 "Works great after fixing the squeeks" | 2008-09-26 |
| - Reviewed By sensualphotoguy |
| I ordered this through Amazon and it arrived on time and intact. The staples on the bottom of the box had become completely torn loose in transit, so only the loose nylon straps were holding it closed. Nonetheless, all the parts were there, mostly because everything is taped together inside the box. There were no loose items to fall out.br /br /Assembly took a couple hours, but I wasn't in a hurry. Everything fit together fine and the instructions seemed descriptive enough to me. Packaging was good inside the box and I liked the way they bubble packed the small parts rather than relying on human counting and bagging. Clearly a little packet of lubricant would have been useful for coating the parts before assembly, but most joints had a thin coating of grease. br /br /Compared to my old Nordictrack CTX-910, the highest resistance level on the Schwinn seems a little too easy. At 56 years old and not in particularly great shape, I had to crank the resistance up to 10 (16 is max) to get even a moderate 30 minute work out. I think this will be fine for me, but it might not be enough for someone more athletic looking for a tougher workout. The stride length (18") is the same as my old Nordictrack, but the angle of the foot pads is MUCH better. My heal rises slightly at the rear end of the stroke, but that doesn't bother me. I found the machine to be very comfortable for my 5'8" height.br /br /Overall, this seems like a fairly simple machine that is reasonably well built and easily repairable to some extent (assuming Schwinn sells replacement parts). br /br /The first time I used it, I was impressed by how quiet it was, but during the second session, it started to screech, becoming so loud it drowned out the TV. The offending joints were the handle bar pivots. I took it apart and tried both lithium and teflon/silicone grease to no avail. Finally, I loosened up the bolts (just on the handle bar pivots) and that made the noise go away. It seems that the pivot bar is just a bit too short causing the plastic bushings to be pressed tightly together generating the squeaking after they get warm. I was afraid that the loose bolts could eventually work their way out (I had them pretty loose), so I added a thin washer between the large washer and the pivot bar and tightened the bolts down. It's important that the washer be no bigger in diameter than the pivot bar so it fits into the barrel of the plastic bushing rather than pressing against it. That was a couple weeks ago and the machine has been perfectly quiet ever since. Whether this modification voids the warranty is an open question, but the machine was unusable as noisy as it was. Given the number of complaints about noise, it would be a simple matter for the manufacturer to lengthen the pivot bar 15 or 20 mils (and send me a check in appreciation for the recommendation -- haha!).br /br /I plan to periodically grease all the joints to reduce wear on the plastic bushings. It's important to use a grease that won't attack the plastic. I think lithium, silicone, or Teflon based products are usually designed to work well with metal on plastic surfaces.br /br /What remains to be seen is how well the flywheel unit holds up. The flywheel bearings on my old Nordictrack wore out and they do not sell replacement bearings. You have to send them the entire unit to repair.br /br /I will reiterate for those who are concerned about noise, this machine is exceptionally quiet once you solve the problem with the handle bar pivot.br /br /I think this machine is a very good value for the price. |
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| "Great price, great service, great product..." | 2008-09-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: AHGS00M87QCJB |
| I already knew what product I wanted when I ordered my elliptical trainer and had priced them from other suppliers. Amazon had the availabilty, the right price AND free shipping. I ordered early in the week and had the product on my doorstep by the weekend. I am very happy with both the product (great piece of equipment for the price) and the service. |
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| "Great Elliptical at a very good price" | 2008-09-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A17I9X4BV69ZOX |
We bought the Schwinn 430 on a friend's recommendation. Having owned it for a month, and used it quite extensively during that time, I generally would recommend it without reservation.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Quiet (once you've adjusted the screws after putting it together)
- Sturdy - it feels Gym quality and has a natural movement path
- Adequate number of pre-programmed modes
Nitpicks:
- The power outlet is on the front of the flywheel, and the adapter is not long. Plugging it in can be awkward. There is no battery option (that I could tell)
- The bolts are predominantly screwed in with an allen wrench. Ours slipped from my hand during assembly and was lost within the flywheel (don't ask), so I used my own set of allen wrenches. I felt that the Schwinn bolts were an intermediate size which doubled my pain at losing the supplied wrench.
Overall:
- I would recommend it for both home and apartment usage.
- Assembly time is ~1-2 hours with 2 people on the job
- Great value for money
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 "Excellent all the way around!" | 2008-09-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2I5L8S5Q42V0A |
Easy to put together, very well built, Schwinn still lives up to it's rep.
I have an airdyne and that was bullet proof. So after an hour or so at Dicks sportshop we decided on the Schwinn 430. After using it now for a few days, I feel for the money, it was the best buy. Super quiet and durable as Brett Favre. |
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| "Slow customer service, but they stand behind their product" | 2008-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3KUFBLIKGB4R3 |
| I purchased this for my wife she runs three miles a day on it. It developed a squeak in the first couple of weeks. A tech was sent out to fix the problem but that didn't last very long. After a few calls and emails and about 4 weeks Schwinn sent us a whole new machine and told us to keep the squeaky one. Now I have two a quiet one and a squeaky one for one low price. We've had the new one for 3 1/2 months and have had no complaints. |
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| "Very nice" | 2008-09-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3P3N1HXC4ZQIK |
| Took a couple hours to put it together, it doesn't squeek, and provided hours of a good workout so far. The only complaint is that some of the parts ocassionally come loose but I just tighten and move on. |
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 "Not bad" | 2008-09-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A151CBFI656VJ2 |
This elliptical definately is not the best however, for non-commercial/home use it's not bad.
