Customer Reviews

Schwinn 438 Elliptical Trainer [Discontinued]

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Loved this machine...I had been spoiled by a Precor at the gym, and was worried I wouldn't like a "lower end" machine as well. Turns out, I love this one!! It feels a little less sturdy than a Precor, but other than that, I love the workout just as much as I loved working out on a Precor at the gym. This was definitely the best purchase I could have made.

The assembly was not hard...it took my husband about 2 hours to put together, and he had no complaints.

I would definitely recommend this machine!!

I bought one of these machines used from a liquidator and was plagued with odd problems. I called customer support and they were quite willing to help even though I had not bought the machine new and it was not still under warranty. After a couple hours and a few people it turns out the A/C adaptor I had received was not the right one. I ordered a new one from Schwinn over the phone and it showed up just a couple days later and presto the machine works again. By the way, it uses a 9V, 1000mA A/C adaptor.

As to the elliptical, it is much more solid than most of the consumer-grade junk (such as ProForm). This is not a professional grade model and you will notice that it is not as solidly built nor as heavy as a Precor. But the elliptical is very tough and well-made and even though mine has taken a beating it still works fine.

For those who do not know, Schwinn Fitness products are manufactured and supported by Nautilus under license from Schwinn. Overall, I love Nautilus support and the Schwinn 438 and may buy another--this time new.

My husband and I bought this elliptical about 6 months ago. I have used it more often than him and absolutely love it. It is very quiet and has held up over the past few months. The price has also dropped since we bought it-another plus. The only caution that I have is the height issue. My husband is 6 feet 1 inch, and we have our elliptical in the basement. We measured prior to ordering only the width and length, but not the height. When he gets on the elliptical he hits his head on the 7 foot ceiling if he doesn't bend his head over. This keeps him from being able to watch tv as he works out. Not a huge deal, but a warning to those of you who are taller and have short ceilings! Overall, it was a great buy, even at the higher price we paid. You will not be disappointed.

I've had this machine for about 6 weeks now, and have been using it extensively (50 min about 5 times/week). So far so good.

1. The included heart rate monitor on a chest strap makes this worth the additional $$ over the Schwinn 418.
However, it tends to be very temperamental (or maybe I just haven't figured out how to use it effectively - the manual is no help). Often times, its well into the 6th minute before it begins to register my heart rate. But sometimes its off and running after the first 2 minutes. Bottom line is that it's not sensitive enough ... at least not sensitive enough to read a resting heart rate. But, once it comes online - it's amazingly accurate.

I didn't much care for the heart rate monitor built into the handles - but they do work.

2. The inverse curve of the handle and ski poles could be a problem. I'd definitely test drive it before you buy - esp. if you're over 6' tall. I like to hold a book while I work out, and this might have been an issue if I was much taller than 6'. As for me, it is an occasional annoyance when I get smacked in my elbows by an aggressive handle, but it's rare enough that I can live with it.

3. The build quality is great. I had some early "noise issues", but these have fortunately settled down. The movement is also relatively smooth.

4. Stability is good overall while you're on the pedals. However, there are times when I find its lack of heft to be a bit of a problem - tends to rock a bit at times when I'm really pushing it. Again, not a deal breaker for me - but I'd recommend that you check this out esp. if you're in the 200s. (I believe it's rated up to 350 lbs - but I'd be wary of that claim.)

5. The program selection is extensive, and it remembers data for up to 4 users. However, the Heart Rate program is my favorite, and I haven't really used any of the others much.

6. The displays are excellent - clear to read and enough of them. So no annoying wait for your data of interest to display.

7. The fan does its job for me. Another reviewer did complain about this, but I do find it a useful addition over the 418. I usually have it on level 1 by my 15th minute, and then have it cranked up to level 3 about 2/3rds of the way through my workout.

8. The "lack of heft" is probably an advantage when you want to move this around. It's a simple matter of grabbing it by its rear handle and off you go.

