Rowing machines - http://www.rowingmachinez.com

Editor's picks

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  Lifecore R100 Commercial Rowing Machine

  Sports (Lifecore Fitness)
  

  Rating (22 reviews):

  (4.4/5)

  

  Solid unit, great workout

  Overall an excellent unit that I feel is worth its steep price. I've owned a couple rowers and a skier for years and after 3 weeks this is now my cardio workout device of choice. It's quiet, comfortable and the computer controlled workout options are nice. At first I thought things like "whitewater" rowing were a bit goofy but the variable resistance programs make a real difference. The fan does make a bit of noise but far less than my skier and I can easily watch TV over the top of the resistance unit.The stats and options in the computer unit are top notch. The only gripe I have here is at full extension it sometimes loses the signal of my heart monitor (new Polar unit) - I'm 6' 3" - I tested the Polar watch and it, too, tends to lose the signal at that range so I suppose it's to be expected. I just wear the watch on my wrist to keep track of my actual heart rate (which is normally pretty close on the rower computer anyway) and use the computer stats for tracking... 5/5 Jeff Lindborg (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews, February 22, 2007

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  I'm very satisfied with my R100

  After looking at several manufacturers and models I settled on the R100 because it has magnetic as well as air resistance. I'll admit I was a bit reluctant because of the price but after using it for three weeks now I'm extremely satisfied with the R100. It works like a dream. The flywheel isn't too loud and the seat glides very smoothly. It takes a bit of assembly but the allen wrench that comes with the R100 works just fine. When I placed my order I received notice that it would be delivered in 3-4 weeks but I had it in my house in one week! I've read some negative comments about Mercantila but I had no problems. If you're considering a rowing machine I highly recommend the R100. But if you've never used one before, see if you can test a few different types to experience air vs magnetic resistance. Possibly at a gym or spa if they allow single day or guest memberships for a day. 5/5 D. Mengle (Central PA) - See all my reviews, November 3, 2006

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  Great Machine

  I tried every rower I could find before buying one, and the Lifecore R100 is by far the best of the bunch. I only gave it 4 stars because there are little things that I think can and need to be improved, such as the screen tends to lower itself gradually when working out, to the point where you need to let go of the handle bar and raise it, yea I am sure it just needs to be tightened up, but on a brand new machine, one should not have to do anything. I also think they could have made a longer, and beefier cord to plug this thing in, the little short cord is just not long enough.The thing glides smooth, rows nice, and is a good rower. It goes together very easy, took me maybe 5 min to put together. I also spoke to the owner of Lifecore when researching these things, and the guy really knows a lot about rowing machines, and you can tell that he spent a lot of time refining this machine, and he cares about his product. Bottom line, good product, and this is defiantly on... 4/5 SpeedRacer (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Lifecore R100 Commercial Rowing Machine (Sports) I tried every rower I could find before buying one, and the Lifecore R100 is by far the best of the bunch. I only gave it 4 stars because there are little things that I think can and need to be improved, such as the screen tends to lower itself gradually when working out, to the point where you need to let go of the handle bar and raise it, yea I am sure it just needs to be tightened up, but on a brand new machine, one should not have to do anything. I also think they could have made a longer, and beefier cord to plug this thing in, the little short cord is just not long enough.The thing glides smooth, rows nice, and is a good rower. It goes together very easy, took me maybe 5 min to put together. I also spoke to the owner of Lifecore when researching these things, and the guy really knows a lot about rowing machines, and you can tell that he spent a lot of time refining this machine, and he cares about his product. Bottom line, good product, and this is defiantly on... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , May 1, 2007

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  List Price: $1,599.00
  Price: $1,299.00
  You Save: $300.00 (19%)

  Ergonomically designed seat and handles; angled footrests with pivoting heel supports

  Commercial-grade, folding rowing machine with 16 levels of magnetic resistance

  Warranty: 5 years parts/1 year labor for residential; 2 years parts/1 year labor for light commercial; 1 year parts for full commercial

  Measures 92 x 19 x 36 inches unfolded; 600-pound weight capacity

  15 preset programs and 4 heart rate control programs compatible with Polar HRM products

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  Proteus PAR-5500 Commercial Club Series Rowing Machine

  Sports (HCI Fitness)
  

  Rating (5 reviews):

  (3.8/5)

  

  Love the machine, just have one issue

  EDIT: I'm editing my original review up to 5 stars. The machine is great, and I found my error on how to get customer service. Looking again at the product page, I saw an "other products from HCI Fitness" link. HCI Fitness is in Seattle, and looks like who I'd contact to resolve any further service problems. It certainly isn't obvious from what's inside the box, but now I know and feel much more confident about the machine. Below is my original review:There is only one reason I'm not giving this product five stars. On my first workout on this machine, I got about 2/3 through when suddenly the computer displayed an "E-2" error. I tried power cycling the machine, but "E-2" came back. That's when I went to the manual to look for customer service.The only contact info of any kind that I found was the company website. The website URL is shared with "Zeta & Co" auto parts, and clicking through to Proteus Fitness revealed a pretty basic and Taiwan-based... 5/5 K. Ringel - See all my reviews, December 2, 2009

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  Great rower that lives up to the hype

  Almost pulled the trigger on the Concept 2 but was convinced by a friend to check out the Proteus Rower (we each ended up buying one). This rower is definitely commercial quality as advertised from head to toe. I am very impressed with the fit and form of all components, the European manufacturing influence is very noticeable. Display panel provides more than I will ever need but it is great to have all of the options. Extremely smooth workout, so far so good. I will keep you posted. 5/5 GettinFit (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews This review is from: Proteus PAR-5500 Commercial Club Series Rowing Machine (Sports) Almost pulled the trigger on the Concept 2 but was convinced by a friend to check out the Proteus Rower (we each ended up buying one). This rower is definitely commercial quality as advertised from head to toe. I am very impressed with the fit and form of all components, the European manufacturing influence is very noticeable. Display panel provides more than I will ever need but it is great to have all of the options. Extremely smooth workout, so far so good. I will keep you posted. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 1, 2009

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  Still waiting to see what happens...

  Got this for $700 during a lightning deal, thiking it was a good price. As usual, got it on time and everything was OK with Amazon. However, after spending a few hours putting it all together and finally starting to use it, the handle/cable would not fully retract, and at times, not retract at all. I called the company for the rower, and they were shocked that this model would have any problems, and said there's nothing I could do to fix it, but rather that I needed to contact AMZ to get a replacement.So AMZ immediately sent me a replacement, but I had to pack up the first one in the box for the new one and ship it back. Although they attempted to send a USPS label, I told them the USPS would never pick that up, and that it had to go back UPS. they said that I had to go ship it myself, and that they would reimburse for shipping. However, after the UPS driver delivered the 2nd one, he said not to do that, but rather have AMZ issue a "call tag."They did, and the... 3/5 William F. Rieck II "Bill" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews, March 3, 2010

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  List Price: $1,499.00
  Price: $920.07
  You Save: $578.93 (39%)

  Comfortable ergo seat with underside seat rollers for exceptional gliding

  Oversized, easy-to-read LCD display panel with 16 resistance levels

  280-pound capacity; measures 96 x 31 x 19 inches (W x H x D); weighs 100 pounds

  Combines "on the water" feel of air resistance with strength and smoothness of magnetic resistance

  Commercial-grade rowing machine with both air and magnetic resistance systems

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