Your Favorite Elliptical ?

What is your Favorite Elliptical ? we are in the market for one, looking
at a Octane Fitness one. But wow they are so expensive. :noway:

Thoughts or Suggestions ?

Replies

  • Casey45
    Casey45 Posts: 160 Member
    I have a Precor and like it very much --- but don't use it much. Am more of a gym rat (running, stairs and weight lift) than a home rec room exerciser. Husband uses it lots and likes it a bunch. Gym just got a lateral elliptical which is pretty darn good.
  • annie61702
    annie61702 Posts: 120 Member
    I love my Precor! But it is expensive. However, I've had it for 5 years, use it regularly, and have never had a problem with it.
  • Superfun601
    Superfun601 Posts: 25 Member
    I had a life fitness that I got used for $1000 and LOVED IT, we moved very far and it was easier to sell and buy different... now we got a sole fitness $1250 and I don't like it.... my parents have an octane and its ok but I don't care for the range of motion.... their is my 2 cents! Good luck :)
  • Deestrong68
    Deestrong68 Posts: 119 Member
    I have looked at the Precor, I need something a little more compact than that.

    We lift 3 days a Week at the Gym and I am looking to do some more Cardio in my recovery Days.

    Our Gym has StarTrac but they are pretty long too.
  • Will210
    Will210 Posts: 201 Member
    I have had an Octane since 2011. Great machine. I find that the octane is more difficult than the Precor or Life Fitness. Almost like running. I actually prefer the Precor for steady state cardio.

    My advice would be look through craigslist ad's and see if you can find one of the above three. Many people dump almost never used machines at a very discounted price. Might depend on where you live. I know they are plentiful in S Florida.

    Another machine to consider is the stair master step mill. Shockingly the prices can be under 2k for a refurbished machine. From a workout perspecitve - I can do level 10 of precor for a good 30 minutes at a heart rate between 125 and 135. Once I go to level on of the stair mill, it jumps to 140. Crazy! That will probably change a bit as I get more used to it. But the sweat you can burn up on a stair mill is incredible.
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
    At the old gym I was going to, they had these really nice ones by Prector. It had a touch screen and TV capabilities which I really liked. It was also super easy and smooth to work.

    Currently where I am at now, I go on the elliptical, but I do not like them as much as the Prector ones. They are by Lifetime Fitness. They aren't as smooth, but maybe I am not used to them yet?

    But I really liked the ones by Prector; it has a touch screen, TV capabilities, and somewhere to plug in your iPod. Probably really expensive, but maybe they have nice ones for less?
  • jlclabo
    jlclabo Posts: 588 Member
    our gym has the precor, lifestyle, and octane. the octane is my fav by far. feels like a more natural "running" stride. we have noticed that if you do HIIT cardio on it and go from a slower pace to an all out pace then back to slower pace, it likes to throw the belt off and that sucks. never had it happen to me personally, but they asked us all to try and keep the pace down a bit. i usually go at level 10 for 45 sec at 38-40 rpm and burst to 95-100 rpm for 15 sec and do this for 6-11 mins.
  • soxphan1
    soxphan1 Posts: 15 Member
    Look at Sole.

    They are made with high quality parts where it matters, lower quality (cost) where it doesn't.

    Reasonably priced, and ship free from amazon.
  • Deestrong68
    Deestrong68 Posts: 119 Member
    Great advice everybody Thanks.

    I am going to look a a few different brands Tomorrow at a fitness store so Ill have some more info then.


    BTW that stair master looked Crazy ! Ill see if they have one of those to check out
  • Deestrong68
    Deestrong68 Posts: 119 Member
    The fitness place I went to today had many elliptical, but they were full blown suggested retail in price.

    I try to buy from small businesses but with crap like that you just push me to the Internet.
  • Will210
    Will210 Posts: 201 Member
    I highly recommend craigslist but if you want new try the below link. Haven't delt with them in a while but were very good when I worked with them. Free shipping, were willing to work with you. Not sure about price reduction as some are controlled by the manufacturer but were able to offer additional add-ons

    http://www.athomefitness.com/
  • puruhutika
    puruhutika Posts: 18 Member
    I have an elliptical from Smooth Fitness. It gave me a ton of problems. And the company sent someone to fix it after "ONE YEAR" and after several complaints to Better Business Bureau and Pensylvania Attorney Generals office. The equipment is a sturdy one, but its motor was burnt within a week of its arrival. After that it was a struggle with the company. Their customer care is one of the WORST in the industry. Precor is my favorite, but as other people said it is expensive.
  • Foltz
    Foltz Posts: 10 Member
    I prefer the StarTrac/Stairmaster ones, but then working for them, I think i may be biased. :wink: