In market for Elliptical machine
- Thread starter bobusa
- Start date
Here 'ya go:
I don't have a suggestion for a speciic elliptical. I would check out the reputable used exercise equipment places near you, though. They may be more expensive than Craigslist, but they may also offer some type of warranty. And do so before mid-December so you can beat the New Years Resolution group.
I'm not sure, but I'm thinking this may be beyond bobusa's budget.
Bought a Livestrong LS 8.0E earlier this year on sale at Dick's. Went together pretty easily and had worked perfectly since. This is a no-frills model that doesn't have the electric incline adjuster (something else to break-manual is fine). I can recommend one of these with no hesitation. Current street price is around $800. I can't remember exactly what I paid; around $750 or so if I recall.
We got a NordicTrack e7 sv Front Drive Elliptical Trainer from Sears about 3 1/2 years ago, on sale for $600. It's compact and not too loud. We've moved since then, and I was worried that the movers damaged it, but it's still going strong. I would recommend Sears.
We bought an Octane Q something five years ago and loved it. I'm 240lbs and the thing didnt move when I got rockin on it. It was in the $1250 range new. And I think it was about 350 lbs. One suggestion is to really manhandle whatever you are testing out at the store. Try to make it rock, rattle etc...
Decent pair of running shoes, shorts and a shirt cost a lot less than an elliptical. 
We have the Sole E35 and its great. It doesnt have fancy displays or crazy settings or anything like that; its all metal and solidly built. We've had it for 3 years now and never have had an issue with it. I did a lot of research before buying and they always seemed to be in the conversation. Not cheap, and my recommendation is to buy to your limit (that's what we did rather than compromise). They outfit Hilton Hotels I believe. Just a little bit of maintenance (mainly cleaning and lubing up the tracks) and haven't ever had a problem with it.
I liked them so much we bought a treadmill from them and that thing is great.
I liked them so much we bought a treadmill from them and that thing is great.
I bought a used Octane (lower end health club model) about 4 years ago and it's fantastic. It weighs a ton (I think the crate it came in said 400 lbs) and when I do intervals on it the thing is rock solid. I looked at some "nice" ones in the stores, but they all felt cheap and "rickety" by comparison. The ones made for health clubs and gyms are a LOT more rugged than the ones made for Sears or Dick's. I was lucky to get an in-house demo model directly from Octane so it really didn't have many miles on it and was fully refurbished.
If you plan on using it in your basement (low ceiling) make sure to check the step height so you're not ducking to use it.
I have this one- it's a tank.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/27672-Treadmills?highlight=elliptical
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/27672-Treadmills?highlight=elliptical
Or you could wait until February/March when all the New Year's Resolutions are broken and the exercise equipment ends up on Craigslist.
I have an Sole E35 also, bought in mid 2008 and I hate this thing with a passion. I keep trying to use it because I'm a cheap bastard and it cost me so much but to replace it would be about the same amount of money.
I must have received the one built on the day after the New Years party because I've had nothing but problems with it. It was rated one of the best ellipticals for that year and after all of the research I did I went ahead and spent the approx. $1,400 on it. I've spent just as much time trying to get rid of the squeaks and vibrations as I do using it. It came with a crushed display to begin with although they replaced it quickly. The drum has play in it and makes a thud every now and then and when I went to try and tighten it the allen wrench supplied with it stripped, I used my own and it also stripped, went and bought a new allen wrench and the set screw rounded out because it is in there so dang tight (I'm a licensed FAA A/P mechanic who's been working on aircraft for the military for almost 25 ys so I know my way around a wrench) so I can't get the set screw out without taking the entire machine apart. I had one of the arms replaced (warranty ) because the bar the wheels set on was welded offset and was causing the wheels to go off track. I can't get the squeaks and vibrations out of the foot pads. Doesn't matter how tight or how loose I have the mount bolts which is the biggest annoyance factor/problem. One thing I will say and this goes for ALL exercise equipment, look at the warranty. The Sole had a 5 yr warranty which was one of the deciding factors of buying it, and they honored it about 4 yrs after the purchase. I do give them some credit on that. Although they did not send me everything I needed and that they said they would. To the E35's credit the frame is as about as heavy duty ( and one heavy mutha ) as I've seen on an elliptical and have had no problems with that aspect, or no electrical problems as some reported. Another factor to think about id stride length. I'm 6'1 @ 195 lbs with a decent stride and I just can't get completely comfortable on this thing. I don't hit my knees as on other ellipticals but the posture with the reach to the bars I don't like. I will never buy another Sole product because of what appears to be a slip in quality control on this thing and it's not worth the frustration when you pay that much for something. If I had to buy an elliptical right now 'd look into a Yowza. They have one for $1,300 that I like, a lot.
Chris
I must have received the one built on the day after the New Years party because I've had nothing but problems with it. It was rated one of the best ellipticals for that year and after all of the research I did I went ahead and spent the approx. $1,400 on it. I've spent just as much time trying to get rid of the squeaks and vibrations as I do using it. It came with a crushed display to begin with although they replaced it quickly. The drum has play in it and makes a thud every now and then and when I went to try and tighten it the allen wrench supplied with it stripped, I used my own and it also stripped, went and bought a new allen wrench and the set screw rounded out because it is in there so dang tight (I'm a licensed FAA A/P mechanic who's been working on aircraft for the military for almost 25 ys so I know my way around a wrench) so I can't get the set screw out without taking the entire machine apart. I had one of the arms replaced (warranty ) because the bar the wheels set on was welded offset and was causing the wheels to go off track. I can't get the squeaks and vibrations out of the foot pads. Doesn't matter how tight or how loose I have the mount bolts which is the biggest annoyance factor/problem. One thing I will say and this goes for ALL exercise equipment, look at the warranty. The Sole had a 5 yr warranty which was one of the deciding factors of buying it, and they honored it about 4 yrs after the purchase. I do give them some credit on that. Although they did not send me everything I needed and that they said they would. To the E35's credit the frame is as about as heavy duty ( and one heavy mutha ) as I've seen on an elliptical and have had no problems with that aspect, or no electrical problems as some reported. Another factor to think about id stride length. I'm 6'1 @ 195 lbs with a decent stride and I just can't get completely comfortable on this thing. I don't hit my knees as on other ellipticals but the posture with the reach to the bars I don't like. I will never buy another Sole product because of what appears to be a slip in quality control on this thing and it's not worth the frustration when you pay that much for something. If I had to buy an elliptical right now 'd look into a Yowza. They have one for $1,300 that I like, a lot.
Chris
An elliptical costs a lot less than knee surgeryDecent pair of running shoes, shorts and a shirt cost a lot less than an elliptical.
Great advice- treat it like a rental car.
An elliptical costs a lot less than knee surgery
That's easy to fix, learn to run correctly. Almost everyone needs to change how they're running ie. loose the heel strikes. It's brutal on your joints.
on top of that, make sure you have a couple of burly buddies to move it. I thought I was going to end up in the hospital when we hauled ours out of the basement. Beats a cheapie that comes undone right underneath you though.
Absolutely! I actually took the legs & arms off of mine so 3 of us could carry it down into the basement more easily. It is a heavy sucker! I just moved it last week and even picking up one end and rolling it on its front wheels is a workout.
I worked in the fitness industry for a couple of years and Octane, Sole, Life Fitness, Cybex, etc were all customers of mine. Octane only makes ellipticals and they make darn good ones.
We've had the Sole E95 for about 4 years. Solid, and never had any problems. Gets used by one of us 5 or 6 days a week. Had a True treadmill for about 15 years, still going strong, though it doesn't get much use and none from me. My wife alternates it occasionally with the bike.
