Refurbished Fitness Equipment: Commercial Exercise Machines At a Fraction of the Cost
By John Phung

Editor's Summary: This article discusses another exercise equipment option - purchase refurbished fitness equipment. Along with a description of what refurbished equipment is, are tips for selecting the best equipment for your needs.

New commercial exercise equipment can cost you thousands of dollars. With refurbished exercise equipment, you can save up to fifty percent off the regular retail price of a new machine; all with virtually identical functions and even a similar warranty compared to a new machine. Everything from treadmills, elliptical trainers, exercise bikes, steppers to free weights and even floor matting can be found at a discounted price from a fitness remanufacturing company.

Refurbished Exercise Equipment: Good As New?

If you find the right company that sells refurbished exercise equipment, then the answer is a definite yes. Fitness remanufacturing companies such as Global Fitness, Fitness Equipment Depot and Kacor Inc., who specializes in buying pre-owned equipment from health clubs, that have gone bankrupt or upgraded what they have, and remanufacturing the exercise equipment good as new.

Remanufacturing Process

The basic remanufacturing process of commercial exercise equipment is taking apart the used equipment, powder coat the frame and the machine is reconstructed from the ground up. In the end, the gym machine will function and look as though it is new. There are three different remanufacturing processes:

Total Remanufacture

• Machine is stripped down, and sand blasted
• Powder finish
• A test of all moving parts
• Savings of 35% off the price of a new machine
• Longest warranty period-comparable to that of a new model

Refurbished

• Touch up of paint job
• Testing of machine to make sure its 100% operational
• 40-50% off the price of a new machine
• Approximately 6 month warranty

Serviced

• Machine is cleaned with some minor touch-ups
• Testing of machine to make sure its 100% operational
• 40-50% off the price of a new machine
• Approximately 3 month warranty
• (Note: although this sounds like the fitness machine will have a short lifespan, it may be the case that serviced equipment is a newer machine that didn’t need as much work).

Tips on Selecting Refurbished Gym Equipment

Not all refurbished exercise equipment sold by retailers are the same, and you might need to do some research and shopping around before you make a final decision. Here are some tips to help you select the right equipment to ensure that you get the most out of your investment:

Check the Stock of the Items

Make sure that the refurbishing company has the item you’re looking for in stock in their inventory before purchasing. If they do not have in-stock inventory of the pre-owned strength training equipment, you could be waiting days, weeks or even months before your equipment arrives to your doorsteps.

Life Expectancy of the Reconditioned Machine

You can speak to a representative of the used exercise equipment company to find out how long the exercise machine was originally used, and what the life expectancy is (if any). Also, contact the original fitness equipment manufacturers to find out if particular models had any defects that were later resolved in later versions.

Get Some References and Contact Them

Obtain a list of previous customers from the remanufactured fitness equipment dealer, and contact them to find out what their experiences are like with their used equipment. This information can help you decide whether the remanufacturing dealer is fit for you before making a purchase.

Summary

When you’re considering options for commercial strength training equipment, treadmills, elliptical trainers or any other exercise machine, keep refurbished exercise equipment as a possible choice. Purchasing refurbished commercial exercise equipment from the right remanufacturing company can give you a practically new workout machine while saving you potentially thousands of dollars and allowing you the possibility to add additional equipment with any budget.

About the Author

John Phung is a certified personal trainer and successful writer offering information and advice for http://www.HomeGymsOnline.info on plate loaded exercise equipment, commercial gym quality machines and more.