LifeSpan Treadmill Lubricant
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Overview
| Review Summary |
No treadmill can last long without regular lubrication, and the LifeSpan DT3 models – even the purportedly “maintenance-free” TR5000 – are no exceptions. LifeSpan’s in-house lubricant keeps things running smoothly. However, LifeSpan’s universal pump applicator can still make maintenance a messy business. Other lubricant bottles are better designed with viscosities and nozzles that produce a pinpoint stream instead of a misty cloud of silicone oil droplets. |
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| MSRP / List Price | $19.99 |
| Where to buy |
Buy on LifeSpan Buy on Amazon |
Rating
| Safety | |
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| Reliability | |
| Customer Experience | |
| Positives | LifeSpan's silicone lubricant is quicker and easier to use than earlier gel or solid block lubricants. Regular application does wonders for treadmill longevity. |
| Negatives | Poorly designed spray applicator is messy and inefficient. |
Bottom Line
Extended LifeSpan
Reliable as Lifespan’s treadmills are, they still need some help to keep running smoothly. Go too long without lubrication, and you risk increased power draw, noisier operation, and eventual damage to fragile components.
So we recommend that you lubricate.
LifeSpan advises lubricating once every three months or after every 40 hours of use. As you can imagine, most walking workers are going to hit the second limit before they hit the first. Very light or occasional deskers might be able to get away with a three-month turnover, but most will find their treadmills complaining long before the three months are up. See our comprehensive guidance on how frequently to lubricate your treadmill for optimal performance.
Problems at the Pump
The first thing that needs to be said about LifeSpan lubricant is that it works (it is silicone, so check to make sure your treadmill is compatible before spraying). Treadmills run noticeably more smoothly if properly cared for, and LifeSpan’s product does the trick. That said, we did run into some problems with the applicator pump that soon sent us searching for an alternative.
The good: just a few spritzes of this mist-type applicator can lay a thin, even coating of lubricant across a walking deck. The bad: just a few spritzes of this mist-type applicator can lay down a thin, even coating of lubricant across a walking belt, running rails, and surrounding floor. The “lubricant” cloud approach is messy – no way around it. Worse, it’s difficult to apply lubricant to the center of the deck. Lubricating involves lifting one side of a treadmill belt up and spraying lubricant directly onto the walking belt. Stream-type applicators can send a concentrated squirt of liquid underneath the belt and onto the center of the walking deck. Mist-type applicators have some trouble finding that hard-to-reach spot. Many LifeSpan lubricators find themselves squishing their sprayers under the belt to make sure the entire deck is lubricated – something complicated by the fact that a pump applicator won’t function unless the bottle is held upright.
For these reasons, we generally advise finding a pinpoint stream-type applicator – such as those on iMovR’s EasySpray Treadmill Lubricant. LifeSpan lube keeps treadmills running well, but there are much easier ways to get the job done.
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