Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer
June 22, 2010 by Mohamed
Filed under Exercise Equipment
Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer
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 List Price: $2,299.99 Sale Price: $1,299.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping |
Product Description
The Sole E35 elliptical offers smooth, natural motion with a whisper-quiet ECB drive system and 16 levels of resistance. It has convenient handlebar adjustments for resistance and incline, and articulating foot pedals that feature an inward slope to help reduce ankle and knee stress. The blue backlit LCD display allows you to keep track of your progress.
Details
- Boasting a heavy 25-pound flywheel
- Contains unique oversize foot pedals
- Features a 2-degree inward slope that reduces the ankle and knee stress
Rating
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.
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.
Rating
After reading some of the reviews, I was a little hesitant to purchase this product, based on concerns about customer service. But I ended up taking a chance based on the positive reviews, as I tend to put more credence in a review when someone has taken the time to point out the good in something! And I’m glad I did. I absolutely love this machine. It was a great price and is a solid piece of equipment. And more importantly, it allows me to get a great, convenient workout. The instruction manual is a little daunting and could probably use some attention by a Technical Writer (being one, I was half tempted to rewrite it and send it back to them!). However, it wasn’t really that difficult to put together, it just takes time. As someone else said, the suggested time is 35 minutes and this is highly optimistic. It took me close to three hours. But this wasn’t b/c it was difficult, it is just tedious.
Once I got the machine together and turned it on, I did run into some trouble in that it wouldn’t calibrate and just kept beeping at me. When I called customer service they were very polite and professional. They said a technician would call me back within 24 hours. And they followed up with an e-mail giving me the technician’s name and direct phone number. The technician called back within an hour and gave me a suggested fix. Unfortunately, this didn’t work so I had to take the machine apart to check the computer cable. The technician was great in helping me find and fix the source of the problem, and he did everything he said he would in the timeframe to which he committed.
As far as using the machine goes, I love it. It is very quiet, which is great since I use it in the morning. And you can really vary your workouts to keep things interesting. I am pretty tall, 5’10″, so the 20″ stride is great for me. As far as mid-range elliptical machines go, I would recommend this to anyone!
Update 2/22/2010 – I’ve been using my Sole E35 for four weeks, six times a week for between 30 and 40 minutes a day, and I absolutely love it. One thing that surprised me is the great arm work out I get on this machine. I used to use the Precor machines at the gym and never felt anything in my arms. But, on the E35, each time I switch to a higher level (I’m currently at level 10)I feel the work out in my arms for a day or two. Great machine and great value.
Rating
I did a lot of research and read all of the reviews on Amazon and other sites before deciding on buying the Sole E35. I bought it from Amazon.com. Based on reviews, I was anticipating spending a long time to put it together. It arrived in a large box, but contrary to some write ups, the device was not bolted to the bottom of the box. A friend helped me to move the main frame assembly to our basement. I followed the instructions and it was fairly easy (about 2 hours) to assemble the device by myself. No strange sound, no lose handles, no problems. The initial impression points to a solid elliptical that feels stable and works smoothly. My wife was against spending this much money on an elliptical but she is totally in love with it now and uses it every day. Previously, we owned a NordicTrack for six years. The Sole E35 is certainly a much better built product and I highly recommend it to people looking for an elliptical in this price range. So far, I am very happy with this purchase and with Amazon.com.
Rating
Great value! Great delivery service, Packed well easy to move if you have a dolly, I did it myself. get it in place before assembling, assembly was a breeze.The pivoting foot pads are very nice and they accomplish what they say it will. It is heavy duty and very quite, feels great with smooth long strides and great programs. Fan is average and does an ok job. very good looking machine I would highly recommend this machine
Rating
Although I should, I normally do not take the time to write reviews for the products I buy. In this case where the quality of ellipticals can vary so greatly, I found such reviews very helpful when deciding which one to buy.
I bought the Sole E-35 about a month and a half ago and have been extremely happy with it so far. I concur with much of what others have written about it.
Although it was intimidating to look at when I first opened the box, I found it very easy to assemble. I am not a very mechanically inclined person either. The directions were very straight forward with all of the parts individually blistered and numbered to the corresponding “step”. It took me 2-3 hours without the aid of anyone else helping… although it never hurts to have some help. My only complaint about the assembly is that the’”Rubber grommets” listed on line 4 of Step 2 were bagged with the power cord for some strange reason. I spent 20 minutes or more tearing everything apart looking for them. Silly me for not looking in the small bag containing the power cord or not seeing the black grommets against the black power cord.
