Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As someone who reads a lot of reviews but has not contributed much since I usually don't have anything much to add to what's already been written, I'm writing a detailed review of the Fitness Reality 4000MR rower because there is so little information available about it. There were only 2 reviews for me to read and they did not contain a lot and, inexplicably, this model does not even show up on the manufacturer's website! It only shows their model 1000. First - how I selected this model This is my first rower. My old elliptical trainer finally gave out and I was looking for a new, low impact cardio machine and decided on one for rowing. Most rowers have a single handle with a cable, but I decided I wanted to get one with independent handles to more accurately simulate rowing with oars. I looked at the ones from Sunny but was bothered by their display not having distance measurement on them. I considered a couple of models from Stamina too, but was not sure they had the build quality I was looking for after reading some reviews. So I raised my budget some and looked at two models from Kettler. On the first one the handles only went back and forth, with no movement outward, the second one (Kadett) had the features I was looking for, but meant spending $600 for a hydraulic cylinder style unit, and I felt for that much money it should be magnetic or some other newer technology. So for $78 more I found the 4000MR. It is magnetic, the display has all the data I would ever want, it folds up, and it appeared to have solid build quality. The only rub was the dearth of information about it. There was just the promotional video on Amazon and Youtube and two short reviews from previous Amazon purchasers. I decided to take a chance and buy it. Here's what I found Delivery, Packaging and Assembly I placed my order on a Monday morning, the rower was shipped via Fedex on Tuesday, and it was delivered on Wednesday. It was all in one, heavy box, and was packed well (see pics of box and view when opened at the top). All the hardware was packaged and labeled for easy identification, and all the tools you will need are also included. After unpacking I put all the parts on the floor to make it was all there (see pics) and it was. Assembly took me about an hour and a half, as I am not that mechanically inclined and wanted to go slow and carefully. Others may assemble it more quickly, but I can report the instructions were clear and I had no problems. Operation and Performance Since this is my first rower, I have nothing to compare it to, but feel this is a very solid and well designed unit. Note that this rower uses an AC adapter which has to be plugged into a wall outlet, where many other rowers use batteries. The seat is large and comfortable enough, the pedals and foot straps have lots of adjustment range, and the handles have comfortable grips. The display is plenty large and easy to view, important for me because I normally wear glasses but don't care to while exercising. It also has a small shelf just below the display where a phone or a tablet can be placed. The rail is way longer than I need (I'm only 5'4") so it will accommodate much taller rowers. Resistance is called out as a "Level", from 1 to 8. Level 1 is very easy, and I think Level 8 is plenty hard, so the available resistance range seems perfect to me. There are 10 canned programs, labeled P1 to P10, where the display shows a kind of bar graph map of the Level for ten time periods. I'm still experimenting with these programs to see which one(s) I would like to use on an ongoing basis. You can set a goal for time, distance (in kilometers), or calories and the console will count down towards zero as you row. It will beep when you reach your goal, at which point you can hit the Start button again if you want to continue past and have the console resume. I am also experimenting with P11 - P16, which are user programmable. Here you can set your goals like with P1 - P10, and also set what level you want for each block of time on the display map. I find this rower to be very quiet and am pleased with how it operates. You can move the handles as wide, or as narrow, as you like and the leg action is very smooth. After a rowing session I can definitely feel several muscle groups have been worked, and have not experienced any pain. My rowing sessions have been in the 20 - 30 minute range so far, which seems about right for this 66 year old body. Folding up for Storage The rower is large, and quite heavy but has wheels to allow moving it around. It is easy to fold up for storage, just requiring the removal of a pin that is screwed into the main rail. I do this every time I use it since it takes up too much space to keep it fully extended. I have found that when you do extend it back out for use, you need to properly tighten that pin in the rail or else it can rock some while rowing. Conclusion I am very satisfied with the 4000MR and am glad I spent the extra money for a quiet magnetic rower that appears to be very sturdy and will hopefully have a long life. I still wonder why it is not shown on the manufacturer's website, unless they don't intend to keep making it. I feel it has a very good combination of features for the rower who wants a dual handle unit that more accurately simulates rowing with oars than the standard single handle with a cable configuration. Pros: Cons: Dual Handles with full rowing arm movement Large and heavy, requires fold up after use Adjustable pedals and foot straps Easy to assemble Large, clear display Magnetic rower technology 8 Levels of resistance 10 canned programs 6 user programmable programs Long rail accommodates short and tall alike Chain drive, sturdy construction Easy to fold up for storage