A Horizon Fitness treadmill is pretty much one of the best treadmills that the market can offer at this time. The price unfortunately seems to reflect this a bit too much for my taste. The average price of such a machine is at about 1800 dollars.
Analyzing closely a Horizon Fitness treadmill, you will see that it has just about any feature that a modern treadmill should have.
The number of programs is adequate and allows just about any type of exercise imaginable on a treadmill, from steep power walking to leisure running. The motor does its job pretty well and I would specifically recommend this treadmill if you intend to do running exercises. If on the other hand you will need to do only some walking, there are other cheaper alternatives that will make you satisfied.
When it comes to reliability Horizon Fitness treadmills are pretty stable and sturdy, but there have been reports of various squeaking sound appearing after a period of few months of usage. This is a rather minor nuisance and can be easily fixed if you take care and lubricate your treadmill correctly.
One of the features which is best implemented in these treadmills is the heart rate monitor and how the machine can react to it. This is what makes a Horizon Fitness treadmill more suitable for athletes rather than people wanting to lose some weight. The concepts and implementation of programs were clearly intended for people who are dead serious about their training.
The cushioning is good way above your average treadmill, the walking area makes you comfortable and the handles are pretty much the standard (I would love if they were bigger, but again I'm not sure that many other people would).
One thing that disturbed me though, is the rather high incidence of minor accidents that people have suffered as a result of the belt lagging. Strange enough on all the Horizon Fitness treadmills that I tested, I never had such an experience, so this is probably most likely to happen after longer periods of usage. Once again, I cannot stress of how important it is to take care of this machine. Regular cleaning and lubricating can make a huge difference in the long run, and this is not a metaphor.
As a final conclusion I must recommend this treadmill for those who want a more thorough athletic experience, but if you are the kind that likes power walking you can find cheaper alternatives with the exact amount of features to satisfy you. You don't need a nuke to break an egg, nor an engine of two continuous HP for a leisure walk, so my final advice is buy it only if you really need it.