HCI Fitness Sprint Outrigger Scull Rowing Machine

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Price: $322.75    

Product Feature

• High-quality piston rowing machine; 12 levels of hydraulic resistance
• Strong, commercial-grade cylinders
• Quickly folds into an ultra-compact unit
• LCD display shows you time, stroke count, total strokes, and calories

Product Description

The Sprint Outrigger Scull Rowing Machine gives you the ultimate experience in Piston Rowing. Designed with German engineering influences, the Sprint Rower is the most affordable and highest quality Outrigger on the market today. It features two hydraulic cylinders with the ability to set force resistance on a scale of 1 to 12, and a comfortable ergonomic seat with smooth running rollers mounted on rails. Strap your feet into the large footplates, they will pivot slightly to support your natural motion as you row. The Display shows you time, stroke count, total strokes, and calories. Also, it includes built-in workout programs based on both calories and strokes. When in use, the unit is 55 in L x 68 in W x 15 in H and supports up to 275 lbs. When you need to store the unit, it folds to easily fit under a bed or in a closet. Warranty is one year on all parts.

HCI Fitness Sprint Outrigger Scull Rowing Machine Review

I received my HCI Sprint Outrigger today.

Packaging was in good condition, all parts present, no damage. Good job FedEx!

Unpacking and setup was pretty easy, took about 10 minutes. Only tools required were hex wrenches, and they came in the box.

Initial reactions - fit and finish are reasonably good. Welds are solid - this isn't an elegant piece of machinery, but it's pretty well put together. One nice feature is a pair of locking pins that engage the rowing arms in the folded position so that they're immobilized for transit.

Less favorable reactions - someone commented elsewhere that the soft handle grips broke up with use - I can imagine this happening pretty easily, and I also think that given some harsh use, the velcro foot straps might not last too well. Seat rollers on rowing machines typically take quite a beating. Time will tell how well the rollers hold up.

One other gripe is that the computer is pretty large - when I was using the machine, my calves were rubbing on the case. This isn't a dealbreaker for me, I count strokes myself, and I can read the time from a clock. But if you like your gadgets, this is a consideration.

After 20 minutes of moderate use, the mechanisms were running quiet. Adjusting the resistance in the pistons is achieved by rotating a collar on the piston. Inevitably, a '7' on one piston isn't excatly the same resistance as a '7' on the other, but it's pretty close, and I'd expect that once I get used to compensating for this, I'll be able to ignore the issue.

There are 3 adjustments:

Piston resistance: giving you a tougher rowing experience
Angle of incline for the seat travel: higher angle makes your legs work harder
Chassis length: so you can adjust the rower for your leg length

Conclusion:
Sturdy, no-nonsense unit with a few minor issues that don't matter too much to me. I'll be disappointed if the seat rollers give out, but I can't condemn the unit for a problem that hasn't occurred yet.

Inevitably, readers will want a comparison to the Kettler Kadett. I've used one of those, and it's a very nice piece of equipment, but also not without its faults. At Amazon prices, at the moment, I'm not sure the Kettler is $250 'better' than the HCI. And for my 4x a week, 45 minute workouts, the extra would be hard to justify, and my cardiovascular system is unlikely to be able to tell the difference.

UPDATE - 12/1/2009
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Been using the rower on and off for six months now. Good cardio results, and I've stayed with the program. None of the concerns above materialized - rubber grips are still fine, I got very good at getting the piston resistance balanced, velcro straps OK, seat still fine. However, I'm going to have to contact Amazon for a warranty replacement because the chassis itself has failed. This might be just a result of a bad weld, or possibly a design fault - I'll post pictures in a day or so. I'm not going to revise the rating yet - I tend to view warranty problems as a fact of life - but I was pretty surprised to see the failure.

UPDATE - 12/14/2009
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Received a return authorization from Amazon today. I'm still in two minds over whether I'll just order another HCI or a Kettler Kadett. The problem I see is that the chassis split wasn't a failure in the weld, it was in the steel tube itself, and I find that disappointing. Do I still think the unit is a good one at the price? Absolutely - and with Amazon standing behind the product for warranty, I don't have a problem with continuing to recommend this rower as great value for the money, but once I started getting fitter, and adjusting the resistance (up to 8 on a scale of 0 - 10 ), I think I was unlucky and just happened to have a unit made with a piece of defective steel tube. But the romance is over, and I think I'm leaning toward a Kettler Kadett, despite the extra price. So I've removed a star from the rating to reflect my experience with the rower.

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