Customer Reviews

Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The 2009 Sole E35 is an excellent buy for $1,299. I recently purchased one. Below are some considerations to take into account.

First, Be ready to take about half a day to move the box and assemble the machine -- the box is about 290lbs (gross weight) and feels all of 300lbs. Worse yet, if you take the machine out piece by piece so that it's lighter (say, if you want to move the machine up a flight of stairs) you will be very unhappily surprised to find that the fly wheel is bolted to some articulated arms, which are EXTREMELY hard to finagle around and to move when the machine is out of the box.

(**UPDATED INFO ON TAKING THE MACHINE APART 9/21/2010: I recently moved and found that the articulated arms can actually be unfastened from the fly wheel, and the machine can be disassembled into four main parts: the fly-wheel, two individual arms with foot pieces, and the rails. I had to do this when I moved, and while the machine still operates as it did before being disassembled, I would NOT recommend taking the arms off the fly-wheel unless you really know what you are doing and have exactly the right tools. And, even then, the fly-wheel part by itself weighs probably close to two hundred pounds. So, if you are dead-set on not paying the in-home installation fee, are good with tools and know what you are doing in that regard, I can attest that the machine can be disassembled into four main sections that are MUCH easier to move by themselves if you need to go up a flight of stairs or move the machine very far. Again, the machine comes with the arms attached to the fly-wheel, so I highly doubt that the manufacturer ever intended them to be detached by the user-owner, so this is definitely an at-your-own-risk solution, and attempting it comes with the chance that you could screw up your machine.)

I cannot stress this enough: IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR E35 SET UP IN THE SECOND OR THIRD FLOOR OF YOUR HOUSE JUST PAY THE EXTRA $99 FOR THE DELIVERY COMPANY TO DO IT. Unless you have (not exaggerating) 3 or 4 healthy, strong guys to move this box, forget about getting it upstairs if it's just you and one other person. I really wish I had just paid the extra money for the shipping company to move it up the stairs of my house.

Once you get the box situated where you want to set up the machine, however, you're good to go. The assembly instructions are VERY well written and very clear. There are a lot of parts and steps, but none of them are very complicated or require a lot of dexterity or "handyman" knowledge. Also, if you need any help, SOLE's customer support is great.

Once I got the machine put together, there was no comparison -- I tried out a few different Ellipticals in the $800 - $1,500 range, and the E35, with its power incline (the power incline works great), 25lb flywheel, 350lb maximum weight capacity, and silky-smooth movement are far and away more than you're going to get with any other machine in this price range. While the display is fairly simple, it comes with some nice extras like a heart-rate monitor that hooks up to the display (this all comes with the machine) so that you don't have to hold on to the heart-rate sensors throughout your workout.

I used Precor machines for years at a big gym. If you're not familiar with them, they're easily the most expensive Ellipticals out there and cost well over $3,500 for their mid-grade model. The Sole E35 isn't a Precor 5 series, but it has a LOT of the features that the Precor does. I would say it's 80% or 90% as good as a Precor, where the only detracting factor for the Sole is that it's not as stable as the tank-sized Precor (the Precor machine is probably 350+lbs) and doesn't have as refined features as the Precor, much like the difference between a really nice, fully loaded Cadillac and a Rolls Royce -- you can tell a difference, but either way, you're very happy with what you've got.

Finally, I'll share what I did as far as working out a deal. If you find a comparable machine or a licensed dealer on E-Bay selling Sole's ellipticals, Sole's customer service people will match prices if you are diligent. In my personal case, I found a 2008 E35 on Ebay being sold by a Sole dealer for $999 shipped, so I called Sole and asked if they would match the price, and they said they would. I paid them the $999, and lucky for me, when the machine came, I saw "NEW 2009 MODEL" on the box, and it was obviously really cool. So through doing some research and spending time before I made the purchase figuring out what I could work out with Sole, I got it for 30% less than the Amazon.com price. Just keep this in mind -- the elliptical / work out equipment machine market is VERY competitive and the companies will often bend over backwards to get your business.

Very last, I just want to mention that the 2 year in-home service / 5 year parts warranty is better than any comparable machine, and actually better than the warranty on some of Precor's models. So, all in all, I would highly recommend the 2009 Sole E35.

UPDATE AFTER ONE MONTH: Still solid as a rock, with just a few clinks here and there while in full motion on the machine. Heart monitor works great, power incline still functioning perfectly. No problems to report.

