46 of 47 people found the following review helpful.
By Mark Pulver
Quick Summary
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This is a VERY high quality machine that runs super smooth and provides an awesome workout. The difference between the LS15.0E and the LS13.0E is in the console electronics, and I might suggest that the extra money _isn't_ worth it (more on this below). However, the 13.0 and 15.0 machines are very much a step up over the LS10.0E, and the price difference there _is_ worth it.
Full Babble
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I did a lot of research before deciding on a Livestrong machine. When it was time to buy, I had the LS13.0E in my cart here on Amazon, and paused. I had decided to try to find the machine in a store, just to be sure.
Here in the Seattle area, Dick's Sporting Goods carries the Livestrong line. In the stores, they show the LS10.0E and the LS15.0E (not the LS13.0E which is what I had decided on). Seeing the machine in person turned out to be a great idea. We could compare the 10.0E with the 15.0E and really come to understand what flywheel weight does for the quality of the workout. It's QUITE a difference. The 10.0E feels good, but the 15.0E (and 13.0E) feel amazing.
The price between the LS13.0E and moving up to the LS15.0E which was there in the store was $200. Being that we were "there", and ready to buy, I balanced the potential hassle of having to unload 235lbs from the back of a truck, drop it on the curb, and walk the pieces up the driveway (I hadn't yet seen the answer to my question of the other reviewer here), against having the box in the back of our pickup right near the front door. So, we ended up with the LS15.0E. (and as it turns out, we got it at the price point of the LS13.0E due to Dick's having an in-store promotion and opening a Dick's charge account the same day).
First Thoughts
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I can't emphasize enough how much of a quality mechanical piece this is. The welds are GORGEOUS and the baked enamel finish on the frame is spotless. Pieces fit perfectly, and even the smallest piece has a good heft to it. There were no issues during assembly, though the printing of the instructions is pretty small. I didn't quite have to borrow my wife's reading glasses, but I was tempted to.
Assembly Points of Note
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- The base is VERY heavy (much more than the flywheel weight) and clumsy to lift. BE CAREFUL during assembly.
- It was awesome to find a fishwire already run in the support tube. (this is used to get the cables in the base up through the tube and into the console)
- All frame pieces were bagged, and the bags were color-coded green for left and clear for right. A nice touch. (the pieces themselves are also labeled with an "L" or "R" sticker)
- I highly recommend a mat to protect your floor or carpet. During the first 2 steps of assembly, you end up with sharp edges resting directly on the floor. This will scratch wood and cut into carpet.
First "Walk" on the machine
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{scrape} {quiet} {scrape} - argh. The case around the flywheel and the main base is _not_ actually attached to the frame anywhere. It's a floating cover. As such, it can shift left and right, and twist relative to the base. This can cause the case to come in contact with the covers on the flywheel cranks and cause the cranks to scrape. After sliding the case around, the scraping got better but didn't go away. I ended up pulling apart the right side of the machine, removing the crank cover and trimming about 1/8" off of the back of it. I wasn't happy that I had to do this (given this price point) but 20min later, it was no longer an issue.
First full workout
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This is where "niggle" type things start to get noticed. Let me say up front that none of these make me think that I bought the wrong brand, but most "issues" are due to the 15.0E display/electronics, which would not have been an issue with the 13.0E (or 13.0E-2).
- UP resistance and UP incline shortcut buttons (on the lower hand grips) were not functional out of the box
- The heartrate sensor on the lower hand grips are spotty.
*** I suspect these issues are within the display console, NOT the sensors themselves. I haven't yet called Livestrong about these issues, and I have no doubt that they'll be fixed. Also, given how we're doing our workouts, it isn't a high-priority for us to have these things working.
- Upper arm grips come close enough to the console panel that there's a pinch hazard in hitting buttons while using. You have to be careful to come "straight up the middle" when accessing buttons on the console.
- The "quick select" buttons along the sides of the display for incline and resistance are not backlit and are hard to see in a dim room.
- The fan is a bit "rattly", seems cheap for this level of machine.
- Don't look for premium sound from the speakers. Earbuds will still be the order of the day.
- The list of 8 workouts (plus "Manual") just under the display is confusing. They aren't buttons, they don't light up... It's a reminder list of sorts, but more just a space eater.
- People have complained about the cheststrap, it works great for me. I will say that it has to be on bare skin, in the right spot, and you need to wet the back first.
Software Quality
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I've been a software geek for a long long time, and some things here irk me, so I wanted to call attention to them separately.
- The linear graph at the bottom of the display is color coded (blue & orange) to show changes in resistance and elevation as the workout progresses. But, the vertical bar graphs that show current settings for these are both orange. The bar graph colors should match the linear graph.
- On the console (and in the manual), the force required to move the treadles is referred to as "Resistance", but it's "Level" on the hand grips. These should match.
