Best type of rowing machine

[onlyme1234]

Hi there,

I am in need of getting a new rowing machine as the one I had before kept breaking. The one I had was the type which uses an elastic rope which goes around a wheel and uses a rubber band. The problem I'm having is that the elastic band keeps wearing and eventually snapping. This only happens around every 6-8 months (I use it most days for around an hour).

I'm wondering if a pneumatic one would be better.

I'm only looking to get a domestic one so I don't want to spend a fortune.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on the best type of machine to get.

Many thanks!

[ampire]

A lot of people prefer the Concept 2 Model D. I have one and it is great. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/model-d There is also a Concept Dynamic Rower that is a newer design and supposed to feel more like being on the water. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/dynamic

[onlyme1234]

Thanks. To be honest, I am not looking to spend that much

[ripper238]

Thanks. To be honest, I am not looking to spend that much

Con II, its the best by far. If you cant spend that much look for used. If its still too high then you will have to take up rowing in a row boat. lol

Its tough, all the decent ones are $800+ and pneumatic is horrible.

[gym62richard]

A lot of people prefer the Concept 2 Model D. I have one and it is great. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/model-d There is also a Concept Dynamic Rower that is a newer design and supposed to feel more like being on the water. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/dynamic

Personally I prefer the conventional CII erg to the Dynamic.

OP another vote for ConceptII , look for a used model D or you may be able to find a model C at a cheaper price and the C is a great unit.

[C123C]

For a commercial grade - last forever with no/low maintenance - type piece it's pretty cheap. Breaks in two. Weights little so very mobile. If you save substantial money you get a VASTLY inferior model and by vastly I really mean vastly in this case. There is no reason to do anything other than CII. Even used ones don't save you much because the demand is so high and quality is known. Not much else to say but if it's a matter of 'can't afford' than ok but if this is trying to save a couple hundred because you'd prefer not to...don't do it. If you aren't satisfied you can sell and recovery just about everything.

[JustTheDad]

There are a lot C2's available used, and since all the parts are replaceable they never die. There are still plenty of the original version being used 30+ years out. My C is in perfect condition, so I can't justify replacing it logically. I just like that the D/E is a little quieter. I'll still need to wear headphones to watch TV though.

I'll probably sell my C for between 300 and 400 after I find a used model D or Model E (D and E are basically the same machine other than height) The used D and E models are fairly easy to find for under 800.

What price range are you looking at?

[Cleveland33]

If you're doing an hour daily, you don't need to spend money on CII unless you find a good deal used.

I can't speak to the durability of this one, but the Schwinn Crewmaster is pretty impressive from the little I have used it.

The usual price at Dicks is $499 - you can wait and get a 20% coupon and get it down even lower.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...schwnncrwmsmsc

[lsi1]

If you're doing an hour daily, you don't need to spend money on CII unless you find a good deal used.

I can't speak to the durability of this one, but the Schwinn Crewmaster is pretty impressive from the little I have used it.

The usual price at Dicks is $499 - you can wait and get a 20% coupon and get it down even lower.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...schwnncrwmsmsc

we don't agree on much but I think this would make a solid choice with a brand that would have product support.

I bought my c2 model d used and in ok condition for $500. It needed a track replaced for $30.

[Cpl.Girthington]

I scooped up a bodycraft rowing machine, just before the crossfit fad went berserk. I got this thing for $75, pretty sure it was $600 (new price)at the time. If only you were asking this question 12 years ago you could've watched the used market and done well. You'll have to pay minimum $500 new, and better off going concept II used like everyone is saying. I've used concept II's and they're nice, but the I really like my bodycraft it won't fail me in the foreseeable future. I did play on my grandparents' hydraulic rowing machine as a kid... seemed an '80s fad to have those, they had a weird resistance arc and seem mostly useless, but should be easily available used in your budget.

[ryancormier81]

I've heard of the RP3, but the price point is WELL above what most rowing enthusiasts are going to pay. I'm not going to pay 4k after tax, shipping etc for a rowing machine.

For me it is then down to the Concept or WaterRower. I own both. I have rowed since I was 15 (32 now) and here is my opinion:


The Concept is ubiquitous in gyms and universities for a very simple reason. They are user friendly. That's it. You set it to between 1 or 10 and go. They are easy to maintain and replace if they break. All that said I never really loved my Concept, but I used it because that was what was in the gym and when I bought my own machine I bought what was familiar.

A few months ago a realtor friend of mine sold a house and the owner decided to leave some gym equipment behind (moving out of the country and didn't want to take any of it). My friend called me (he knows I row almost every day) and said "my client left behind some gym equipment . . . have you ever heard of a WaterRower?" I told him I had, but I had never used one. He said to come over to his house, because he had removed it from the home, if I wanted to try it. If I like it I could have it. I thought, "Why not? If I don't like it I can sell it." So I went over and took a look at the machine and it was beautiful. I got on and orientated myself with it. Looked up online about water levels etc and found it looked good to go. I took my first few pulls and I couldn't believe what I was feeling!


The WaterRower is soooooooooo smooth! I loved the "woooooosh" sound of the water in the tank. I loved everything about it. I told my friend I would take it, loaded it onto his truck and took it home. I did 10k meters on it after finding a spot for it and I haven't touched my Concept machine since, other than to do a quick 2k row JUST to see if I only like the WaterRower because it was new to me. Nope, I hated everything about the Concept and LOVE the WaterRower.


So why isn't the WaterRower as popular as the Concept machines? Simple answer, the water. You cannot easily change the "settings" on a WaterRower. You have to siphon water out or in to change the weight of the pull. You have to make sure the water is purified every 4-6 months. They are made of wood and not metal etc. You get the point. They are not mass market friendly, even though for me, it is a superior machine.

[Duplicitous]

If you're doing an hour daily, you don't need to spend money on CII unless you find a good deal used.

I can't speak to the durability of this one, but the Schwinn Crewmaster is pretty impressive from the little I have used it.

The usual price at Dicks is $499 - you can wait and get a 20% coupon and get it down even lower.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p...schwnncrwmsmsc

If someone is paying $500 for a rower, I think that money would be far better spent on a used C2 vs a new Schwinn. The C2 is smoother, better built and will last forever if taken care of. The imported Schwinn will probably get a few years of regular use before it reaches catastrophic failure. I don't know that for certain, but that's the fate of most of the imported junk. And C2 is a proven entity.

So why isn't the WaterRower as popular as the Concept machines? Simple answer, the water. You cannot easily change the "settings" on a WaterRower. You have to siphon water out or in to change the weight of the pull. You have to make sure the water is purified every 4-6 months. They are made of wood and not metal etc. You get the point. They are not mass market friendly, even though for me, it is a superior machine.

The primary issue that prevents water rowers from being widely adopted is quite simply the fact that they are prone to failure. When the failure happens it's often costly to fix and of course it makes a mess. Concept2 rowers can and do literally go for 50+ years with the most common failure being the monitor. And if we're talking PM1 and PM2, failures are incredibly rare unless some fool leaves the batteries in long after they're dead and lets them leak into the unit. Most people, whether they are home gym users or commercial gym owners, don't want to deal with a machine that is perpetually in need of repair and/or excessive maintenance.