UPDATE AFTER THREE MONTHS: Still going very strong. Haven't had to call customer support about anything. I have experienced a little bit of "knocking" that suggests a bolt might be loose somewhere, but I think this is a common issue that comes up. When I put the machine together I realized that I had made a mistake tightening the bolts that connect the fly wheel arms with the handlebars. I corrected the mistake, but I think I might have overlooked something, so I'm guessing that the "knocking" is probably my fault. I'll fix it sometime and then update -- not really a big deal or that annoying.

Otherwise, I'm really starting to appreciate the refined features of the machine like the heart rate monitor and the power incline. While these things were off my radar when I was looking for a machine, I now appreciate them after using the machine 5 or 6 days a week. Sole really designed these features well, and they work just like they're supposed to. I'm still very satisfied and I think the E35 is a great piece of home equipment.

UPDATE AFTER FIVE MONTHS: Still no complaints. Holding up nicely. I've lost 20+ pounds and this has been a great, really convenient way to work out in the morning before heading to work. I tightened some of the bolts in the joints and now it works with minimal squeaks or creaks.

Though I stated this before, it is even more true now: when you get into the routine of using this machine 4 - 6 times a week you REALLY start to appreciate the power incline and resistance settings, which have held up very nicely. Likewise, the heart rate monitor has held up well and it is another feature that I felt "so what" about when I bought the machine, but now greatly appreciate as a feature.

Again, given that I got my unit for $1,000 shipped, I feel like I got an exceptional bargain for how well this machine has held up and continues to work basically exactly as it did out of the box after months of frequent use.

Just make sure that you clean the rails and the wheels. They are magnets for dog hair and dust, but cleaning them once a month or so seems adequate. You can't go wrong at this price point for the value you get.

10 MONTH UPDATE: Still works nicely and no problems or complaints. I have had to tighten the bolts again at the point where the arms connect, but this really isn't that big of a hassle and is probably something that has to be done on all elliptical machines from time to time. Still very glad I invested in this machine.

One year: Nothing really to comment on, everything still works properly and nothing has broken or caused any issues. Machine is still running strong. My dog chewed up the heart rate monitor and Sole sent me a new one for free.

7/25/2010: Still working well. Like before, a little bit of knocking here and there that I have to adjust with a wrench, but otherwise its holding up nicely. It even survived a move into my new house -- and it got banged up pretty badly. While moving it, I figured I might have to pay to have it fixed, or do some major overhaul, but when I set it up in my new house it ran like normal. Very impressed with its durability. Thanks for all the good comments.

9/22/2010: No problems to report. Haven't used the machine much over the summer since I've been exercising outdoors, but I've tested it here and there to make sure it's operating normally, and I have had no concerns.

Warranty / Service worthless

I did a lot of research before I purchased my Sole E35, and one of the big issues I factored in was the warranty. My experience so far is that their warrant is worthless.

On 1/17 called the tech support/warranty department in the morning and got a recording that the office was closed (okay, Saturday - understandable) but I could not leave a message because the mailbox was full (first sign of trouble). So I went online and completed a work ticket on the Sole web site.

1/20 called again and this time got a person (after a long wait on hold) -I told her I was following up on my electronic work ticket, she checked the computer and said she had no record (so much for their web site). I asked if she at least had received my warranty card (I both mailed it and completed the online form) - the Sole lady on the phone literally laughed in my face, I kid you not. She stated that they receive "thousands" of these cards and do not have time to enter them - I am not embellishing here. So I started at square one and gave her my issue (the left arm was bent and thus the left arm and leg peddle clicked and bumped). She then become professional and polite, took my information and said someone would call me in with 24 hours.

1/22 (50 hours latter) - no call, I called Sole again (forth attempt to get service) - this lady was very nice, apologized for the delay, checked the system (this time I was in there), but said they were very backed up with service calls (perhaps an indication of their quality?)- she could not give me an estimate of when they would get back to me, just promised that they would - someday.

I will update this entry if Sole ever follows up, so if you are reading this and I do not have a date of follow up, it means they have not.

One other point - Sole states that you can assemble their machine in "about 25-35 minutes" -In all honesty, this is another exaggeration (as other reviewers have pointed out). It is probably the same marketing person who came up with the line on their web site "With SOLE you can expect the best product, the best warranty, the best service and the best support. We will do whatever we can to help you make the most of your fitness equipment." Right now I just be happy if they returned my repeated phone calls.

