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166 of 168 found the following review helpful:
 Gym Quality Workout on a Solid Machine! Sep 30, 2009
By R. Godfrey
Horizon EX-57 Review:
After a lot of research (I narrowed my decision down to the EX-57 and the Schwinn 430), I decided on the Horizon because of the warranty. Plus, I was able to try the machine out beforehand at my local Sears. I knew I wanted a front fly-wheel, since the ellipticals I've tried with rear flywheels feel wobbly. Both the Schwinn 430 and Horizon EX-57 have excellent reviews online, but the Horizon offers one year of labor versus Schwinn's 90 days, and the machine was actually a little less expensive.
Delivery:
I elected for Free Super Saver Shipping. Two business days after ordering, I received a call from the shipping company, ABF. A very polite man made a delivery appointment with me for the following week. My item arrived just five business days after ordering. On the day of delivery, ABF called to say they were in the neighborhood and would be arriving in 15-20 minutes. The delivery guy was very polite and friendly, and he carried the box inside to my living room floor. The box itself was in good condition, only a little dirty with some slight gouges in the top layer of cardboard, nothing that alarmed.
Since we have a townhouse apartment and the elliptical was going upstairs, we opened the box downstairs and carried the parts upstairs. All were in excellent cosmetic condition. We had already purchased a gym mat from Kmart at a great price - less than thirty dollars.
Assembly:
There were three or four small bags of parts that were full of grease. Keep that in mind. You will want to have some paper towels or rags handy. We just used one of the larger pieces of packing styrofoam as a tray for all the greasy parts. I even added a little WD-40 to a few of the bolts and washers during assembly, to ward off squeaks. We took inventory and there was one missing part - the "console mast boot" - a small rubber ring that goes over the opening where the mast enters the flywheel. This part would not otherwise interfere with us putting the machine together, so we continued with installation. (**More about the process of getting this part from Horizon below**). It took my mildly handy husband and me one and a half hours to assemble the elliptical, and we moved at a comfortable pace, carefully reading the directions. I had borrowed a ratchet set from a friend, but we did not need any tools other than those provided by Horizon. It was very simple to assemble.
**We could technically do without the console mast boot, but there's no way I'm letting that go, since this machine cost a small fortune for us. I called Horizon about the missing part and got an automatic response system that told me to leave a message. Next day, I got a call-back as an unknown number and screened it (mistake). I had to leave another message and did not hear back from them until the following day. However, the Horizon representative was polite and helpful and, after registering my product for me over the phone, he put in the order for the part and offered to have tracking information emailed to me. A couple of days later, I got the email with UPS tracking information for my missing part. It arrived less than one week after the elliptical. I snapped it on without having to rearrange any other parts.
Usage:
My husband is 6' tall and I am 5'2", so a comfortable stride, comfortable distance to the handle bars, and plenty of head clearance was crucial for both of us, since we have to share one machine. Our ceiling is 8', and we had to push the elliptical close to a wall instead of in the center of the room, since my husband's head was too close to the blades of the ceiling fan. I find the stride and handle bar distance perfectly comfortable. My husband said that the stride could be a little longer for him, but he is not uncomfortable on the machine. He did say, however, that someone much taller than 6'2" would probably be a little uncomfortable with the length of the stride.
The EX-57 is very quiet during use. I am able to listen to music at a normal volume, and it doesn't bother my husband in another room or downstairs. There are some small, inoffensive noises now and then, but think about this: the flywheel operates almost completely silent. If you have greased the bolts and all the parts have been tightened to the right level, then the machine won't give off any ambient noise that might drown out the occasional click of a pedal or other small sound. After having worked out on my friend's expensive Cybex, I've learned that most machines make a sound or two now and then.
Since I am a beginner at regular exercise, I started at level 1 resistance, and good thing. I was whipped after 25 minutes. My resistance will undoubtedly increase with regular use, but the EX-57 is at a stronger base resistance than some other machines I've used, including the aforementioned Cybex. So, I would counsel beginners not to get too excited about resistance levels right off the bat. Veteran gym folks should be pleased with the levels of resistance offered too.
The heart monitor may or may not be accurate. It is not so important to us. I am of a mind that most of these machines are off when it comes to that, even at the gym. If heart rate is important to you, I recommend getting a separate monitor.
The screen reads fine in indoor lighting; no worries about it not being backlit.
The cup holder is too low to be convenient while working out. You would have to slow or stop first. I just use a nearby table top.
