elliptical traininer

I believe the commercial Precors are rated for up to 350 pounds, but you'd better verify that. Have you used ellipticals a few times? Do you like them? Do you love them? Realistically, will you use it regularly or will it become a place to hang your clothes? If you know in your heart of hearts that you will use an elliptical regularly, then I say spend a fortune on a used commercial unit. The difference is huge between a cheapie and a commercial unit. I looked at it like this: If there was a magic pill that would make me lose weight, get in shape, and reduce the risk of injury or health related problems, like a heart attack or torn hamstring, would I spend $2-3K on that pill? Hell yea I would! Well, an elliptical isn't a magic pill, but if you use it regularly, it sure seems like one.

I spent over a year researching ellipticals, trying them out and flip-flopping on whether or not I was going to drop that kind of coin on a piece of equipment. I finally bought a used Precor 576i Experience (I wanted the cross ramp and arm dealios) and have not had one moment of buyer's remorse. For me, it was a great investment. If you have health concerns, you might even look at it this way: It costs less than a trip to the ER.

One final thing cheap vs commercial: The commercial units are relatively quiet. Because of that, I can watch TV while working out. That insures I will use it regularly (I like to DVR local and national news and now I watch those while on the elliptical...and, of course, Family Guy).

Caveat: Of course there are other ways to achieve your goals without an elliptical, but since you asked specifically about ellipticals, there's my 2cents. Good luck with your search. If any other questions or concerns, feel free to message me.