Customer Reviews

Kettler Kadett Outrigger Style Rower Rowing Machine

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I initially tried to order my Kettler Kadett from a company called Mercantila, a.k.a. Rowingmachines.com. It was a complete disaster and nightmare including some false advertising, trying to cover up some mistakes on their part which caused about a month of delays, some horrible customer service (or lack thereof), some false charges, and a lot of headaches. Eventually enough was enough and I wound up ordering it directly from Amazon, which cost me a few bucks more, but was well worth it.

The machine comes mostly disassembled and took about an hour and a half to put together. There were a few confusing moments as the instructions are only pictures and no text, so making sure you have the right part takes a little extra focus. It came with all the tools necessary except an allen wrench which was necessary for one small thing.

In terms of overall quality, it's very high. I'm not concerned about this thing breaking, nor does it rattle or have ill-fitting parts. That said, the housing for the computer is a little wimpy and doesn't attach very securely to the main body as I've knocked it off a couple times. A small piece of tape at the base has kept it firmly locked into place since.

Some people have complained about the location of the straps on the foot plates. I actually find their location ideal, although they do tend to loosen themselves during a workout. I made a trip down to the store and bought some velcro which I sewed onto the straps. It took 15 minutes to do and I now have the best foot straps in the world.

The best thing about this machine, and the reason I bought it, is that it REALLY DOES in fact mimic an actual rowing motion. When I close my eyes I can actually believe I'm on a boat on the water which makes my workouts much more pleasant. So for anyone with any doubts, you can in fact believe the hype, it IS like rowing a boat. Additionally, all the action is very smooth. The seat is very sturdy and comfortable and it doesn't wobble. The arms are also smooth and the grips spin freely.

One other reason I bought this machine is that I'm very tall and the Kadett adjusts to accommodate my size. It does this by placing the footboards on a center beam that slides inside the central housing. This beam can be adjusted allowing my incredibly long logs to get a full complete extension without the seat hitting the end of it's track.

Although it takes up a lot of space during use due to the outrigger style "oars", it does fold up to the size of a traditional hydraulic rowing machine in about 30 seconds. I keep mine leaned up against a wall and out of the way in an adjacent room, and as it's not very heavy it isn't a big deal pulling it out every morning.

One problem I did discover, is that the numbers on one of my adjustable hydraulic pistons is misaligned. So it was a minor nuisance to set the resistance initially as I had to do it by feel.

In preview, the Kadette appears to be overpriced compared to virtually all other hydraulic rowing machines. But it really is a completely different kind of animal in terms of the rowing action that makes it worth the price tag. It still suffers from a slow start as the pistons come up to temperature like any other hydraulic rowing machine, but the rowing motion is like heaven.

The Kettler Kedett rowing machine is an amazing piece of equipment. I unpacked mine last night and despite missing a washer and having to wade through 90 minutes of assembly instructions, I was impressed from the very start.

From the solidity and the perfect fit of the parts, it is clear that this machine is the product of German engineering. I haven't seen anything so well designed in years. Each part fits well, tightens nicely and still rotates or slides with ease. The machine is sturdy, sits well on carpet or hard flooring and easily folds into a compact shape when not in use.

A workout on the Kadett is better than any workout I've ever experienced, aside from rowing or kayaking. The motion is very realistic, with nothing to distract one beyond the small chirping of the pistons and the occasional knock of the seat against the front of the rail. It is easy to close my eyes and imagine myself rowing down a quiet river. The entire experience is more like meditation than exercise -- the perfect way to start, or end, a busy day.

After a 45 minute workout, I wasn't sure that I had really gotten a particularly strenuous workout. Then I stepped off the machine and realized that my legs were like rubber. It was that subtle.

I highly recommend this machine to anyone looking for an alternative to the ordinary. The full-body workout provided by rowing is a beautiful thing. The price is less than most elliptical trainers, the unit weighs only 66lbs, and it gives your arms a workout too! I can't say enough good things about this machine.

