Stamina 1205 Precision Rower Reviews

• Great rower

  
  By A3TZNPV6D5ECJI on 2006-02-18
  I bought a used rower years ago and came to work it several times a week. I'm a busy person, so I don't have time for a sophisticated work out routine. I just want to work one machine for both strength and aerobic training. Rowing is great for this purpose. When I broke my rower, I started shopping. Unfortunately, even used rowers are over $100. I struggled with this model versus the smaller ones that stand up vertically for easy storage. I couldn't find any reviews on this that addressed the storage question. Finally, I chose it because it didn't look like I could break it from normal usage, whereas the kind that fold nicely seem flimsy.
  
  Pros:
  - This machine is very sturdy. It's solid, stable, and does not rock at all when in use.
  - It is amazingly quiet. The only sound is the whisper of the pistons. I can use it with the TV on normal volume.
  - The seat is very comfortable. I sat on it for 30 minutes the first time with no discomfort.
  
  Cons:
  - It does not fold, collapse, or stand up vertically. It just sits on the floor. It would be very awkward to try to store it under a bed. Don't lift the back end too far or the plug for the timer will bend. This is why it only has 4 stars.
  - The front bumper pads are just stuck on. You can't drag it backwards without them popping off. The back ones also just sit on there, but they face sideways, so they won't come off.
  - The instructions were difficult. My wife and I kept flipping back and forth in the manual to figure out to which bolt each step of the direction referred.
  
  The work out was great. I really like using this machine. I only wish I had a better place to put it when I'm not using it.
  
  

• Compact, Solid, Easy to Assemble

  
  By A2CK58SH5B7D2I on 2007-03-10
  Probably one of the best rowers I've ever used.
  It was easy to assembly, and looks and feels really solid.
  Lots of adjustment in the "power level" - from really easy to really hard.
  I'm 6' and it is definitely large enough (will easily work for taller people as well). My wife is 5'3", and she finds it easy to use too.
  Highly recommended.
  
  

• Good product that can be improved

  
  By A1SKYHD8XX5ZZP on 2006-10-31
  I used to have a similar product, this one works the same except for one little handy detail: it doesn't stand on itself like the old one I had.
  
  

• Stamina Rowing Machine

  
  By A30CUKI4WY963K on 2007-01-15
  I had one of these similar many years ago and let it go at a garage sale. Dumb idea! As I get older, this Stamina machine has replaced it and is giving me all the exercise I need. Good to set in front of the tv and row for 30 minutes, I've gone from a size 40 to a size 36 waist. I like the hydraulic part of it and the adjustability.
  
  

• great rower, super workout

  
  By AKSIV9DC7G1ZS on 2007-05-06
  Great workout for the price; free shipping made this a real bargain. Compact, easy to assemble, easily stored under a bed. Also, fitness equipment often doesn't work as comfortably for taller people. I'm 6' tall, my son is 6'4". My daughter 5'10". We were pleasantly surprised!
  
  
• Intense Rowing Machine
  By A2FI35LBJV00AO on 2007-03-08
  The Stamina 1205 Precision Rower is one of the best I've ever used. My doctor insists on a rowing machine to strengthen my back muscles. I have rather sever scoliosis and keeping the back muscles strong inhibits the increase of the curvatures. This is a wonderful machine and well-suited to building the muscles I need to maintain my health.
  
  
• Does the job
  By A2MZ2TP5TIRP0H on 2007-10-10
  I bought this based on the reviews here and the price. I needed something small, quiet and effective - and this one is all of them.
  
  It took awhile to put together and, because it came partially assembled, I was looking for parts that I thought were missing.
  
  As far as Stamina's customer service is concerned, when one of the shocks started to slip (not offer resistance)- I e-mailed my replacement order on a Thursday evening (covered by warranty) via their website and the new part arrived on the following Tuesday.
  
  I'd buy another one of these anytime.
  
  
  
• Excellent Rower!
  By A1SKOP77DH7TEP on 2007-09-19
  I first purchased this same rower over 20 years ago as therapy for a back and shoulder injury. It helped a great deal to aid in healing and regaining full strength on both sides of my body as each rowing arm is separately adjustable. After a year's use, I was probably in the best physical condition of my life. Unfortunately, I sold it when I felt I no longer needed it. I now have the need to exercise again (old age and not enough exercise) and was delighted to see this rower was still available. I received it quickly (love Amazon), it assembled in less than an hour and I am back to rowing. Great rower for the price!!!
  
