Opinions on these Ellipticals?

[dufferok]

I'm searching for a new elliptical for under $1400. I'm 6'1" and my wife is 5'7". I've narrowed my choices down to the following 3 ellipticals based on my online research. Has anyone ever used one of the below ellipticals and have an opinion? I really like the variable stride idea of the Schwinn 460. Would love to try before I buy but no store in my area has a floor model. The Sole E35 has a 20" stride, so I think we would both like it better than the 18" stride of the Lifecore. However, the Lifecore has excellent reviews and I can purchase it locally. I'd have to order the Schwinn or Sole.

Anyway, in order that I'm considering them...

1. Schwinn 460
2. Sole E35
3. Lifecore LC-985VG

 

[T Woody]

I don't have experience with ellipticals, but just wanted to share that the one piece of cardio equipment I have in my home gym is a concept 2 rower. If you're looking for something that is low impact on the joints and fairly inexpensive, it's tough to beat a rower. You can get a full body workout and they go for less than $500 on craigslist.

 

[dcottrill]

You are currently where I was about a year ago. It was getting colder and my wife, who is originally from a much warmer climate, wanted an elliptical machine so she could exercise indoors. So, like you, I was doing tons of online research. Our problem is that I am 6’1” and my wife is 5’0”. My stride is much longer than hers and I felt really cramped on the machines she was comfortable on, and the ones that I was comfortable on had a stride much too long for her. At the time the Schwinn 460 had just come on the market, and I was excited about the variable stride. I contacted every Schwinn dealer within 100 miles looking for one to try out, but nobody had them. I was almost resigned to taking a leap of faith and ordering it online when, one day, I walked into a department store and almost tripped over a floor model. “Why in the world did they put this f-ing thing right inside the door? Hey!!! That’s a Schwinn 460!!!!” We both tried it out and my wife loved it. Me, not so much. But, since it was mainly for her, we bought it. $1,000 delivered and assembled.

My thoughts after one year of use: It’s OK and I do appreciate the variable stride, but I wish I had it to do over again. For one thing, it’s not a true elliptical. It’s more of a stepper/glider. The handles really don’t provide any resistance, you just hold on to them and your arms go along for the ride. In fact, I just use the fixed handles. I find the moving ones to be uncomfortably out of synch with the movement of my lower body, but maybe that’s just me. My wife does fine with them. There is an occasional “thunk” from deep within the machine that I find to be disconcerting, but my research has led me to believe that all 460s do that from time to time. Doesn’t seem to hurt anything. To sum up, it’s a heavy, solid machine that made a few compromises in favor of the variable stride.

My advice: If you just have to have a new elliptical, take a long look at the Sole machines. They are VERY, VERY well built and rock solid. True, you’re stuck with a fixed stride, but if you can get one that both you and your wife are comfortable with, I think you’d be happy with it. It is a true elliptical and your great grandchildren will probably be using it someday.

Finally, if I had it to do over again, I’d go on Craigslist and find a used machine that someone has been using for a clothes rack. You’d find some great deals on some very good machines on there.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I don't have experience with ellipticals, but just wanted to share that the one piece of cardio equipment I have in my home gym is a concept 2 rower. If you're looking for something that is low impact on the joints and fairly inexpensive, it's tough to beat a rower. You can get a full body workout and they go for less than $500 on craigslist.

CAVEAT: With a rower, make sure that you have a good, strong back and good rowing technique. Even with proper technique, rowers can be a bit hard on the lower back.

 

[dufferok]

@dcottrill - Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. The information you posted regarding the Schwinn 460 was invaluable. You answered a lot of the questions I had about the 460 and based on what you said, I'm now leaning towards the Sole E35. Thanks again for the information. Much appreciated!

As for the row machines, I prefer the ellipticals due to a finicky lower back.

 

[schenkelini]

I have an Octane Q37 and it is so much better than the models you listed.I know that they are out of your price range, but you may find one on Craigslist. I have the Q35 used for close to your price range.

