best cheap rowing machine?

[revingtonn]

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

[TransitionTed]

[Whisk]

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]

+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.

[TransitionTed]

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

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

[TransitionTed]

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

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

[revingtonn]

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.

[TransitionTed]

[White Noise]

[White Noise]

[jamesdrake]

[Chrace]

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).
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[gingerbongo]

That's a 7 year grain you're going against there Chrace!