Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer
June 22, 2010 by Mohamed
Filed under Exercise Equipment
Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer
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 List Price: $799.00 Sale Price: $597.54 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping |
Product Description
The Schwinn® 420A elliptical is engineered with biomechanically designed linkages for a comfortable and natural elliptical path. BioDyne performance features a perimeter-weighted flywheel with high inertia for smooth, consistent workouts.
Details
- Provides smooth upper- and lower-body cardiovascular workout with 16 resistance levels
- 12 workout programs, including 6 course profiles, fitness test and custom workout
- Integrated grip heart rate system for easy fitness monitoring
- Ergonomic handles for multiple workout positions; natural-feeling 18-inch stride
- 300-pound maximum user weight; 5-year warranty on frame, 1 year on parts and electronics
Rating
My girl friend and I have tried every machine we’ve seen for the last two years looking for one that is smooth and small enough for the house. If we went into a store, and we went to a lot, and they had an elliptical we were on it We both go to a gym and use the professional ellipticals there so we have been disappointed by the clunky jarring that every machine we’ve tried has exhibited, except one we found at Scheeles, but it was somewhat big and $300.00 more than the 420. This is the only machine we found that is reasonably priced and small enough for the house. It has a nice fit for both of us with easy to reach handles and grips. It is smoooth, there isn’t the slightest clunk in the rotation which was our primary criteria for an elliptical. This unit is very well priced and of very high quality. As far as assembly from the time I opened the box it took me about two hours to put it together though I am somewhat mechanically inclined. I thought the instructions were complete and easy to understand. I did grease the moving parts as some of the other reviewers suggested, and that seems to be a good idea. The trainer is very quiet. We are avid users, and are very pleased with this elliptical. Kudos to Schwinn for building a well thought out machine. If you are looking for a great elliptical this is it.
Rating
After spending much time looking at many different Elliptical’s and reading all the reviews, I decided to take a chance on the newer Schwinn model 420 over the 430. Its been in use now for 2 weeks by both my wife and I,(6 times a week) and I’m very happy with my choice.
The shipping by via ABF was very fast (4 days) and they called ahead to set up a delivery time. The weight of the 420 in approximately 160lb, so have some help ready if you think you need it. I had the box in the basement and the 420 put together in a little more than 2 hours by myself. Tools are included if you don’t happen to have any of your own. Socket wrenches and a screw driver make it a little faster. I lubricated all moving parts during assembly, this machine makes no noise what so ever while it is in use and is very sturdy. ( Lets remember, this is a machine with moving parts and most all moving parts need lubricated from time to time!) I found no hole or bolt alignment problems and the assembly instructions were very clear.
The operation of the 420 is very smooth, both my wife (5’10″) and myself (6’1″) have no problem with the handle bar reach. Although both of us have long legs, the 18 inch stride seems very comfortable.
Not being a computer or programing wizard, the console instructions could of been made a little clearer. The read out is clear and the manual operation is simple enough but I am still trying to work out the customized programs. There are 16 levels of resistance and going up and down threw them is done easily.
All in all. For the price (599.00 + free shipping) this is a great deal and a very good Elliptical in my opinion.
Rating
We have owned this for 3 days and have used it 6 or 7 times. Personally I have never been on an elliptical but my review is 5 stars and I’m sure my wife would say the same.
The shipping took 10 business days from AZ to Iowa, nothing unexpected and definately can’t complain with FREE shipping!
It took us about an 1 1/2 hrs to put together. Directions were good except for 1 set of washers (black) being mislabled.
I’m 6′ and my wife is 5’5″ we both have no problems with the machine in terms of reach.
In my opinion if your 5’3″ or below you may want to find something else.
Overall it’s great value for the $, very solid, much better looking than the Schwinn 430 that has so many reviews, most from 2007. Not exactly understanding why the console is plugged into the wall instead of batteries or why it’s not backlit but really not a dealbreaker or a hassle. Don’t hesitate to buy this over the 430 or any other elliptical in the same price range, you won’t be disappointed!
Rating
As Toasty mentioned, I was also unsure of purchasing this machine without any reviews posted but I did anyway. I’ve been working out with Precor elliptical machine at a nearby gym and I quite liked it but decided to purchase Schwinn 420 for my exercise room at home (did not want to pay thousands of dollars).
The assembly took just under 2 hours and you do need 2 people. The package is quite heavy as well so do not attempt to build this on your own. The workout is smooth and quiet which is a real treat. I also found setting the custom work-out was a bit hard but I figured it out eventually.
And no, the WATER BOTTLE HOLDER is NOT INCLUDED in this purchase.