Happy rowing!

When I got the machine and started putting it together, I noticed I was missing a few small pieces. Understandable, I think, as this machine was shipped from Germany. 3$ and a trip to my local hardware store later, the Kettler Kadett was all assembled. I had some problems with the foot straps loosening while I exercised, but I found that a velcro strap fastened around the toe area (to provide an additional foot strap) and some velcro adhesive slapped on the existing foot strap fixed that problem.

With the exception of those minor nuisances, the Kettler Kadett is an amazing piece of machinery. When I use it, I can tell it's not going to break or fall apart at the nuts and bolts. It went together easily and it's solid as a rock when I use it. I've never rowed on a real boat in my life, but this feels just as I'd imagine it would. And of course the most important part, when I get off, I feel like I've gotten a gym quality work out.

4 out of 5 stars for this rowing machine, the packaging could have been better and slightly re-designed foot wraps, but all in all an excellent buy.

well, after reading that many positive reviews, I decided to buy one.

delivery and assembly were flawless.

There are some strange things about this piece of equipment, however.

1. all the labels on the equipment are in German. Not a problem for me, because I am a German living in the States. Must be strange for locals, though.

2. the pulse meter is completely inaccurate. I was rowing like mad to get my pulse into my aerobic zone (130). Once I was exhausted and double-checked with my chest-strap based other pulse-meter, I was already beyond 150, when the Kettler thing still showed only 110. If you don't want to kill yourself, don't use the built-in pulse meter.
Besides, I hate having a cable dangling at my ear while rowing.

3. at the beginning of my 2nd training session, when I tried to fix my shoes with the 2 tapes which were provided for this purpose, one of the plastic rings broke. It is made of such a cheap material, it cannot last for long.

4. I can't prove it, but I have the strong impression that I have to apply different levels of power on the right vs. the left handle, no matter to what "level" I set it. I always have the feeling, that I have to pull a lot harder on the right side than the left. That does not feel good.

5. it is not as quiet as I expected it to be. The rowing motion is ok. It is the sliding seat which I am worried about. So far, my wife doesn't complain when I use it at 6am in the morning. Still, I think, this is an area of potential improvement.

Would I recommend it to a friend? no.
At this price range, I would not have expected those kind of flaws.

First, this is a beautifully designed and built machine. The rowing action is smooth and closely resembles the feel of rowing a shell. It is quiet and can easily adjust to people of differing heights. While the machine does have a large foot print when in use, it does easily fold into a compact size for storage or to simply clear floor space. Due to the quietness of this device, it is a joy to listen to music or watch a movie while working out. Other exercise equipment I have is too noisy for this. As others have stated, it is easy to under estimate the amount of exercise you're getting. Even though I often end an hour of rowing feeling like I really haven't done much, the feeling in my legs when standing up afterwards lets me know that I've had a good workout.

Assembly was time consuming, but not really difficult. As other reviewers have stated, the parts are of high quality, finish and the fit is excellent.

The three minor problems I've encountered were easily fixed:
1) on a smooth cement floor, the machine tended to drift during a long work out. Carpeting or a rubber pad under the machine fixed this.

2) The hard plastic handles become slippery when wet with sweat. Wearing a pair of cotton work gloves resolves this problem and has the extra benefit of protecting your hands from friction with the handles.

3) As shipped, the foot straps tend to work loose during exercise. This is due to an assembly problem at the factory. When the straps are properly positioned, they don't slip. To fix this problem, remove the two screws (one in each foot plate) that hold the straps in position. While you're at it, you might want to reverse one of the straps so both buckle to the outside of your feet. When you tighten the straps, position them so the back of the buckle touches the foot plate. This leaves the end of the strap going through the buckle pulling along the same plane as the buckle. To loosen the strap, pull the end of the buckle away from your foot, increasing the angle at which the strap enters the buckle. The straps loosen during exercise because the factory setting leaves the end of the strap pulling at an angle to the buckle. A very slight change in this angle is sufficient to loosen the strap. Note that I didn't try to replace the two screws. Replacing the screws with the buckle properly positioned may make it easier to tighten the straps.

