Tunturi T85 Endurance Treadmill Review

The Tunturi T85 Endurance treadmill (2008 model) is the latest offering from this reliable brand. Accell, the manufacturer of Tunturi equipment, make quality machines with a reputation for durability and innovation.

The T85 is certainly built to last, in fact, Acer guarantee it for light commercial use of up to 5 hours use a day. For a home user this is ideal for the serious runner or for the whole family – the console allows you to store up to 4 different user profiles so you can track your own progress.

The first surprise we got was just how easy this was to put together. We’ve struggled in the past with some of Tunturi’s machines but the T85 took less than 15 minutes.

The best feature of the T85, in our view, is the Positional Speed Control (PSC) which gives you the freedom to run at your speed and the treadmill automatically regulates the speed of the belt. If you’re getting close to the front of the deck it speeds up, if you get too close to the back it slows down.

This is almost like road running where your pace will vary slightly all the time. You don’t have to worry about keeping up with the belt speed or having to change the speed yourself.

The deck is a good size and is very comfortable to run on with it’s thick orthopaedic belt and FlexdeckTM shock absorption system. The powerful 3.5HP motor is an absolute dream, very, very quiet and capable of shifting the belt up to an energy-sapping 14 mph which should be plenty for 99% of treadmill runners. It feels solid under the feet – even at its top speed, although we have to admit we couldn’t keep up with it for long at this pace :0/

Another nice touch is the belt locking system which could be useful if you have small children in the house.

There are 8 pre-set programmes including hills, intervals and race plus 6 heart rate control workouts using their T-PulseTM system for monitoring your work rate (chest strap included). These are a good way to improve fitness and burn fat as the speed of the belt is varied to keep your heart working at a specific rate depending on your age and weight.

The console is in Tunturi’s usual style – dull – see below. However, it is easier enough to use and gives plenty of information in a well-laid out manner.

Tunturi have made an effort to improve the look of this machine. Gone is the old gunship metal grey, in with the Midnight Blue (although it still looks a bit grey to us). Some will argue it doesn’t matter what the machine looks like so long as it delivers. The T85 certainly does deliver but we feel the look and styling is important as it’s all part of the motivation bit.

Compare Tunturi with the Life Fitness F3 treadmill and tell us which one you’d rather run on. Yes it is a matter of personal taste but if it means you’re tempted to get on it every time you walk past it, it could be an important factor in achieving your fitness goals.

The warranty depends on whether you’re using it at home or for commercial use. For the home you get an impressive 20 years on the frame AND motor! Everything else is covered for 3 years. If it’s to be used commercially everything is covered for 18 months – our chaps with experience of working in a gym tell us this is quite reasonable for the price of the machine.

Best Price

The Tunturi T85 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 Tunturi T85 is well worth a look. Tunturi have the reputation of being the Volvo of the fitness industry - a bit dull to look at but very reliable. The T85 is an improvement on previous models with its styling and combined with the feel of the deck and the features we think they're onto a winner here. The super motor, high top speed and PSC feature make this a great deck for the serious runner, beginner, or whole family who want to get fit. With one online retailer currently offering this at a great discount - see below - we'd say get one while you can at this price, you certainly won't be disappointed.

Tunturi T85 Specifications

  • 3.5 horsepower (HP) motor
  • 0 – 22.5 km/H speed range (0 – 14 mph)
  • 0-10% powered incline
  • Fold-up mechanism for easy storage
  • 8 LED Window display – see below
  • 20 user personalised programmes
  • 8 pre-set programmes
  • 6 heart rate controlled programmes
  • T-PulseTM heart rate control modes
  • Positional Speed Control system
  • Large 50 x 152cm walking/running surface
  • Maximum user capacity weight of 150 kg (23 stone)
  • Shock absorbent T-FlexTM deck
  • 210 (L) x 91 (W) x 143 (H) cm floor dimension
  • 85 (L) x 91 (W) x 197 (H) cm folded
  • 131 kg (289 lbs) machine weight

Tunturi T85 Endurance - Console / Display Unit

Tunturi T85 Endurance - User Reviews

The Pros

  • The features our reviewers liked about this treadmill were:-
  • The Positional Speed Control is a great feature giving you more control
  • The good selection of pre-set programmes including 6 HRCs.
  • The motor is a dream - very quiet, possibly one of the quietest we've tried.
  • The easy assembly - took around 15 minutes which is a vast improvement on previous Tunturi models.
  • The feel of the running deck - a thick belt.
  • The superb build-quality gives you the impression it will last for many years.
  • An excellent warranty.

The Cons

  • They were not so keen on:-
  • Whilst the T85 is an improvement on previous Tunturi models we weren't that keen on the 'Finnish styling'.
Tunturi T85 Endurance Reviewer Ratings

Power - 8.5
Appearance - 7
Running Area - 8
Comfort - 8.5
Reliability - 9
Noise - 9
Controls - 8.5
Warranty - 9
Best Price

The Tunturi T85 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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