If you plan to purchase a home cardio machine for frequent, heavy use from multiple users, a gym-quality machine such as the StairMaster FreeClimber 4600 Pt might be the ideal choice. But although commercial machines are sturdier than home machines, the 4600 PT lacks some of the niceties of cardio equipment designed for home use -- and it comes with a hefty price tag to match its sturdy frame.
Missing Features
The 4600 PT is extremely sturdy -- after all, it's designed for constant use in a gym environment. But it's also built to support a rotating crowd of users, all with diverse exercise goals. This means that unlike some home cardio machines, the 4600 PT can't remember your personal information or preferred settings between workouts. Nor does it allow you to customize your own preprogrammed workouts.
Generic Workouts And Console
What few preprogrammed workouts the 4600 PT does have are relatively generic. Your options are: Fat burner, calorie burner, speed intervals and heart rate zone training. This isn't necessarily a problem in the gym, where you're often confronted with rows of TVs, an audio system or an in-console entertainment system to keep you entertained. But it might be frustrating for home use -- especially because the gym-quality entertainment system on some 4600 PT models won't work at home.
Must be Plugged In
There are two 4600 Stairmaster FreeClimber models: The PT and the CL. The PT must be plugged in -- a potential problem because your electrical bill with go up, your options on where to position the machine are relatively limited and you'll have to deal with the plug-in cord snaking across the floor.
Price
As of October 2010, the Stairmaster Freeclimber 4600 PT retails for more than $3,000. This is a bargain for gym-quality equipment, but lobs the 4600 PT to the high-end price range for home exercise equipment and potentially straight out of reach. User, serviced, refurbished and reconditioned models, however, may sell for less than $1,500 -- bringing the machine back into the mid- to high-range of home cardio equipment.
Member Comments