UPDATE: 2/11 - I had to call a couple of more times - though to be fair, they closed their office for a couple of days because of the bad ice storm. But finally got a follow up, SOLE has shipped a replacement part to me (I got it today) and I got a call from a local rep to repair my unit - they will be able to fit me in next week. Like another review, total time to get this resolved will be just around 30 days - as long as you are willing to be persistent.

UPDATE: 2/14 Now Amazon.com is adding to the problem. Purchase this using their credit card 1 year interest fee promotion. When I got the first bill I noticed it was charging me interest, so I wrote an email (and thank goodness I kept a copy) on 12/28 on this problem. Customer service responded that same day and reassured me that this purchase was under this 1 year, interest free program. I just got my second bill and again saw that it was charging me interest. This time I called, got a lady who was very professional, and assured me they would fix this problem and credit me the interest charged to my account - I will not hold my breath.

Can any of these companies act with any competence? Can any of these organizations deliver on what they promise online? It is getting to the point I am spending more time fixing problems about this purchase than actually using my Elliptical trainer. BTW - my Elliptical still has not been repaired.

UPDATE: 2/20 - Sole repair person shows up, he is unable to repair - the flywheel is defective. Suggested I speak with Sole about just replacing my unit since the unit they sent me is defective and will require extensive rebuild. Said he was going to submit his report to Sole that he was not able to fix this band new elliptical machine Sole sent me.

UPDATE: 2/23 - Call Sole warranty and advised them of the situation. I request that they send me what I paid for, a working - non defective elliptical machine. Sole advises me to go to their web site and complete a Return Authorization Request form. I do so, and within less than an hour get an email back stating "Unfortunately you will need to speak with Amazon to get a replacement for this machine. Please let us know if you have any further questions." From Cody - Cody@SoleTreadmills.com. I sent an email back asking "Why" - my warrant is with Sole, not Amazon.com - and the reason I requested that they exchange my machine now is that their warranty department has not been able to fix the machine Sole sent me after over a month (no reply as yet).

I call Sole back and advised them that 1) I am reporting them to the better business bureau 2) I am updating this tread on how worthless their warranty is - and how defective their products are. 3) I am contacting Amazon.com and advise them I want to stop payment on my credit card for this product, since I have not received what I paid for - a brand new, working Elliptical Machine. 4) instead of working with Sole I am now going to spend my time searching for consumer advisory web sites to post my experience with Sole so that other customers do not get burned by this company. 5) I am going to look into a small claims court case agains Sole for for fraud to recap my $1,300 for a band new machine that does not work.

Again - more proof on how worthless this warrant is -I just sent my second payment and I have yet been able to use this machine.

UPDATE: 2/23 - Just followed Sole's instructions about going through Amazon.com about returning my defective machine - got this message from Amazon.com: "a restocking fee equal to 15-50% of the original purchase price will be deducted from your refund according"

So Amazon.com is charging me for returning a defective product that Sole warranty's department has been unable to fix after over a month of trying to work with them in good faith.

This does not take in account that this machine is very heavy and I am going to have to pay someone to help me pack it up and bring it downstairs to be shipped. I had to pay someone to bring it upstairs when it was delivered - but that was my decision. But it seems very unfair I am going to have to incur these costs because of Sole's failure to deliver what they promised in product and service.

DO NOT BUY THIS MACHINE from SOLE, it is a nightmare of incompetent customer service.

PS - did not mention, but the left arm the Sole repair men did replace when he was here Friday, the incline control no longer works on it - so it is worse.

Assembly was a pain. Sole chose to go with a manual that adhered to the sort of style they had back in WWII, with one explosion diagram having all the parts numbered, and a separate diagram showing each screw and washer with their associated part number. Then the assembly text consists of stuff like:

1. Install the Incline Rail Assembly (2) into the U-channel bracket of the Main Frame (1). Secure with the six bolts & associated hardware as follows: From the sides install two 3/8x1-1/2 Hex Head Bolts (107) with two 3/8x19mm Flat Washers (142) and two 3/8x7T Nylon Nuts (134). From the top install four 5/16x2-1/4 Hex Head Bolts(108), four 5/16 Split Washers (158), four 5/16x20 Flat Washers (157) and four Star Washers (151), as shown in figure 1, and tighten with the 13/14 mm Wrench (159) and 12/14 mm Wrench (162).

So you get to flip back and forth between the pictures of nuts and screws, which is a couple of pages before, and the explosion diagram, which is a page after, all the while trying to remember and relate parts 107, 142 and 134 with their images and their numbers on the explosion diagram. The Sole technical writers really need to go shopping for some stuff at Ikea and take a lesson from their consumer assembly manuals.


