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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
271 of 273 found the following review helpful:
Great rower Feb 18, 2006
By David Applegate
I bought a used rower years ago and came to work it several times a week. I'm a busy person, so I don't have time for a sophisticated work out routine. I just want to work one machine for both strength and aerobic training. Rowing is great for this purpose. When I broke my rower, I started shopping. Unfortunately, even used rowers are over $100. I struggled with this model versus the smaller ones that stand up vertically for easy storage. I couldn't find any reviews on this that addressed the storage question. Finally, I chose it because it didn't look like I could break it from normal usage, whereas the kind that fold nicely seem flimsy.
Pros:
- This machine is very sturdy. It's solid, stable, and does not rock at all when in use.
- It is amazingly quiet. The only sound is the whisper of the pistons. I can use it with the TV on normal volume.
- The seat is very comfortable. I sat on it for 30 minutes the first time with no discomfort.
Cons:
- It does not fold, collapse, or stand up vertically. It just sits on the floor. It would be very awkward to try to store it under a bed. Don't lift the back end too far or the plug for the timer will bend. This is why it only has 4 stars.
- The front bumper pads are just stuck on. You can't drag it backwards without them popping off. The back ones also just sit on there, but they face sideways, so they won't come off.
- The instructions were difficult. My wife and I kept flipping back and forth in the manual to figure out to which bolt each step of the direction referred.
The work out was great. I really like using this machine. I only wish I had a better place to put it when I'm not using it.
95 of 98 found the following review helpful:
 Compact, Solid, Easy to Assemble Mar 10, 2007
By Bruce Warne
Probably one of the best rowers I've ever used.
It was easy to assembly, and looks and feels really solid.
Lots of adjustment in the "power level" - from really easy to really hard.
I'm 6' and it is definitely large enough (will easily work for taller people as well). My wife is 5'3", and she finds it easy to use too.
Highly recommended.
51 of 51 found the following review helpful:
Stamina Rowing Machine Jan 15, 2007
By Ronald E. Cole
I had one of these similar many years ago and let it go at a garage sale. Dumb idea! As I get older, this Stamina machine has replaced it and is giving me all the exercise I need. Good to set in front of the tv and row for 30 minutes, I've gone from a size 40 to a size 36 waist. I like the hydraulic part of it and the adjustability.
65 of 67 found the following review helpful:
 Starts off Great, then Falls Apart Jan 21, 2008
By Row Man
The first month I had this rower was great. Very smooth, lots of resistence, quiet, etc. I used it 6 days a week for 30-45 minutes a day.
Then, the squeaks came. Very loud creaks and squeaks that were hard on the ears. I have to keep a can of WD40 nearby when I use it to lubricate the joints periodically, and even then, there are some noises that are coming from inside the shocks that I cannot lubricate.
Then, the seat guides started disintegrating. The plastic wheels under seat actually have cracks and pits forming in them, which gives a very choppy, loud and bumpy travel of the seat. Not smooth at all.
Then, the left shock started going flat and losing resistence. There would be no resistence until the shock was pulled half-way back. This makes for a difficult row, when you have your right arm with constant resistence and your left arm with no resistence, but then sudden resistence at some point.
I emailed Stamina, and they are sending me replacement parts under warranty. From what I have read here, however, I feel the uneven wear of the shocks is something that will persist, and it also sounds like the seat guides are not made that well either. Thus, I expect to have similar problems in the future.
For the money, it is a good deal, and a good chance to experiment with rowing to see if you like it. If you want to stick with it and row more intensely, however, you should go for a non-hydraulic rower and use one that uses water or wind for more even resistence.
I thought the packaging, instructions, ease of assembly were adequate and nothing too difficult.
25 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Does the job Oct 10, 2007
By John Kreeger
I bought this based on the reviews here and the price. I needed something small, quiet and effective - and this one is all of them.
It took awhile to put together and, because it came partially assembled, I was looking for parts that I thought were missing.
As far as Stamina's customer service is concerned, when one of the shocks started to slip (not offer resistance)- I e-mailed my replacement order on a Thursday evening (covered by warranty) via their website and the new part arrived on the following Tuesday.
I'd buy another one of these anytime.
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