  
• Serviceable for the money...
  By AK3RWYV9QMZ5Y on 2007-01-22
  Overall, pretty good machine for the money. The seat is pretty uncomfortable. It might be okay for up to 10 minutes. I think it'd be better suited for someone 5'4" to 5'8" because I am 6' and the range of motion is not optimal.
  
  
• Stamina 1205 Precision Rower
  By A1VJJ296V8X2TY on 2007-03-01
  Great machine, adjustable for different fitness levels, and easy assembly. Not too heavy and stores under the bed. Wonderful addition to my home gym. This single machine works several muscle groups for a great full body workout that does not cause injury to joints. I love it!
  
  
• Horrible quality and Customer service
  By A1WBDJJ4F3RWIL on 2007-07-10
  I bought this in October 06 and due to some back problems i hardly used it for some months.
  Started using it again in February 07 and all the oil from one of the shocks
  leaked out all over the floor.
  Contacted Stamina via email, and got quoted one for 15 and 2 for 25$, called the 800 # and was told they are 15$ each regardless of quantity ordered.
  I said i could forward the email, but she was not interested.
  DO NOT BUY!!!!!
  
  
• Starts off Great, then Falls Apart
  By A17DZR6DP3OMEV on 2008-01-21
  The first month I had this rower was great. Very smooth, lots of resistence, quiet, etc. I used it 6 days a week for 30-45 minutes a day.
  
  Then, the squeaks came. Very loud creaks and squeaks that were hard on the ears. I have to keep a can of WD40 nearby when I use it to lubricate the joints periodically, and even then, there are some noises that are coming from inside the shocks that I cannot lubricate.
  
  Then, the seat guides started disintegrating. The plastic wheels under seat actually have cracks and pits forming in them, which gives a very choppy, loud and bumpy travel of the seat. Not smooth at all.
  
  Then, the left shock started going flat and losing resistence. There would be no resistence until the shock was pulled half-way back. This makes for a difficult row, when you have your right arm with constant resistence and your left arm with no resistence, but then sudden resistence at some point.
  
  I emailed Stamina, and they are sending me replacement parts under warranty. From what I have read here, however, I feel the uneven wear of the shocks is something that will persist, and it also sounds like the seat guides are not made that well either. Thus, I expect to have similar problems in the future.
  
  For the money, it is a good deal, and a good chance to experiment with rowing to see if you like it. If you want to stick with it and row more intensely, however, you should go for a non-hydraulic rower and use one that uses water or wind for more even resistence.
  
  I thought the packaging, instructions, ease of assembly were adequate and nothing too difficult.
  
  
• Pretty poor quality
  By A3Q1E77MW6WNR5 on 2008-03-17
  Purchased this for use in my basement. It got some light use for about 3 weeks. After that, I found that one of the rollers underneath was fragmenting, making a smooth "row" difficult.
  
  Long story short, I could not really figure out what the issue was as I was preparing for a trip out of the country. Trying to be a good citizen, I called Stamina first and was told that they would send me new higher quality rollers at once. After about 10 business days, (they had told me 5-7) I called back. The parts are on back order.
  
  The roller only got worse, and now is unusable.
  
  So I have a useless rower in the basement. Unbeatable sales will not take it back, and 3 weeks later i still do not have replacement rollers.
  
  I know it is my fault for not figuring out the issue (during return period) before I had to leave the country, but obviously I had a few things on my mind at the time.
  
  Stamina needs to get it's part supplies figured out, and I would not order from this company again.
  
  
• Simple, yet great
  By AO8R0WQPQPMHB on 2007-03-30
  Treadmill sets up fairly quickly, unless you are a moron, then it might take you some time. The pistons are stiffer than I thought they would be, allowing for a very challenging upper body workout. I usually row while I am watching TV or a game, and have never had to turn up the volume because of the noise - it really is very quiet. Unless you are looking for a health club quality rower, this rower would be a very good pick for nearly anyone.
  
  
• Great Rower
  By A1R6VVJHC1991E on 2007-04-04
  I have never had the need to exercise thanks to great metobolism. Recently, I decided it was time and began my research to find a piece of exercise equipment for my home. At first I was sold on an elyptical but I have minimal room and they take up a lot of space. Then I happened upon this rower and based on the reviews here I thought I'd give it a try.
  
