Titan Fitness HD Power Rack (2"x3")- Comprehensive Video Review

[GrizzlyBW]

I was an early buyer of the 'new' Titan HD Power Rack, a Rogue R3 clone made in China and imported by a company called "Titan Distributors". I ended up selling the rack after being frustrated with the overall quality of the rack and function of the safety spotters. I recently purchased a Rogue R3 to replace it but I thought I would share a video outlining the difference between the two for those that may be considering it as an 'less expensive option to the R3'.

Titan is screening their reviews of the rack but the only one showing up on their website opens with "It's like buying the rogue r-3 for a cheaper price. High quality and I'm happy so far." Be aware, this is NOT like buying a R3. It quality is tolerable considering the price but it's far from a "high quality product".

I thought I'd share for those individuals that may be considering this purchase. Hopefully with the info they can make an informed purchase and know beforehand if the rack will suite their needs and meet their expectations. I went into quite a bit of detail here but I figured the more info the better.

[GarageIron]

Excellent comparison. Thanks!

[AttyGuy]

OP, very nice. Too many fanboys out there smoking crack and posting on the interwebz about the mighty Titan.

[aclockworkoi]

There was one selling locally for almost new price because the seller was "going a different direction". They weren't "sure of the brand" and linked a northern lights rack. OP, is that you?

[aspengc8]

Good review, thanks!

[dukenukem7777]

Nice comparison!

I had a laugh when you said, "I don't know if Titan Dist even lifts" because honestly, most of the people involved in the process of designing/manufacturing that rack do not lift. The factories overseas literally don't use their own products. Titan Dist most likely bought it from a Chinese factory that designed it and makes it for any customers willing to meet their minimum order quantity. Regarding the pictures used to advertise it--I've seen this a hundred times with overseas factories. They show pictures literally with the Rogue brand on them and tell you they make that.


Comparing it to the Rogue rack-- You have to admit, you're getting about 80% of the rack for 50% of the cost. It's why the cheapest fitness equipment items are the top selling items--some people value quality over everything, but the mass market just wants the cheapest item that is just good enough to get the job done. That's why that rack sold out after it was imported--people care about MADE IN USA up until they get to the cash register. Not everyone, but the vast majority. Even knowing these differences, most people will still buy that Titan HD rack because it's $400 vs $800 shipped and they can lift their barbell in it and that's all that really matters to them. The safeties are really the only thing that is a critical flaw that needs to be corrected. Everything else is just "how do you get from $800 to $400 for this rack" quality issues.

[Vancemac]

Comparing it to the Rogue rack-- You have to admit, you're getting about 80% of the rack for 50% of the cost. ...the mass market just wants the cheapest item that is just good enough to get the job done. ...most people will still buy that Titan HD rack because it's $400 vs $800 shipped and they can lift their barbell in it

Agree with all this. Also, it's hard to fault newcomers to the discipline (like me) for not immediately jumping to the top shelf. Which is worse, the guy who buys cheap and has to upgrade later, or the guy who is always slapping down his credit card for the best of the best for his new hobby, only to realize 6 months that "it's not for him" and he's off to the next phase? I'd bet most people who start with a Titan-caliber and who stick with lifting, eventually upgrade. I'd like to think I split the difference (Body Solid GPR378), which appears to be a notch above the Titan. And while I'm extremely happy with it, and will never "outgrow" it... a year later... knowing what I now know, I probably would have spent the extra couple hundred on the Rogue.

[bobcat255]

Excellent review. Goes to show, you can't get something for nothing. I bet they could make a really good clone, but by the time you get to that quality and pay more for shipping the price difference will be $50 at most and you're supporting job growth elsewhere.

Given that this is safety equipment, even if I'm not lifting 1k pounds, I'd rather trust my body and limbs in a high quality rack. OP, you compared this product to a Powerline, but I don't understand why you feel it's better. Powerline is cheap but it doesn't purport to be something it's not.

Based on seeing the video, I would totally spend the extra cash on Rogue.

[TitanFitness141]

Thank you for your honest review! Because of the feedback received we have already made the following improvements to the Titan HD Power Rack:

1) Improved safety rods without washers inside the tube bar cover
2) Black Powder Coat finish

We are moving forward with the following additional improvements:

1) A hard UHMW plastic liner for the J-Cups
2) Thicker connection plates and bolt down foot plates

We expect to have an adequate supply of the improved J-Cups by the end of May 2015 at which time we will be offering a pair for free to any customer that purchased our HD racks before the J-Cup improvement was made.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us directly, our phone number is 800-605-8241.

[Stasher1]

That's great...but have you addressed the pitiful quality of your welds or your apparent lack of quality control? Things like this should never be shipped to a paying customer.