For the 90 minutes I was able to use it, my E35 performed beautifully. Very quiet, smooth. Although it didn't eliminate the tingle-toes I get from working out on an elliptical, I believe Sole has improved the pedal angle so that tingle-toes are less prevalent. I was sure I'd made a good purchase.

Then, after about 90 minutes of use, it started making a loud "SNAP!" sound with each revolution. So I opened a request for warranty service on the Sole website. I immediately received confirmation email saying "We will make sure your request is completed in a timely manner." I waited five days and...nothing. So today I called them. I was a little taken aback when the company I reached wasn't named Sole. Rather, [...]. The service rep said she had no record of my service request. This is a very bad sign. I'll see how my service request turns out and will update this review. But for now, I'm not happy with my purchase, and am afraid that getting service will be a nightmare. Accidentally "losing" a service request that has been logged into a database smacks of the sorts of tricks rebate clearinghouses use to minimize costs by being as uncooperative as possible. Sigh...

7/1 Update: Jackie from Sole ([...]) called and after discussing the problem, she says she will order replacement plastic covers, which she suspects are causing the snapping noise. She says they should arrive by FedEx in about a week, at which time I can expect a call from a service technician to set up an appointment to come out and replace the parts. If the tech discovers something else is wrong, Sole will ship the parts needed and the tech will arrange another visit to repair. I verified that Jackie was responding to the ticket opened on the phone yesterday rather than the service request I filed online. Another reviewer here noticed the same probelm with their online service request mechanism. Anyway, I'm somewhat more optimistic I'll end up with a working unit in the next week or two.

7/9 Update: The plastic parts arrived via FedEx. I spoke with Jackie again, and she says they are having trouble finding a technician in my area. Her supervisor has taken up the search for a technician. She will call me once they have found someone. I'm tempted to just dive in and try fixing the damn thing myself. But that would void the warranty.

7/31 Update: A repair technician arrived to fix it. He found the broken part. It turned out not to be one of the parts that Spirit Fitness (aka Sole) had shipped, but he was able to reassemble the elliptical in a way that allows it to be used without the missing part.

8/3 Update: I received email confirming a FedEx shipment from Spirit MFG which presumably contains the broken part.

I cannot give this product a good review because what I received from Sole Fitness has been able to be used exactly 4 times in the last 5 months since purchase. What appears to be an electrical problem has yet to be properly fixed by the poorly trained, contracted technicians Sole keeps sending to my house (5 visits thus far). The console power continues to die and customer service at Sole is a complete joke. The lady I just got off the phone with was abusive and inept and I am in the process of seeking legal recourse in obtaining a $1300 refund. To sum it up I would not buy this product, it is defective.

DO NOT be intimidated by having to assemble this yourself, or worrying about getting it up the stairs. If you feel confident enough to assemble it, then the removal of two bolts will allow anyone to handily get all the pieces where they need to go. If you have the money, sure, pay someone to delivery inside and assemble it. But it is in no ways a requirement.

I reviewed the pdf instructions available on the company web site, and mistakenly assumed that the fly-wheel assembly was not attached to the connecting rods. It appeared that the unit was broken down into smaller sub-assemblies, which could easily be moved. Well, I was wrong. Fortunately I had 5/16" Allen key, a 14 mm wrench (included), and a large flat-bladed screw driver, and a Phillips head screw driver. I removed the plastic covers around each connecting rod, removed a bolt, and gently separated the rods from the fly-wheel. Voila. My wife and son carried everything upstairs except the fly-wheel, which while awkward, didn't weight more than fifty pounds. Reconnecting the rods, one slipped right one, while the other needed a rubber mallet. It is very unfortunate that the company doesn't address the concerns over getting the unit in the house and the machine assembly - I think many people are scared off. I am pretty handy, but took my time just the same, and eventually got it just right.

Do your self a favor and review all the Amazon comments on other Sole elliptical models, and make a list of the tips; just remember to refer to them when you're putting it together. Here are a few of mine:
* Really torq metal-to-metal connections, back off a little on metal-to-nylon washers, and snug but don't over-tighten any assembly involving plastic.
* As another review noted, DON'T over-tighten the bolts connecting the arms to the consol mast. The reason for this is that while the bolt is long, only a small portion of the threads actually are involved in the attachment. That means that all your tightening is directed over a small number of threads, and you may end up snapping the bolt, so don't go nuts on these.
* The hardest parts of the assembly for me were putting on the plastic covers in the last step, no kidding!
* As soon as you can start testing things, do it, before the whole thing is put together. Do a final test before plugging it in. Don't worry about it being sooo hard to move without power; as soon as you power up, the unit loosens. I believe it is set tight to making it more stable during shipping.


