Sunny Health & Fitness Cardio Climber Stepping Elliptical Machine

Range of motion, assembly and maneuverability was great. Now after 5 weeks of using it it’s making a clunky noise and right arm and pedal kinda vibrate.

I love this machine! But, I decided to update my review to describe a problem and report the solution. The pulley wheels became damaged after a few months of use (the rubbery black material flaked off, see first two photos) and the machine became noisy. (It did still work, however). This is an issue that others have written about. I had several exchanges with the company and was told I had to buy the part (it was past warranty) but it was not available for many months, probably because of supply chain issues. That was fine, because the machine worked; it was just noisy. Today I received the new wheels and they are a different material! It’s a hard white plastic/nylon (see third photo) instead of the black rubber. They were easy to replace (with allen and socket wrenches) and now it is quiet again! I assume that Sunny changed the material because of the reports of the black wheels breaking down. I’m writing this now to let people know that, if their CardioClimber has this problem, it can be fixed. The wheels cost only $18 per set plus $10 shipping. Customer service was great, by the way.

Otherwise, here is my previous positive review. I do still love the machine. Our space is limited (a small alcove off the dining room) and it is perfect for that. It is more challenging than a regular elliptical because it has a climbing component (however, this does mean that the horizontal range of motion feels shorter than you might expect with an elliptical; it doesn’t bother me at all because I wanted the climbing feature). The 8 resistance settings are very useful…I often do intervals and ramp up the resistance, alternating with easier settings. It had a couple of minor defects (that didn’t prevent its use) and I was able to easily reach the company by phone and email and they are mailing parts, though shipping is delayed, probably due to demand during the pandemic. I recommended this to a friend and she loves it, too. Also, it feels very sturdy and well made and putting it together was quite easy. Directions are clear and all parts are packaged and well-labeled. It’s very quiet so I can listen to podcasts or music, or watch the iPad, while using it with no distraction at all. While it is heavy, which is necessary for it to be as sturdy as it is, the wheels are convenient for moving it when needed. By the way, the company has some very good exercise videos, for this machine and more generally.

First and foremost, it’s great for the price. And they’re not trying to sell you some trash monthly service thank gosh. That being said – they have a fatal flaw: the pulley wheels which the foot pedals ride on wear down and begin to grind – there’s a ton of reviews on this. I’ve had this model for about 6 months, I’ve got maybe 20 total hours on the machine, I’m under the weight limit, and one of the pulley wheels is already grinding. I previous had a lower model (SF-E3914) and it lasted me about 2 years before it finally died, which is fair given the price.

On the positive side, if you contact Sunny Health and Fitness and are patient enough, they will sell you new pulley wheels for around $10/ea, so they’re not gouging you on price. But it will take ~2 weeks and the new wheels will wear down in a matter of weeks to months as well. I believe they’re cast polyurethane, and they’re not of the best quality: eventually they’ll grind down to the point where you hit an air bubble, then you’ll have a terrible banging noise every rotation.

There is one more fix that worked great for me: go to (Xometry, Hubs, iMaterialize etc.) 3D printing service and order 3D printed replacement wheels. I ordered a set of SLS nylon pulley wheels for about $15/ea and they lasted me over a year on the last machine. I might update this review with a Thingiverse link to an stl for replacement pulley wheels.

Dear Sunny Health and Fitness. Have someone from your engineering or manufacturing department contact me. I have solutions for you.

-Assembly
I purchased the Sunny Health & Fitness Performance Cardio Climber – SF-E3911 on August 22nd, 2020. It arrived in excellent condition, with no damages. Assembly was straight forward, and all the tools necessary were included. Assembly took approximately 30 minutes. The most time-consuming aspect was unpacking the climber; it was packed remarkably well.
-Use
I have climbed approximately 60 miles on level six since the unit’s delivery. I am a naturally thin person; however, I do have some unwelcome belly fat. Impressively, I have noticed a considerable reduction in said belly fat within the very short time that I have owned the machine—translating to about a 1/3 to ½ reduction in fat, over the one and a half weeks of ownership.
Additionally, it is important to note; I have not changed my diet or exercise behaviors. The fat reduction is the sole result of using the elliptical. I have ordered other exercise equipment, that with which, I plan to use in tandems with this elliptical. But for the purpose of this review, the elliptical has been beyond expectation.
-Likes
* Assemblage was a complete breeze, and I have had no issues operating the unit.
* I am 6ft tall and the unit operates just fine with my height.
* The results from the workout are undeniable.
* The workout is extremely intense, relative to the price of the unit.
* The unit is not jerky during use. I am 140 lbs.

-Dislikes
* I am not sure if the unit were designed to work in a reverse direction; when I exercise in reverse, the unit makes a different noise.
* I wish the unit had a greater horizontal stride in addition to its vertical climb. However, this was clearly indicated when I purchased the unit, and I am happy with it. Though, store ellipticals with longer strides feel more comfortable for my stride.