functional trainer Tuff Stuff CXT or Hoist V6?

Motodisney · 12-29-2008, 09:43 PM

First post here, just read through a bunch of posts and everyone is very informative.

I am looking for a functional trainer and have it narrowed down between the Tuff Stuff CXT 100 (potentially with smith attachment) or the V6. This is for my wife who is leaving her gym. Any tips or suggestions between the 2? Do we need a smith press added on? My wife is the gym rat so my ques. would seem fairly basic to most?

Thx.

Wildtim · 12-29-2008, 10:03 PM

I'd honestly ask the "gym rat" what she prefers. Even if this is to be a gift its large enough and important enough that she should have a say especially as the main user.

Looking at the ad's for each product (these are way out of my price range) the Tuff Stuff seems to be the more versatile machine not even including the Smith attachment. Or does the hoist have a High/low pulley set I can't see on the web?

Someone on here has probably actually worked out on both though so they could speak to the feel of each machine better than I.

aikidoka · 12-29-2008, 10:42 PM

If you move up to the tuff stuff with smith, you should also look at the hoist trainers that include a smith. Their set up also allows you to use a free bar and their smith is a 3d design so it doesnt have to be locked into one vertical path. There's a thread on one version here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112630301

I think hoist also has a version that has all that and a 3rd weight stack in the back.

Make sure you check with your gym rat though, since she's the focus here.

Motodisney · 12-30-2008, 07:52 AM

Thanks for the advice. She is in the loop and has looked at a few of the machines but I usually always do the research on this type and give her pro's and con's to each deal and she then makes up her mind. The Hoist doesn't seem to have the high/low pulley that I can tell as well. It's time for trip out to gymsource I guess since they seem to be the closest dealer.

Thx.

aikidoka · 12-30-2008, 07:59 AM

Here's the Hoist package that does have the high/low pulley in the back.

http://www.hoistfitness.com/consumer.../pts-ens3.aspx

Motodisney · 12-31-2008, 08:25 AM

That is a nice system but due to space I'm looking at a corner piece. I was able to try the hoist v6 and the tuff stuff side by side last night and it looks like she's leaning towards the tuff stuff cxt 100 with or without the smith at this point as undecided. They had a deal on the floor model that we are looking at.

thansk for the advice everyone.

mkowaleski · 06-03-2009, 08:45 PM

I'm new to this site, but benefited greatly from the dialogues, so payback time!

I tried all the personal trainers out there and needed something that was versatile for me (44 year old in-shape guy 5'-8" 167 lbs and my petite wife of 5' 4" 118 lbs). Being an engineer I'm pretty picky and appreciate good quality and highly engineered equipment. We tried Hoist, Precor, Tuff-Stuff, LifeFitness, Bodycraft, BodySolid. For us the Hoist V6 won hands down. It was by far the most thought-out machine from top to bottom. The aluminum bars are light enough for a woman or smaller person to handle and the textured pull-up bar is awesome in terms of grip. The height on the V6 columns is higher than the Precor, which gives more overhead versatility. Assisted chin-ups are great for practicing form and the cut-out for your head is really smart. The selling point was the counter-balanced pulley adjusters - this is a must have for most women that will use this machine. It truely does adjust instantly with very modest one-handed force. The machine is super smooth, quiet, and seems to be of best build quality all around. My next choice would have been the Precor. The Bodycraft is the same exact unit as the Precor. The BodySolid is a real good value, but very difficult to adjust the pulleys. The Tuff-Stuff was a good unit, but the pulleys were very sticky and difficult to adjust (i.e., needed two hands and felt like I was having to struggle with them). The extra pulleys seemed like fluff, and we did not like handling the heavy steel bars either. I am delighted with my V6 and use it daily. We also bought a Hoist V-Select with V1 Press Arm and V-Ride Leg Press. The combination of these two machines allows virtually any exercise you can think of or do in the gym. Definitely recommend getting the weight stack upgrade, as for presses and squats most guys could easily top out the standard stack. Highly recommend the V6, without reservation. But all the other units are good, just not as good in my opinion as the V6. With my current home setup I will never step foot into a gym again - it saves me tons of time and money working out at home!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motodisney

That is a nice system but due to space I'm looking at a corner piece. I was able to try the hoist v6 and the tuff stuff side by side last night and it looks like she's leaning towards the tuff stuff cxt 100 with or without the smith at this point as undecided. They had a deal on the floor model that we are looking at.

thansk for the advice everyone.

mkowaleski · 07-14-2009, 07:40 AM

I just added the pictures.

