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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best Elliptical So Far from Icon Fitness, February 7, 2008
Epic is just yet another brand name created by Icon Health & Fitness which also includes Nordictrack, ProForm, Weider, and Healthrider to name a few. Essentially the Epic EL 1200 is the top-of-the line ProForm. They gave it a new brand because they realize the ProForm brand represents the lower end of the elliptical trainer market. Having previously had a 7-yo top of the line Nordictrack Elliptical, I can vouch (so far) that this machine is indeed pseudo-commercial quality and I would say is on par with the construction quality of ellipticals costing nearly twice as much. The question is, will it last, which is yet to be seen.
It's really beefy and HUGE. This is in part because it has a motorized adjustable ramp to adjust the incline to turn from an elliptical trainer into almost a stair climber. Note that the motorized ramp is patented technology licensed from none other than Precor. Precor is widely acknowledged as the king of the commercial/health club quality elliptical machines and the Precor cost upwards of $3K or more!
We did have a problem with the machine initialy in that during assembly at the factory a hole that was drilled hit some wiring causing the resitance function to not work. Being a brand new model from a huge company like Icon that builds all their stuff in China, this is not entirely surprising to me given that I got the very first production run, Version A, model from Costco (last one, floor model - Costco no longer carries it - got a STEAL of a deal). I'm ICON has worked out any assembly glitches since then.
The machine is extremely smooth and as I said, BEEFY. WAY better engineered than our old Nordictrack. Huge bolts, lots of bearings, etc. It does truly feel like a commercial quality machine. Because of the adjustable ramp, the flywheel has to go in back which makes this machine have a very long footprint, much longer than machines with the flywheel in front (like Sole) so if you have space issues, this probably wouldn't be a good choice. The length is 7-1/2 feet long!
It has all the basic functions on the control panel and they all work well. You can even program your own custom workouts. The only feature missing you see on some higher end models is the ability for the machine to alter the resistance automatically based on your heart rate. However from what I understand the Healthrider Accurate wireless health monitor is compatible with this machine so you can at least get wireless heart rate readings.
As with all these machines, it is the long term performance that is important. It only comes with a 90-day warranty which makes no sense considering they created the Epic brand just for the machine apparently to reflect its higher quality but they give it the same warranty as their lower end machines? This may refelect their uncertainty how this brand new machine will perform over the long-term. The 4-year extended warranty though was only like $130 if I recall, so it baffled me why this higher end, 'commercial quality' machine doesn't come with at least a one year warranty. The 90-day is going to scare a lot of people off looking for a high-quality machine I think.
In using it a while and looking it over, it definitely is the most commercial-like quality machine I've seen come from Icon (ProForm, Nordictrack) so far, but it isn't a Precor. There's alot of cheap flimsy plastic parts covering the components. They look fine though and are common on most machines. It does have a decent 18" stride length and oversized foot rests with this grippy gel material.
I researched these machines a lot. Bottom line, if you want an adjustable incline and don't have $3K to spend for a Precor, this is the ticket. If you don't need the adjustable incline, go with the Sole E25 or E35 for $200-$500 more and get an even higher quality machine with a smaller footprint. I think Sole is the best overall value consider their quality, but this is a close second and a first for value if you want adjustable incline. Be sure to get the 4-year warranty extention if you do by one, then you can rest assured you are covered.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great machine for a great price, June 13, 2008
I did a lot of online research to find an elliptical that would meet my needs for around $1,000. I paid $800 for this machine which is such a great value. I love the adjustable ramp and the wide range of workouts to choose from. I also like that this offers the upper body workout. I saw in another review that this was a large machine, and the reviewer was right. It's fine for me since I have plenty of space for it, and I actually like the size because it feels very stable and solid. On another note, the built in fan is great, and I use it often. Overall, a wonderful machine. I workout on it whenever I get the chance.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great machine, August 30, 2008
I was debating between tread mill and elliptical trainer. After reading lots of review and focusing on my needs, I went with this. This elliptical trainer is having a big foot print, so if you have a space constraint then think about it. I love the overall design and the console options here. Machine runs very smooth and I am loving it. BTW if you planning to assemble yourself, then you need two people at least to lift up the main assembly. Assembly wasn't that hard, I don't make a fuss about 20 vs 45 minutes as I found in other reviews. Overall I like this machine and recommend to others.
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