Star Trac treadmills feature a useful and easy to use display, with a heart rate monitoring system that you can tie into your target training zone, as well as hundreds of pre-programmed training selections, all while recording your time, distance, speed, calories, laps and pace. The unit also features a built-in rack for towels, water and even a stereo, and can handle up to 50 different user id's.

The in-home warranty is one year parts on motor and 6 months labor, as well as 90 days on wearable parts (grips, belts, pads) and lifetime phone support. I found this warranty a mite skimpy for a treadmill with it's reputation and price (around $6000 but you can do better) but all in all, for all bells and whistles that Star Trac TR4500HR treadmill brings to table, you'd be hard pressed to find a better machine.

Other features that you may want to consider include safety features, shock absorption, variable speeds, calorie counters (to tell you just how hard you've been working!) time/distance calculators, and of course a reasonable guarantee/warranty. The motor should be have a warranty of at least 2 years, and more better. Some are as long as ten years. Shop around.

Buying a treadmill online can be very easy. Not only can it save you money, but you can usually come up with good deals on shipping. Take your time and compare, and then start walking!