DieselDan83 · 07-14-2009, 08:45 AM

They are both great gym's. Not to add anymore confusion for you, but have you looked at the torque f5? Its in that same price range, but you get a bench, leg ext/curl and a high pully. Plus the space saving design.

Another option which I love (and I can't believe I'm saying this about a freemotion) is the freemotion EXT duel cable cross. Its a little more pricy @ $3999, but I really like this machine and most stores are looking to move them, so you could get a good deal. We are selling it for $1000 off, so where ever you go there is room to play

kelt_22 · 07-14-2009, 09:42 AM

PRECOR! LOL ok after shamless plugging of mine Go with the Hoist. They are better then Tuff Stuff when it comes to home gyms.

Also I do need to Plug Torque as well even though we do not carry them any more. they are good guys and they sent me to Brekenridge CO for a ski trip last year so I owe them. LOL

mkowaleski · 07-15-2009, 05:16 AM

I did not get to try out the Torque F5, but I did get a chance to try out the Torque F7 f functional trainer. It was sort of OK, but I it only took me two seconds to walk away from it. The "fold up" part is really gimicky, and very flimsy at best - it was an immediate turn-off for me. IN FACT, with the doors open (which is how you would be using it) it is one of the largest footprint functional trainers out there - why would I do that to myself when it comes to taking up floor space? Gimicky, flimsy, and more money? It also suffers the same issues as many of the others - difficult to adjust (the Hoist V6 is height adjustable with an index finger - literally!) and the smooth curved chin-up bar makes absolutely no sense at all (compared to Hoist's textured and shaped bar - chin-ups on the V6 are a dream to perform due to the cut-out for your head and the textured bar prevents any slipping with sweaty hands). And the qualilty of hte components on Hoist products shines through, right down to the aluminum bars. IMHO, I think the Torque is quite ugly to look at - it looks like a refrigerator when it is closed up - and why would you want to fold away your gym when it takes up more space because of the doors and just adds one more step when you want to use it - every day the doors get opened and closed - what is the point of that? Very gimicky. Gimicky is also one of the reasons I shyed away from other products like the Bodycraft Elite - their selling feature was the color choice?? - give me a break! Well, when it comes to gym equipment I'll take standard grey/black and focus instead on the functionality, ergonomics, and quality.

My suggestion when choosing gym equipment (or any major purchase for that matter) is to make up a serious spreadsheet of the features that you desire, and then see where the different options and manufacturers end up. This will give you a very objective way to make a decision. For gym equipment I am interested in cost, adjustability, ease of use, comfort, convenience, safety, ergonomics, number of exercises available, efficiency, durability, etc. When I did my analysis, I came up with the Hoist products (V6 and V-Select). I wanted the features of a functional trainer plus the features of a basic fixed motion cable gym (this is why I chose the V1 press arm and the V-ride leg press just rocks). This combination avoids any duplication of exercises (fixed-plane motion vs. isolateral motion) and provides a maximum number of work outs in the shortest possible time. Like I said, my second choice would have been the Precor functional trainer and the Inspire M3 - near perfect in their own right and basically the same price, but I wanted matching equipment and a few of the V6's features already discussed is what sold me in the end. In the end, you have to go with what you like, what you can afford, and what is available in your area. Most of the equipment discussed here is quite good and are all reasonable choices, I just had the luxury of picking many of them apart before making a decision that was good for me. The devil is in the details! I use both my V6 and V-Select six days per week, so I definitely have put this equipment through its paces (and still have much to learn and try, especially on the V6). Enjoy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselDan83

They are both great gym's. Not to add anymore confusion for you, but have you looked at the torque f5? Its in that same price range, but you get a bench, leg ext/curl and a high pully. Plus the space saving design.

Another option which I love (and I can't believe I'm saying this about a freemotion) is the freemotion EXT duel cable cross. Its a little more pricy @ $3999, but I really like this machine and most stores are looking to move them, so you could get a good deal. We are selling it for $1000 off, so where ever you go there is room to play