Do you like your equipment extra beefy, or just enough?
I'm about to get some fitness equipment designed and produced for my company, and I'm looking for input from you guys. What I've noticed is this: You can make some things, like a squat rack or power rack with 2x2" 11 gauge and it's going to be strong enough to handle 1,000 lb squats. But it doesn't look as impressive as those beefy 2x3" or 3x3" racks and it's not quite as stable. How important is the appearance of this equipment versus the functionality to you guys? 2x2" is much cheaper to make and ship due to the weight savings. So if you had to choose a rack with 2x2" and it cost $500, and the 2x3" was $700, would you still want the 2x3" for the extra stability even if you are unlikely to ever test the limits of the 2x2"?
Also, any "must-have" things you look for in a power rack or a squat rack? Seems like a lot of guys here are fans of the Sorinex Dark Horse because of the weight storage, but that obviously adds cost to the rack. It also seems popular since you don't need to bolt it down. How much does bolting a rack down bother you? Deal-breaker? Would you rather have a $600 rack and buy a $150 weight tree, or would you want the built-in storage instead?
Feel free to also let me know anything you would love to see on a rack, or any other metal fitness product that you think needs to be improved or offered for a better price, etc...
I appreciate any input. We'll most likely be putting things into production next month and any great ideas will definitely be used.