Customer’s best evaluation

From Amazon reviews

URL: Amazon Real customer reviews
Solid product. Great company.
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2019

In one sentence, you can’t go wrong here for the money.

Since there are no current reviews of this machine and having done extensive research before choosing it, I will attempt to write a comprehensive report of my experience for anyone who may be interested.

I am 6′ and was pushing 250 in December last year when that “switch” inside my head or whatever flipped, and I made the cliche New Year’s Resolution to “Work out and get healthy”. So one of the first things I did was dig out our old elliptical – which was basic 15+ years ago – changed my diet, laid out a program and went to work. Within a few weeks I could tell our old machine was on the last of its legs – right before it completely fell apart. I needed a new one to replace it – preferably fast and cheap.

I hadn’t really worked out for over 6 years and I knew I had to keep going so I was tempted to just buy a cheap one from Walmart or something, just to have one. Then I started really reading the reviews. I checked the selection and specs at a half dozen places. I was looking for a good elliptical under $250-300 and found out that they don’t really exist. Apparently you can spend upwards of 16 grand on them. What I’m trying to tell you is I did like 12 hours of intense shopping before I chose this one.

The first thing that attracted me was the 17″ stride – really a huge upgrade when compared to the 12-13″ strides of most lower end models. Then I was pleased with the overall shape, it just looks sturdy and well designed. Seeing that it weighed 120 pounds as opposed to 70-80 pounds boasted by the competition impressed me too. After looking at all the silly company names offering cross training machines (most of which are probably the same company) and then reading the SCATHING reviews (convincing me I didn’t want to put together a sub par machine with missing, damaged or poorly manufactured parts – then have to take it apart to return it. Or have it break altogether within a few months) I decided to go with this model.

I liked the fact that the company is called GOElliptical. So I looked them up. First of all, they not only specialize in elliptical machines, but as far as I can tell, that is ALL THEY MAKE. They don’t also make bathroom cabinets, kids toys and kitchen rugs. That made me feel like I was on to something. This same machine is $500 on the GOElliptical website as opposed to $399 here on Amazon. So I checked out a number of videos that convinced me it would perform as advertised and decided to take a chance ordering a piece of heavy equipment sight unseen from Amazon WITH NO REVIEWS AT ALL (In case you’re wondering why I’m going on and on – I just want to share what I learned so other people don’t waste their time and money) . I spent a little more than I wanted, but probably saved myself hundreds in aggravation. I also went with the 4 year extended warranty for $21 because it’s worth $5 a year for me to know it’s covered.

It arrived promptly and almost completely intact. There was minor damage to the “shell” at the base of the wheel from over tightening during production, or damage during delivery. In any event, I was able to correct it with some well placed foam and a piece of magic duct tape. Phew, didn’t have to send it back or wait for new parts (as I jog in place where my old elliptical sat – before I threw it out in the snow). I was able to assemble the entire thing by myself, not a small feat for me as I am anything but a handyman and I hate directions. When you open the instructions, the first image is the exploded blue print view. Don’t have a coronary as I nearly did. 85% of it has been done already. The directions are comprehensive and easy to follow – just make sure you are looking at the machine from the right angle as you go (sometimes it changes from the front to the back in the booklet).

The best part was that all the materials needed for each step are already separated and in numbered bags, so you don’t have to rummage around for 8 of part j and so on. That helped a lot. The tools they include are actually not bad, they will get the job done. But I suggest you arm yourself with a socket wrench and a long Phillips head screwdriver. Also, save the foam from the packaging and you can use it to prop the machine up during the first few steps of assembly. Be aware that step 9 is the installation of the screen and there will be no bag of parts, but they’re not missing – the necessary screws are already attached to the back of the console. They’ve even pre-greased the pedal stands and included extra grease that was simple to apply. Even I was easily able to connect the power cords – which are color coded and everything worked great. For a few days.

Unfortunately, after a few uses, my console would shut off on its own and wouldn’t track anything properly, other than time and resistance, when I turned it back on. A bit of a drag, but GoElliptical came right through and sent me a new one, without even making me return the defective one AND…AND…GAVE ME A PARTIAL GOOD WILL REFUND??? With apologies and customer service to boot!?

I love the handles! They are soft, but grippy and haven’t worn or become slippery. I do get a squeak/whine where the shell doesn’t sit perfectly, but it’s much less than my old one and I am a pretty big guy. I can’t hear it with music on, otherwise it would be annoying. I bought a six pack of those spongy puzzle floor panels for it to sit on, and it’s very sturdy. Minimal rocking even in a crouch at higher speeds.

I have been using it 30-60 minutes 5-6 times a week for three months now and it is performing admirably. My friend has one she spent $900 on that doesn’t eclipse the V-450 at all. This is a great choice and likely about the best you’ll find under $400.

Most short stride ellipticals can cause discomfort/numbness in the toes after longer uses due to the constant forward inertia. To offset this I push my heels to the back of the pedal and raise my toes up once per rotation, three or four times every three to five minutes or as needed. Also, to correctly read your pulse, you must rest your FOREARMS, not your hands, on the arrows for a full 30 seconds…and I guess see what happens. Ha

It does have speakers in the console and comes with a cord to attach your phone. Even a place to hold your tablet or a book (a book?) and a cup holder! Since I already have blue tooth speakers in the room, I haven’t even tried them. However, if they are on par with the (cheapest most ridiculously cheap) ear buds that were included – I wouldn’t expect much. A nice touch but not much more. Oh, and the units of measurement are in the Metric system – so you know, use google to translate. lol