Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 Magnetic Rowing Machine Rower w/LCD Monitor

The most important thing I can think of to say is that if, like me, you are unfamiliar with rowing machines, you may think after 5 or 10 minutes, even on the highest resistance setting, that it's not much of a workout. That is deceptive. Since I'm willing to hike 2 or 3 hours on a nice weather day, I should be willing to row for at least one hour - I have to say that the last 5 minutes is very much different than the first 5. You are using a lot more muscles than you think, and you will tingle all over when you finally stop after even half an hour. Other ratings are pretty standard - arrived in very good time, assembles easily if you take your time and don't make foolish mistakes in excitement to use it. It's very quiet so no neighbor complaints even at 4am if you rise early. I suspect some of the screeching noises other reviewers mention might be coming from the strap rubbing on the plastic guide if you don't pull in and out in a narrow (proper rowing?) range of angles. The electronic screen gadget got such poor reviews I honestly never even put the batteries in - I have a kitchen timer, I don't need LCDs to watch while rowing. If they wanted to do something really clever, they would incorporate a small generator so you could charge your cellphone while you rowed - that would be more fun. Longevity of the hardware will be a mystery for a while, but I think the manufacturer has come a long way in responding to defects and failures and if I'm unlucky with some component I think they will make it good. Compared to a $900 rowing machine I think it's a very safe investment for my health, and I should be proud if I wear one out every few years. UPDATE: After months of experience my opinion hasn't changed, well worth the price (even tho it has gone up!) Only 2 complaints - the handlebar is too narrow for me (bangs my knuckles on my knees) so I extended it with PVC pipe and bicycle handlebar foam - perfect! Second - the infamous spring clicking noise - this developed over weeks and became MUCH more noticeable as the machine warmed up (>400 pulls) each day. Contrary to the incorrect assumptions of some reviews here, the spring does NOT provide the workout resistance, it just winds the strap back up as you pull yourself forward with your feet. I opened things up - grease was dripping out of the spring box. Disassembly is tricky, but if you clean the poor grade of grease out and replace it with some good, high temp, tacky grease, the noise (and possible damage leading to spring failure?) goes away immediately. See the tip below to really make this fix work well. UPDATE 10-24 one more important trick to make this really work perfectly - when you tighten the 4 nuts that hold the front shaft to the frame - first tighten the inner one so it rests LIGHTLY against the spring box cover, not against the frame. This provides a necessary seal to keep the spring action from pumping the lube out and eventually running dry and causing the whole problem. Then tighten the outer nut on that side. You can tell if you made the inner one too tight by giving the strap a test pull, it should retract the strap completely or you have to back the inner nut off until it does. Tighten the other inner nut lightly against the FRAME, and then tighten the last outer nut. This probably is (or should be) the proper assembly process where they build them and this (and thicker grease) would keep the noise and premature spring failures from happening. Enjoy!! It's a good product and an excellent maintenance workout!

I’m 54 and in good shape but wanted to work on my cardiovascular fitness. I have been wanting to purchase a rower for quite some time and almost bought the Aviron for (2400.00). I didn’t really want to spend that much money. So I took to Amazon and checked out several rowers. I came across this one at 18,000+ reviews for a really cheap price (compared to 2400). It’s a good, solid machine and my husband said it was really easy to put together. It’s not as a good as a high end machine and it’s a bit difficult to explain why. First - the foot pedals move so it’s difficult to get a good push off from the heels. It works well enough but it’s lacking in that area. The machine is quiet for the most part (seat moving makes a bit of noise). The resistance is easy to change and I can see the display just fine. My other issue is the pull…it just feels off especially if you are following a video and they want you to pull high or do bicep curls. It’s minor but enough to notice. Like I said it’s difficult to explain. I’m not doing any major rowing on it…a few times a week for 20 minutes. And if I stop using it I’m not out 2,000 bucks. I’m happy with the purchase. EDIT: I keep having pain in my legs and butt and I don’t know why. I can’t adjust the seat or pedals.