  It took me roughly 45 mins to put it together without much effort. I have started using it and couldn't be happier. It's easy to use and you can either push yourself or pace yourself. For storage, it doesn't stand up on it's own but easily stores under a bed or against the wall. I would highly recommend this product and look forward to years of use.
  
  
• I felt good all over
  By A2N0EYG2NQZ5SZ on 2007-08-24
  The first time I used this I felt great. I took my time, I was slow and easy, then I went on the tread mill And ran that much better because of using this 1205 roller. It truly is a whole body workout. It holds my brothers 300lb friend. He went and bought him one as well. The roller is quiet and I can put it away into my closet. I give it a five because I love it.
  
  
• Great little Rower
  By A3HWGRZLGY6BI5 on 2008-01-09
  This Rower is terrific for the $. It is quiet,lightweight but sturdy,and easy to move. The directions have a few flaws : one flaw: when they tell you to turn the Rower over..they keep their diagrams up...gets dicey until you realize that little fact.Be sure to notice the adjustment markings on the arms..and assemble the markings upwards and facing the back of the Rower. When you put the straps on the footpads...the velcro faces outside of the footpad....other than that you should have no problem with assembly...The instructions clearly identify the hardware..the diagrams are crisp...Should only take a couple of hours. I am a 61yr old female..and I did it in 3hrs...but could have done it in 2hrs if I had known the above info !!
  
  
• rowing machine
  By A2WZBN139MEJBL on 2007-08-01
  My husband was not happy I had purchased another piece of exercise equipment!
  However, he now uses it just as much as I do. It glides very nicely and gives a good overall work out. We are in our fifties and needed something to jack our metabolism. Love it.
  
  
• I would give zero star if there was a choice.
  By AIBOP7Y8XH0 on 2007-11-03
  The tension on shocks is really high thus it is extremely hard to pull the levers for exercising. I did not see the solution for this in the manual.
  
  The assembly instructions are useless.
  
  
  
  
• Worth the money!
  By ARQRLYSUT4VOY on 2007-12-17
  I received my Stamina Precision Rower last week and assembled it over the weekend. It seemed a bit daunting at first (so many parts!) but it's not rocket science. I am glad I chose to ignore those reviewers who gave it a low rating, because I am quite satisfied with the product. As for the tightness of the shocks, the resistance can be changed by adjusting the knobs on the sides of the shocks.
  
  Two things could do with some improvement, though. First, the manual is good at helping you to assemble the product, but after that, you're on your own. For instance, it was only through trial and error that I found that the highest resistance was "1" and the lowest was "5" - usually, it's the other way around - and the manual does not even tell you how to deal with that. Second, it would be nice to have some wheels (as is found on some stationery bikes) so that moving it from place to place would be a bit easier, even though the product is only about 40 lbs.
  
  All in all, I am quite happy with my purchase, and would recommend it to anyone.
  
  
• Difficult to assemble but good to use
  By A1FDR1G6RSPZUE on 2007-09-18
  I am not mechanical so I had to pay someone to assemble the rower and it turned out we were missing 2 small parts which I had to order. That said, I am very pleased with it. It gives your whole body, including your heart, a good workout. I wish you could stand it up when it's not in use, but if you have the space, it's a great machine for the price.
  
  
• Great Value!
  By A15RWBT28A2KZ6 on 2008-01-14
  I bought this for my husband, and we both use it. He's 5'10" and I'm (almsot) 5'4", and we can both use it without any adjustments, which is a big plus. The only complaint is that one of the pistons squeeks sometimes, but it's nothing a little WD40 can't fix. This is a great product, and a good value!
  
  
• I'm happy with this purchase
  By A2VJMQSMKAOSTJ on 2008-01-30
  I purchased this rower about a week ago. The assembly wasn't too difficult. Make sure you have a socket wrench and another one or some vise grips handy.
  
  This machine uses very little space. I have it in a corner near a tv. You will not be able to tuck this under a bed. It's not something that can be put away easily. However it's also built sturdy. It's not something that is easily going to fall apart.
  
  If anything I could change on it would be the area for your feet. It's the least sturdy item on the entire rower. It is very quiet. I recommend this item.
  