 

[dcottrill]

^^^

When I was doing my pre-purchase research I stopped into a local fitness store and test drove this elliptical. It was a magnificent machine - a thing of beauty. But come on...how much do you need to spend on a piece of cardio equipment? Now, if you could find one on Craigslist, that would be great. If you're buying new, go with the Sole for less than half the price.

Just my two cents.

 

[FastFreddy]

Waste of time

Don't waste your time with one of those. In my 20 years working in gyms, health clubs and tennis clubs I have never seen anyone get in shape with one of those. The only people I see on them are fat men and skinny women and old farts who never change. I would tell you to get a treadmill, concept 2 rower or upright bike spinning if you like.

 

[markwillplay]

fastfreddy..I beg to differ. I have a sole in my house right now and I can get a great workout with it. I have been in gyms for as long as you and can tell you that if you can push yourself on this machine, it will indeed help. I set the resistance to max and and go all out to get my heartrate up. The resistance makes a huge difference. Much much better than a treadmill if you want a more full body type of workout. I have owned treadmills and say they suck...even the very best of them..unless they will angle up. If you want to run....go outside and run...treadmills run for you. Also, I have found that "jogging" at a "comfortable" pace with no resistance has the least amount of payoff for tennis and is way, way, way, worse for your joints in the long run. I actually find that the eliptical can do well for a whole body workout if the resistance is enough and you are really pushing your body. True, it can be just a ride too, but, that is on the user, not the machine. Not that I would just use an eliptical machine, but of all the machines I have used in gyms and at home over the years....I think it is the best all around and is a nice change of pace if you do other types of workouts.

Just for the record....39 years old, 5'11", 170lbs...less than 10% body fat easily. Can run 1.5 miles in 9:30 (that ain't jogging in my book) and can do 25 pullups the "real way".

Only reason I say this is to let OP know that all eliptical users aren't fat old farts.

 

[scotus]

I own an elliptical from NordicTrack (still sells for $1300 brand-new).

But if I had to do it again, I would buy a used one from companies that make commercial machines (i.e., ones you see at health clubs) like Life Fitness.

The Life Fitness machines run $4000-$6000 brand-new, but you can find used ones for much less. The quality is just so much better.

Well, there is always a risk involved in buying anything used, but recently I lucked out on a used Life Fitness exercise bike for $400 (retails for over $2000). The quality is so much better than any brand-new bike you can get for under $1000.

 

[Nellie]

That Sole is much better built. I have a Precor that is twice the money (mostly because they delivered and set up the very heavy machine), but I would have been happy with the Sole. It is hard to buy without trying one, though. If you have a Dick's Sporting goods or a Hilton near your house, you can check them out.

 

[Serve em Up]

I'm a masters runner. I have a tendency to get tendonitis and Plantar Facitis.

When I'm injured and have to stop or reduce mileage running I use Ellipticals. My gym has Life Fitness and Precor.

I never seem to be able to get the quality workout on these that I can get with running. Sure, they are much more low impact than running but something is definately different. The calorie burn is much slower, even when you dial up the resistance level.

Recently, Iv'e started biking as a cross training. Spin clsses at the gym seem to be a pretty good workout.

 

[bee]

Our fitness club has a number of StarTrac machines. I like them. I'd consider buying a reconditioned one. You can find them on you-know-where.

 

[Tennisman912]

I would concur that you are better off buying used commercial equipment as opposed to the cheaper new stuff. You get what you pay for. I just hope you aren’t buying this to get you to start working out as that just doesn’t work for almost everyone long term IMHO. My point is if you are not already working out consistently and are just looking for a way to work out more conveniently, then you are buying for the wrong reasons and it won’t take. But if it is the former, it will be a paperweight in your house within a few months. Not judging you just saying.

I would also agree that you can get a pretty good workout on an elliptical though not ultimately as good as a treadmill for ultra athletes (how many of those don't know what they are doing on anything?). If you crank the resistance up to near max, you can barely turn the thing (I weight over 200 and in reasonable shape) so I don’t buy that you can’t get a good workout on them. Plenty of people use them with success every day. Granted, you do see a lot of older/ out of shape people on them barely moving, reading a magazine, staying on for 10-20 minutes (wearing jeans) and then wondering why they still don’t lose weight. Don’t confuse their incompetence with a decent piece of equipment. I hope it isn’t a mystery why to people who take there exercise a bit more seriously. It is a tool to use to reach your goals just like a treadmill or any other piece of cardio equipment.