I've been using this rower for a couple of months now and I like it. I'm a senior looking to get some cardio and muscular improvement without killing myself in the process. Running in the summer time Florida heat was out of the question so I tried this rowing machine. The machine itself seems well built and functions smoothly when I use it. I've had no problems with it so far. It's very quiet; the only real noise is the seat sliding back and forth. Assembly was straight forward. I suggest moving the wheel section of the machine to its final location before starting assembly. This will require an assistant since it's somewhat cumbersome. If you're a young muscular guy you can probably handle it yourself. You can bring the remaining parts to the new location in batches as you assemble the machine. Or, tip the delivery guy to carry it to its destination on his dolly. Mine came by UPS. The machine itself has a few deficiencies. The first is the control panel. It's really basic and hard to read unless you have good light. The display itself is not self illuminated. There is no stroke rate indication which I think is very important since that's what indicates your level of effort. I set the panel to the stroke counter and use a separate stop watch on my phone to keep track of the time. I could probably use the timer on the control panel but frankly it's so cumbersome to cycle through the functions and hard to read (old eyes) that it's easier to use a separate device. When battery replacement time comes it's going to be really hard to get the panel out of its hole. The manual isn't too specific but there is a tab along the bottom of the bezel which you lift up to unlatch the panel and pull it out of the recess. The problem is that there is nowhere to grip the frame of the panel to pull it forward so a tool, like a screw driver is needed to get it started moving forward so you have something to grip. The second deficiency is the folding mechanism. The 2 major parts pivot on a long bolt and are locked in the functional position by a threaded hand knob for rigidity. This hand knob is unscrewed to allow the long section to pivot up for storage. In the up position you insert a pin which prevents the long section from falling by accident. I found the alignment of the holes for this pin don't allow for easy insertion of the pin. In my case I really don't need to fold the machine but you might feel differently. I don't feel like these deficiencies are that significant on a machine at this price level. All in all these problems are minor and the basic functioning of the machine is sturdy, smooth, quiet and so far reliable. For the price I think this is a very good buy especially when you consider the price included shipping which can't be trivial. My aim was to get a reasonably good but inexpensive machine to try rowing and if I felt like I had a future with a rower I could move up later after I learned enough to make an informed purchase. So far so good. I use it on a fairly low resistance setting (3 of 8) which, for now seems like a good level. I've had no expert advice about how to exercise so my information is from on line reading. I set my exercise time by the number of strokes. I started with 50 strokes, admittedly not much but enough to see what was going to hurt the next day - my shoulders, which still limit how fast I increase my exercise time. Every few days I add some strokes until now I'm up to 250 which takes about 10+ minutes. Still not enough but I've observed a few things as I proceeded. First, heart rate doesn't increase the longer you exercise. After the first 50 strokes or so your heart has adjusted to the new level of exertion and will maintain that rate as long as you maintain the stroke rate and resistance setting. This rate (about 23 spm) is comfortable for me and my heart rate is into the "vigorous exercise" range for my age recommended by the American Heart Assoc. So my goal now it to increase the time until I get to their recommended duration. There's a little bit of technique to rowing that you can get information about from several sources on line. But the one thing that helped me a lot wasn't mentioned anywhere and that is to synchronize your breathing with the stroke. I find it much easier to breath in on the stroke and breath out on the recovery. My comfortable stroke rate is about 23 spm but when starting your breathing rate is less than that so it takes a conscious effort to sync the breath and stroke. As I start to breath harder it's easier to sync the two after about 50 strokes and then I get into a rhythm that works for me at this level of effort. If you're out of sync and try to breath in on the recovery your knees will compress your diaphragm and prevent you from getting a good breath. If you're a senior like me who has moved to a more sedentary retirement lifestyle take it easy at first and move to more strenuous levels slowly. You won't find out what you're stressing until the next morning. I still find it interesting because I'm keeping all the numbers in a spreadsheet but I'll soon need some kind of entertainment while rowing to keep boredom at bay. 6/14/19 A few months ago the foot straps gave out. The metal oblong rings kept slipping to one side and that would effectively lengthen the strap so it didn't hold my foot firmly any more. This problem came on slowly but finally became a real nuisance. I bought some straps (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ATL97U8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) from Amazon to replace the originals and they worked fine. In all other respects the machine still works fine with no problems, just clean the seat track occasionally. I'm up to 375 strokes at tension 4 and continue to work on my technique. I noticed the price of the machine is even lower than when I bought mine so I consider it an even better bargain at this price. 5/25/20 The new foot straps mentioned above allowed me to pull the straps tighter than the original Velcro straps and as a result I have broken the plastic of both the foot pads on the inside where the strap comes up from beneath. I repaired it by hot gluing a piece of strap metal to the bottom of the foot pad that spans the break. This seems to work fine so far. The metal part takes the load that caused the plastic to break. No big deal. I don't think this was a defect in the product and I'm not changing my opinion that this is a good value for a beginner machine. My mistake was using much more tension on the foot straps after I replaced the originals with a different type of strap that allowed for pulling them much tighter. Obviously I didn't need to pull them as tight as I did so this problem is on me. There have been no other problems with the machine other than replacing the battery in the control panel and cleaning the seat track occasionally.

