Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model) Review
You can trust my review, bad or good is your choice and i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.
The 2009 Sole E35 is an excellent buy for $1,299. I recently purchased one. Below are some considerations to take into account.
First, Be ready to take about half a day to move the box and assemble the machine -- the box is about 290lbs (gross weight) and feels all of 300lbs. Worse yet, if you take the machine out piece by piece so that it's lighter (say, if you want to move the machine up a flight of stairs) you will be very unhappily surprised to find that the fly wheel is bolted to some articulated arms, which are EXTREMELY hard to finagle around and to move when the machine is out of the box.
(**UPDATED INFO ON TAKING THE MACHINE APART 9/21/2010: I recently moved and found that the articulated arms can actually be unfastened from the fly wheel, and the machine can be disassembled into four main parts: the fly-wheel, two individual arms with foot pieces, and the rails. I had to do this when I moved, and while the machine still operates as it did before being disassembled, I would NOT recommend taking the arms off the fly-wheel unless you really know what you are doing and have exactly the right tools. And, even then, the fly-wheel part by itself weighs probably close to two hundred pounds. So, if you are dead-set on not paying the in-home installation fee, are good with tools and know what you are doing in that regard, I can attest that the machine can be disassembled into four main sections that are MUCH easier to move by themselves if you need to go up a flight of stairs or move the machine very far. Again, the machine comes with the arms attached to the fly-wheel, so I highly doubt that the manufacturer ever intended them to be detached by the user-owner, so this is definitely an at-your-own-risk solution, and attempting it comes with the chance that you could screw up your machine.)
I cannot stress this enough: IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR E35 SET UP IN THE SECOND OR THIRD FLOOR OF YOUR HOUSE JUST PAY THE EXTRA $99 FOR THE DELIVERY COMPANY TO DO IT. Unless you have (not exaggerating) 3 or 4 healthy, strong guys to move this box, forget about getting it upstairs if it's just you and one other person. I really wish I had just paid the extra money for the shipping company to move it up the stairs of my house.
Once you get the box situated where you want to set up the machine, however, you're good to go. The assembly instructions are VERY well written and very clear. There are a lot of parts and steps, but none of them are very complicated or require a lot of dexterity or "handyman" knowledge. Also, if you need any help, SOLE's customer support is great.
Once I got the machine put together, there was no comparison -- I tried out a few different Ellipticals in the $800 - $1,500 range, and the E35, with its power incline (the power incline works great), 25lb flywheel, 350lb maximum weight capacity, and silky-smooth movement are far and away more than you're going to get with any other machine in this price range. While the display is fairly simple, it comes with some nice extras like a heart-rate monitor that hooks up to the display (this all comes with the machine) so that you don't have to hold on to the heart-rate sensors throughout your workout.
I used Precor machines for years at a big gym. If you're not familiar with them, they're easily the most expensive Ellipticals out there and cost well over $3,500 for their mid-grade model. The Sole E35 isn't a Precor 5 series, but it has a LOT of the features that the Precor does. I would say it's 80% or 90% as good as a Precor, where the only detracting factor for the Sole is that it's not as stable as the tank-sized Precor (the Precor machine is probably 350+lbs) and doesn't have as refined features as the Precor, much like the difference between a really nice, fully loaded Cadillac and a Rolls Royce -- you can tell a difference, but either way, you're very happy with what you've got.
Finally, I'll share what I did as far as working out a deal. If you find a comparable machine or a licensed dealer on E-Bay selling Sole's ellipticals, Sole's customer service people will match prices if you are diligent. In my personal case, I found a 2008 E35 on Ebay being sold by a Sole dealer for $999 shipped, so I called Sole and asked if they would match the price, and they said they would. I paid them the $999, and lucky for me, when the machine came, I saw "NEW 2009 MODEL" on the box, and it was obviously really cool. So through doing some research and spending time before I made the purchase figuring out what I could work out with Sole, I got it for 30% less than the Amazon.com price. Just keep this in mind -- the elliptical / work out equipment machine market is VERY competitive and the companies will often bend over backwards to get your business.
