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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Picked up a couple of treadmills
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Hi all Visited the local recycling center ( dump ) today, looking for anything interesting. There were several electric treadmills, so I had a closer look to see what was worth grabbing. Most of the cheap models had a simple AC 2 or 3 speed induction motor, but I did find one with a DC motor and one with a larger induction motor and VFD ( Variable Frequency Drive ). Picked them both up for $30 the lot. 
Below is the drive of the larger treadmill ( weights a tonne, just getting the thing off the trailer was a workout! ). AC induction motor, no HP or watt stamp. There's another motor in there on a jacking screw to tilt the treadmill up and down. 
And this is the smaller one, DC motor 180v 1.25HP. 
I powered them both up to see if there was any life. The big treadmill works! I did a 5 minute fat burning jog and a 3 minute hill climb, after which I needed to sit down for 30 minutes in the cool air conditioning with a cold drink! The small treadmill beeps, displays an E ( for error no doubt ). Good, I wanted an excuse to pull this one apart. I plan to use the motor for a windmill project on the web site. I've never made a treadmill motor windmill and I think its a project others could get inspiration from. DC treadmill motors would be easier to find than F&P motors, especially outside of Aust/NZ. The other treadmill will be kept as a treadmill, though it is tempting to rip out the motor and VFD to build myself a F&P test bench. But I do need a treadmill, middle age is setting in and when I walk down stairs my tummy bounces up and down! I'll be keeping my eye out for more treadmills, the motors will come in very handy in the workshop. My little hobby lathe has a little 500 watt DC motor that has run out of power on several jobs, so a 1.25HP motor would make all the difference. Should be a fun Christmas break. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Here's the motor out of the treadmill. Removed the flywheel and fan. Shaft diameter is 16mm, casing is 105mm diameter and 180mm long. Two pole. Spin in the lathe shows 24v at 460rpm, so it should work ok on a 12v system. 
Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Dinges Senior Member  Joined: 04/01/2008 Location: AlbaniaPosts: 510 |
"If it dont fit, use a bigger hammer." Does that sig-line apply to your trousers too? 
That DC motor is nice indeed. What does the nameplate say? (RPM, current rating, temp. rating, duty cycle, etc.) The controller can always come in handy too. Not big enough for an electric car à la Oztules, but perhaps an electric bike? Or to control a spindle motor on the CNC machine? Or a PCB drill controller? Or... 1001 possibilities, really. In the future I will have to keep an eye open for treadmills, it seems. I've let a few pass me by, but a DC motor and controller could always come in handy sometime, even though I have no direct need or use for one. BTW, does that other treadmill have a single-phase or 3-phase induction motor and VFD? [quote=Gizmo]But I do need a treadmill, middle age is setting in and when I walk down stairs my tummy bounces up and down![/quote] I'm not much of a fan of hometrainers and treadmills. I can ride a bike all day, but 5 minutes on a bicycle hometrainer and I get bored and start looking for excuses to stop. Don't understand how people manage to do it in gyms without falling over from boredom, it just seems like utter drudgery to me, an unnatural activity. Enjoying the outdoors as you're walking or cycling makes all the difference, for me at least. (notice how I'm trying to give you arguments to take the other treadmill apart too? Go on, you know you want to....  )
Peter. |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Hi Peter The nameplate says 4000rpm, 180v, 1.25hp. I managed to get it working with its controller, a resistor had gone open circuit. There is a opto-isolator I can feed with a PWM to control the motor speed, I'll put together a little 555 circuit with pot to drive it. I'm thinking about making my own F&P test bed. The motor has a belt and 1:3 pulleys, so I'll fit the larger pulley to a F&P shaft to reduce the treadmill motor speed by 3. Add a pony brake, a couple of meters, and I'm off. The other treadmill is going good. I've rigged up a book holder so I can read while I walk/jog, makes the time fly past. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| geeknight Newbie  Joined: 21/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1 |
You guys are genius. I want to buy treadmill, and I find second hand treadmill which uses AC motor, and a new treadmill using DC motor. I found difference between them on http://www.lifespanfitness.com.au/webpage/faqs.html#ac_dc, and I heard that DC motors are widely used on treadmills, there randomly are treadmills with AC motors. Any you can help? 
Thanks George |
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KarlJ Guru  Joined: 19/05/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1178 |
I too let one pass by, it was huge and would have been a real struggle to get the monster ontop of my volvo. But next time!  Luck favours the well prepared |
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Don B Senior Member Joined: 27/09/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 190 |
Hi Glenn, Having been alerted by your post, I managed to get a Weslo Cadence 850 treadmill from our local tip shop for $10. Although it had been out in a few showers of rain, it checked out electrically safe, so I gave it a try and it worked. It is probably similar to your DC machine. It has a 200V permanent magnet DC motor rated at 1.25HP, 5150 RPM, at 6.6A. The variable speed drive unit seems to need to be set back to zero speed before it will start on power up (reset, according to the controls), but all it needs to run external to its control electronics board is a 240V AC switch for On/Off, and an 11.4k speed set potentiometer. No doubt a 10k pot would do equally well if I did not want to use the long slider pot that came with the unit. The motor has a 30mm diam drive pulley, driving a 75 mm pulley, which powers the conveyor roller. The treadmill also incorporates separate electronics powered by a 4.5V DC battery that has an LCD display showing miles or alternately time run (literally), a second display for MPH, and a third display that can be set to display pulse rate (with a plug in sensor that I do not have). Measuring the diameter of the conveyor roller, which is about 42.5mm mean diameter including half of the belt thickness, I calculate that the display electronics will get about 12,000 pulses per mile from the reed switch. Not sure what I will do with the goodies as yet, but I doubt if you could find a cheaper 1.25HP variable speed drive. Regards Don Don B |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Its surprising what you can find in a treadmill, lots of goodies. Since picking up these two, I found another treadmill with a 2.5hp motor. Unfortunately its controller was well and truly water damaged, all the components had rusty leads. But the motor is good. I still have the bigger treadmill with its AC motor and VFD drive. I went through a get fit phase on it for a few days, then decided it was too much work 
Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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paul_mac1 Regular Member  Joined: 17/05/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 74 |
Hi, did you manage to make a mill with the treadmill motor? How did it perform? Cheers, Paul |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Hi Paul Not yet, havn't had a chance to, but still want to. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| paul_mac1 Regular Member Joined: 17/05/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 74 |
I'll try that motor for you, if you haven't got time Glenn
Its what Im looking for 
Paul |
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wind-pirate Senior Member Joined: 01/02/2007 Location: CanadaPosts: 101 |
Hi Guys I have/Had two tread mill Motors up and flying, The brushes only seem to last for about a Year. "They don't like the outside life" First thing, is to "find/get" a supply of brushes that will fit before using them to much. I have a 15 Amp 4HP. that can put out real good, But the brushes are hard to find, and don't last. If you have a lathe, check the comutator for out of round. That will help to save the Brushes. Ron THE Pirate. stealing wind & solar energy is fun |
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| fartman89 Newbie Joined: 11/09/2011 Location: Posts: 3 |
I purchased a motor from this guy on Ebay. Every motor he sells he does a test for the actual output you can expect to get, not just list what is on the nameplate. His videos can be helpful if your looking for a motor, or need info on real world output. http://youtu.be/J4OGEjVe4sY I ended up using a belt system to get about 1200RPM on my treadmill motor. |
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