Xterra Trail Racer 6.6 2017 Treadmill Review

Xterra is manufactured by Dyaco International, one of the largest global manufacturers of fitness equipment. After being introduced into the UK market a few years ago Xterra treadmills have grown increasingly popular due to the combination of build quality and value for money that they offer. With the previous Xterra range, the 6.6 model was a real stand-out model, so we were eager to get our hands on it!

Our first observation of the boxed machine is that it’s extremely heavy and rather large. Whilst both the size and weight make the treadmill a superior and more stable machine in use, buyers of this cardio machine will find their first exercise session a strength training one if they attempt to lift the main unit out of the box to assemble the machine! The trick here is to leave it in the box, take the lid off and cut the corners so it opens flat and hey presto it’s out of the box without any lifting – and it’s the only way to go here 🙂

Joking aside, the assembly process is actually relatively simple and the effort is well worth it once put together! First glance at the finished product and it’s clear that the TR 6.6 is a solid and stable machine built by a major manufacturer. Its looks and rugged build quality feel much more like a typical gym machine than a typical sub £1,000 home treadmill.

Fitted with a 3.0 horsepower continuous duty motor, the TR 6.6 gets the running belt running over the huge 60mm rollers almost silently and copes without fuss all the way to the top speed of just over 18 kph (11.2 mph).  The running deck is very well proportioned measuring 51cm x 152cm (20” x 60’’). It’s both wide and long enough for even very tall runners to hit top speed without worrying about their footing. The very impressive statistics aside, the running deck really is a joy to run on 🙂 Whilst it has cushioning to reduce the impact on joints, the deck is pretty firm and is perfect for road running training indoors.

For those training for an event, as well as those wishing to burn more calories jogging uphill, rather than running on a flat surface, the TR 6.6 offers a seriously steep incline reaching 15% which is enough to make most mere mortal human beings break out in a serious sweat!

Moving up to the console, it’s an imposing and substantial affair. At its centre lies a large, back-lit 7.5″ LCD display with good contrast making it easy to read. It’s clear from the way that the display is organised, the TR 6.6 has been designed with more serious training requirements in mind. Across the top of the screen, there are dedicated segments that continuously display key information such as calories, time, distance and pulse rate. At the centre of the display, there’s a heart rate bar chart showing where the user’s heart rate is relative to the maximum heart rate in percentage terms. To the left of this, we’ve got the incline profile of the programme and current incline and to the right the speed profile and current speed. We quite like this approach of clearly separating the speed and incline profiles: when running a programme, it’s handy having a preview of what both the speed and incline will be changing to in order to be mentally prepared. The focus on the heart rate zones at the centre of the console is also useful to those who’ll be using the included wireless heart rate transmitter and are wishing to improve their fitness levels in a targeted fashion.

Having reviewed hundreds of treadmills over the years, we had assumed that the buttons either side of the console would be speed and incline quick adjustment keys, but these are located horizontally below the console and the spaces to the sides of the LCD display are used for a collection of 10 direct programme keys. Once again, this approach demonstrates that Xterra are aiming this treadmill at those who want a machine for serious training and don’t want to waste time scrolling through trying to select the programme they’re actually after.

Clearly, with 10 buttons to access the programmes, this machine isn’t going to be boasting that it’s got dozens of programmes. However, these programmes are not really comparable to ones of most other treadmills as they’re seriously customisable, resulting in one Xterra programme potentially being the equivalent of quite a number of other machines. For example, there is an interval training one and when selected you’re able to set the resting duration, peak duration as well as the max speed and incline that the machine goes to during the intensive bursts. So, with this much flexibility, the one incline training programme is able to handle speed interval training, incline interval training to a suitable intensity with any desired burst/rest pattern!

Finally, the console is fitted with a fan and a pair of speakers. If you’re looking at the console image and wondering why on earth the fan is positioning where it is, don’t worry as it blows air at an upwards angle. There’s also water bottle/key holders on either side and a table holder ledge has been added so you can watch TV shows or music videos while you workout.

The TR 6.6 ticks box after box in what we look for in a serious home use running machine. It’s a big, imposing piece of kit and the long-running deck means that unless you have a dedicated space such as a gym or garage set aside for it, the folding mechanism is likely to get used a fair bit to free up space when it’s not in use. With such a big and heavy deck, there’s a hydraulic cylinder to make it easier and safer. Given the sheer size and weight of this treadmill, we were keen to see how it can be moved if needed. Once folded we were pleased to see four wheels, rather than the standard two you find on most treadmills, taking 100% of the weight making it far easier than you’d think to move this treadmill about. Having four wheels consigns the need to tilt a big heavy metal machine onto two wheels to history!

Finally, in terms of the warranty, Xterra are demonstrating their confidence with a lifetime frame and motor warranty, 5 years parts and 2 years labour. We can see why they’re so generous on this front: the selection of superior components such as a powerful, high torque motor and big rollers will reduce stress on the machine during intensive use and increase longevity.