Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid and worth the money but some things could be better., October 10, 2006
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.
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63 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great price, Good Structure, Some issues so far though, April 11, 2006
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!
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59 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Jury Now In - Still using after nearly 2 years, March 3, 2006
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.)
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