[throwaway3441]

Thank you for your honest review! Because of the feedback received we have already made the following improvements to the Titan HD Power Rack:

1) Improved safety rods without washers inside the tube bar cover
2) Black Powder Coat finish

We are moving forward with the following additional improvements:

1) A hard UHMW plastic liner for the J-Cups
2) Thicker connection plates and bolt down foot plates

We expect to have an adequate supply of the improved J-Cups by the end of May 2015 at which time we will be offering a pair for free to any customer that purchased our HD racks before the J-Cup improvement was made.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us directly, our phone number is 800-605-8241.

Nice!

Any idea when new orders will start shipping with that stuff?

[70chevellegsp]

Thank you for your honest review! Because of the feedback received we have already made the following improvements to the Titan HD Power Rack:

1) Improved safety rods without washers inside the tube bar cover
2) Black Powder Coat finish

We are moving forward with the following additional improvements:

1) A hard UHMW plastic liner for the J-Cups
2) Thicker connection plates and bolt down foot plates

We expect to have an adequate supply of the improved J-Cups by the end of May 2015 at which time we will be offering a pair for free to any customer that purchased our HD racks before the J-Cup improvement was made.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us directly, our phone number is 800-605-8241.

Good to hear. I plan on ordering one in the very near future. Glad your participating!

[Vmango]

Good to hear. I plan on ordering one in the very near future. Glad your participating!

haha. Why do some of you guys take the risk with this crap? To save a couple hundred bucks? Man, save up for a few weeks and get peace of mind.

[throwaway3441]

It's not hard to see why. You get most of the functionality of a R3BT for less than half the price. For some people the difference doesn't justify another $400+.

[70chevellegsp]

haha. Why do some of you guys take the risk with this crap? To save a couple hundred bucks? Man, save up for a few weeks and get peace of mind.

It's not rocket science or nuclear technology, it's 11g steel welded together, which is overkill for the majority that use it. I'm sure salesman love you!

[Vmango]

It's not rocket science or nuclear technology, it's 11g steel welded together, which is overkill for the majority that use it. I'm sure salesman love you!

Hey, you're welcome to buy what you want. It is, however, my opinion that the Titan rack in that video is nothing more than a cheap knockoff with poor fit and finish and some obvious design flaws.

If that's worth a couple hundred bucks savings to you go for it. I'd rather pay the difference for what I know is a quality rack.

YMMV

[Stasher1]

One thing worth noting is the fact that TitanFitness141 not only completely ignored my post despite being logged into the forum for quite a while after I made it, but they also chose not to post in the other Titan thread (which was also on the first page of this forum) where issues of QC were discussed. Instead they chose to resurrect a 10 year old thread about a different manufacturer's Titan rack.

That extra money for a nicer rack not only covers better manufacturing practices and higher quality materials, but also customer service. Do you think Body Solid (or any other reputable manufacturer) would ignore questions about their quality control? If you presented a pic like the one posted above to any reputable company, they'd be all over it to get a replacement set of hooks out and doing whatever is necessary to make it right. The Titan rep chose to ignore it.

This tells me all I need to know about Titan.

[70chevellegsp]

One thing worth noting is the fact that TitanFitness141 not only completely ignored my post despite being logged into the forum for quite a while after I made it, but they also chose not to post in the other Titan thread (which was also on the first page of this forum) where issues of QC were discussed. Instead they chose to resurrect a 10 year old thread about a different manufacturer's Titan rack.

That extra money for a nicer rack not only covers better manufacturing practices and higher quality materials, but also customer service. Do you think Body Solid (or any other reputable manufacturer) would ignore questions about their quality control? If you presented a pic like the one posted above to any reputable company, they'd be all over it to get a replacement set of hooks out and doing whatever is necessary to make it right. The Titan rep chose to ignore it.

This tells me all I need to know about Titan.

Did you contact them directly about your j-hook? From what I've read, their customer service is pretty good, along with what the rep put in his post above "we will be offering a pair for free to any customer that purchased our HD racks before the J-Cup improvement was made." So you would be in line to get an additional pair with the UHMW. I would have thought they would have replaced your J-hook if you felt it was unsafe for use? I'm unsure if the pic is just of an ugly weld or if it failed you during use? I would really appreciate comments on your entire experience with the rack, ie: did you return it, flip it or do you still use it? This definitely could help me in my decision.

[Stasher1]

Did you contact them directly about your j-hook? From what I've read, their customer service is pretty good, along with what the rep put in his post above "we will be offering a pair for free to any customer that purchased our HD racks before the J-Cup improvement was made." So you would be in line to get an additional pair with the UHMW. I would have thought they would have replaced your J-hook if you felt it was unsafe for use? I'm unsure if the pic is just of an ugly weld or if it failed you during use? I would really appreciate comments on your entire experience with the rack, ie: did you return it, flip it or do you still use it? This definitely could help me in my decision.

That's not my hook. I own a quality rack.

That pic was taken by the owner of a Titan rack and was posted in one of the other threads regarding these racks, a thread that their rep chose to ignore completely instead of addressing.

Hey, it's your money...but I sure as hell wouldn't be spending it on a Titan.

Caveat Emptor.