After looking at it in the store, I planned on having someone else assemble it but I am glad I didn’t. I initially thought about getting the Sole E-25 for $300 cheaper and pay the $118 for delivery and assembly through Dick’s sporting goods. I decided to buy the upgraded E-35 though Amazon taking advantage of the free shipping, lack of sales tax and assembled it myself. By doing this I saved about $200 of the additional $300 for the better model for an overage of only $100 of what I was prepared to spend on the E-25. Just something to consider.
Considering the shipping was free the unit arrived VERY fast. It came in like 2 days compared the to the 2 weeks that Dick’s was estimating. It was a HUGE box but the delivery people did a great job carrying it down into my basement without as much as touching a single wall. I even have a landing and a turn to my basement stairs. I was extremely happy with them and the job they did getting such a big box downstairs.
In the end, I have used it a number of times and am VERY pleased with it. It is as quiet as can be, so much so that you can hardly hear it. It is very well balanced and extremely stable. FAR more than any of the others I tried out. It has a lot of program options, most of which I have not tired yet but seem to be very easy to figure out.
The fan is nice but kind of pointless in my opinion, I can’t say that it really has any cooling effect whatsoever. I would rather them used that space for an iPod charging dock or something like that. Although it does have 3 pretty big compartments, the only other thing I wish it did have was a water bottle holder. Ironically it does come with a water bottle but no place to put it where it can remain upright.
That is about it. It is a great machine and well worth the extra money you might spend on a cheaper brand or model. My experience with these things is you get what you pay for. I was about to spend $800 on a Proform Elliptical till the guy at the store said how bad they were and I read some reviews on it. For just $500 more I got a quality machine that not only feels better but IS better. It will ultimately last longer and has a MUCH better warranty. The warranty is very telling of a company’s confidence in their own product.
Rating
Overall this is an excellent product. I tried several other brands but none had the build quality as the Sole. That being said, the motor was bad essentially right out of the box. The box arrived and the driver was great to put it into the garage. It is packed so tightly you have to cut the box away from it. It assembled pretty easily within an hour. I turned it on to try it. It worked fine. My wife got on and tried to increase the eleveation. She got a motor error and the screen wouldn’t show anything else. It was just after Christmas so Sole was very busy. It took about 2 weeks to get it resolved. They sent the parts and scheduled a technician to come replace the motor. It has been working very well ever since.
Rating
DO NOT be intimidated by having to assemble this yourself, or worrying about getting it up the stairs. If you feel confident enough to assemble it, then the removal of two bolts will allow anyone to handily get all the pieces where they need to go. If you have the money, sure, pay someone to delivery inside and assemble it. But it is in no ways a requirement.
I reviewed the pdf instructions available on the company web site, and mistakenly assumed that the fly-wheel assembly was not attached to the connecting rods. It appeared that the unit was broken down into smaller sub-assemblies, which could easily be moved. Well, I was wrong. Fortunately I had 5/16″ Allen key, a 14 mm wrench (included), and a large flat-bladed screw driver, and a Phillips head screw driver. I removed the plastic covers around each connecting rod, removed a bolt, and gently separated the rods from the fly-wheel. Voila. My wife and son carried everything upstairs except the fly-wheel, which while awkward, didn’t weight more than fifty pounds. Reconnecting the rods, one slipped right one, while the other needed a rubber mallet. It is very unfortunate that the company doesn’t address the concerns over getting the unit in the house and the machine assembly – I think many people are scared off. I am pretty handy, but took my time just the same, and eventually got it just right.
Do your self a favor and review all the Amazon comments on other Sole elliptical models, and make a list of the tips; just remember to refer to them when you’re putting it together. Here are a few of mine:
* Really torq metal-to-metal connections, back off a little on metal-to-nylon washers, and snug but don’t over-tighten any assembly involving plastic.
* As another review noted, DON’T over-tighten the bolts connecting the arms to the consol mast. The reason for this is that while the bolt is long, only a small portion of the threads actually are involved in the attachment. That means that all your tightening is directed over a small number of threads, and you may end up snapping the bolt, so don’t go nuts on these.
