Need help...good deal?

[tlead]

Hello. I am new to rowing, but have ALWAYS been highly interested in trying the sport.
Recently I have been looking around for a used rower to get started.

Yesterday I found an ad on CL for a Model B with a broken monitor. The ad said "best offer gets it." Long story short, I offered $75.00.
The ad also stated that the machine was used for rehab - but that it is in good mechanical condition. I don't relish the idea of having to shell out $160.00 for a retrofit PM3, but I wonder if this is an opportunity to jump on. It would involve me having to drive about 4 hrs or more (roundtrip).

Any help would be much appreciated!!

[iRow]

If this is the rower that you are talking about ( http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/spo/4014363012.html ) I would say pass on it and keep looking. The cost of the machine ($75) + a new monitor ($160) + the expense of picking it up ($50?) will make this more than it is worth. I would hold off and keep looking. You can often find a great condition Model C for $300 on CL but you have to look often as they do not last more than a day on there.

[Ergmeister]

I concur with the comment above to keep looking. The Model B has a large skewer assembly in the rail that will likely need to be serviced to give reasonable performance. For time and money you'll invest making this B work properly, you can get a C or D and be light years ahead.

The last Model B rolled out of the factory 20 years ago. They were state of the art at the time but by today's Model D standard they are very clunky. They are functionally ok, but they are noisy and were, as the model indicates, the 2nd generation of stationary rower. C2 has come a LOOOONGGG way from that rower in the D's that leave the factory today.

Patience will land you in a good rower at a fair price. Understand that "killer deals" on C2 rowers are hard to come by; they are a high quality machine that will last decades as indicated by the Model B you're considering. The C's and D's also hold their value incredibly well: We just sold off our last two Model C's with PM3s for $1k for the pair to a gym equipment dealer who bought them to resell.

[c2jonw]

Just a few observations on this pictured machine-
* the seat is on backwards- easy to fix
* green seat rollers- were much higher quality than the early black ones- may have been replaced at some point
* appears to have a stainless steel monorail- a real plus as many of the model Bs had chrome plated monorails, which sometimes flaked off
* bungee cord looks slack- might just need to be tightened up, though replacing is pretty cheap and easy to do
* the handle hooks appear to be missing....hmmmm. The handle hooks allowed you to park the handle close to your feet to make it easier to pick up and put down the handle. We recommended that when not in use the handle should be out of the handle hooks to minimize bungee cord stretch. Some institutions opted simply to remove the handle hooks, so maybe this machine spent part of it's life in a health club or boat house (though the backwards seat makes me think it was not in a boathouse).
* Replacing the monitor will be the biggest expense, even if you also needed new chain, sprockets, bungee and seat rollers.

If it spent it's entire life in a rehab unit it's probably been pretty lightly used so it might be a good deal. You'll never kill the frame and the only spare parts we don't have for the Model B are the flywheel units and older monitors. (new monitors will retrofit to the Model C2JonW

[Ergmeister]

Just a few observations on this pictured machine-
You'll never kill the frame and the only spare parts we don't have for the Model B are the flywheel units and older monitors. (new monitors will retrofit to the Model C2JonW

...and 15 tooth sprockets. I had to use the 14 on the last rebuild as the 15s are no longer available. Correct?

[iRow]

Not sure on your location, but if you are close here is a pretty good deal on a Model D1 w/ PM3. http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ ... 95154.html