Our elliptical was delivered in a timely manner with all of the packaging intact. I put the elliptical together on my own in about 2 hours (with little people interruptions). I'm sure that without them I could have completed the task quicker.
After putting the elliptical together it ran well. Not one sound and very smooth. It has been a few weeks of daily use and now there is a slight knocking noise. It is a problem, maybe but the elliptical still runs very smoothly.
Though this elliptical cannot compare to the ranks of Sole or higher priced/quality models. I would call this purchase a "good buy." Just make sure to take advantage of the warranty before it expires |
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 "timely service lacking" | 2008-09-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3IBPSJ9C0VG03 |
| When the elliptical works we love it. Bought it in April. Electrical issues began July 2. It is now Sept. and it still doesn't work properly. Problem has been getting service to show up in a timely manner. Have now waited another week since reporting a problem and still haven't heard from the repair person. If you buy this equipment, an extended warranty is a must. Now if we could only get someone to show up and truly fix it... |
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| "Squeaky, but still a good value" | 2008-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By mkhimes |
My wife researched elliptical machines for several months. We looked at a wide range of machines, from entry level to gym quality. We ultimately decided on the Schwinn 430 due to the small footprint, the stride, and the solid feeling of the machine given its price point. My biggest reservation came while reading comments from numerous reviewers about squeaking issues.
After carefully assembling the machine, I got on for a test ride. Smooth and quiet! Excellent, I thought. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. The next morning my wife got on for her first workout. Exactly two minutes into her routine, a soft clunking sound started coming from the left handlebar central pivot. Two minutes later, a squeaking noise started. By the end of her 30 minute workout, there was squeaking coming from both handlebar pivot points that was so loud I had to crank the TV up to hear the dialogue! I guess I wasn't so lucky.
In my opinion, the Achilles' heel of this machine is the design of the central handlebar pivot point mechanism. Each pivot consists of a plastic "bushing" and a metal axle. The axle and bushings come from the factory with a very light coat of grease. In the case of my machine, clearly not enough lubrication was applied to prevent squeaking. In addition, because the bushings are lightly coated with grease, they attracted black plastic "sawdust" and other small fragments during manufacture and shipping. This debris may have also contributed to my squeaking issues. The fix was fairly easy. I disassembled the offending squeaking points, cleaned all of the grease and plastic debris off of the bushings and axles and then re-applied a coat of synthetic white lithium grease to all contact points. I used synthetic grease as I've read that petroleum based grease may break down plastic parts over time.... I reassembled everything and during a subsequent 30 minute workout session the machine was squeak free. In my opinion, Schwinn could solve this whole issue by simply supplying a tube of high-quality grease and leaving the pivot points clean. I guess they assume that the pre-applied lubricant will get most machines through the 90 day labor warranty period without squeaks.... Perhaps I'm too cynical.
So what's the long term life expectancy of the machine and maintenance requirements? Not sure. I imagine that I'll have to perform the above steps for the other pivot points and will likely need to repeat the process for all pivot points on some periodic basis. If the pivot points stay lubricated, I'm hoping the plastic bushings hold up for 5 years or more. At which point, I'll feel like I've gotten good value out of the machine. Perhaps, worn bushings will be replaceable as necessary.... That could extend the life of the machine indefinitely.
I give the machine three stars because it is a good value for the price point. Be aware that you may get squeaking issues right out of the box or experience the issue at some point down the road. Additional lubrication appears to solve the problem (at least based on my short term experience). I'll update this review at some point in the future if/when the handlebar pivot points start squeaking again. That's my first hand info for anyone considering this purchase. Cheers!
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| "A couple months later..." | 2008-08-25 |
| - Reviewed By pauljgold |
I've had this elliptical for just shy of two months. I had read all the reviews about assembly nightmares, missing or damaged parts, noise during use, etc. It seemed most were happy with the purchase except for a few defective products and a bad customer service rep or two, so I figured it was a gamble purchase but odds were in my favor + warranty and all.
Arrival/assembly:
There were no missing or broken parts when I received the machine but the packaging wasn't so hot. Nevertheless, this machine is so sturdy that it would really have to be mishandled hard to have bent/broken parts. None missing, thank god. Assembly was a pain. Not rocket science but tedious and annoying. I'd say it took a couple hours and a couple of the screws seemed to be very stubborn. Sturdy tho! And it got done..
Use:
After the second use I heard the loud screech that other reviews mention. Their tips about losening the bolts 1/4 turn until it stopped were so helpful and no more noise even 2 months later. I did have to tighten the area that attaches to the foot pedal 'thing' because there was a slight squeak. However, it was easy to hear where it came from, simply to adjust and for the price I wouldn't complain. Besides Schwinn recommends you always check the stability and make any needed adjustments each time before use (safety, blah blah blah)
Functionality:
I get a great workout with this machine. Now I'm just shy of 6'3 so I might have liked a tad longer stride length but honestly it's not a big deal and I wouldn't have paid the price difference for it. The display is fine for what it's worth. There are, in my opinion, cool features like 'recovery score' for your heart rate, etc. I do not rely on accuracy for calories or speed but it's close enough I'm sure. The heart rate monitor is s-l-o-w to take readings but it does work--again, price range.
Overall:
What a great buy thru Amazon. While I might have changed a couple tiny things, there is no way it could have happened in this price range so 5 stars. It's so great to be able to workout at home at my convenience. I may not be America's Next Top Model with this elliptical :) but at least I'm getting my 30 minutes of exercise a day without financing some outrageous equipment. I truly feel great and you can't put a price on that.
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