Welcome back
Consumer Reports did a piece on brands of fitness equipment last year, and we posted some snippets from it here
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50314
Basically, they said to avoid brands like ProForm, NorticTrack, and just about any brand you might find at a Sears or Walmart. Apparently they don't have very long lives and repairs are difficult. I considered buying a ProForm, but I called their customer service to find out what would happen if I needed a repair during their very short warranty period, and they said I would either need to ship the treadmill to a service center, or they could send me the parts and talk me through the repair by phone.
They recommended more expensive brands, such as Landice, Precor, and Horizon Fitness, and prices ran from 1400 to 2500 and up.
I bought an Endurance treadmill, which was not included in the CR report. I went to Play it Again Sports and they were very helpful providing info on the brands they offered, then I came home and did my research. The Endurance treadmills have lifetime warranties.
I have both a treadmill and an elliptical. I only use the treadmill and consider my elliptical to be a very expensive mistake. However a lot of our members prefer the elliptical. Your best bet is to try to go to a gym or a store that doesn't mind how long you test the merchandise, and find out which you think you would prefer.
When you go shopping, I suggest you always ask for details about the warranty. How long does it last, what does it include, and what happens if it needs repair. Will you have to ship it somethere or is there a service center near you? It can be an expensive investment, and should last you many years.
I hope that helps