I love this machine, and wish I had bought one years ago. I get a fantastic workout exercising most muscle groups. I bought this 3 months ago but have been waiting to review until I have some real experience with it. Setup was extremely easy and it is extremely well packaged. I think it took longer to remove from the packaging than it did to assemble. The rower is extremely quiet and exceptionally smooth. I watch the morning news as I row and I don't have to turn up the volume at all. The timer function is great, it senses when you're actually rowing so it's only timing your actual exercise. I would definitely buy this again. I'm 73 inches, 220 pounds; if you're much taller I'd look for something else. When I'm all the way forward the rowing handle is in full contact with the machine, I wish I had like 2 more inches, but I'm just looking for an aerobic workout and this fills that purpose excellently. The rowing handle is about an inch too short for me, but that's not an issue for me. Now for my two tiny gripes. First, the holes for the quick-release pin aren't lined up so I can't get the pin to go through the entire rail; this doesn't affect operation. Second, the rollers under the seat are impossible to access without disassembling the seat from the rail. This is an issue because if a speck of something (like sawdust) is on the rail, it'll get embedded on the roller, causing a bothersome rhythmic thump as you go forward and back. To clean off the rollers, you have to fully disassemble the seat, and it's not really designed for that so reassembly is a bit of a PITA. Again, it doesn't affect operation, the rhythmic thumping it's just an annoyance. To avoid, be sure to wipe down the rail with a microfiber cloth before you start rowing. If you do have to disassemble the seat, take close up pictures of the bolt that you'll be removing so you can reassemble correctly. Overall this is a fantastic exercise machine. If all you're looking for is exercise, it's great. If you want a machine to practice and prepare for real rowing/crew, you'll probably want to upgrade to a more professional model. But for me, I love this thing.

For context: I'm a fit, 6ft 175lb 36 year old and ex collegiate athlete. I moved to a place where running in the winter is something only masochists engage in, and wanted something to replace my daily 5K. When I purchased this a couple of years ago, I thought it'd either lead to me turning to something other than rowing or upgrading to a more expensive rower if I enjoyed it as my running alternative. I still have this, it gets used at least 5 days a week for 6 months of the year and maybe 3 days a week the rest of the year in 20-30 minute high intensity intervals. Below are the pros and cons. PROS: - I can't believe this machine costs what it costs, for the $ I really don't think you're going to get a more effective or durable cardio machine (caveat - if you're a heavier human, this might not hold up as well as it has for myself. My weight fluctuates between 175lb and 185lb...I'd say that if you're 200lbs or less, this machine should handle your weight without breaking a sweat. I know that it has a listed weight limit, whatever it is I'd go by that when considering this machine); - LOW maintenance - I haven't had to do anything to maintain this machine and I've had it for years. - Easy to assemble (it does take some time, but not as much as you'd think); - Effective workout - I've used high-end rowers in fitness clubs since getting this, and while this isn't EXACTLY comparable to those, it's not far off and the price difference is enormous...just row faster! (it mostly lacks higher resistance levels, but it's highest resistance should be more than adequate for most people); - Relatively small footprint (check the dimensions - I have it basically running along the shorter wall of a small bedroom and it really takes up hardly any space); - Minimum noise - none of these are whisper quiet, but this is quieter than most...it has developed some additional noise over the years, but it is still relatively quiet considering it's an erg. CONS - Noise (but that's any of these machines); - Limited range of motion...I think I'd ideally like a couple of extra inches, but if you're 6ft or shorter this should still pretty much work fine for you to get in a full stroke; - Limited display - this is probably its most significant shortcoming...I wish it displayed strokes per minute (easy enough to determine by doing a little math, but who likes to do math while they're trying to work up a sweat?); - Resistance (as mentioned previously) - for most, this will provide more than enough resistance...and if it doesn't increasing the pace is always an option. The slight lack of resistance, slightly limited range of motion for anyone in the 6ft+ range, and rudimentary display/tracking options are the things that keep this from being comparable to much higher end rowing machines...but if all you're looking to do is work up a sweat via a low impact workout, I really don't think you can beat this $ for $. I've thought of buying a slightly higher-end rower since getting this one 3 years ago, but can't justify the additional cost.