[THErunCMD]

One thing worth noting is the fact that TitanFitness141 not only completely ignored my post despite being logged into the forum for quite a while after I made it, but they also chose not to post in the other Titan thread (which was also on the first page of this forum) where issues of QC were discussed. Instead they chose to resurrect a 10 year old thread about a different manufacturer's Titan rack.

That extra money for a nicer rack not only covers better manufacturing practices and higher quality materials, but also customer service. Do you think Body Solid (or any other reputable manufacturer) would ignore questions about their quality control? If you presented a pic like the one posted above to any reputable company, they'd be all over it to get a replacement set of hooks out and doing whatever is necessary to make it right. The Titan rep chose to ignore it.

This tells me all I need to know about Titan.

Just to play Devils Advocate here. Their post before yours says they will replace all hooks. They didn't say the welds were better so you have a point. They also indirectly reference that thread(or maybe it was other complaints) around updating the pipe/pin washer issue.

Usually it's better for the vendor to not get in a back and forth with people on a public forum(especially with someone who obviously doesn't like their product).

That being said, I would probably not buy one of these racks. My rack is WAAAAAY nicer and I got it cheaper used.

However, if they do keep making improvements they could have a quality product out there. I don't expect it necessarily from a company that just copied another's design but you never know. There have been several reports of good customer service out of them.

[throwaway3441]

That's if he actually saw the post. He managed to post 9 times before being banned.

If the worst thing Titan has done is ignore a couple of threads they're still doing relatively well. EliteFTS regularly ignores e-mail. Even when they sent you the wrong product and you're threatening a chargeback. Rogue regularly censors negative reviews. Hasn't addressed the ****ty powder coating they've been using on some of their pieces for years. Has had to be publicly shamed into getting their **** together:

http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=87227

I wouldn't write Titan off so quickly

[Stasher1]

Just to play Devils Advocate here. Their post before yours says they will replace all hooks. They didn't say the welds were better so you have a point. They also indirectly reference that thread(or maybe it was other complaints) around updating the pipe/pin washer issue.

Usually it's better for the vendor to not get in a back and forth with people on a public forum(especially with someone who obviously doesn't like their product).

That being said, I would probably not buy one of these racks. My rack is WAAAAAY nicer and I got it cheaper used.

However, if they do keep making improvements they could have a quality product out there. I don't expect it necessarily from a company that just copied another's design but you never know. There have been several reports of good customer service out of them.

I agree that it wouldn't be in a rep's or a company's best interest to get into a pissing match, but what he could've done was simply state that he was sorry that something like that had slipped past their QC and ask for Mr. Customer's address to get him a replacement set. It's that simple. No argument, no excuses, just decent customer service.

Hr clearly did a search for "Titan" as he responded to a 10 year old thread about NYBB's Titan rack. You can't tell me that the most current threads were excluded from those search results, especially since one of them was on the first page at the time. I'm also having a hard time believing that he didn't read any of the other threads.

That's if he actually saw the post. He managed to post 9 times before being banned.

He was posting this morning when the ban hammer got him.

[throwaway3441]

Hr clearly did a search for "Titan" as he responded to a 10 year old thread about NYBB's Titan rack.

Hm. I don't see that in his post history. Did it get deleted?

[Stasher1]

Hm. I don't see that in his post history. Did it get deleted?

It must have. I can't even pull up the thread by searching for "Titan", so they may have just wiped the whole thread. It was from 2005 and the OP was asking about NYBB's "Titan" open-top rack. The Titan rep made a post stating something about their Titan rack being perfect for the OP's needs.

Edit: Found it. Looks like they just deleted his post, my post, and whatever post(s) came after mine...

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=501314

Not that it really matters at this point.

[Domicron]

what i hate is when a company creates an account to post on a forum just to spam/advertise. for me, i would be hesitant to join in on an internet forum as "companyrep" handle at all. i think you'd either have to really be out there and post, or else you're mostly just spamming your sales and such. Christian is a good example of someone who, at least used to, post a lot of good information and participate in threads, even if they're not about him making a sale. it's the best kind of marketing and makes it easy for regulars to recommend him.

on the other hand, i think that some people who lurk, and show up when they see they can help fix something like "hey i noticed you had a problem with this product, shoot me a PM and let's see what i can do for you" and then disappearing is also okay. i think i this situation, it's not being heavy handed with revealing who you work for, and if people care they can then ask you questions directly or PM if they want to get a quote/estimate"

i just hate the "hey i'm so and so from XYZ manufacturer, what do you guys think about this product we've just put out?"

[AttyGuy]

This one time, in shop class. . . . .

[AttyGuy]

Thank you for your honest review! Because of the feedback...

I hate, HATE being late to the party.

[RemainDieHard]

That's great...but have you addressed the pitiful quality of your welds or your apparent lack of quality control? Things like this should never be shipped to a paying customer.

That's atrocious. I was welding better than that within the first few sticks I ever burned.