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23 of 25 found the following review helpful:
 excellent, well priced elliptical Sep 24, 2009
By A. Boston
I am quite erratic when it comes to working out. I'll admit it. I've had gym memberships since I was a kid, and I have a hard time sticking to it. Right before I bought this merit elliptical, I had a $750 per year gym membership, and I hated going. I hated multiple things: the tvs attached to each machine, always broken. The idea of the germs, creeped me out. Also thinking I was being watched and judged..(and I can assure you, the boys were watching the girls in the hot pants and sports bra, not me, who was in an old band T-shirt and work out pants)well, its just not my bag of fun. So I figured I could get a few key pieces and make myself a little home gym. Then really, what excuse is there?(yes, I can still come up with some, but they tend to be a lot more ridiculous).
So I poked around and found this model in the 300 dollars price range. I went to a sporting equipment store to try a few out. I picked this one because it felt sturdy, smooth and comfortable for my 5'4 height, and I liked the price. I supervised my boyfriend putting it together -- ok, so I helped a couple times. It took under 2 hours. Now, I can hop on, watch my own tv, sweat to my hearts desire, and don't have to worry about my appearance or who's around me. If I'm thirsty -- I get a drink at my own fridge instead of paying a machine. Wanna wipe your face off? the bathroom is a hop and a jump down the hall. No more public ladies locker room with scary naked old women prancing around. To be honest, if you have at least a 5x5 space available to make a little work out area(this and a yoga mat and a few weights are all you need!), totally go for it. You feel a lot better when you're done, and this is 1/2 the price of a year at the gym. I've had my merit elliptical about 3 years now.
Some nice things about this model, I like the different tensions to choose from, and you just turn the knob. It takes batteries to run the little mile/time monitor. Easy as pie to understand. The only thing, the heart rate monitor doesn't give an accurate reading for me. So I just picked up an inexpensive heart rate monitor watch here on amazon. One small tip: keep the tracks clean, and you'll be smooth sailing. Sometimes dust or random stuff can end up there and trip up the smooth factor a bit.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Good value, but assy could have gone smoother Oct 13, 2009
By C. Festavan
This is for my wife to rehab her surgically repaired knee. She is happy with it so far. It's seems sturdy and smooth, especially considering how cheap, er... cost-effective it is. We just got it, so I can't comment on the durability.
Assembly should take 30 minutes; however, I had to brake out some extra tools. The control wire was cut; it looked like it had been pinched and cut during packaging. The holes on the bottom of the frame in the rear didn't line up, so I little brute force, prying and a hammer was needed. Other than that, some of the fasteners could have been located a few cm's further away from other members to allow a socket. Hey, what do expect froma a cheap machine designed and built in China.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
I'm happy with it Jan 31, 2010
By E. L. Re
For the money, i think its great. its quiet & steady. i'm 5'3 & i can exercise comfortably. here are my only minor drawbacks: (1)the first time the machine was tested my dad, who is not very coordinated, made the wheel go off the track & the plastic covering broke off, but that has never happened to me (2) there are no stationary handles to hold on to (3)no room for water bottle or ipod. but those things didn't really matter to me & i would recommend this elliptical
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Beats going to the gym Jan 16, 2010
By J. Benton
I searched for several weeks for an elliptical that fit into my budget. After reading endless reviews I settled on purchasing the Merit Fitness 715E. The first one delivered to me was broken, obviously dropped from a substantial height (as evidenced by an intact box, but all the plastic pieces were cracked/broken). I immediately contacted an Amazon CSR who was incredibly helpful and a new one was shipped at no cost to me. When I received the second one, everything was in working order. It took my husband about 90 minutes to assemble (no problems). I have used the elliptical for a week straight and love it. While in use, it is very smooth and quiet.
A couple of things: The picture shows a water bottle. The 715e does not have a water bottle holder included. Also, I am 5' 0" tall so I like the stride length of 16 inches. However, my husband (6' 0") is not comfortable with the 16" stride length. (Something to consider if you are tall...) Finally, I agree with the other reviewers that it does not accurately calculate your pulse.
Overall, I rated this machine a 4 because it was what I expected from the reviews and for the price.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Stay away!!! Apr 08, 2010
By RLB
This product is JUNK!!!! The directions for assembly are atrocious and mostly do not apply to this model. Most illustrations, etc., apply to the more expensive 725E. The tensioning/resistance system is absurdly difficult to assemble...almost impossible for one person to do...and once finally assembled did not work on my machine. The customer/technical service line is only manned until 5PM CST so if you have problems...and you will...and need help, be prepared to wait as long as two business days to get it. The instruction book says this machine is rated for a maximum of 275 lbs. I doubt it. Certainly, regular use by anyone weighing anywhere near this much would quickly destroy the cheap, plastic, single rail roller wheels and the light weight bearings the machine comes with. Trying to adjust or repair the resistance/tensioning system will most likely require the complete disassembly of the unit and, if nothing else, will require removal and reinstallation of the lower casework...a formidable task, at best. This one is going back. Thankfully, Amazon.com has authorized a full refund.
See all 12 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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