Ac motors versus DC motors.
This is one of those areas that's really important to understand the differences of these two motor types in treadmill use. Because they both have advantages. Again, a game that manufacturers will play is to tell you that because something is used in a commercial facility, it is always superior. Especially in treadmills, this is often not the truth. Which is similar to the fact that a high-end residential treadmill often has better cushioning than a commercial model because the cushioning and the orthopedic belt are actually wear items. It is understanding the usage case for each that matters.
AC motors, alternating current, are preferred for commercial use because they deal with long use and extended use better and are in general more durable. Which is why when we start getting into commercial machines, and AC motor has an advantage because of the overall durability especially in extended use for 6 or 8 hours in a day. They are also brushless and require less maintenance, and are less expensive for the same requirements.
However, this does not mean that a DC motor, a direct current motor, is inferior. DC motors are much quieter, much more responsive in terms of speed change and are much more effective in their use of power. They don't pull anywhere near as much amperage for the same duty, so they cost less to run per usage.

And as with anything else, the quality of the components matters a lot. Back in the '90s, a lot of treadmill manufacturers starting putting larger rollers on their treadmill because the larger the roller is the less it has to rotate, the less wear. What they weren't telling people is that the quality of the bearing in the rolling was actually more important than the size of the roller itself. Similarly, the quality of the motor is half the battle on performance, the lower electronics board is just as important. This is similar, in that a high quality DC motor is much better for a home application and user experience than any AC motor due to its quietness, and especially on how it changes speed much faster. It also has a lot more torque when it changes speed.
Again, when I'm selling into a facility, which I do regularly, when we start getting 6 hours a day or more, I really prefer an AC motor just due to the overall durability of the motor. ANd the fact it needs less maintenancefor the sameuse. For some Light Commercial or especially residential use, the performance of the DC motor is always going to be superior to the AC motor during that particular session.

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