  
• Great Rower
  By A1UF39NVA4IK9R on 2008-03-01
  Stamina 1205 Precision Rower
  I am a 50 year old man who is a bit over weight and has a history of spinal surgery many years ago. At my recent physical the Dr. said my cholesterol was 242 and ordered me to lose weight. I chose a rower to get the benefit of both aerobic exercise and muscle toning. When I purchased this rower they had lowered the price to $116.27 including shipping. This was a phenomenal value so I grabbed it. I haven't had my cholesterol checked again since then, but in the last month I've lost 12 pounds. I have been seeing a chiropractor two or three times a month in the past. I haven't seen the chiropractor for more than a month now. I row for 20 minutes and stretch about 10 3 or 4 times a week and I feel great. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this again. The only negative is that I have found the swing arms squeak a bit. I suspect a little dry lube or WD40 will fix that problem.
  
  
  
• WHAT CAN I SAY
  By A1VNWN8BHJP01D on 2007-01-19
  IT WORKS LIKE A HOOK FOR CLOTHES OF MY WIFE ;0
  
  
• Get What you pay for?
  By AGP8RFJTM89W0 on 2007-12-16
  Assembley was simple enough, visual diagrams could do a better job labeling parts.
  
  - If your tall its a pain to get situated in.
  - Resitance settings are terrible.
  - After the first 100 sets the thing started sqeeking unbareably.
  - Calorie meter is retarded, doesn't account resitance, just how many times the sliding seat passes a certain point.
  
  
• A good economical machine
  By AMROKFPLJ5RXN on 2008-01-01
  For the money, this rower is pretty good. After a month, however, it started to squeak where the arms join the shocks. The seat runs very smoothly and so quietly along the 'runners' (which I really like), and is cushioned nicely. There is a big difference in tension between the first (lowest) setting and the second setting, especially at first; but after rowing for several minutes, the shocks seem to 'loosen up' a bit, and become easier. The foot braces are a bit large for my feet, without shoes, so the average person may want to wear shoes. The padding on the handle bars was worn away in places within the first month; this is with 4-5 days/week use. I have never used any other kind of rowing machine, so I have nothing else to compare it to. Perhaps a little more money spent on a more expensive rower would be worth it, however, for my budget, this rower works just fine.
  
  
• Great Results!!! Fun Machine, Good Quality
  By A1FSDVX6HUN64E on 2008-01-06
  All parts were included in packaging. Set up takes about 30 minutes with two people. Construction appears very solid. Does not look cheap like some machines. Rower is easy to use and on the lowest setting, (less tension) I felt Immediate results and after using 3 times I have lost 6lbs!!!! and my thighs and rear are getting tight and my abdomen and waist are starting to sink inwards already! When you are using this rower you can feel it in your abs, buttocks and legs. You will really feel it once you get up. I would recommend it this product.
  
  I am definetly excited that I feel and notice results even on the lowest settings. I can't wait to move up to the higher tension settings.
  
  If you hear any squeaking noise develop from the left or right side shocks when the arms are fully extended towards you don't get upset it is just an overtightened bolt! It happened to me. A little adjusting here and there will fix the problem.
  
  Overall I am very happy I purchased this item! No regrets, Results come fast! I purchased mine for $149.00
  
  
• The Good, the Bad, and the Overall
  By APB6DOLF2MLJF on 2008-01-10
  Good: easy to assemble, quiet, can adjust the difficulty of your workout easily
  
  Bad: I had to call because parts were missing, it doesn't fold for easy storage and is pretty heavy, the rubber caps on the feet slide off easily
  
  Overall: great machine for the money
  
  
• Good value, fits under the bed.
  By A283P8MI6E08FS on 2008-04-13
  I'm pleased with this purchase. I was unwilling to spend a fortune knowing that most exercise equipment goes unused after a few months - and didn't want it taking up lots of room. I picked this rower based on the price and hoped that it would fit under my bed. It was fairly easy to assemble. It just barely fits under the 7.5 inch frame of my bed with the seat off (it slips off easily). I've used it vigorously for 5 months and am delighted with the workout and have gradually been able to increase the tension.
  A couple problems have surfaced over time:
  1) It squeeks.
  2) The timer/stroke counter display failed after 4 months; even though out of warrenty, Stamina quickly shipped me a new one at no charge.
  3) The shocks get HOT after a workout and melted the foam hand hold on one of the arms. I have to remember to keep the arms elevated for a while after I'm done.
  All in all, this has been a good machine at a great price which I continue to use regularly.
  
  

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