If you need more motivation or camaraderie for your cardio, I can’t recommend a spinning class enough. A great, low impact workout that burns the calories and is more engaging for many, depending on your personality.

Best of luck

TM

 

[markwillplay]

I just can't understand why anyone would say that they can't get the "workout" they need from the eliptical when they are a runner. Now don't take offense..seriously, I mean no harm. However, I have always found over the years that I could challenge my body in any environment with no equipment at all. If someone says that running three miles is not a challenge..they are full of poop...I say...run it faster then. If you are on an eliptical and find no challenge.....set it to a higher resitance and go all out .. I mean really ..all out. I don't mean to sound like an ass and I hope I don't come off that way...but I have always had the same feeling about people who needed to be a member of a gym....you can challenge your body and push it past your comfort zone doing anything. If you don't think you can, you are relying on the equipment. and yes, I know marathon runners who don't know what it is like to have their body pushed to the max doing ANY exercise.
Here is a trick...go run a mile and a half. See how fast you run it....run it again the next day and try to improve on that time.....keep doing it until you think you have run it as fast as you can......do it again. It is a short run but a "get out of your comfort zone" run for time. YOu can do the same with squat jumps....just do them until you can't...ever done that???? The key is to push yourself every now and then past a point. this is a mentality that will transfer very well to aerobic activity. Not so much for strength becaue you can hurt yourself (take my word for it).

Bottom line..eliptical machines are OK for joints and get you in motion. The rest is up to the user.

 

[dufferok]

Thought I'd update you guys on my elliptical search. After a lot of research and a budget of $1400 or less for a new elliptical, I drove down to Frisco, TX and tried out the following ellipticals:

1. Sole E35
2. Sole E95
3. Schwinn 431
4. LifeCore 985VG
5. Precor EFX546 (Just for the fun of it, way out of my price range)
6. Spirit XE100
7. Spirit XE300

As tall as I am, I needed something with a stride of 20" or greater. I tried out the Sole Ellipticals. Physically, they looked well built, had a manual or auto incline feature and speakers for MP3 player. As for feel, it felt like I had to lean forward on the machine just to grab the handles. Didn't feel "balanced" on the machine as a result. Didn't have a need for the incline feature or speakers. Warrant was 5 years parts, 2 years labor.

The Schwinn physically looked like a cheaper build than the Sole. The machine was really noisy compared to the Sole and again, I didn't feel balanced on the machine.

The precor rocked. Felt completely natural. If I had $3500 to spend, I would have purchased it.

The Spirit XE300, from a physical standpoint looked very solid. Comes with a 1 year labor and 10 year parts/frame warranty. As for feel, fit me perfectly! The handles were tall enough and curved enough that I felt very comfortable. The foot plates could be adjusted up to 10 degrees of angle to custom fit different users. Came with a wireless heart rate monitor and was super quiet when using the elliptical. It's built by Dyaco International, same company that builds the Sole machines.

I was highly impressed with the XE300 and got it for exactly $1400. It took me 3 hours to assemble...probably the only negative I have. The instructions could have been written slightly better and would have saved me an hours worth of assembly. Anyway, I love the auto heart rate program. The wireless heart rate monitor transmits my pulse to the elliptical and the elliptical adjusts the resistance to maintain my heart rate at 80% of max during my workout. My wife, who is shorter and lighter than me also loves it. So we are extremely happy with our puchase.

I'm not going to recommend that everyone goes out and buys a Spirit XE300. Instead, I recommend doing research online 1st to find what machines may fit your needs. Post question you may have on your favorite and active message boards. And most importantly, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Regardless if you have the cash or not, try out a Precor just so you understand whey they have so many patents on their machines.

