I just got this machine after extensive research and have had a chance to use it several times. I normally write reviews for products , but for this one, I thought it important to confirm a few items that I had questions about during my research process. I should mention that I have had experience with using another Joroto product because I have a family member who has one of their spin bikes (XM16) and I’ve used that and it is an excellent, well built, stable, spin bike. That said, I’ve been contemplating a rower (and spin bike) for my home gym and I ended up getting the MR60 rower.
First, as part of my research, I read some of the reviews and want to clarify a few misnomers that are inaccurate now that I’ve received, assembled and used the machine several times. One reviewer stated that when assembling, they could not easily distinguish between the left and right foot rest. However, for my machine, there are stickers that say ‘L’ and ‘R’ which made it easy to discern placement of the foot rests. Another reviewer mentioned that they have a large foot and their feet don’t fit but in fact there is an adjustment that allows one to make the foot rest larger or smaller by increasing or decreasing the height and snapping in the two button inserts which lock the foot rest area in place. Additionally, I read one review stating that they wished this could be folded and stored away. As I mention in the review and as I read in the advertisement for the machine, an excellent attribute is just how simply and effortlessly this machine folds simply by stepping on the foot pedal (and it transports very easily as well).
I looked at both air and magnetic rowing machines and came very close to purchasing the Concept 2 which is a great machine (and mentioned comparatively in another review or two) and really the standard by which all other rowing machines are compared to. If you’ve been to a gym and used a rower there is a good chance that it was the Concept 2. That said, it’s an excellent machine albeit at a higher price point and often found in training facilites. However, price aside, the reason I went with this machine is due to this machine having the attributes of both an air and magnetic rower. For those who aren’t familiar, an Air Rowing Machine, similar to Concept 2, gets resistance from a wheel spinning and the harder you row, the harder the resistance. It’s a good, proven system; however, it is a bit noisy because the air alone acts as a turbine and the resistance results in noise kind of like a propeller spinning. As an aside, there are other rowers that require water to be filled in a tank, there are also purely magnetic resistance rowers and then there is the Joroto MR60 which is takes the best of both Air and Magnetic resistance and puts it into one rowing machine.
While I live in a single family home where noise technically isn’t a factor, my workout room is about 12X12 and I didn’t want a really noisy machine or a lot of echo from excess noise. When using this machine, there are 10 magnetic resistance settings and similar to ‘Air’ rowing machines, the harder you row, the greater the resistance but without the excess noise. So you get dual resistance of both the magnetic 10 pound flywheel along with air resistance and an excellent, challenging workout. For those who may live in apartments or condominiums, this is an excellent choice for noise and as shown in the photo, this machine folds easily with a hydraulic feeling spring system that is quiet and folds by stepping on a peddle and gently lifting up to get it folding. It requires no strength at all. It also moves around easily with the built in handle and wheels that roll smoothly for transporting or storage.
As for build quality, for most reading this, the machine is going to be used in a home gym or a personal training studio (ie. light commercial use). After using this several times (and putting it together which took about an hour or maybe a little less), I am pretty confident that this machine will perform excellent in a personal training facility and certainly in any home gym. By comparison, machines like the Concept 2 are built for commercial gyms and training facilities and they do have some slightly different attributes. For example, as shown in my photo, this machine does not have a chain drive attached to the rowing handle as the Concept 2 does. However, it does have a very sturdy tether cord which will take as much abuse as anyone can throw at it on a daily basis and it also has a maintenance free belt drive which drives the 10 pound flywheel (for magnetic resistance). So the bottom line is that if you are using or purchasing for an institutional facility or commercial gym where it will be used tens of times each day by large numbers of people, your requirements would be a bit different; however, at a fraction of the cost of the Concept 2, the build quality of this is unquestionably durable and able to withstand use at any home gym...