Despite the minor problems mentioned above, this is an excellent machine and well worth the expense. It clearly deserves a rating of five.

There are some super helpful reviews which I read before purchase. As stated assembly time takes a bit but it's easy. The 2 problems I refer to are 1) the hard plastic handlebars - without gloves you can blister. and 2) The velcro foot straps seem to loosen.

Here is how I 'fixed' the two "BIG" problems.

For the first fix I bought the largest pair of rubber handlebar grips (US 6.99) and with a little dish soap got them all the way onto the handles, so you don't need bike riding gloves.

Fix 2, I bought 2- 18 inch bungee cords (US 4.99) and hooked them under the footrests. The hooks on the bungee cords fit perfectly into upper and lower strap slots on the foot rests. Now when I "get into" the footrests I just lift the already attached bungee cord and slide my foot in. No strapping, wrestling or groaning. And my heel doesn't slip out of the foot rest.

Anyway - the kadett is now perfect. It's an incredibly well built machine.

Kettler Kadett Outrigger Style Rower Rowing Machine

Although there have been some reviews complaining about the item, I did not find any of the problems mentioned. I will go over a few thing in order to help future buyers, as there is some inaccurate information in some reviews.

First, the manual does contain instructions in English, it can be found on any page marked with a GB (Great Britain) at the top. It is true that there is no written paragraph next to the assembling pictures, but they are very easy to follow. The only issue you might come across is the way you install the rowing hands. My suggestion is to place them onto the locking arms without actually installing them, you will quickly realize if you have them backwards (the piston has to compress when you pull rather than extend).

Second, the adjustments on the pistons are not off as some people have mentioned. There is a patent number stamped onto them with a triangle background. The tip of the triangle will point toward the number you select and this way the resistance is equivalent. Where some folks went wrong is simply looking at the piston from the top. By doing so, they see different numbers on each of the two units and this completely throws them off. Just look on the side where the patent triangle is located and match the numbers, you will feel the same resistance throughout.

Lastly, this item is NOT a regular rower, this type of rowing is called SCULLING. If you want some excellent advice on sculling technique, body position, arm and leg extension, wrist position, and proper catch/pull/release, you need to take a few minutes and go to [...] (click on "how to scull") and read the instruction by following along with the pictures. After about 5 minutes of slowly going through the movement sequence I began to feel the fluidity of the motion and the rower reacted to it accordingly.

I am extremely satisfied with the product, the design is very ergonomic and sturdy at the same time. It weighs less than one of my kettle bells which makes it pretty easy to move around. I believe the nicest thing about this rower is its versatility. You can choose not to use your legs and only work out your upper body. Moreover, you can use alternate pulling and shift the resistance around when you don't feel like doing the same thing all the time.

I hope this information helps shed some light on previously mentioned problems. Have a great workout.

I'll break this review into parts:

Shipping: #1 (see previous review) - horrendous, disaster - paid for a new machine/rec'd a trashed, used one. Sent it back. UPS.

Received #2 - New machine via DHL. The box was torn AGAIN and some parts came out. DHL tried to dump it on the porch, but caught them fleeing the scene. Everything was new and wrapped in plastic this time, so I decided to inspect carefully and see if any damage was done. I believe the box damage occurred when DHL picked it up by the edges of the lid. This is a heavy box.

Inspection: I unwrapped all pieces and opened the plastic small parts bags. Only slight scuff marks were present on one piece of the machine. Laid all parts out on the floor and checked them against the parts checklist. All parts present and accounted for.

Assembly: After parts inspection, it took me 2.5 hours. DO NOT use your power screwdrivers as I was tempted to, but you might want to get your own socket/wrench set and a Phillips screw driver. The tools included are: Allen wrench, a nut/socket wrench (?), spanners and a couple of little rods to insert through the spanners. (I thought these were parts originally).