Overall you will not be disappointed with this machine especially at this price. It looks good, makes you work out hard and keeps you in shape. I’m short (5′ 2″) and my husband’s 6′ but we both find the size of this machine suiting.
Rating
I bought one of these, was quite pleased with the quality and have not encountered any “squeaking”. I was also able to assemble the unit alone. The only problem I had was that one of the parts did not appear on the cardboard sheet holding the nuts, bolts and washers with the correct letter. Letter F refers to two phillips head screws. If you look in the manual on page 6 , F is shown as a washer, but appears much larger in the picture than it really is. That part (there are 4 of them) is a small black washer.
I’m changing my recommendation on this machine to five stars. I recently discovered that the bottom part of the uprights that connects to the peddles were mislabeled, in other words the L sticker was on the R, causing me to switch them. This makes a HUGE difference and I am now quite satisfied with the unit. There is still some lean forward but it is not a deal breaker and no worse than I encountered on my old Nordic Trac. Even if your parts are labeled correctly make sure you the finished product matches the picture in terms of the way the bottom sections of the upright curve, as well as the top. It is also not clear what they mean by L and R since this changes depending on whether you are facing the machine in riding position or standing in front of it where you do most of the assembly.
If you are short and having trouble using this unit check for this issue.
Rating
Delivery: I ordered this a few weeks ago, was shipped via CEVA. The tracking estimate listed on my order from Amazon was off by a day, but a CEVA rep called me the two business days prior to schedule a delivery time. The delivery guys gave me a call one hour before delivery, everything went well. Everything in the box was well protected, nothing damaged. Very well packaged.
Assembly: I put this together by myself in roughly 2 hours. Assuming the delivery company gets the box into your house the only part I can see requiring two people is working with the giant wheel part due to the weight (~40lbs?). My recommendation is to go through all the steps in the manual and lay out the parts to match each step so you can grab and go. The assembly manual was fairly clear, I had no issues with the directions. As others have said the tools that come with it are sufficient but made much easier with your own tools as some steps are awkward to use the included tools (tight spaces). I didn’t add any additional lubricant to any moving parts (bad idea).
Use: This is my first time using an elliptical, so I don’t have anything to compare to. I’m a big guy (295lbs) and this thing feels extremely solid. My wife commented that it feels more solid than the equipment she uses at the gym. Steve’s instructions on setting up a user are spot on, I didn’t even bother opening the user’s manual. Once you get a user setup the computer is easy enough to use. This gives me a great workout, the different pre-programmed workouts give a bit of a different workout each time. I’m very out of shape and even the first level is too easy. The moving bars are positioned well for me. Using the hand grips for the pulse monitor are a little awkward as the moving bars come close to my arms.
Notes: I consciously set this up in my basement that only has 7′ ceilings. I’m 6’1″ and have to sort of lean over slightly so I don’t whack my head. It’s not uncomfortable to use in this situation, just have to be mindful. If you’re looking at measurements I would say this adds about 14″ to your height. Also as others have stated definitely use extra lubricant on moving parts. Out of the box I’ve got about 3 joints that are squeaky, but not a big deal to fix.
Rating
I’ve had the Schwinn 420 elliptical for two weeks and I’ve used it every day. The machine took approx. 3 hours to put together, but I had to assemble it by myself. The instructions were relatively easy enough to follow, but I do wish they had labeled the parts better. The parts themselves aren’t labeled at all except for a sticker that denotes left or right, but the instruction manual gives each part, including the nuts and bolts, their own label. That aside it was still simple to assemble. I was careful to not over-tighten any bolts that connected to a moving part as I read through the reviews on the Schwinn 430 model and this had been reported to cause squeaking.
The machine itself is extremely smooth and almost completely silent while in use. When I work out I usually watch a movie or a tv show and I can’t hear the machine at all. For my height (5’10″) the stride length and handle grip distance is perfect. The elliptical is also very stable. I’m a pretty hefty guy at 230 lbs (hope to be much lighter soon!) and this thing is rock solid. Even getting on and off it never sways or tilts, and I was very careful to make sure the machine was level when I put it together. I do wish the display panel was backlit, as I work out in the early morning and don’t always want the overhead light in the room on, but it only took a day of using it to know how to easily get my workout started, after that I could forget about the display.
Delivery was impressive. The delivery company called my house on a Thursday to make sure if someone would be home on the following Monday to receive the box. They gave me and estimated time of delivery and were 15 minutes earlier than what they quoted. My house has 2 steps leading into the main entrance and the man delivering the machine brought it inside to my living room with some lifting help from myself.
I’m very impressed over all with the quality and construction of this machine, and it simply can’t be beat for the price. Highly recommended for anyone looking to get an elliptical.
