Customer Reviews

Ironman Ascender CDT Elliptical Trainer With LCD TV

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I did A LOT of research for the best elliptical trainer. The attributes I was looking for:

1) Sturdy (didn't wobble)
2) Longer stride length
3) A good price
4) A decent warranty
5) Smooth ride
6) Something that would last

My husband didn't seem to have any problems putting it together. It seemed pretty basic. So, if you have a handy man- you won't have a problem. When I first used this elliptical, it was a little squeaky. After my 35 min run, it wasn't squeaky anymore, but there was a banging sound. So, my husband just had to tighten a few parts underneath the right foot area and no more sound. I have used to every day for a week and absolutely LOVE it. It is so smooth. It doesn't wobble and it's not too bulky. You can't fold it up, but that's okay because I use it so much I wouldn't want to put it away. I think a lot of people aren't familiar with Iron man because it's pretty new with making elliptical machines. The screen is awesome too. You can program up to 4 people and it has a TON of programed workouts. I have yet to try them out. Make sure to go onto Ironmanfitness.com to register your product, so you get the warranty. The frame is lifetime. As of right now, I love this product and would purchase again.

FYI: Amazon was awesome! I ordered the product on Oct. 11th. It was shipped out on the 13th. I got a call from the delivery people on the 14th. I had the product at 9am on the 16th. It was VERY fast, early on delivery day (they were suppose to drop by between 10am-2pm), and all the parts were the undamaged. The delivery guy dropped it off right on the door step, which most will only drop it off at the curb or drive way. Go with Amazon over bayou fitness. Amazon's return policy is better especially for damaged products. Bayou fitness makes you pay for shipping back, even if it's damaged.

Ironman Ascender CDT Elliptical Trainer With LCD TV
After a good deal of research I decided on the Ironman CDT Elliptical Trainer (the LCD TV is a nice addition but did not impact my choice). I placed my order on Thursday afternoon, it shipped on Friday and I received a call on Monday to set up a Tuesday delivery. Now..."some assembly required" usually means trying to understand poorly written instructions along with trying to decide if you should use the short screw or the shorter screw on certain steps. I have to give kudos to Ironman for the well written assembly instructions in their owner's manual AND more importantly for packaging the parts needed for each step in separate, well-marked containers. Each step of assembly is provided as text and a drawing (i.e., Figure 1)and all the parts needed to complete the assembly for that Figure are contained in a packet marked to correspond to that Figure. They even provide the tools required for assembly. I just completed assembly and wanted to share my thoughts. So far I'm impressed. This is obviously a well made machine and I look forward to many beneficial workouts using the Ironman Ascender.

This item has a gym like equipment quality. It is very heavy and durable. The motion is very fluid and quiet. Although you have to put it together, the instructions are VERY good and the bags of hardware are labeled with the figure in the manual that they go with making it very easy to install. I'm very pleased with the purchase so far.

I recently bought the Ironman Ascender with LCD TV from Amazon. I read several reviews and liked what I was reading about it. It seemed to be a solid machine made by a good company. The only negative I saw in a review was about the LCD monitor not having the correct screws. I saw some mention of people not being able to contact Ironman about issues due to the company moving, but that was over a month ago. I checked Ironman's website along with Keys Fitness (who actually makes the machine) and all seemed to be in order.
The machine arrived with no issues and I went about assembling it. The instructions were not the best (they never show a complete picture of many of the parts) but we were able to put it together with only a few difficulties. When we got to attaching the LCD module I then saw the problem the other person had. It isn't that the screws were wrong (although they did say they were hex screws when they were actually philips head screws), it was that there was no bracket on the LCD monitor to attach to the machine. If you look closely at some of the drawings, it seems that there should have been a bracket that allows the monitor to swivel. We looked everywhere, but could not find a bracket, or a way to attach the monitor without it flopping about.
Now to the reason I gave it 1 star. When I called the Ironman service number, they told me to call Treadmill Doctor. The guy at Treadmill Doctor told me that Keys fitness had gone bankrupt and Treadmill doctor had bought their inventory. He still had several Semi's full of parts to go though, but would call me if he found my part. (Not that I even had a part number)
I decided it was safer to return the machine then try and find a part for a machine that may not have warranty coverage anymore. Amazon was great and is arranging for the shipping agent to come and get the machine. I was able to disassemble it and get it mostly organized. The original box was trashed, but Amazon said it was OK.
Too bad, because it seemed like this was going to be a good machine.