My wife and I purchased an E35 directly from the manufacturer at the beginning of October, 2009, along with the rubber equipment mat they offer. No tax and free shipping won out over twelve month financing. Obviously my review centers around assembly, because so many people have commented on how much they love the machine. I couldn't agree more! It is so quiet, I can sleep in the next room and not hear a thing. The console instructions are poorly written, but you've already assembled it, so just start using it and you'll figure it out. Worth every dime, especially since one of us is on it six days a week. Stop waffling, and invest in your health - it's a lot cheaper than getting sick! We prefer our pain in small doses, on our own schedule, and in the comfort of our own home. Enjoy.

I bought this at Dick's Sporting Goods and paid for an extra warranty and delivery, which judging by the other reviews was a good idea. They delivered it, set it up, it worked. So far, so good.

Then it began to squeak loudly, so I called to get it repaired. Long wait. A part arrived. Called. Wait. They sent someone. He didn't fix it, but now it rattled. Called again. Wait. Another visit, now it wobbled. Called. Waited. He returned: "nothing we can do about it."

Called Sole to get them to replace it. They would do so, but only if I disassembled the machine, brought it to the curb, got the replacement from the truck and assembled it myself. Apparently, I paid Dick's to have it assembled the first time and since Sole "didn't see the money" they wouldn't do it. I tried to "show them the money" to get them to get one of their partners to do it, but none were available in Washington, DC.

I asked then to take it back and issue a refund, but I was outside (8 months, see above) the time window for such a request.

Customer service has been obnoxious, rude (hung up on me), curt, dismissive and deliberately unhelpful. I tried to speak with a supervisor and was told he could ask, but "99% of the time the answer is 'no'. The would only deal with me through email, and I was always given the run-around. Their warranty program and procedures are designed to avoid all responsibility. Their basic attitude is: you bought it, so F U.

My advice: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM SOLE.

My wife and I bought this machine over Christmas. It is huge, installing it took about 2 hours, and the hardest part was moving it from the curb into the room we wanted it in (didn't pay to have Sole do this). As far as quality, the thing is great, looks sturdy, feels good too. The warranty is great as well: we had to have a repair guy come out to decrease the resistance on it and it was a pretty straight forward deal with no hassle. If that is the warranty service that we can expect for the next 5 years, I will be very pleased. Now for the not so great part. Both my wife and I are fairly short and light (5'4" - 5'6" and 135-145lbs) and the resistance on Sole machines is much harder than we expected. We tested out the machine at Dick's and loved it, but we didn't pay attention to the resistance. Even after having the resistance adjusted, pedaling at the low levels of resistance is very hard (1-5; there are 20 total levels). What is irritating about this is that the pre-programmed exercises are not very useful. Instead of having a gradual climb to exertion (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, etc) it goes from easy (1) to hard (5). Pedaling at 10 is impossible for us to do for any reasonable length of time (i.e. 5 minutes). Maybe this is because these machines are built for heavier people and the extra weight makes it easier to get the peddles to move. We went back to Dick's after getting the machine and got on the E95 (the top model sold by Sole) and it felt the same with regards to the resistance. So, my only word of advice is that you get on the machine and actually do a workout (if possible), because it will definitely suck if you get this machine and the only level of resistance that works for you is 1 (and returning it is almost impossible unless you figure out how to get it all back into the box and onto the curb). BTW, I am in great shape and planned to use this machine as cross-training to supplement my running. I also have worked out on ellipticals at gyms (mostly Precor) and there is a significant difference in the resistance level feel between Gym machines and this. All that to say that even a moderately in shape person might find this hard--try it out. Other than that, great machine and experience.

We received a Sole E35 a bit after Christmas 2009. When we put it together and it immediately made this horrible loud thunking noise on each rotation which caused the entire unit to vibrate.

We reported the problem to Sole service around 10 days after placing the order which is where all of the problems began. Sole support is a nightmare to deal with. They don't answer the phone, won't return voice mails, and even claimed that they had never spoken with me once.

They do support by sending random parts and hoping that they fix the problem. After 4 cycles of the technician failing to fix the problem since they weren't the right parts, they finally accepted it as unfixable. It took 3 months to get to this point since the technician was about 6 hours from here and only was available to service us for 1 day every 2 weeks.

