This machine had lots of problems right out of the box:
The main steel axle was warped, so when the two main handlebars were attached, it popped out the stub/plug on the side of the handlebars, leaving a 2mm gap in the main fame, so when I stride on the machine, it makes a clanking noise.
The plastic over the wheel was warped, and the tension knob didn't work. I used wood cutting tools to carve a line where the warped plastic was hitting the pedal so the scraping noise would stop.
It worked well enough after the self fixing, but then about 10 minutes into its first use, something inside the machine began squeaking, and has yet to go away. I've used it 5 times so far (which is awful-I thought I'd use it every day.), and will try to use it more just to get my $160 worth out of it.
I am NOT an athlete, and am out of shape, though not overweight (120lbs and jiggly, only been exercising >a year, and with very, very LIGHT cardio; Bar method and Leslie Sansone 'walk at home' videos, 'hula for beginners' video, and a resistance band & PT prescribed exercises for strength).
However, I do not break a good sweat even going on this machine for 40+ minutes, perhaps due to the dysfunctional tension knob (it has no resistance, as far as I could tell). After doing a 'walk at home' video, I'm soaked after 20 minutes...This machine *appears* to not push the user to the proper pulse level, but the machine I received could be a lemon.
An elliptical was recommended by a physical therapist because the walk at home videos gave me side stitches, and I'd pulled my shoulder as well. She stressed not to cheap out on a machine, but I don't have enough $ for a gym or professional grade machine. I chose this machine after seeing many fairly good reviews for it on amazon.uk (over there,it has lots of reviews. The other model I was considering was Confidence 2-in-one machine for $130, but it had very poor reviews elsewhere).
Another incident I've experienced that are noted in other reviews for other products made by Confidence is the pedals seem to cause your feet to slide and push your toes against the edge, causing a 'needle like' or numbing sensation in your toes when you get off the machine.
In fact, one of the main reasons I chose this over their two less expensive models is because none of the reviews for this machine mentioned the decline, or a need to prop the front on a 2x4. Alas, this machine certainly does not grip to your shoe, and does benefit from a few books stacked under the front. I've also put small squares of non skid material on the pedals (the type you'd put under a carpet runner, or use as a yoga mat), and it helps a little, but the 2 inch rise in front works much better.
The handle bars also seem to be a little short...My arms don't stretch all the way while striding, though I'm only 5'4". I can't imagine anyone taller even fitting in it. The stride is also very short and more of a circular pedaling motion rather than an authentic oval, elliptical motion.
If the tension had functioned properly, this wouldn't be such a bad machine for home use, given its price in comparison to others. However, based on the machine I received, for the reasons listed above, I could not recommend it to other shoppers. Unfortunately, I haven't any better ideas to offer, since there seems to be a huge gap in price and quality...There's either crappy machines for $300 or less, or nice ones that start in the $1200's.
Confidence Fitness Space Saving Elliptical TrainerOverall, I like this elliptical so I gave it 4 stars. However, it is a bit wobbly and it does squeak a little (not a big deal, I'll just buy some oil for it). Putting it together was tedious because the instructions are really not that great and the diagram is really unclear. It's best to have two people when putting it together, although I did it by myself, it just took longer.
That's my review for the machine itself. Now, I do have to mention the seller, Golf Outlets of America - their packaging is really bad. The nuts, bolts and other small items weren't in a sealed bag but rather scattered around the box. The box ended up being damaged with a hole punctured through it so some of the nuts and bolts fell out. One of the parts was also damaged beyond repair. The good thing though was that Golf Outlets eventually responded to my e-mail about this and sent me out the missing parts (altogether, took me about 2.5 weeks to get the elliptical up because of this). Just thought I should mention this because they're the only seller of this product on Amazon.
After reading all the reviews, I was very concerned about the bid I'd just placed [I purchased mine on Ebay, as it was cheaper with free shipping]. Most of them stated that some part of the elliptical arrived damaged and took forever to be replaced. I contacted the seller and asked the proper procedure for returning/replacing the item should it, in fact, arrive broken. They were very prompt and responded the next business day--it's under warranty, and as long as you email a photo of the problem with a description, they'd send out another part right away.
I was anxious to get started, so I had my fingers crossed that the shipping wouldn't damage the machine [it was shipped from Canada--quite the journey to my 'burg!].
It arrived right on time, all sixty[!] pounds. The box was sealed with tape and bound with plastic, there appeared to be no damage to the packaging. I was hopeful. I opened the box and everything seemed to be sealed pretty well and packaged tightly.
I inspected each item for dents/dings/bends and found nothing out of sorts, so I began assembling it. The only problem I had with the directions was the visual diagram. It was a little bit unclear when it came to the smaller parts, but if you study it well enough with the written directions beforehand, it shouldn't be a problem.
So I began assembling it. The parts were heavy, so I had to have some help, but everything went together just fine, until I got to the second-to-last part--assembling the top bars with the greased rod. That was a little tricky, because I had to use a hammer [with a dish towel muffling the noise and protecting the part] to get the parts joined. With all of the handling the part lost some of the grease, so after one use it squeaks, but it's not a big deal since it just requires a little more lubricant, and the squeaking isn't so bad [I use headphones with music when I work out, so I can't hear it anyway]. I'll probably take the top part off to re-grease it at some point because I don't want it to sustain any damage. In addition to that, I'm not sure I connected the computer properly because it doesn't read anything but the pulse [it's supposed to start when you begin exercising with the machine, and track your speed, distance, calories burned, etc.] and the directions weren't super clear about how exactly to connect the tension/computer to the base. Probably a user error, but again, the diagram was really quite small and a bit blurry. I can just calculate the calories burned anyway, so the computer isn't an essential [though it would be nice if it worked properly!].
That said, as long as everything arrives in good condition and it's assembled properly, this should be a great starter elliptical! It's wobbly because the base is so short, so I wouldn't recommend anyone who's heavier to operate this [160-180 lbs. max, likely--I'm 130 and it's only mostly sturdy, though I'm not afraid of toppling].
All in all, it's a great value for what it is. The tension, if put on the highest setting, will make your legs burn in rather short order, so you know it's working!
Please note that anyone who's left a rather negative review has had a problem with broken parts in shipping/handling--so don't NOT buy this just because of that! It's a cheap elliptical, but it's sturdy enough for every day/4X weekly use. Just lubricate the rods every so often and tighten the bolts on the foot crank and the arms after every 2 uses or so and you should have no problem! Oh, and don't over-tighten the bolts on the plastic foot pedals! That's probably why the other user's cracked! Just tighten them enough so they're not at all wobbly and you should be good to go.
Are you ready for a better body and a more healthy life without the $500 price tag of most elliptical trainers? Buy this! [Keep in mind that it's not really appropriate for marathon training or very heavy exercising like the description states--it's more for moderate exercise to tone up and lose a few pounds or to maintain a great body--who wouldn't want that? :)]. - Fitness - Awesome - Exercise - Elliptical'
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