Very last, I just want to mention that the 2 year in-home service / 5 year parts warranty is better than any comparable machine, and actually better than the warranty on some of Precor's models. So, all in all, I would highly recommend the 2009 Sole E35.
UPDATE AFTER ONE MONTH: Still solid as a rock, with just a few clinks here and there while in full motion on the machine. Heart monitor works great, power incline still functioning perfectly. No problems to report.
UPDATE AFTER THREE MONTHS: Still going very strong. Haven't had to call customer support about anything. I have experienced a little bit of "knocking" that suggests a bolt might be loose somewhere, but I think this is a common issue that comes up. When I put the machine together I realized that I had made a mistake tightening the bolts that connect the fly wheel arms with the handlebars. I corrected the mistake, but I think I might have overlooked something, so I'm guessing that the "knocking" is probably my fault. I'll fix it sometime and then update -- not really a big deal or that annoying.
Otherwise, I'm really starting to appreciate the refined features of the machine like the heart rate monitor and the power incline. While these things were off my radar when I was looking for a machine, I now appreciate them after using the machine 5 or 6 days a week. Sole really designed these features well, and they work just like they're supposed to. I'm still very satisfied and I think the E35 is a great piece of home equipment.
UPDATE AFTER FIVE MONTHS: Still no complaints. Holding up nicely. I've lost 20+ pounds and this has been a great, really convenient way to work out in the morning before heading to work. I tightened some of the bolts in the joints and now it works with minimal squeaks or creaks.
Though I stated this before, it is even more true now: when you get into the routine of using this machine 4 - 6 times a week you REALLY start to appreciate the power incline and resistance settings, which have held up very nicely. Likewise, the heart rate monitor has held up well and it is another feature that I felt "so what" about when I bought the machine, but now greatly appreciate as a feature.
Again, given that I got my unit for $1,000 shipped, I feel like I got an exceptional bargain for how well this machine has held up and continues to work basically exactly as it did out of the box after months of frequent use.
Just make sure that you clean the rails and the wheels. They are magnets for dog hair and dust, but cleaning them once a month or so seems adequate. You can't go wrong at this price point for the value you get.
10 MONTH UPDATE: Still works nicely and no problems or complaints. I have had to tighten the bolts again at the point where the arms connect, but this really isn't that big of a hassle and is probably something that has to be done on all elliptical machines from time to time. Still very glad I invested in this machine.
One year: Nothing really to comment on, everything still works properly and nothing has broken or caused any issues. Machine is still running strong. My dog chewed up the heart rate monitor and Sole sent me a new one for free.
7/25/2010: Still working well. Like before, a little bit of knocking here and there that I have to adjust with a wrench, but otherwise its holding up nicely. It even survived a move into my new house -- and it got banged up pretty badly. While moving it, I figured I might have to pay to have it fixed, or do some major overhaul, but when I set it up in my new house it ran like normal. Very impressed with its durability. Thanks for all the good comments.
9/22/2010: No problems to report. Haven't used the machine much over the summer since I've been exercising outdoors, but I've tested it here and there to make sure it's operating normally, and I have had no concerns.
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Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model) Price
Sorry i dont have price detail or price not available.
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Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model) Overview
Sorry i dont have complete description for this product.
Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model) Features
- Boasting a heavy 25-pound flywheel
- Contains unique oversize foot pedals
- Features a 2-degree inward slope that reduces the ankle and knee stress
Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model) Detail
- Item Weight: 225 pounds
- Shipping Weight: 225 pounds
- Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
- Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
- ASIN: B001G60YJE
- Item model number: E35-09
- Average Customer Review: (72 customer reviews)
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,197 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
- Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
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Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model) Other Resource
Elliptical trainer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAn elliptical trainer or cross-trainer is a stationary exercise machine used to simulate stair climbing, walking, or running without causing excessive pressure to the ...
Ellipse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In mathematics, an ellipse (from Greek ἔλλειψις elleipsis, a "falling short") is a plane curve that results from the intersection of a cone by a plane in a ...
Exercise machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ellipticals (elliptical machines) are a combination of stair-climbing and a treadmill. Generally it contains two tracks upon which the user stands; ...
If you need more resource you can visit Wikipedia, Yahoo, Google or Elliptical Official Website.
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