Spirit Fitness was developed many years ago by Dyaco Corp. They then developed Sole for some sporting good stores. From the makers of Sole, comes the upgraded Spirit line... The Spirits offer twice the warranty, steel platform (vs. mostly plastic), better components and land around the same price point. You will only find Spirit at a specialty store b/c they are a better value and of better quality.
...... if you want a machine that has a large running surface, a solid cushioned deck, an amazing warranty, all the bells and whistles AND you can run on this thing with a 2.75 HP rating than come check out the XT-285. The Honda Accord of treadmills.