MARCY Magnetic Elliptical Trainer Cardio Machine

On receipt of the item the shipping container was in poor condition. So poor, that the box ripped apart when I tried to open it, with the Styrofoam seriously damaged. May of the metal parts had what looked like wear and tear in spots that really couldn’t be explained by the poor shape of the shipper, making me wonder if they had been used. This idea was further confounded by the fact it it looked like someone had scraped part of some of L and R stickers off. The plastic case for the frame is not sealed correctly on the back, and there is a gap where one side overlaps the other.

I decided to assemble it anyways, as the shipper was a mess and I had the very strong feeling that as a result of that returning it would be a pain, so I went ahead and did so. Assembly wasn’t that bad, other than taking it apart when 3/4 and putting it back together, because it shipped with an extra washer, so I wanted to make sure when I had 1 left and no place to use it that I had not forgotten to put one someplace. Still decent assembly, no real complaints.

I’ve used it for less than an hour at this point, and it started squeaking a little, I initially thought from the main frame. I used it for a few minutes more to see if the squeak would work itself out, but it got worse. I got off the unit and decided to see if I could isolate where the squeak was coming from. It had sounded like it was from the right side behind me, so I grabbed the part where the crank connects to the right pedal support, and the area was hot to the touch.

I’ll be calling customer support about this issue. If they are willing to fix it, I will up my rating to 4 stars. Other then the issues with the blemishes, I had liked the unit before then, it had a good stride, is easy to move, and decent features for the price.

**Update**

Oiled the squeak, and it’s gone but the area where the right crank meets the right support still gets very hot to the touch. I have to assume that there is an issue that has resulted from the frame being incorrectly assembled that is cause this pedal to be supporting significantly more resistance than the other pedal. Was unable to reach customer support, and just moved with the obvious fix on my own. Have moved my rating to 3 stars.

We bought this because my husband needed to start working out, and I wanted a non-treadmill option to replace running in the depths of winter. We weren’t sure enough about an elliptical to invest in a higher end machine, and liked that this one had wheels for storing it out of the way. It was not too difficult to put together, but there were a couple of pieces that just would not fit quite right (the covers for the hinge at the bottom of the arms/front of the foot rails). There is a fair amount of squeaking, which is going to mean taking it apart at some point to add more oil–it would be nice if it came with extra and directions for placing it. He’s 5’8″ and I’m 5’5″, and we both find the stride length is a little too short. It’s workable, though. It is reasonably stable and doesn’t move around on the floor. I would not trust a tablet, phone or book not to bounce off the rack for it, though. The computer is reasonably clear and easy to understand, though I’m not sure I’d trust any data except mileage–how could it calculate calories burned, for example, without knowing the user’s age, weight, etc.? So don’t expect too much of it, except maybe as a tool to tell you if you did more or less than the last time you used it. All in all, it is working well enough for our purposes, especially since we don’t really have the space for a better machine. I’m going to be looking forward to getting back out on the roads again in the spring, though!

I’m not a fit person and the elliptical is still easy to use. It’s small and does not take up a lot of space. It may not seem sturdy but it is. I’m still learning the dashboard but it seems intuitive and not to difficult to learn.

Un poco difícil de armar, pero funciona peefecto

The console is powered by the user – when you are using the machine, it works. However, the very second you stop – say for a short rest – the console dies and resets to as if you just turned the machine on, so you lose whatever work-out info you may have entered or been trying to track. There is no option to plug it in or use batteries to power it. The console on every other elliptical I’ve ever used stays on for at least a minute before shutting itself off. Also, though it has a compact footprint, the base “legs” for the machine are too short. When using it, you can feel the machine slightly rocking back-and-forth. The user shouldn’t feel anything like that at all. I’m a 170 lb man, so it’s not like I’m outside the machine’s parameters. IMO, these are major design flaws that I wouldn’t have even thought to check for prior to purchasing the product. I would return it in a second if it wasn’t already put together and the box/shipping materials disposed of. Buyer beware.