Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me get this out of the way first - because it will save you hours and hours of reading Amazon reviews and constantly second guessing your purchase decisions: DON'T BASE YOUR DECISION OF PURCHASING A ROWING MACHINE ON AMAZON REVIEWS! I spent half a day jumping between different rower models and brands before settling on this one. My mistake? Reading the reviews on Amazon and basing my opinion of a machine I had yet to see on those who have little to no experience with rowing machines. I've found that a large majority of reviewers for workout equipment, are first time buyers with very little knowledge of the product they bought or even how to properly use it. Most of the reviews you read on here are from those who set it up, used it for a few minutes, then sat down to write a review for a product they know little about. So... what to do? Look up the model on YouTube. There are dozens of product reviews from people who are EXPERIENCED with these kinds of machines. They will give you in depth pros and cons, explain the benefits of the machine's features, or what it lacks. Having a visual aid, with someone who knows what they're talking about, ended my search in a matter of minutes, and cause me to settle on this rower. Sure, each company usually has a promotional video to go with their product, but nearly all of their videos are selling something other than the product (i.e. 95% woman in skin tight workout attire and 5% product). Researching these machines on YouTube eliminates all these variables, and gives you what you need: straight facts about the machine itself, given to you by people with experience using them. As for MY review? If you read everything up to this point, you should know where I'm headed with a review. -I've never owned a rower -I've used a couple here and there at a gym -I very little knowledge about rowers BUT -I researched a dozen models on YouTube -The Sunny Health & Fitness Phantom Hydro Water Rowing Machine - SF-RW5910 caught my attention for being within my budget, paired with high praise from those experienced with rowing machines -Shipping was a day late (but I purchased it around the holidays, so a day late was far earlier than expected) -I am VERY much enjoying it so far Here are the things I can tell you that DON'T require experience: -This thing is HEAVY. It arrived in a single box, weighing over 100 lbs. Not too hard to slide around, but if you are going up or down even a single step, get someone to help you move it! -Take your time unpacking the box, and setting each part aside for assembly. -Assembly IS easy, IF you take your time, read the instructions, and don't rush. -I was able to put it together myself in under an hour. There aren't a ton of individual components, as most of it is already pre-assembled. -The workouts I HAVE done have been great! For ME. I felt the whole unit was sturdy, robust, and put together well. But again, this is based on the opinion of a guy who doesn't know a whole lot about rowing machines (or at least didn't, until I researched them on YouTube!) I'm excited to keep using this machine. It's a good workout, and it's the kind of workout where you get out what you put into it. Check out some of the videos out there for this machine. I was impressed with what I found, and I'm sure you will be too.