- There's no direct way to set the date & time, you have to go through an "Engineering Menu" which is accessed through a software backdoor. (see below)
- User workout calendar accessed through user "setup". The UI on the console has some issues, and while this isn't a "bug", it's an example of poor design.
Updating the Firmware
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Livestrong advertises that you can install new workout programs into the LS15.0E. There are some issues with doing that...
*** NOTE: At this time, there are no updates for the LS15.0E, so these points are currently not an issue, but they can become an issue.
- The update process talks about having to format a USB stick with the machine before using it with the Windows update app. This doesn't work. Inserting a USB stick into the machine does nothing to the stick.
- The Windows app to update the firmware is in dire need of a rewrite. If you don't have a properly formatted USB stick in your computer when you launch the app, it will slow your PC to a crawl. This is because it's constantly looking looking for the stick which is supposed to have a special name. (which is done as part of the format process, which... doesn't work)
- The firmware update process requires the user to manually find and copy a file from a location on the PC to a place on the USB stick. Not hard, but more than a few non-computer savvy users will have issues.
Setting the Date & Time
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(SEE UPDATE FROM 2013.01.15 BELOW!)
This irked me so bad that it got it's own section. :)
The LS15.0E saves your workouts (and user setup information) in internal memory. Some of the other machines require you to offload the information onto a USB stick, but that isn't required here (which is nice). Though, because of this, what _is_ required is that you need to set the date and time on the machine in order for the machine to keep your workout history organized. And this is just ridiculous.
There were two inserts in the manual that talked about how to set the date and time, each had a different method. Both talk about having to access a hidden "Engineering Menu", and then adjusting the settings for your "Region". That's nuts, and another example of poor design. How is it that someone in Livestrong's test group didn't flag this as a huge issue?
For informational purposes, the two methods described where:
- Touch all four corners of the console display at the same time. (this didn't work for me)
- Hold the UP and DOWN level buttons (on the short handles) at the same time for 5 seconds. (this didn't work for me either because the UP level button is non-functional on my machine. See above for more info on that)
Summary
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This sounds like an overlay negative review, yet I rated the machine 4 stars. When it came to deciding how I felt about the machine, I had to look at what it is that I bought, and why I bought this machine, from this company. I wanted a smooth workout, a quality machine, a good warranty and a company with customer service history that resolves problems.
And, that's what I got. Hence, 4 stars. Had this been the LS13.0E, (so, without the fancy electronics) it would have been 5 stars.
Yes, I had to take a knife to a $1500 piece of equipment; yes, there are issues with the software. But a quality elliptical machine is about the _hardware_ and mechanics, and in that regard, this is an awesome machine.
Would I buy it again? No, I would buy the LS13.0E(-2). Would I buy this again if the electronics issues weren't there? Yes.
So the bottom line is that the extra $200 for the upgraded electronics (in regard to the 13.0E(-2)) is _not_ worth it.
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UPDATE 1 - 2012.12.25
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I just tried a workout where I started on Target Heart Rate and then switched to Training. This kinda' confused things. The linear graph stopped updating after the shift, the changes to Resistance did shift correctly for the Training program, but the incline did not kick in. The workout time was adjusted correctly, including shifting to a 5 minute cool down from the 2 minute cool down that is associated with the Target Heart Rate program.
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UPDATE 2 - 2012.12.27
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It turns out that modifying the workout time after the workout has started will also confuse the linear graph. The graph will re-paint to scale for the updated length, but the progress bar will no longer update.
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UPDATE 3 - 2013.01.15
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Regarding the issue with both UP buttons not functioning... Here's the timeline to the resolution:
- 2012.12.28: Called tech support, but they were closed. Given the weekend and then the holiday, I wrote them an email.
- 2012.12.31: Got a reply (on New Year's Eve!). They're sending out new hand sensors, both left and right. I should expect contact from local service.
- 2012.12.31: About an hour after the email, I got a call from the service folks! Very nice. Livestrong (Johnson) had told them about the problem and that they were sending parts. I was to call back the service folks when the parts showed up.
- 2012.01.08: Parts showed up!
- 2013.01.10: I called the service folks. First available appointment was today (2013.01.15)
- 2013.01.15: Tech was about 20min early (not a problem); had the sensors swapped out in 20min; and tested it before he left.
ALL'S WELL!
And now, I can complete this point...
Setting the Date & Time
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- Hold the UP and DOWN "Level" buttons (on the short handles) at the same time for 5 seconds.
- Select "Region" from the buttons on the left side
- Enter the Date and Time, using the on-screen keyboard as you did for entering the user details.
NOTE: You can also adjust the altitude where you are, this would affect the various "work" calculations. It defaults to "Below 5000 feet".
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
By D Scott
TLDR; elliptical is fairly easy to assemble, quiet and sturdy no problems so far, lots of features on console. I have low ceiling 7'6 and have no problems with my head hitting including with incline at max and I'm 6'3. If I run into any problems with elliptical I will be updating on what problems I have or not have.
