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revingtonn
Joined: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 53 Location: Herts
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:06 pm Post subject: best cheap rowing machine? |
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Hi All
I'm considering buying a rowing machine (budget of 200 quid or less) to stick in the garage and spice up my training.
Does anyone have any experience of these? Are they any good/what is the best one to go for - or is £200 not enough to buy a decent one, and I'd be better off just making the effort to go to the gym and get on the Concept 2?
Appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks
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TransitionTed
Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 21433 Location: On It Lika A Car Bonnet
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: best cheap rowing machine? |
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revingtonn wrote: | Hi All
I'm considering buying a rowing machine (budget of 200 quid or less) to stick in the garage and spice up my training.
Does anyone have any experience of these? Are they any good/what is the best one to go for - or is £200 not enough to buy a decent one, and I'd be better off just making the effort to go to the gym and get on the Concept 2?
Appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks |
concept have pretty much cornered the market and anything else (with a possible exception of waterower) are toys really. the ones ive tested are poor and not built to be used with any degree of enthusiasm. some are quite frankly uncomplementary as far as biomechanics go.
unfortunately concepts really hold their price second hand too
maybe a gym membership for u
ps i have no connection with c2 other than ive used their products for over 15 years
_________________ Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion
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Whisk
Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 8475 Location: London
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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As an ex-rower I wouldn't consider anything other than a Concept2. The cheaper ones just feel way too flimsy.
It's remarkable how Concept2 have pretty much cornered the market in gym rowing machines. If you go back a few years, most of the equipment manufacturers did a rowing machine of sorts, but now you never see anything but a Concept2 in a proper gym.
For all that they seem quite expensive, the purchase price of a new machine hasn't moved much at all since I started rowing 19 years ago - a decidedly industrial Model B was about £750 back then and you can get a new Model D for £975 now. My college had one of the original Model A's, where you basically drove a bicycle wheel with fins
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Oranj
Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 1202 Location: Oxford
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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+1 for Concept2. They really are well built and a superb bit of kit, as has been said, apart from the Waterrower and Rowperfect the rest are just toys. Going rate for a secondhand model "C" is about £450, maybe more if it's had a monitor upgrade (from PM2 to a PM3 or PM4), model D £650.
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TransitionTed
Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 21433 Location: On It Lika A Car Bonnet
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Whisk wrote: |
It's remarkable how Concept2 have pretty much cornered the market in gym rowing machines. If you go back a few years, most of the equipment manufacturers did a rowing machine of sorts, but now you never see anything but a Concept2 in a proper gym.
: |
i spoke to the italian md of technogym many years ago about this
he said that they knew when they were beaten and just making a machine look good (something the italians do very well, as im sure your aware) just wouldnt hack it long term
add to this the fact that large fitness suppliers couldnt cope with c2's high level of customer service that only comes from a small company who passionately believe in what they do and they were left with 1000s of poor rowing machines that nobody wanted and ended up being scrapped.
pity because ive just sold a c2. 10 years old but still holds up
_________________ Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion
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isuckedmandelsonslemons
Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 960
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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As others have said, if you are going to buy a rowing machine it simply has to be a Concept2.
I've had five machines over the years and they have effectively cost me very little. Apart from my first one which was brand new, the others have all been second hand and two of them were sold for more than I paid for them.
Look on the Concept2.co.uk forum. There are always second hand machines. The cheapest ones will be double your budget but buying anything else is just a waste of money IMHO.
If you got a good one for £500 you'd be able to sell it in a year's time for pretty much the same money. Think how much gym membership for a year is and a Concept makes good sense.
PS I would never buy a new one again. They are bomb proof and even three=year-old machines will be perfect if they aren't ex-gym
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TransitionTed
Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 21433 Location: On It Lika A Car Bonnet
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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HarryB wrote: |
three=year-old machines will be perfect if they aren't ex-gym |
ahem
mine was. clean as a whistle and had new rollers on the seat
we have cleaning and maintenance logs you know
_________________ Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion
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isuckedmandelsonslemons
Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 960
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:23 am Post subject: |
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Sorry Ted. I'm sure there are exceprions (yours) but every gym C2 I've ever used has been cr@p.
Another good thing about a Concept is that alll the parts can be replaced. Just noticed a Model D sold recently for £400. Now that really is a bargain
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revingtonn
Joined: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 53 Location: Herts
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:56 am Post subject: |
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thanks for the all the responses.
Sounds like anything other than a C2 is pretty much a false economy - especially anything at 200 sheets. I've already got gym membership so will use the ones there (it's just easier for me to go into the garage to fit in 20 mins on the rower than time spent travelling to the gym!)
I might look into getting a 2nd hand C2 if funds allow in the future though, especially as they seem to hold value fairly well.
thanks again.
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TransitionTed
Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 21433 Location: On It Lika A Car Bonnet
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:08 am Post subject: |
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revingtonn wrote: | thanks for the all the responses.
Sounds like anything other than a C2 is pretty much a false economy - especially anything at 200 sheets. I've already got gym membership so will use the ones there (it's just easier for me to go into the garage to fit in 20 mins on the rower than time spent travelling to the gym!)
I might look into getting a 2nd hand C2 if funds allow in the future though, especially as they seem to hold value fairly well.
thanks again. |
just as an aside, and adding to what harryb mentioned about (some ) gyms not looking after their kit
u can do a drag test on the c2 and this will tell you whether the machine may need cleaning or not.
discolouring on the chain and light rusting covering the fan drum (earlier models) can also suggest a descrepancy in cleaning/maintenance
u may not be too popular with the gym staff if it shows up that they have been less than diligent with their cleaning duties, mind
_________________ Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion
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White Noise
Joined: 25 Jun 2006 Posts: 6788 Location: Perth, WA
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:25 am Post subject: |
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HarryB wrote: | Sorry Ted. I'm sure there are exceprions (yours) but every gym C2 I've ever used has been cr@p. |
you just go to crap gyms then!
WN
_________________ I respect your rights for free speech and having your own opinion, but that still doesn't mean your fu(king right though, does it!
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White Noise
Joined: 25 Jun 2006 Posts: 6788 Location: Perth, WA
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Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:27 am Post subject: |
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revingtonn wrote: | I might look into getting a 2nd hand C2 if funds allow in the future though, especially as they seem to hold value fairly well. |
have a look on here and a decent price erg might pop up near you
http://concept2.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=7
WN
_________________ I respect your rights for free speech and having your own opinion, but that still doesn't mean your fu(king right though, does it!
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jamesdrake
Joined: 07 Sep 2017 Posts: 1
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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White Noise wrote: | HarryB wrote: | Sorry Ted. I'm sure there are exceprions (yours) but every gym C2 I've ever used has been cr@p. |
you just go to crap gyms then!
WN |
lol
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Chrace
Joined: 28 Apr 2010 Posts: 2641 Location: Eating a Yorkie
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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I'll go against the grain here.
I wanted a rowing machine but the £6-700 second hand price tag for a Concept was just too much for something I wasn't sure I was going to actually enjoy and use. On the other hand I didn't want a £100 flimsy thing that I then didn't enjoy and subsequently not use for that reason.
I found a second hand Kettler Axom (RRP £480) for £150 and have found it excellent. Not flimsy at all, very stable and I really enjoy it.
Longevity? No clue. It might break at some point but then I'll know whether to splash out and get a Concept. For the moment it's great for me (and a flippin' hard workout).
_________________ Where the mind goes the body follows.
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gingerbongo
Joined: 21 Sep 2012 Posts: 1414 Location: Devon
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 8:33 am Post subject: |
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That's a 7 year grain you're going against there Chrace!
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