Do You Really Save Money With Used Elliptical Trainers?
A used elliptical machine will, of course, cost less than a brand new one. But... what are the potential problems associated with getting a second hand unit? In today's world of rapid obsolescence is it really worth saving a few dollars only to be stuck with yesterday's machine?
As this was being written, a search on eBay for "used elliptical machine" under the Sports category revealed 4 items being sold. The lowest price was $150 for a ProForm 485E machine and the most expensive was $1,699 for the Cybex 600A Elliptical ARC Training Gym Home Machine.
Repeating the search as "used elliptical" resulted in literally dozens of items ranging in price all the way up to $5,150 for the Precor 576i Elliptical Experience Series EFX 576e - and this is USED!
Now Precor is one of the best rated machines on the market, so it is possible that the buyer of this used system will get some residual time left on the product guarantee clock. But, one of the biggest disadvantages of buying any used machine is that if something goes wrong you will probably be left holding the bag for the total cost of repair. Make sure the warranty is transferable!
If the warranty issue is not important to you, then you might want to check out Craigslist. For example, I just checked out a nearby city and inputted the search for "elliptical" under the Sporting category and came up with 88 elliptical machines for sale... many of them simply saying "best offer". More than likely, you can bargain down the price with this type of listing... especially if you have a truck and are willing to haul it away immediately. Plus, you should be able to hop on for a test run before committing yourself to the purchase.
Another good source for used elliptical machines is Amazon. The best search term seems to be "elliptical used" and the results are pretty good. I even found one that listed the Precor EFX 5.23 Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer for $2,999 new and $1,999 used - in the same listing. When you click through various links on the Amazon site you will find their limited "stand behind guarantee", as well as the rating of the seller.
Word of caution though, the seller ratings won't necessarily be for that type of specific item. In other words, the seller may have received a 97% approval rating, but was actually selling more books or small items rather than the odd elliptical machine. Nevertheless, the Amazon presentation is as trustworthy as it gets.
Another thing to keep in mind... and this is certainly true in the world of NEW equipment... is that you really do get what you pay for. For instance, let's say you want to buy a new low cost elliptical trainer and you wind up getting the $250 budget model instead of the $1,950 unit. Low and behold, after a few workout sessions you notice there's a slight squeak in the gearing mechanism, which gets louder by the minute.
After awhile, the noise becomes so annoying it actually begins to affect your ability to get maximum results from your workout. You know there's a defect somewhere, so you begin the process of contacting the "service department" to get it fixed. Weeks go by... maybe even months. Finally, someone comes to your home to fix the problem, but it can't be fixed without dismantling the machine and sending the part back to the manufacturer. You know the rest of the story... maybe there's a happy ending... maybe not.
The point is that if this can happen (and it most certainly does) with a brand new machine... what can of problems to you think you would face with the used elliptical machine?
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By Steve Batch Precor is the original creator of the Elliptical Crosstrainer and their Precor EFX 546 HR Elliptical is why they are still the leader today. Go to any gym in America and chances are you'll see the EFX 546 HR. [READ FULL ARTICLE]
Ways to Discover the Champion Compact Elliptical Trainers
By Kevin Kapsi Consumers that bear space limits, because they are in a little apartment or condominium, look for a smaller elliptical machine that will fulfill both their space requirements, and also at the same time, will meet their workout wishes. Options are narrow because there aren't a lot of compact ellipticals, also addressed as SpaceSavers, for sale. Companies that consumers applaud for their compact elliptical are the Nordic Track and Proform (Razor or Crosswalk models. [READ FULL ARTICLE]
Elliptical Muscle Groups
By James Knight Elliptical trainers allow the exerciser to focus on a number of different muscles during one workout - it is difficult to think of another type of exercise that will benefit in so many different ways. Certainly an elliptical trainer is favoured over treadmills, stair climbers and bicycles when it comes to providing an all-round workout. [READ FULL ARTICLE]
