Horizon EX-57 Review:
After a lot of research (I narrowed my decision down to the EX-57 and the Schwinn 430), I decided on the Horizon because of the warranty. Plus, I was able to try the machine out beforehand at my local Sears. I knew I wanted a front fly-wheel, since the ellipticals I've tried with rear flywheels feel wobbly. Both the Schwinn 430 and Horizon EX-57 have excellent reviews online, but the Horizon offers one year of labor versus Schwinn's 90 days, and the machine was actually a little less expensive.
Delivery:
I elected for Free Super Saver Shipping. Two business days after ordering, I received a call from the shipping company, ABF. A very polite man made a delivery appointment with me for the following week. My item arrived just five business days after ordering. On the day of delivery, ABF called to say they were in the neighborhood and would be arriving in 15-20 minutes. The delivery guy was very polite and friendly, and he carried the box inside to my living room floor. The box itself was in good condition, only a little dirty with some slight gouges in the top layer of cardboard, nothing that alarmed.
Since we have a townhouse apartment and the elliptical was going upstairs, we opened the box downstairs and carried the parts upstairs. All were in excellent cosmetic condition. We had already purchased a gym mat from Kmart at a great price - less than thirty dollars.
Assembly:
There were three or four small bags of parts that were full of grease. Keep that in mind. You will want to have some paper towels or rags handy. We just used one of the larger pieces of packing styrofoam as a tray for all the greasy parts. I even added a little WD-40 to a few of the bolts and washers during assembly, to ward off squeaks. We took inventory and there was one missing part - the "console mast boot" - a small rubber ring that goes over the opening where the mast enters the flywheel. This part would not otherwise interfere with us putting the machine together, so we continued with installation. (**More about the process of getting this part from Horizon below**). It took my mildly handy husband and me one and a half hours to assemble the elliptical, and we moved at a comfortable pace, carefully reading the directions. I had borrowed a ratchet set from a friend, but we did not need any tools other than those provided by Horizon. It was very simple to assemble.
**We could technically do without the console mast boot, but there's no way I'm letting that go, since this machine cost a small fortune for us. I called Horizon about the missing part and got an automatic response system that told me to leave a message. Next day, I got a call-back as an unknown number and screened it (mistake). I had to leave another message and did not hear back from them until the following day. However, the Horizon representative was polite and helpful and, after registering my product for me over the phone, he put in the order for the part and offered to have tracking information emailed to me. A couple of days later, I got the email with UPS tracking information for my missing part. It arrived less than one week after the elliptical. I snapped it on without having to rearrange any other parts.
Usage:
My husband is 6' tall and I am 5'2", so a comfortable stride, comfortable distance to the handle bars, and plenty of head clearance was crucial for both of us, since we have to share one machine. Our ceiling is 8', and we had to push the elliptical close to a wall instead of in the center of the room, since my husband's head was too close to the blades of the ceiling fan. I find the stride and handle bar distance perfectly comfortable. My husband said that the stride could be a little longer for him, but he is not uncomfortable on the machine. He did say, however, that someone much taller than 6'2" would probably be a little uncomfortable with the length of the stride.
The EX-57 is very quiet during use. I am able to listen to music at a normal volume, and it doesn't bother my husband in another room or downstairs. There are some small, inoffensive noises now and then, but think about this: the flywheel operates almost completely silent. If you have greased the bolts and all the parts have been tightened to the right level, then the machine won't give off any ambient noise that might drown out the occasional click of a pedal or other small sound. After having worked out on my friend's expensive Cybex, I've learned that most machines make a sound or two now and then.
Since I am a beginner at regular exercise, I started at level 1 resistance, and good thing. I was whipped after 25 minutes. My resistance will undoubtedly increase with regular use, but the EX-57 is at a stronger base resistance than some other machines I've used, including the aforementioned Cybex. So, I would counsel beginners not to get too excited about resistance levels right off the bat. Veteran gym folks should be pleased with the levels of resistance offered too.
The heart monitor may or may not be accurate. It is not so important to us. I am of a mind that most of these machines are off when it comes to that, even at the gym. If heart rate is important to you, I recommend getting a separate monitor.
The screen reads fine in indoor lighting; no worries about it not being backlit.
The cup holder is too low to be convenient while working out. You would have to slow or stop first. I just use a nearby table top.
Final Notes:
In another review, someone commented about cheap looking plastic parts, so I was on the lookout for this. After getting it all set up and using it a few times, I really think the machine looks nice, and I have no complaints about the plastic panels and pieces.
After a month of near daily use by two people, we could not be happier with our Horizon EX-57. Everyone needs to do their own research to find the right fit, but I highly recommend this elliptical. Horizon Fitness EX-57 Elliptical Trainer - Exercise - Fitness - Elliptical Trainer - Sturdy'
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