Several years ago, on my first visit to a gym, I asked what that machine was. "That's a rowing machine, a real calorie burner." It does burn calories and I always included it in my workouts. I was a little skeptical about how good this machine would be. I had worked on professional machines and this was clearly bottom-of-the-line price wise. First the good; 1. Give the packaging designer an A+. The only thing missing is a page in the assembly manual on how to proceed with unpackaging. Even before I got my hands on the parts I was impressed. 2. Assembly was quick and straightforward and all the parts were first quality. No cheap hex-head bolts here, these were first rate chrome plated or powder coated. 3. All the major components were top quality with an excellent finish. 4. The first time using the machine I knew it was a winner. Two thumbs up! Now the very minor complaints; 1. I would have liked just a little more resistance - although it's certainly not a deal breaker.. 2. The only part that didn't really match the quality of the rest of the machine was the control panel. Chintzy. 3. The internal wires that connect the control panel could be two inches longer. A major issue trying to fish them out and reconnect them. The panel did fire up and it displays all the info that I need down to the calories burned. Bottom line - this is an excellent machine and an excellent buy. It may not be as durable as a machine costing twice or even three times as much but for home use it's top notch. You're a gym brute that eats these for lunch? Buy two, then you have a spare. Or pay for a gym membership you cheapskate. All you others, burn away. This is the machine for you! Changed my review from 4-stars to 5 because I think this machine is worth it!

Understand that I realize this is not gym grade equipment, as some have provided negative reviews because of this. Gym grade equipment costs substantially more and you get what you pay for. With that said, for the price, it's fine. I went for this model as it was well reviewed and mostly positive, and it's designed to be put out of the way easily. This is my initial impressions and will provide a more long term review later. The assembly was really easy. I actually figured out the parts layout without the instructions and primarily referenced them as confirmation and order of operations to make sure I didn't get myself stuck at a step. The noise level is pretty good. It wasn't at all distracting to me. The magnetic resistance is pretty good, but I'm more use to the machines I used at the gym that are water based, so the resistance feel is very different. Still, the resistance was enough to get a good workout. The computer is extremely basic, and to be honest, I ended up not using it. Weirdly enough, despite being a magnetic resistance system, they didn't include a dynamo to help power the computer, so it's battery powered. The whole thing is fairly compact and stores well in the space I have available for it in my apartment. The seat is hard. It's padded, but hard. It's like sitting on hard plastic and doesn't really form to your butt. As a result, it does tire out my butt a bit. It does seem to roll smoothly on the rail, though, so the glide strokes are smooth. The handle is nice and wide, which is necessary to maintain good form. Unfortunately, the foot placement is also wide as the foot pedals are on either side of the machine rather than together in front of you like higher end equipment. I can, mostly, keep good form. It's good enough that I didn't develop any unnecessary aches. The process for folding it is annoying. There's a pin, and then there's a big bolt. So if you plan to unfold it, use it, then fold it back up, as is my case, you'll have this annoying process to deal with. If you have hard floors, make sure you either have a mat under the machine, or at the very least lower the padded feet. The padded feet aren't going to prevent it from moving with higher resistance strokes, but it'll reduce the movement. Overall, for the price, it's a fine machine. I think it might be possible to fix some of the design problems, such as the folding mechanism, without increasing the cost much, if at all. I will probably buy a seat pad for this. Also, for the price, it feels well built enough to get me to the point where I will decide if I'm buying a high end machine, like one you might find in a gym. Again, this is not a gym quality machine. The ones at the gym I went to cost between $1500 and $1700. I can't expect something less than $300 to really compete on that level.

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine SF-RW522016 I have only had this for a day, but so far it seems very nice. It was packaged very well and if you take your time and follow the instructions it's very easy to set up. I've been out of shape for a few years and really need to get back into fitness. I chose rowing because it works a larger percentage of your body and it's low impact. I had a limited budget and did a lot of research before finally settling on a magnetic rower and this specific model. I was a little concerned with the tension being too light, as stated on a lot of reviews I read. I can see where that may be the case for some who may be top level athletes or using the rower incorrectly. Again, it's only my first day so I will update another time when I have more experience with it. On initial review I only gave it 4 stars because like most of the lower end models the foot pedals are placed too close to where the strap enters the machine so you only get 75% of the reach when you're in the full forward position (the catch position). I knew this going in, but none the less decided something was better than the nothing I was currently doing. The other issue is the pivoting foot pedals. I can see where it might be helpful for some who have foot or ankle mobility issues, but for the most part, all the research I've done suggests that a non pivoting foot plate is the best to maximize your workout. Again, I knew this going into buying this model. Bottom line...if you do a lot of research you will find that almost no one will recommend a budget rower. They will most likely recommend the Concept 2 (which is the gold standard of rowers) and tell you to wait and save your money for it. It is a great machine and this would be excellent advice for those who have that kind of money or are willing to wait until they save up for it. In my case, that would be a very long time and I wanted to get started now. On first review, this machine seems to be a very well put together and effective rower for its budget price point of around $300. I am looking forward to seeing how this works for me and will update my review when I have more experience with it.