After going through this and not having a working elliptical (it has actually gotten worse due to some technician's not doing things right), we wanted our money back. However Sole claims that since it isn't within a 30-day window, they can't give a refund. It took longer than 30 days to get the first technician onsite due to Sole support sucking.

I would highly recommend you avoid buying anything from this company.

After reading some of the reviews, I was a little hesitant to purchase this product, based on concerns about customer service. But I ended up taking a chance based on the positive reviews, as I tend to put more credence in a review when someone has taken the time to point out the good in something! And I'm glad I did. I absolutely love this machine. It was a great price and is a solid piece of equipment. And more importantly, it allows me to get a great, convenient workout. The instruction manual is a little daunting and could probably use some attention by a Technical Writer (being one, I was half tempted to rewrite it and send it back to them!). However, it wasn't really that difficult to put together, it just takes time. As someone else said, the suggested time is 35 minutes and this is highly optimistic. It took me close to three hours. But this wasn't b/c it was difficult, it is just tedious.

Once I got the machine together and turned it on, I did run into some trouble in that it wouldn't calibrate and just kept beeping at me. When I called customer service they were very polite and professional. They said a technician would call me back within 24 hours. And they followed up with an e-mail giving me the technician's name and direct phone number. The technician called back within an hour and gave me a suggested fix. Unfortunately, this didn't work so I had to take the machine apart to check the computer cable. The technician was great in helping me find and fix the source of the problem, and he did everything he said he would in the timeframe to which he committed.

As far as using the machine goes, I love it. It is very quiet, which is great since I use it in the morning. And you can really vary your workouts to keep things interesting. I am pretty tall, 5'10", so the 20" stride is great for me. As far as mid-range elliptical machines go, I would recommend this to anyone!

Update 2/22/2010 - I've been using my Sole E35 for four weeks, six times a week for between 30 and 40 minutes a day, and I absolutely love it. One thing that surprised me is the great arm work out I get on this machine. I used to use the Precor machines at the gym and never felt anything in my arms. But, on the E35, each time I switch to a higher level (I'm currently at level 10)I feel the work out in my arms for a day or two. Great machine and great value.

My wife really wanted me to get an elliptical machine for the house and since she rarely wants anything for herself I started searching all over the place for the right machine. I needed to get something that would work for both of us, she's 5'1 100lbs and I'm 5'9 230. I review things to death before I buy them and this E35 is no exception. I went to every elliptical review site, tried out tons of machines at retail store and I finally settled on this one. There are so few extra features in the E55 that I just couldn't justify the extra money for it. The only difference I could find between the two machines is that the E55 has some extra heart rate control programs built in that the E35 was missing. Basically your paying $200 or so extra for the same machine with additional software features if you go with the E55.

I'm so used to working out on the expensive Precor machines at the gym that I thought I would be disappointing with any elliptical I purchased for home use. After my first workout I can't tell you how happy I am I got this machine. Here's the list I could come up with of Pro's/Cons.

Pros
- Sturdy, well built, doesn't rock at all when I'm working out.
- Machine driven incline adjustments. Simply click a button on the handle to adjust the incline or the resistance. This feature alone made me get it over the E25. The E25 also has incline adjustments but you have to change the incline manually. That means stopping your workout, getting off the machine and adjusting the incline, that's too much of a hassle for me.
- Not as hard to put together as you would think based on other reviews. It's really helpful to have two people to speed things up but it's not necessary. It took me about 3 hours total to finish installation and I was moving pretty slow to make sure I was doing everything right.
- It feels like a club quality machine.
- Multiple user custom settings. This allows you to have 2 people set up their own custom workouts.
- Awesome warranty
- The included heart rate chest strap is pretty accurate from what I can tell and allows the machine to know your heart rate without having to grab the handlebars.
- Adjustable pedal angles help you to customize the feel of your stride so your feet don't fall asleep.

Cons
- Pretty expensive
- The fan is worthless. They put a PC fan in the front of this thing. You can't even feel it when it's running.
- The grip heart rate monitors don't seem be all that accurate but then again neither are the more expensive models.
- It's huge and it's really heavy. Check out the dimensions before getting it to make sure it will fit in your room.

I'm just so happy we decided to get the E35. It's a rock solid, quality machine. The workouts are really hard if you want them to be, I think I almost had a heart attack after the first 20 minutes. Most of all I'm very happy that the stride and handles are a good fit for a big guy like me and my 5'1 wife.