The directions are primarily in German with other languages including English or (GB) for Great Britian. Assembly instructions are pictures which can be confusing. Cut out the parts list page and keep it as a reference so you don't have to flip back and forth.

Important: Keep all connections "loose" before proceeding to the next step!!! If you tighten the nuts and loosen them, you break the locking feature and Kettler says this is a safety issue. Tighten all nuts and bolts BY HAND, to feel how firm the connection is. Also, there is a left and right as well as an up and down to things. Study the diagrams carefully!! The quality of the parts is phenomenal. The nuts and bolts are machined beautifully and gleaming. No cheap, pot-metal - just fine German steel! Ja!! You don't have to worry about cross-threading or stripping, everything fits perfectly.

Caution: Pinch points in the arm/piston area during assembly do not cut your fingers like I did!!

After assembly, I tried it out for the first time, it was like heaven! The motion is similar to what you see Dr. Jarvik doing on the Lipitor commercials during the news, where he's rowing across the lake. You feel like you're flying, and it's whisper quiet! What a great stretch!! It felt fabulous, go slow at first to assure the proper rowing form. Keep your back straight - read the book! If you're tall like me, 5'10" - this is the machine for you. Also, my boyfriend - who is 6'5" (and German!) has PLENTY of legroom to spare when he uses it too!
Also, resistance can be adjusted by turning the pistons, it's a little tricky be sure to install with the number "1" on the top.
The computer has loads of features, but haven't checked them out yet.

After usage - I folded the arms up. It's very compact when folded. I don't see how one can stand it against a wall when folded, but I have a small, dedicated room for gym equipment and I can push it against the wall in folded position on the floor. Allow 65" for the full extended "wingspan" of the machine when planning floorspace.

Overall, I love the machine!! I wish Kettler had provided photographs of the finished machine rather than drawings. If you don't want to mess with the footstraps loosening during workouts, get some black velcro to add on. I plan on doing that.

One final note: There is a warning printed on the rowing arms, I asked my boyfriend to translate it from the German. Here is basically what it says: "Don't use the rowing arms as a means to support yourself/weight (as in getting up, because the machine can tip to the side)".

It's so nice to have a German around the house!!

You won't be disapointed if you buy this machine, I would buy it new, rather than used. I think you'll love it as it has that true, sculling motion as opposed to the back and forth of the cheaper types.

I enjoy rowing on a lake when I have the chance and I've also used the much more expensive concept II type rower. I had planned to get a wind resistance type rower like the concept II but when I read the reviews on the Kettler Kadett I decided to give it a try even though I had used a piston type rower before (and hated it). I'm very happy with my purchase. The Kadett really is like rowing a boat, the motion is very smooth and it is very quiet. Assembly was very straight forward, just read the directions and look at the pictures to verify. The workout is first class and a nice addition to my nordic track.

I bought this particular rower based solely on the great reviews it has received here at Amazon, and I was not disappointed. This is a fantastic rower. It really and truly does mimic a natural rowing motion AND it is very quiet when in use. You can listen to music or watch t.v. and not have to have either one driving everyone else out of the house while you workout.

I find the rower extremely relaxing for a workout.

I am a 40+ female and I assembled the rower by myself in under two hours. That included putting the rowing handles on the wrong side the first go around. Do what everyone else has suggested and lay all the pieces out. The hardware is very efficiently packaged in a segmented package so you only need to open the parts you need as you go through each step. It really couldn't be any easier to assemble.

I bought mine through Amazon and the only gripe I had was that Amazon required a signature on delivery and I was not home the first time so that ticked me off because I wasn't aware of the need for a signature. Just be forewarned about that if you aren't usually home when your UPS deliveries arrive.

If you're into rowing for fun and exercise, you will love this Kettler Rower.