* The hardest parts of the assembly for me were putting on the plastic covers in the last step, no kidding!
* As soon as you can start testing things, do it, before the whole thing is put together. Do a final test before plugging it in. Don’t worry about it being sooo hard to move without power; as soon as you power up, the unit loosens. I believe it is set tight to making it more stable during shipping.
My wife and I purchased an E35 directly from the manufacturer at the beginning of October, 2009, along with the rubber equipment mat they offer. No tax and free shipping won out over twelve month financing. Obviously my review centers around assembly, because so many people have commented on how much they love the machine. I couldn’t agree more! It is so quiet, I can sleep in the next room and not hear a thing. The console instructions are poorly written, but you’ve already assembled it, so just start using it and you’ll figure it out. Worth every dime, especially since one of us is on it six days a week. Stop waffling, and invest in your health – it’s a lot cheaper than getting sick! We prefer our pain in small doses, on our own schedule, and in the comfort of our own home. Enjoy.
Rating
I purchased the Sole E35 after much research and testing of ellipticals. I have had it now since January 2009 and am very happy with it. It has enough resistance and lift to get a good workout, in fact I am still at about half the levels right now. I use it about 3 to 4 days a week. It did take some time to get it together, maybe and hour and a half, but I did put it together by myself (I’m a 24 year old female). The motion is very fluid and the unit itself is very sturdy. The fan is pretty worthless… but I use a larger one anyway. Overall I purchased due to the positive reviews, the price point and the warranty. The Sole E35 has a 2 year warranty, vs many others who only have 1 year or even 6 months. Very happy with the purchase, no problems thus far and would purchase again.
Rating
My wife really wanted me to get an elliptical machine for the house and since she rarely wants anything for herself I started searching all over the place for the right machine. I needed to get something that would work for both of us, she’s 5’1 100lbs and I’m 5’9 230. I review things to death before I buy them and this E35 is no exception. I went to every elliptical review site, tried out tons of machines at retail store and I finally settled on this one. There are so few extra features in the E55 that I just couldn’t justify the extra money for it. The only difference I could find between the two machines is that the E55 has some extra heart rate control programs built in that the E35 was missing. Basically your paying $200 or so extra for the same machine with additional software features if you go with the E55.
I’m so used to working out on the expensive Precor machines at the gym that I thought I would be disappointing with any elliptical I purchased for home use. After my first workout I can’t tell you how happy I am I got this machine. Here’s the list I could come up with of Pro’s/Cons.
Pros
- Sturdy, well built, doesn’t rock at all when I’m working out.
- Machine driven incline adjustments. Simply click a button on the handle to adjust the incline or the resistance. This feature alone made me get it over the E25. The E25 also has incline adjustments but you have to change the incline manually. That means stopping your workout, getting off the machine and adjusting the incline, that’s too much of a hassle for me.
- Not as hard to put together as you would think based on other reviews. It’s really helpful to have two people to speed things up but it’s not necessary. It took me about 3 hours total to finish installation and I was moving pretty slow to make sure I was doing everything right.
- It feels like a club quality machine.
- Multiple user custom settings. This allows you to have 2 people set up their own custom workouts.
- Awesome warranty
- The included heart rate chest strap is pretty accurate from what I can tell and allows the machine to know your heart rate without having to grab the handlebars.
- Adjustable pedal angles help you to customize the feel of your stride so your feet don’t fall asleep.
Cons
- Pretty expensive
- The fan is worthless. They put a PC fan in the front of this thing. You can’t even feel it when it’s running.
- The grip heart rate monitors don’t seem be all that accurate but then again neither are the more expensive models.
- It’s huge and it’s really heavy. Check out the dimensions before getting it to make sure it will fit in your room.
I’m just so happy we decided to get the E35. It’s a rock solid, quality machine. The workouts are really hard if you want them to be, I think I almost had a heart attack after the first 20 minutes. Most of all I’m very happy that the stride and handles are a good fit for a big guy like me and my 5’1 wife.
Rating
I purchased the Sole E35 from Dick’s Sporting Goods (same price as Amazon) earlier this year. It’s been great. Our whole family uses it. It’s heavy, durable, and has a much smoother and more even stride than some of the less expensive models. We wanted to spend less than [...] but for the extra money the E35 blew away cheaper models.