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
Available in UK for £799 from
Sweatband.com
Best UK Price Specification
Pros and Cons Reviewers Ratings
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
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Fuel Fitness ET488 Treadmill - Technical Bits
User reviews will follow after the technical information.
Specifications:
- 0.5 - 20 km/H speed range (12 MPH)
- 2 x Heart rate controlled programme
- 2 x User controlled programme
- Hand grips and polar receiver
- 51 x 140 cm walking/running surface
- Foldable for easy storage
- Maximum user weight 147kg
Dimensions:
- 197.5 (L) x 86 (W) x 149.5 (H) cm floor
- 107.5 (L) x 86 (W) x 172 (H) cm folded
Fuel Fitness ET 488 Treadmill Console
Fuel Fitness ET488 Treadmill - User Reviews
The Pros:
