Customer Reviews

Smooth Fitness CE3.2 Elliptical Trainer

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

 

 

My wife and I purchased the Smooth CE 3.2 back in March of 2006. We have been using it each 3 to 4 times a week for 1/2 hour workouts. Works great and we have had no problems. The foot platforms had begun to squeak after a few months, but some lubrication cleared it right up. Nothing squeaks on it now. The action is smooth through all resistance ranges, and we are definately glad we purchased it. However, that is not to say that I don't have some complaints: I wish the stride were a little longer. My wife and I are pretty short (both around 5'6'') and we both think the stride isn't long enough. Also, the heart rate on the computer takes about 30 seconds to spool up and accurately read your heart rate once you grab the sensors. Finally, you get a water bottle, but no place to attach it to the machine. These are my biggest gripes, however, the build quality, and the exercise action are so far superior to the other $1200 or less elliptical machines (Sears, Wlamart, etc.) that I can forgive these small grievances. In summation, if your not into gimmicks, and want a machine that will last a ling time, under hard use, day in and day out, buy the Smooth.

I received my CE 2.1 (same body as this model, just different computer) the other day and was quite impressed with the overall engineering of this machine. My wife and I have used the machine around 4 or 5 times and have noted the following problems. First, the plug that came with the machine was for a 230 volt outlet (not the typical in home wall socket), so instead of rewiring the wall outlet, I found another home appliance with the same size plug and used it. Next, initially, we had some problems with the computer resetting, but they have seemed to quit for now. Third, when I set the resistence to a higher level than 10, there is a terrible grinding sound from the metal flywheel contacting the magnet that provides resistance. The machine gives a great workout at levels under 10, so this is not a big deal, but I will try to have it fixed. Last, the unit has begun to squeak very badly at the point where the right arm lever attaches to the frame of the machine. I'm usually the last to complain about anything and will always try to "make do" if at all possible, but I can't ignore these problems. I admit I have not been able to contact the company, and therefore I am holding off on judging quite yet. I hope I can get these issues resolved and am confident I will enjoy the machine if this goes smoothly. I am only posting this because I relied so heavily on the other reviews here and at other sites and feel that since no one can try these machines out before purchasing, they should at least have as much info as possible. Again, this seems to be a very sturdy machine and should last for years once I get all the kinks ironed out. Hope this helps!

It took longer than expected to receive the trainer. Once it arrived I was able to get it into the house and get it assembled without too much trouble. First use went great and both my wife and oldest kid were excited to use it. I worked out for just over 30 minutes and went to work. Within the next couple of hours I got a call from my oldest kid that he was working out, but it was squeaking horribly. The squeak was coming from the left ski-pole upright. I called Smooth and reported the problem and they indicated that it must not have gotten sufficient grease from the factory. I took it apart and applied some additional grease on the joint which seemed to correct the problem; however, it started again after about 10 minutes of use. I called Smooth a second time and they are arranging to have a repair person come out to take a look.

Overall, the design and quality appear great, very heavy duty construction and well put together with lots of finishing touches.

I'll update again after a week once the repair tech has an opportunity to make corrections and hopefully resolve the problem.

For now though, the jury is still out.

January 4, 2008
It has been nearly two years since I wrote my original review and indicated the Jury was still out. The repair tech did apply additional grease which fixed the squeaking problem and I started happily using the elliptical trainer. I'm happy to report that I'm still using it currently on a daily basis. Between me, my wife, and my children, it gets 1/2 hour to 3 hours of use per day and is currently working great. The right upright arm started squeaking in November, but knowing what was done to fix the left one, I broke it down and applied my own grease and it has been working quietly since.

I do have a minor issue, but it is the first piece of exercise equipment that has served its intended purpose rather than being an expensive clothes rack, so I'm pleased with the performance and knowing back when I made the purchase decision what I know now, I'd still make the buy.

The one minor problem is I don't believe it is calculating distance and calories correctly. I've set the unit to use English measurements; however, I believe it is still measuring the distance in kilometers rather than miles and then uses the kilometer value as if it were miles to calculate the calories burned. For instance, I work out at a high resistance and with very fast rpms for 40 minutes and it indicates I've burned 1,100 calories. I'd be thrilled if that was the case, but it definitely unreasonable; however, divide that number by 2.2 (kilometer to miles ratio) and you get a reasonable 500 calories. Not a big deal and easy to calculate the real number in my head.

To summarize, after nearly two years, the Jury is Now In and I'm very pleased with the purchase. It has been money well spent.

(Now if I could only figure out how to give it more stars in editing my rating I'd do so, granting it 4 out of 5 stars.)

Those interested in working out in the comfort of their own home would be well advised to steer clear of Smooth Fitness and their CE 3.2 machine. When I purchased the machine in early September, I paid $1700 for it and was able to use it a mere five times. That equates to $340 per actual use of the machine--not quite the great value I thought I was purchasing.

The plastic pieces that shield various joints on the machine are terrible quality and don't even mate together properly. Worse, the screws used to attach them are overly large, and the act of tightening the screws actually rubs away plastic, creating fine plastic dust that has no problem getting into the rotating parts of the machine and making a very awful squeaking sound. Granted its not something that a little cleaning and lubricant can't fix, but the problem will quickly recur and you will spend considerable time partially disassembling the machine.

The ride is fairly smooth and quiet, that is, unless your bearings fail after less than a week of ownership, as mine did. In that case, you will be working out to the roar of a jet engine, and could likely find yourself in a place you definitely do not want to be: in the hands of Smooth's service department.

After nearly a month of dealing with them, my machine is still in no better condition than when I originally contacted them, and my dealing with them have been marred by their incompetence and disinterest in resolving the issue.

Beware the red-herring 30 day "satisfaction guarantee" as the ability to return the item has nothing whatsoever to do with satisfaction. Instead the ability to return the product within 30 days is 100% contingent on retaining the original packaging. If you choose to assemble the machine yourself (which hopefully you are listening and avoid this company altogether!) you may very well find that the packaging is in no salvagable condition after unpacking, as is it a confusing mess of styrofoam, cardboard, wooden framing, and half-inch wide zip ties. Granted, even if you retain the box, you are responsible for shipping the roughly 200 lb mass of metal back to Smooth, which can't possibly be cheap.

Additionally, don't be fooled by the the all-too-perfect reviews that trumpet Smooth's great quality machines and excellent customer service as I was. My experience, has been a downright nightmarish waste of time and money. I would recommend you steer clear of this machine and the entire line of Smooth Fitness products.

Before I purchased an elliptical machine, I read a lot of reviews so I didn't get stuck with an expensive clothes hook. Basically, everything I read said that there's no such thing as a decent elliptical for under $1500-$2000 and not to even waste your money on anything less than that. This machine was rated a best buy at www.ellipticaltrainers.com, and I agree whole-heartedly.

Delivery was prompt and professional. Set up took me just under two hours, and I did it by myself. As I was putting it together, I couldn't help but notice how well engineered and designed the machine is. The pieces fit together so perfectly, a sign of quality. Operating this machine is a piece of cake. It has a lot of settings and runs so smoothly that you would swear that you are using a machine at the gym.

In terms of efficiency, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Smooth Fitness CE 3.2. On the fat-burn setting, you can burn 1,000 calories in under and hour. Simply put, you burn more calories in less time than you would with a bike or a treadmill.

I adore this machine. It's worth every penny.

We purchased our CE 3.2 machine six months ago, it has been great. I don't like the 'feature' that the display mode does not change when using the polar heart rate strap. That's our only complaint.

Our machine did break down last week. It got stuck in a high tension setting. Smooth Fitness service was great. They shipped a part to our home and arranged a service tech to come fix it within a week. It's now working, good as new. Also, the service tech gave praise to the design and performance of the machine.

It has been 3 months since I purchsed my CE3.2 elliptical, and I have yet to use it once. I have spent more than 5 hours on the phone trying to get Smooth Fitness to repair the unit (which arrived badly damaged), but so far they have managed to send the wrong parts four different times. The same service technician has been out each time, and even he is getting frustrated with Smooth. We have both sent in multiple pictures of the damage, as well as detailed descriptions, and still the wrong parts continue to show up. I don't know who is running the service department, but whoever they are, they are seriously overpaid. Avoid this company at all costs.

I purchased this machine and received it in 4 business days. I couldn't believe it! Putting it together was fairly easy and took about an hour. So far we love it however we've only had it about a week. It is very smooth and quiet which is wonderful. I think it is well worth the money. The only thing I don't love is when you use the pulse grips or chest strap it stays on that setting even if you are trying to keep it on calories view.

I ordered a $1500 exercise machine from Smooth Fitness and regret ever doing so! Before I even received the machine, I spent countless hours coordinating the delivery of my machine. I paid $199 for the service to deliver and set up my machine. For this additional fee, I would expect much better customer service than what I experienced.

When I got frustrated with Smooth Fitness, I cancelled my order and they have made me jump through hoops! First of all, I never received the exercise machine but they are making me pay a 20% restocking fee and shipping charges! This is on top of the $1500 that they already charged to my credit card and refuse to remove the charge. I never even seen or touched the exercise machine. The Customer Service management team is very unresponsive and rude. I am still trying to get my money back but they are putting up a fight. My advice is to NEVER purchase from Smooth Fitness! They provide very poor service and are not customer friendly. Beware!

You are on your own if you buy anything from smooth!
Late shipping? no problem, they think it's ok to ship within 3 months, although they charge your credit card the next day of ordering!
Not satisfied with the product? no problem, you can return it within 30 days!
But first you have to back it in the original package the same way it was, which is like impossible
Then they will deduct 20% for restocking
Then another $150 for shipping
Then you'll have to pay for shipping back , another $150 at least!
This is a total of $700 yo loose, who dares to return?
So it's better to leave with all the squicking and cracking, it was your fault in the 1st place that you bough it before reading REAL customers reviews