Customer Reviews

Ironman 125 Elliptical Trainer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was searching for a treadmill/ET to use at home to compensate for nights that I can't go to the gym. I was briefly interested in one of the gazelles but the "low impact" workouts I read about weren't what I was looking for. I then caught this machine listed for about $210. I was cautious and did my research and saw that the company made a number of quality, durable exercise machines. It arrived and I had it assembled in one night, I immediately was concerned about the little "track" piece you see on the bottom extending out behind the foot pedals....just looked way to easy for those to come off course and send my leg or self slamming off the machine mid stride, and that was definitely the case. I'd say at least 4 times per a workout I'd nearly twist an ankle or jam a knee as the pedals went off track and slammed my foot into the floor. The "monitor" piece attached very flimsy as well so be prepared for that to fall off a few times over the course of a workout. The workout was good though so I dealt with those issues until a few minutes ago when a new issue crept up and left me with a machine I can't use. The foot pedals screw on, but because of the natural force thats going to be on those screws they break the cheap plastic the pedals are made out of and they break right off the machine. We'll see how the company is to deal with in replacing the part, but either way I wish I had just spent a little more on a better quality machine.

So thats the case, less than a week of owning it and using it 4 times and its already broken. Avoid unless you're on a super tight budget.

We had an old NordicTrack that we wore out. I got this elliptical since they give a better workout in terms of the number of muscles used and the type of motion, and it is indeed better. On my old NordicTrack you had to be careful not to let the "skis" get off track, while with this model that is not a problem. The display is great, though it doesn't have a back light so it is hard to read in low light. I like the heart beat monitor and timer. The motion is smooth and easy. I get a better workout with less effort since I don't have to worry about any skis. My wife likes it as well and uses it as part of her weight loss program. I like it for working out in the winter time, since splitting wood in cold weather doesn't work up a sweat and after 15 or 20 minutes on this machine I am sweating well which keeps the pores clear and prevents winter time pimples and keeps the skin healthy and "oiled" which prevents dry skin in the winter time.

This unit is well built and the assembly was fairly easy, for a maintenance mechanic. I can see how people who can't turn a screw may have some problems if they fail to pay attention to the directions which could be better illustrated. Some squeaking is normal with these units and can be solved by some lubrication, but so far I haven't had to add any grease to what it came with. As far as the rollers staying on the tracks that one reviewer complained about, we haven't had any problems at all, but then we are used to using a NordicTrack which took some coordination.

This model is a great buy since it is "bottom" model and has the important features of the more expensive models above, while lacking the frills and the higher price. Good bang for the buck with this model.

The Iron man 125 is a great product. Ironman is a brand name you can trust. The materials are all good quality. The tension adjustment is easy with eight levels. The heart rate monitor works well. The foot pedals work fine never had an issue with them slipping off the track as one reviewer did. An elliptical isn't meant for running on it's more of a cross country skiing motion. Your feet should never fully leave the pedals. If you want to run buy a treadmill. Set up was easy if you have some basic familiarity with hand tools. It took me a total of two hours to assemble. That includes unpacking and insureing all the parts were included. I was also taking my time. Some people may run into an issue connecting the tension wire. I got it off Amazon for $199 which is a steal from it's original price. Walmart also has an ironman model similar to this one for about the same price. Although I don't know how good the quality is. which explains the price drop. Five stars, solid product, did everything I expected.