Rating
I ended up buying this at a local sports store and like the previous two reviewers was a bit wary to buy it because there were no reviews. I ended up finally buying it because of the reputation that Schwinn has with its other ellipticals and was not disappointed.
I had no difficulty putting it together by myself but it would be best to have two people. Thank you reviewer Toasty for informing me that the water bottle holder is not included. I’ll stop searching my house for the damn thing now. I thought I lost it. The bolts, screws, and washers come on two cardboard sheets along with two wrenches and a hex/screw driver. You will have the screws left over for the water bottle holder. The programming was pretty straight forward until I got to the custom program level. I’m still not sure how I got past that screen.
The elliptical itself feels sturdy and well built. I am 300 pounds and it supports my weight without shaking or wobbling. The 18″ stride and the handles feel comfortable for my 5’10″ frame. I heard some complaints from the salesmen at the sports store that the handles were to far forward but I did not have that problem. The console is pretty basic but what was expected for the price.
Bottom line is if you are looking for a sub $600 elliptical that is well built, this is the one for you.
Rating
Like previous reviewers, I was wary of this model because it lacks reviews and I almost went with the older 430 model. However, after using it for a couple weeks, I can say that it was definitely a good choice and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an elliptical in this price range.
I assembled the machine by myself because no one else was around at the time. I was able to do it in about 2.5 hours but it was difficult at times trying to line up parts and it required a bit of heavy lifting. I would definitely recommend you enlist the help of another person if you can and don’t even try doing it yourself if heavy lifting might be a problem. Otherwise, I had no major problems during assembly and the instructions were pretty straightforward.
The unit is sturdy and it delivers a smooth, quiet and effective workout. I’ve had no trouble manually programming the console but trying to create a custom program was confusing enough that I didn’t bother after trying once. Also, I have found that the heart rate monitor takes a while to give you an accurate reading, so I don’t bother with it much anymore.
Overall, you won’t find anything super fancy in this model but it’s solid, effective and great for the price.
Rating
I ordered Dec 11 from AMAZON to take advantage of free shipping, unit arrived via ABF Dec 16, arranged for dock pick-up as opposed to scheduled home delivery since they were only a 15min drive and I have a small truck. People from ABF were wonderful to deal with, took calls no problem, and loaded into my truck via forklift. Box is 150lb plus, but no problem carrying pieces into basement from garage by myself. Schwinn does an excellent job of packing, no damage or issues from transit to the item.
Like other commentary, I was slightly hesitant of the 420 vs 430 due to limited reviews, however with largely positive feedback, took a chance on the 420. As I unwrapped and moved pieces to basement, I was impressed with components, heft, finish, etc. Assembled myself with no problem whatsoever and would make several recommendations (based on some other comments)as follows: Invest in a 6mm t-bar wrench or 3/8 drive and ratchet. Also 13mm wrench/socket make this a breeze as opposed to using the moderately crude (but sufficient I suppose) devices included. One axiom for assembling anything where multiple attaching points exist is DO NOT tighten until all of the bolts/screws have been started. Thus you avoid problems (as alleged by some) of difficulty in pieces fitting and requiring use of hammers, etc. This thing was drilled/jigged perfectly and all components fit with relative ease. I further suggest you assemble in very close or exact proximity to intended use, since leveling adjustments should be set prior to complete assembly. Set the adjusters on far ends of support cross bar all the way in (turn clockwise), then turn ONLY the ones needed (counter clockwise) to make contact with the floor. Next set the mid-cross bar, you will discover that these must be extended considerably more than the far ends in order to make contact with the floor. Tighten all lock rings and you have a very secure base, NO movement whatsoever on mine after final assembly. Much commentary seemed to exist about squeeks on the 430, I borrowed some “wheel bearing grease” this is a very heavy lube for automotive/industrial use and applied liberally to ALL points of movement/rotation on pins and grommets. The unit is virtually silent other than light hum from flywheel when operating.
Only draw back as most others indicated is seeming complexity of “custom” programs for work out, not an issue for me since I am more than content to use quick-start manual program, but would agree that the instructions for customization are somewhere between cryptic and confusing. One note about seemingly difficult “low level” resistance as mentioned in some reviews, the unit “defaults” to #3 level when first powered up, but when decreased to #1, it felt perfectly fine to me. Anyone who cannot facilitate use in the #1 setting is either so far out of shape that walking down hill pains them or they are unaware of the default start at #3.
Final score, solid 5 stars across the board, both for machine and purchase through amazon and free shipping, looking forward to many years of good use. One final note, called Schwinn to register the product and was connected rapidly to a wonderful young lady in the good old USofA, not Bangladesh or some other god forsaken country on the planet