Gazelle Supra Update
I recently had someone send me an email asking if a used Gazelle Supra would be a good purchase and if $75 is a good price.
While this is a hard question in one respect to answer, its always hard giving advice about buying a used product, in other ways it is quite easy. Buy It.
If the Gazelle Supra is the model with the two pistons and the heavy duty frame it is well worth $75 as long as the frame does not show any sign of cracking or breaking and the action is smooth.
Take it for a test drive, literally, set it up in the garage or wherever the seller has it and see how smooth the movement back and forth is and if the pistons put a lot of resistance in the swing when they are connected. When the pistons are not connected you should have a free and smooth motion for both feet and arms for the hand grips as far as you can move the foot rests in an arc when standing on them.
Connecting the pistons should add considerable force against the back and forth arc and should tire you out in as little as ten moves with your feet or arms. I cannot use only my feet to move the arms back and forth, arms are required. That is how much force the pistons add, they are for your muscle and body building routine while without them is your cardiovascular exercise.
If the electronic gizmo is not working don't worry about it, mine has long since hit the garbage can and the cup holder is also somewhere gracing the garbage pile. The electronics went out sometime in the second year and the two pads for bumpers on the back of the foot pads are also gone as one broke and the other I removed. They are only for protecting the ends of the metal frame from impact on the wall behind you or if someone walks behind you while your exercising.
My Gazelle Supra has lasted the five years since I purchased it with regular workout routines off and on, thats a pretty good piece of equipment for the $200 I paid for it at Sears. At my house during the winter I use it about every other day and it went to my wife's work place where a variety of people used almost every day for about a year when I first received a recumbent bike for reviewing.
The Gazelle Supra has lasted just fine and works great for a good work out routine when I can't get outside and bike. Between the Gazelle Supra, a barbell with some weights and a Schwinn recumbent bike I purchased after reviewing I have all the equipment I need for a good regular indoor workout. The recumbent bike is in my bedroom while the Gazelle is in the basement in front of an old CRT monitor with a Helios DVD player that connects directly to it using a VGA connection.
If your looking at buying a used, or new if you can find it, Gazelle Supra first make sure it is the same model with the large two inch diameter frame and the two pistons you attach with pins or that hang down along the fornt of the frame when not connected. The Gazelle Supra is the better model and it can support a three hundred pound person as well as take the constant use of a regular workout routine.
Just check the frame for stress cracks and if you see nothing and it works smoothly it should be a great purchase. Don't worry if it seems to need a little grease or squeeks as I have to regularly take mine apart for the main bar and add some grease and grease the hinge points where the two arms connect about once a year. Taking apart the machine for regular lube is easy with a couple of tools and a little axle grease like the kind used on cars.
If your looking for a manual click here and it will download one from my website that I got from another site called Academy Sports & Outdoors. You can also contact support at Fitness Quest that is the manufacturer of the Gazelle and see if they can get you a manual. The manual is for the Supra Pro but the only difference I can see is the placement of the power pistons.
The Gazelle Supra is a fantastic piece of exercise equipment and I highly recommend it now that it has proven itself as a great workout routine and a sturdy piece of equipment.