By Paul Jewell
Differences in Equipment
Have you ever asked yourself, “What is the difference between the box store brand and the grade A stuff?” Today we’re going to talk about some of the differences in 3 categories of equipment: residential, light commercial, and commercial.
Residential
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Built to be used inside the home for no more than 90 total hours of use in its lifetime.
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The frame is generally built with steel that is not very strong. If your frame is not strong, your elliptical likely isn’t built to with stand a lot of pressure for a long period of time.
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The resistance system is likely friction based. And like anything that involves friction, the two opposing objects are going to wear with time.
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In most cases, this equipment uses bushings. Bushings, when pressure is applied, run a high risk of warping and then not working correctly. For more info on bushings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushing_(bearing)#Bushing
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Warranties. Most manufactures will back this product with short warranty, and may only carry parts for up to 90 days.
Light Commercial
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Built to be used inside the home for 4 hours a day for more than 10 years.
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The frame is generally built with steel significantly stronger than residential units. Built to take a beating.
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The resistance system is probably composed of a magnet. Using a magnet means there is no friction, leading to less wear and tear.
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This equipment will probably use a sealed ball bearing system. The use of ball bearings insures that there is a smooth, frictionless motion within the components of your unit, leading to less wear and tear.
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Warranties. Most manufactures will back this product with a lifetime frame warranty, and quite often a 5-10 year parts warranty and will carry the parts for a longer period of time (in most cases over 10 years).
Commercial
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Built to be used 10 or more hours every day for more than 10 years
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The frame is built with the strongest steel out there.
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The resistance system probably uses some form of magnetic technology.
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Again, uses a sealed ball bearing system.
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Warranties. Most manufactures will back this product with a standard commercial warranty.
HAPPY HUNTING
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