET 488 a maximum user weight of 147 kg (that’s 325lbs or over 23 stone if like us you prefer measuring in imperial)

The deck on the ET 488 was a touch shorter than other treadmills in the price range. At 51cm wide and 140cm long it’s still a great size though. The belt itself is 2 ply and measures 1.6mm thick and felt good underfoot during our test runs.

The ET488 has huge dot matrix display just like those you would find on a treadmill down at the gym. This main display gives a complete workout overview so you can see when the next hill is coming up and so on.

There are also 6 separate LED windows for:

  • Speed
  • Incline
  • Time
  • Distance
  • Calories
  • Pulse

These are joined with a scrolling text display AND a dedicated light up chart for your heart rate percentage, so you really have no excuse for not keeping on track while you are working out!

The Fuel ET488 has 5 built in programmes along with 2 that are heart rate controlled and 2 that you can personalise yourself. The heart rate control programmes are unlocked when you are wearing a compatible chest belt. The ET488 is compatible with Polar chest belts, or you can use any that operates on the 5kHz frequency. During the heart rate controlled workout the treadmill will keep your heart rate in the correct zone by altering the intensity of the workout. It does this by adjusting either the speed or incline of the belt.

Full manual control is available too with one touch keys allowing you to set the speed and incline to the following presets:

  • Speed: 2,4,6,8,10,12 kph
  • Incline : 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%

The buttons themselves are solid rubber. It’s nice to have tactile buttons on a machine as you know exactly which ones you are pressing.

As well as the quick access and one touch keys, you also have full control of the speed and incline thanks to the buttons built into the handrails. These are ideal for those who lack confidence using a treadmill, or just like the reassurance that comes with knowing that full workout control is close at hand.

The handrails also have pulse grip sensors built in. Just take hold of them and in a few seconds your current pulse rate will be displayed on the screen. We always think that these are handy for those days when you are not wearing a chest belt, but still want to keep an eye on your heart rate.

Speakers are becoming increasingly popular on treadmills and it’s no real surprise that the ET 488 has a pair built into the console. Normally we are quite unimpressed with them but not in this case. We plugged in our battered old mp3 player and were quite surprised with the rich, clear and loud sounds. Eye of the tiger has certainly sounded a lot worse!

If you are feeling the heat, the built in fans will provide and welcome blast of air during your run. They don’t make too much noise either.

The welcome distractions continue with the console having a built in reading rack. Granted not many of us will be reading Moby Dick whilst training, but if you slip a magazine in there you can have a little read while you are running or hill walking.

When you are not using the ET488 it folds up vertically and its built in storage wheels make it simple to store out of the way.

Should anything go wrong, the ET 488 has a cracking warranty with 5 years cover on parts and labour and a lifetime cover on the frame and motor.

So in summary, the ET 488 from Fuel fitness is well built and feels great to run on. The displays and the little extras such as built in speakers and fans

Best Price

The Fuel ET488 is not currently available from any retailers we're aware of in the UK.
It may be worth looking for a used machine on ebay

Review Summary - In Brief

The ET488 from Fuel compares very well against other treadmills in the same price range such as; NordicTrack C2500

  • The C2500 has a much smaller main display and no other additional displays
  • Both treadmills have the same top speed and incline
  • There are no handrail controls for speed or incline on the c2500
Marathon ST
  • The Kettler Marathon ST has only 6 built in workout programmes
  • Both machines are solid and have heart rate control functionality
  • The Marathon ST has the same maximum incline of 12% but lower top speed of 16kph

Fuel ET488 Specifications

  • Powerful 2.5 HP motor
  • 0.5 – 20 km/H speed range (12 MPH)
  • 0 – 12% powered incline
  • LED display console – see below
  • 2 x Heart rate controlled programme
  • 2 x User controlled programme
  • 10 x programmes
  • Hand grips and polar receiver
  • 51 x 140 cm walking/running surface
  • Foldable for easy storage
  • Maximum user weight 147kg
  • 197.5 (L) x 86 (W) x 149.5 (H) cm floor
  • 107.5 (L) x 86 (W) x 172 (H) cm folded
  • 103 kg machine weight

Fuel ET488 - Console / Display Unit

Fuel Fitness ET488 Treadmill Console

Fuel ET488 - User Reviews

The Pros

  • Well built with a great warranty
  • Fantastic, easy to read displays
  • Heart rate control for safe and effective workouts

The Cons

  • A few more built in programmes would have completed the package
Fuel ET488 Reviewer Ratings

Power - 8.5
Appearance - 9
Running Area - 9
Comfort - 9
Reliability - 9
Noise - 9
Controls - 9
Warranty - 9.5
Best Price

The Fuel ET488 is not currently available from any retailers we're aware of in the UK.
It may be worth looking for a used machine on ebay

Also see our Treadmill Comparison Table

Whilst every effort is made to give you accurate information we cannot guarantee the technical specification. Models change on a regular basis and may differ slightly from the above review. We recommend you contact the retailer if you have a question regarding technical data. Please read our Legal Disclaimer

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