I ordered it and it arrived in excellent shape box had no damage from Ceva, assembly was easy took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours. I made sure when putting it together I put lithium grease on all parts that were connected by me,it has grease from factory already on the assembly parts but wanted to make sure I get a little extra so I didn't have to take it all apart in the future to fix squeaks or other noises like some fitness equipment does. I thought it was really easy to assemble with all parts labeled and good instructions. It was easy enough for me to put together alone but some pieces might be to heavy to move for some . It is easy to move around once it is all put together just with the rear bar and wheels in front. I tried it out as soon as I had it all put together and it was really smooth, quiet and sturdy no strange noises from the front or back. I did here a little squeak but it was just my foot from pressing on the rubber and It went away after a couple uses. The fan is quiet but it doesn't push the air very hard so I use a bigger fan. The console is different then the old models, you don't need a USB stick (not included) to save workouts, only need it for updates to console. It saves workout to calendar on console according to book so you can go back and see information on what you did on certain days, but I still haven't figured that part out, it also saves all the time and miles you have done on the machine total from the its first use in information part of elliptical console. It doesn't save manual workouts so you can just click a last workout and redo it, you have to do it manual each time which is easy to do. I tried a couple of the programs but there plain nothing special just the basic hills (3 different styles), fat burn, constant watts, fitness test and target heart rate. I tried the fitness test and I thought I was in good enough shape that I would be able to do it but I couldn't even last 5 min which is good I guess just means that the elliptical isn't to easy and gives room for improvement so I can try it another time to see how good the elliptical is helping me get into shape. There are 3 choices you get too choose when setting up manual programs, Time, Incline and resistance plus after each workout there is a cooldown time that takes off the resistance and incline so you can just relax for a 5 min stroll. If you don't do the cooldown you can just hit stop and after the workout it shows in steps (2 in my case since I use manual, more if you use a program installed on machine from factory there a 7 or 8 steps)how fast you did a mile,watts,rpm and couple other things, 1 step is for the program you set up and step 2 is for the cooldown.If you need a break and get off before the time is over you can press stop and it will end and show you the workout info or you can get off machine and after a couple sec it will pause automatic till you get back on. I don't use the heart rate strap or use the grips so I can't comment on those. The console also has different options for when running like if you want to see how much time is left in workout,how long you have been working out for that session or actual time you can change by touching that on display. There are also 4 features on display when working out if you want to change whats on the screen when your working out like Simple that will just show time ,miles and calories. Or Volume if you need to change music volume. Or Profile that shows a plain straight track with a bar that shows how far you have gone and below it has time, calories and miles, you can change all those by touching screen for whatever you like. Or Workout tab lets you change to any of the 8 preset workouts.
I have only had it a week and have been using it for 1 hour a day everyday and not a single noise other then the normal sound of the wheels rolling on tracks (like a toy rolling across floor). Will update if any problems come up.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
By J. Kurtz
This elliptical started out very nice but shortly after we started using it, we started having problems with the RPMs jumping (over 13,000, really?) and the resistance would keep adjusting much higher than it should, making it very difficult to get through a routine.
The first attempt to correct the issue, LiveStrong sent us a new console unit which we installed. Didn't solve the issue.
LiveString sent a tech and the first time here he just looked at it, moved some wires around and left. Didn't even attempt the new parts that LiveStrong sent. Guess what. This didn't solve the issue.
Next visit, the tech installed the parts, adjusted sensors or whatever else he needed to do. The problems are almost gone now. The resistance seems to be normal, however, the RPMs keep jumping around.
We contacted LiveStrong, yet again, however, at this time, their customer service has quit answering emails.
I cannot recommend LiveStrong's products at this time until our issues are resolved. Maybe if they finally resolve the issue, I'll be just as prompt and revise my review.
Product Feature
- Elliptical trainer provides challenging cardio workout in comfort of your own home, with numerous ergonomic design features that minimize wear and tear on your body
- Heavy, 30-pound flywheel delivers smooth motion; MaxTone gel pedals are arched for constant support; free wireless Polar HR monitor for precise training
- ERGOfit control grips for on-the-fly intensity changes; extra-wide, seven-inch HD touchscreen offers lightning-fast adjustments; intuitive console interface enables customized feedback
- Measures 31 by 63 by 75 inches (W x H x D), with 222-pound unit weight and 350-pound maximum user weight
- Includes the following manufacturer's warranties against defects in materials and workmanship: lifetime on frame; five years on parts; and two years on labor
Product Description
High-tech design. Low-impact workout. Features you need for heavy-duty training like Heavy, 30-lb. flywheel delivers smooth motion, MaxTone gel pedals are arched for constant support, Free wireless Polar HR monitor for precise training, ERGOfit control grips for on-the-fly intensity changes are provided.
Product Detail
- Amazon Sales Rank: #264034 in Sports & Outdoors
- Brand: Livestrong Fitness
- Model: HEP0401-01
- Released on: 2012-09-15
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