Final Notes:
In another review, someone commented about cheap looking plastic parts, so I was on the lookout for this. After getting it all set up and using it a few times, I really think the machine looks nice, and I have no complaints about the plastic panels and pieces.
After a month of near daily use by two people, we could not be happier with our Horizon EX-57. Everyone needs to do their own research to find the right fit, but I highly recommend this elliptical.
53 of 54 found the following review helpful:
Good for a tough workout in your own house. Mar 22, 2009
By B. Evans
I was debating between the Schwinn 430 and the Horizon EX-57 - what really pushed me over was the warranty on the Horizon 1 year vs the 90 day Schwinn warranty.
I'm very happy with my decision and have had my EX-57 for around a month now. Delivery was fast and the driver, was professional and alerted me to a potential problem due to a torn box. Luckily nothing was wrong with the unit and I was able to put the unit together in around 2 hours. I did use ALOT of greasePermatex 81981 White Lithium Grease, 16 oz Aerosol canthat left a strange smell in the living room for around 48 hours, but I'm glad I did because there are no squeaks or any noises (and I've worked this thing out hard.)
I did have some trouble putting the hand rails on the right side (even though they were labeled correctly Left/Right) and thus the hand rails were way too far away for me. After fixing that I've been able to work out whenever I want.
I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for an elliptical and since the EX57 wasn't found at any places here in town, I tried out another Horizon elliptical in the same price point and think the quality is spot on. This machine feels gym quality.
One last thing is that this elliptical is very nice and the footprint is very small - so the machine takes up less room than I would have imagined.
52 of 54 found the following review helpful:
An amazing machine with very few issues Apr 23, 2009
By Amber Hathaway
I've had this machine for two days and I'm extremely impressed. Here's the breakdown:
Assembly - it took about an hour for me to put this together by myself. The directions were clear and simple. There was no huge amount of physical force required to put it together, except getting the machine into position (but it has wheels on the front, so it wasn't too bad). Beware, however, because some of the pieces come pre-greased so you'll want to have a rag or paper towels on hand.
Pros of Design and Use - Compared to the last machine I had, the 2 in 1 Elliptical Cross Trainer & Exercise Bike, this thing is barely audible. I can watch TV at normal volume, hold a conversation, and not disturb my roommate. It does beep every so often, but otherwise it is extremely quiet. The 18" stride length is ideal for me, and the arms are at a comfortable distance (I'm 5'4"). The footprint is very small and fits into a normal-sized living room with minimal rearranging necessary (see customer picture above). Overall the feel of the workout is very smooth and I feel very stable, even at high intensity.
Cons of Design and Use - The biggest problem is that, as others have described, the hand-grip heart rate monitor doesn't really work. It appears that the slower you're going, the more accurate it gets. For example, at normal speed (4 or 5 mph), it thinks my heart is beating 90 times a minute, when it's really significantly higher. When I slow down to less than 2mph, it recognizes my heart rate in the right neighborhood. Even so, I didn't buy this for that particular thing nor do I really miss it, but be aware that it is not very effective. Other than that, there are very few problems. The water bottle holder is a little too low for me to access it without stopping, and the stride length might be too short for people with much longer legs than I have. But these are nitpicks, and overall I'm extremely impressed and happy with this elliptical.
A Note on Delivery - If you buy this through Amazon, it will be shipped through a company called CEVA, which is not quite the same as a UPS or Fedex delivery company. CEVA will call or e-mail you when your item ships and schedule a delivery appointment which, depending on your availability and theirs, could be well before or after the delivery window provided by Amazon. You MUST be present to receive the delivery. The CEVA guys were extremely professional and brought this heavy thing up the stairs without me having to say anything. People on the forums here seem to have had very mixed experiences with CEVA, so just be aware that this delivery will differ greatly from a standard small-item delivery.
Verdict - just short of gym quality and with a couple of flaws (mainly the heart rate monitor), but relatively easy to put together and very comfortable to use. I am extremely pleased with this item and feel particularly secure with the one-year parts and labor warranty that's included. I strongly recommend this elliptical to anyone looking to go for the reliable and substantial "home gym" feel or just have a solid piece of equipment that won't break your budget.
21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
Smooth operating elliptical. It makes working out at home FUN. Sep 23, 2010
By Bastet
"Meow"
The machine was in very sturdy packaging and I was very impressed. I was unable to lift the main part (with the fly-wheel) out of the box so I waited until my husband got home from work. It was still too heavy to lift right out of the box. We were able to pull/push the box up stairs into the workout room.