9. The size of this unit is something that took me by surprise. We have a suspended ceiling and I don't have much clearance when astride it.

At this price point, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat. This was our first elliptical so I was worried that I might end up with an expensive clothes horse, but truly so far this has been the best fitness purchase that I've ever made.

If you know what you want, however, I'd recommend that you consider its bigger siblings (the Nautilus brand), or try out the Precor/Life Fitness brands. But for $1000 you really can't go wrong with this one - even if you end up eBay-ing it in a year (as I'll probably do).

I purchased this from a local retailer - who came out to install it. The install process looked fairly straightforward - but everything looks easy when an expert is at the helm :)

I paid $1100 + tax + delivery ($50) for my unit.

Great machine! Before purchasing this elliptical I researched many mid-to-high end elliptical machines from NordicTrack and Lifefitness but I never really considered a name in which I was not familiar. Finally I came across this one and it had really good reviews. I wanted a machine that offered plenty of programs and one that was gym-quality (very durable) and not these flimsy ones you see advertise on TV or sold in Sears or Target. I must admit, I was also attracted to the blue backlit LCD matrix which offers a more modern feel than the older, more standard red LED display. If you are considering this machine, please do not be disheartened by the comments left from another individual on here; simply put, if you are big and/or tall, you will want a machine that offers a longer stride, perhaps 20 or 21 inches. This machine only offers 18 to 19, which is perfect for someone less than 6'. Before buying this machine, I went to the NordicTrack store and actually tried various models to feel the difference in the strides; I'm only 5'7" so an 18" stride works out well (be prepared to pay more for longer strides). At any case, I've been using this machine for a couple of months and I have only had one issue: apparently I did not tighten the bolts down enough and during my first few workouts, the ski-pole handles were making a "knocking" noise. I simply tightened the bolts and everything has been great since. Again if you are big and tall, this might not be the machine for you, otherwise you will have no issues of being hit by the handles. Also, use the wireless heart monitor; it makes for a much easier workout. Overall, a great machine and a definite recommend! A+++

We've had several significant problems with our 438, which we bought about a month ago. First, the computer seems to have a glitch that has resulted in it being very difficult to program or use. Second, the mast started to wobble after about a week's use and it now is unusable. The mast appears to have been poorly welded were it attaches to the elliptical's base. We have contacted Schwinn customer service about these problems. They were friendly on the phone and quick to send out a new computer, but we have not yet received a promised new mast.
In short when the 438 worked, it was great. But we're surprised by the significant problems we've had.

Great buy, we love it. It was fairly easy to assemble and when we lost some of the screws, Schwinn was very prompt in sending us replacements. I would recommend the machine as well as the seller.

I bought this item for my home because going to the gym was becoming a hassle with 3 kids in diapers. Anyways, I was used to using the 'gym quality' machines, however, the craftsmanship of this machine far exceeds anything I expected. You get a wonderful workout, it is very quiet, sturdy and seems to take a lot of abuse well (my husband exercises aggresively and he likes it as well, no complaints). For the money, this machine is a good investment. It is also very quick to set up (<2 hours). Delivery is super fast. I am very happy.

First of all. Stye 418 was unavaliabe, so I decided to get the next grade up. I love it! It was so easy to put together. The direction was straigt forward. One thing I should point out that watch out for the washers. It's easy to make a mistake and mix them up. Otherwise its a piece of cake.(just to let you know I am a woman and took me less than 3 hours to make it work without anyones help.) It is so smooth just like the ones in the health spa. I am truely pleased with this item.
Thank You Schwinn!

I had a problem with the computer not coming on when touching any of the buttons. It also developed a crack in the plastic screen. I called customer service. They were very polite and sent me a new computer which works just fine. This is a well built machine. My wife and I haven't tried out all the options yet, but we are working our way up to thirty minutes non-stop before we use one of the programs that come with it. I am very pleased with this purchase.