And as for the side topic of "you can't get a good workout on an elliptical", I highly disagree. I test myself quarterly by running at the local track and timing my 2 mile run. Before the purchase of my 1st elliptical (Nordick track) I weighed 195 and my 2 mile run time was 17:48. After working out on the elliptical for 6 months, my weight was 185 and 2 mile run time was 15:30. After a year, my weight is still 185 but my 2 mile run time is now 14:05. So I do get a great workout on the elliptical and recommend it for those that don't have the perfect weather year round to run in or for those with lower back problems like myself.

 

[FastFreddy]

workouts

Thought I'd update you guys on my elliptical search. After a lot of research and a budget of $1400 or less for a new elliptical, I drove down to Frisco, TX and tried out the following ellipticals:

1. Sole E35
2. Sole E95
3. Schwinn 431
4. LifeCore 985VG
5. Precor EFX546 (Just for the fun of it, way out of my price range)
6. Spirit XE100
7. Spirit XE300

As tall as I am, I needed something with a stride of 20" or greater. I tried out the Sole Ellipticals. Physically, they looked well built, had a manual or auto incline feature and speakers for MP3 player. As for feel, it felt like I had to lean forward on the machine just to grab the handles. Didn't feel "balanced" on the machine as a result. Didn't have a need for the incline feature or speakers. Warrant was 5 years parts, 2 years labor.

The Schwinn physically looked like a cheaper build than the Sole. The machine was really noisy compared to the Sole and again, I didn't feel balanced on the machine.

The precor rocked. Felt completely natural. If I had $3500 to spend, I would have purchased it.

The Spirit XE300, from a physical standpoint looked very solid. Comes with a 1 year labor and 10 year parts/frame warranty. As for feel, fit me perfectly! The handles were tall enough and curved enough that I felt very comfortable. The foot plates could be adjusted up to 10 degrees of angle to custom fit different users. Came with a wireless heart rate monitor and was super quiet when using the elliptical. It's built by Dyaco International, same company that builds the Sole machines.

I was highly impressed with the XE300 and got it for exactly $1400. It took me 3 hours to assemble...probably the only negative I have. The instructions could have been written slightly better and would have saved me an hours worth of assembly. Anyway, I love the auto heart rate program. The wireless heart rate monitor transmits my pulse to the elliptical and the elliptical adjusts the resistance to maintain my heart rate at 80% of max during my workout. My wife, who is shorter and lighter than me also loves it. So we are extremely happy with our puchase.

I'm not going to recommend that everyone goes out and buys a Spirit XE300. Instead, I recommend doing research online 1st to find what machines may fit your needs. Post question you may have on your favorite and active message boards. And most importantly, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Regardless if you have the cash or not, try out a Precor just so you understand whey they have so many patents on their machines.

And as for the side topic of "you can't get a good workout on an elliptical", I highly disagree. I test myself quarterly by running at the local track and timing my 2 mile run. Before the purchase of my 1st elliptical (Nordick track) I weighed 195 and my 2 mile run time was 17:48. After working out on the elliptical for 6 months, my weight was 185 and 2 mile run time was 15:30. After a year, my weight is still 185 but my 2 mile run time is now 14:05. So I do get a great workout on the elliptical and recommend it for those that don't have the perfect weather year round to run in or for those with lower back problems like myself.

If you want to become a better runner then run and get a treadmill if you don't want to run outside. You can also buy an upright bike to become a better cyclist or get a mag trainer for your bike. I also like the spinning bikes you can get one for 400.00 I also like the concept-2 rower and stepmill. The recumbent bike, stairmaster and elliptical came out around 1995 and what a waste of time to use them. Also walking on a treadmill is a waste unless you are so fat you can't run. Most people ar to lazy at the gym to run also you can't read and run. Elliptical replaced the gym nordick track another waste unless you train for a cross country. If you have a bad knee and can't run then do the bike since that's what you will do for knee rehab.

 

[dcottrill]

I was highly impressed with the XE300 and got it for exactly $1400.

Congrats on your purchase. Sounds like you got a really good price. Most websites are advertising the XE300 for around $1600 - $1700.