It was my new machine and project. I had so much fun, the instructions were as easy as Lego instructions, and it only took me 2 hours from start to finish. I have added photos, please check them out. The parts were sectioned out in the order of the steps (hardware bag #1 is for Step 1, etc.) and all of the needed tools are included (a screwdriver, hex wrench, 2 different size allen wrenches).
I broke the box down and started putting it together right on top of the box. I'm glad I did that because when you put some of the parts together (bolts and/or stable bar) some excess grease will come out. Have a throw away rag handy because you will need it. Step 1 was attaching the wheels. The wheels made it a breeze to situate and move it to where I wanted it be positioned.
Once it was together, I tried it out. The stride isn't as long/wide as I'm used to but it is smooth and quiet. It doesn't take up too much room so my husband is planning to get a couple other machines (a spinning bike, please). I'm looking for a TV to mount on the wall and spend all day on the elliptical! My first "Hill Climb" workout will be in the morning.
UPDATE:
October 19, 2010
I still love this machine. The only other elliptical I have used was at the gym (Proform). The tension on this machine is tighter than on the large machines at the gym, due to the fact that the stride is shorter.
I thought I'd just start my workouts on the levels that I had been working out at the gym. WRONG! On the Proform I could warm up at a level 4 and gradually by the end of my "Hill Climb" routine (of 45 minutes) I would be at a level 12. Occasionally I could end on a Level 14.
After 10 minutes starting on a level 4 on my Horizon machine, I wanted to fall to the floor and fight to bring my breathing under control. It kicked my butt and I had to swallow my pride and back down to the level 1.
I had to wipe out my iPod music arrangement and start new because the machine routine was different. I always set my music to the timed hill climbs and manual strides.
A level 1 on this machine is like a level 4 on the machines at the gym. Horizon level 4 is a level 8 on the gym's elliptical.
My workout on my Horizon is for 45 minutes "Climb" ending on a level 4. I use the "Manual" setting to warm up and cool down.
I hardly ever used the arm handles at the gym because the stretch was so wide plus I loved to just work my legs and rear. It had taken me two weeks on my machine to get used to the shorter stride and be able to balance properly so that I can avoid using the arms. I alternate my routine and do use the arms half the time.
The "Reverse" routine is short intervals and I don't like that. I've only used it once and haven't timed it exactly. I believe it is two minutes forward, two minutes backward, ect. I prefer a minimum of five minutes between forward/backward changes.
The only things I would like to see added to this machine is a light in the display panel and It would be nice if a 5 minute "cool down" was at the end of each routine.
I forgot to mention that about two weeks after use, one of the peddles started making a loud squeaking sound so I called customer service. The service tech very nice, asked me to hold the phone near the peddle so she could hear the sound. She said is was most likely a welding issue with the leg bar and foot peddle durring asembly. She immediately ordered two new legs/feet for my machine at no cost to me. The legs and feet arrived in about 5 days and I haven't had any problem since.
All in all, I'm still very happy with my purchase.
UPDATE:
February 9, 2011
My machine is still working perfectly.
I've been able to increase my workout levels.
I have noticed that the arches in my feet will start to ache slightly if I don't change the positions of my feet on the peddles (and if I workout longer than 45 minutes).
While working out in the "reverse" I find that it is best to move m feet to the back edge of the foot peddle. I try to keep my feet in the center of the peddle in the forward motion. I believe it has to do with the shorter range of motion (stride) of the elliptical.
I'm still a happy camper with this machine.
UPDATE:
October 5, 2011
I'm still very happy with this machine. I made a good purchase :-)
I haven't had to add grease to the moving parts and there isn't any squeaking at all.
Update:
January 2012
Still happy and now my 11 year old likes to use the ellipticle about twice a week.
27 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 Worked for about a minute,twice. It is fixed now. Oct 09, 2009
By J. Liu
"snow tiger"
I spent three hours to put this machine together, I head a hum sound when I first turned on the machine and set the resistance to a higher level, about 1 minute late, the hum sound was gone, and no more resistance. I called the Tech support, they told me that my break motor was out;, they will send me a replacement part and a Tech to install it. I have received the part but heard nothing from the Tech. I called the Service Center, they told me Horizon has decided not to send a Tech from that center, they will send a Tech form else where. I am still waiting someone to call me. I will give an update once the service is completed. I gave it 1 star since it never worked more than I minute.
Update: Technician came, replaced the part, again it worked for a minute, called the Tech Support, now they are sending the entire electronic control, console everything. It stays 1 star, since it worked 1 minute again.
Update: The machine is working now after replacing all the control parts and motor. I have changed it from 1 to 3 stars.
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