We recently purchased this unit on Jan 6th and received it Jan 14th. Just after the purchase we see another review posted that Keys Fitness who makes the elliptical went out of business. At this point we were looking at the possibility of not accepting the order. We decided to keep it, even knowing the unit will not have a warranty. It took approximately three hours to put together and the instructions are easy to follow. Everything is labelled and bagged. One thing we noticed was that a previous customer had problems attaching the console. The manual mentions hex bolts and what came were screws. The thread is the same on both. I had no problems attaching it and it's very secure. My impression after using the equipment is, it's very solid, quiet, has a good console, is smooth operating, has a compact foot print and it appears it will last. We did have cheap rear driven Nordic elliptical with a ramp, which we bought used. Had all sorts of problems, from customer service to various parts breaking. This unit ended up in dump when the rear socket completely wore out. This unit is no longer made by Nordic. For those who are looking for good unit at a good price this is it; and you can purchase a warranty service plan. For those who need a warranty, contact Maverick Service and Assembly, which is out of Dallas, Texas. If you want to buy replacement parts, contact the Treadmill Doctor. Also the Ironman equipment has been purchased by Star Trac equipment out of Irving, California. The Ironman website is still available to those who want to download a manual if they are missing one.

I bought this from Amazon (not that Bayou fitness place) for myself just after Christmas and have been working out on it for over an hour a day since... it's quiet and it's got the same "feel" as those $4000 ellipticals at the gym. I can get my whole workout done in the time it would take me to drive to the gym and back. I love being able to watch movies and TV shows on the built-in LCD screen- it makes my workout time go by SO fast.

Delivery of the machine was as expected- a HUGE box- and the biggest problem I had with assembly was getting the base of the thing out of the box (it's VERY heavy and well-made). If you're not a weight-lifter, you may need some help. I did notice the problem with the screws that someone had mentioned, but mine did have a bracket on the LCD part. I put two of the screws in from one side and two from the other and it is pretty sturdy (though a little wobblier than I would like)... I may get replacement nuts and bolts at my local hardware store eventually.

I am only slightly worried about the news that the company went out of business- and not upset enough to give this fantastic, well-designed, well-priced machine less than five stars. I don't really expect to need warranty service, and in any case, everything except the LCD is pretty much mechanical... I feel well-equipped to deal with any little squeaks or knocks with a screwdriver, an allen wrench, and some grease. I do wish the company had survived the present economic crisis, because it would be nice to have more exercise machines of this caliber available in this price range.

Purchased the ironman elliptical ascender w LCD on Jan. 16 and it arrived promptly on the 21. The directions I thought were excellent, very easy to assemble. All electronics I found in good working order, though I have yet to try the video function the tv and monitoring function works fine. The only issue was a crack in the outside right drive cover near the bottom rear. I did not consider an issue given all other considerations.

I bought this for use in my condo, and it is quiet, doesn't take up much space, and has everything I could hope to have in an elliptical trainer. I love having the TV in the screen. It has a lot of parts, and my boyfriend spent a few hours putting it together for me. The base weighs a ton, and somehow the delivery team and my boyfriend managed to carry it up four flights of stairs. That's something to note as well - this is a heavy duty piece of equipment, and I don't expect this to fall apart or break anytime soon. Now that it is all installed, I use it every day. I would definitely buy this again.

I recently purchased this machine. It works perfectly with no problems, the LCD TV is a nice touch, however, I was aware that it was a risk to purchase given its manufacturer was out of business. You get a discount to take the risk, but buyers should simply be aware. Also as the treadmill doctor goes through the inventory, I would expect spare parts will eventually come available. But so far its a solid machine, no complaints.

So smooth you forget you're working until realizing you're exhausted. The heavy base that made it a workout for my husband just getting it into the house gives it great stability while in operation. The LCD display is easy to manipulate while in motion, if you wish, and I love the cardiogrips so I can get a pulse rate 'on the fly'.