Concept2 Forum

Hi all!

New to rowing and am excited to get started.

I am considering buying a preowned model D concept 2 with PM5 monitor.

Can you help me understand what I should be looking for to check wear and tear and the condition?

Please see a pic of the total numbers on the PM5 of the one I am considering buying.



I know this was bought new in Feb 2016 so just out of warranty.

Well, 639k meters total is nothing. However, this number can be reset so it might not tell much.
If it has been in home use, it might be the real mileage, in which case it's pretty much as good as new

Ok right! Anything I should check when I see the machine?

Try to row, see if the chain is smooth, without any extra rattle or clunkiness. Any rust on the chain, fan cage, rail, anywhere for me would be a sign of neglect. Break the erg into two, see how the joint looks.

That's a pretty low amount of meters so it hasn't had much use. Furthermore, the average 500 isn't high wattage and the distance per workout is low. So its probably had a pretty casual user.

Make sure the fan spins up and down without any rattle. Check the seat roller bearings and the rail. Separate the two pieces, flip the fan unit over, slide the translucent plastic cover off and inspect the bungee for damage and chain for rust. Open the PM5 battery cover and see if there is any corrosion.

That’s a pretty low use machine! Looks like short workouts, and not a lot of time. I went and checked the one we bought for home use in January of 2021, and it has more total meters in 6 months than yours is showing! For reference, my wife and I are relatively new to rowing, and use ours three times a week each, me for 40 minutes and her for 20 each day. I just went over 500K this week on my own in that 6 month span, according to ErgData. This is far from heavy use for a rowing machine, as many here put on that much in less time! So, the machine you’re looking at has hardly broken a sweat so far.

That said, environment can be as wearing as use so it’s important to know where it was stored and used (dusty or wet environments are the hardest on rowers). The inspection items others have listed will reveal if it’s sucked in a lot of dust, animal hair, dirt, or been left to corrode in a wet area. When I was researching rowers as a fitness test tool for law enforcement officers, I was amazed at how different two machines of similar age could look, with maintenance and environment being the only real difference. With use on yours already pegged at “extremely little for 5 years old,” the concerns on how/where it was stored for most of its existence are what’s left to lock down.

I hope it works out for you.