Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I have used it for two months and and everything is breaking. I do not recommend to anybody.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

This is a great machine for overall workout, especially upper body, and torso. This machine is more realistic in simulating actual rowing with oars from a boat, which I really appreciate. I also like that each rowing arm's movement is independent of the other arm.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

If you buy this machine you better know how to put it together. I didn't - but had someone who supposedly knew put it together. It didn't work. I gave it away and wasted over $400.00. I am a frequent exerciser and was also disappointed in the "alternate rowing." I acknowledge much of the problem is my own fault and am only cautioning those who buy to make sure they can put it together or know someone who can.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

It takes about a hundred pulls for this rowing machine to become silky smooth in operation but not too bad for a piston machine. Really like the setup and sturdiness however at 6'2" I find the fit a less than ideal for me. A slightly longer rail perhaps. All in all good for the money.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

My wife and I use this machine as muscle-toning and supplemental aerobic equipment (in addition to running and stationary bike). Overall - excellent machine. The frame and all mechanical parts are solid, really well-built. I would appreciate more English in the assembly instructions - they are mostly pictures. Resistance setting is simple and reliable. We never experienced any problems with loose knobs that other reviewers reported. We had a problem with the training computer. It froze after not being used for a day or so. The display was stuck at 5°C (sic!) while in reality the temperature never fell below 18°C or 64°F. The unit did not respond to any controls. We were able to solve the problem only by unplugging the training computer from the power source and plugging it back in.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Not bulky or noisy can exercise while wathching tv. Comfortable. Would recommend and buy again.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

The settings are more for strength trainging than cardio. A solid machine once you get it together but not a smooth cardio workout. Great for strength training

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I have had my rowing machine for over three years, and I wish I had gotten it sooner than that. I leave it set up in the living room most of the time, but it is easy to pick up and put away if necessary. When I researched rowing machines, I wanted a sturdy one but light enough to lift by myself. It lets me exercise at my own pace (I am up to 45 minutes), and listen to the music I want to hear. It is my very good friend

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

This machine gives a good work out for specific muscles groups and is great for cardio purposes. It also adds a nice variation to my other workout machines.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

The only problem with it is that the electronic monitor is defective. Sometimes it won't start counting and none of the functions work. You can get it to work again by opening it up, taking the batteries out and replace them them back in. This is a bother. The mechanical quality is excellent.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

My husband uses this mostly for his cardio workout. He likes it because it is easy to use. I don't use it because of changing the resistance between his strength and mine would not be so easy.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use it every third day......basically 100 continuous reps at a given resistance setting. My work out on this equipment lasts around 10 minutes and I sure feel the upper body tone. Lower body effect is rather minimal (pushing off the legs with an easily sliding seat offers negligible resistance....wonder if resistance could be built into the track of the sliding seat...a low resistance band maybe). Overall, love this machine. I am a tennis addict and this has helped me feel stronger on the court.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Very awkward to use, hard to adjust,poor instructions.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

the tension on this thing was so high that i cannot use it at all, and i'm not weak. and if it's adjustable, there's nothing in the instructions to demonstrate how to adjust. it's a [$] door stop

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I love this machine. I have it in my tv room, I can work out while watching tv. The unit is very quiet and comfortable. This machine is of great value for the price. [...] set up was relatively easy.After doing some research online and reading the reviews of this machine I think I made an excellent choice.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

If you really want to row, do not buy this product. Without much effort, I destroyed the machine in short order. I'm now a very happy user of another rower, a gym quality machine that will take all you can dish. There is nothing special I noticed about the Kettler, and any piston rower does not come close to simulating real rowing.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Great rowing machine. Though it is hard to store it for example under your bed, it won't take much space. I have it in my bedroom, so I may not be the ideal case, but overall compact, sturdy, easy to use and to setup. High quality construction. I highly recommend it for those looking for this type of rowing equipment.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Very good machine. Biggest negative is that it is made from steel. Therefore it is heavy and hard to move from room to room. I would have paid extra to have it made from Aluminum or some other light weight alloy like Titanium.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Both my husband and I use it.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

i use the exercise machine every other day in a combination of fast walking and bicycling for chest and back strength. It's adjustable for every age group and presents all of the vital readout information that you need

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use my Favorit for general upper body strengthening, especially in my shoulders. I had a rotator cuff injury awhile back and prefer the rowing motion instead of using weights. The cardio and other conditioning is a bonus.
It was easy to put together, although the assembly instructions are mainly pictures, so I had to proceed more carefully than if there had been a text explanation.
I am impressed with the quality, and I purposely selected the German product for that reason. I am delighted with the arm motion that is similar to actual rowing. I chose a model that has a sliding seat, like the gym products I've used. Spending a little extra for this feature is worth it. I really like the convenience of being able to use it for short workouts as often as I like, since it's right in my home.
The only drawback I've found is that it is made for people with more upper body strength than I have right now. This isn't really a problem, I just set it to the lowest resistance and I will probably never outpace it.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

only issue is you realy have to tighten the wing nuts or the tension slides

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use the machine 20 minutes daily after weight-training. Very well constructed rowing machine. Hydraulics are consistent and do not loosen like my previous rowing machine. The only two things that I would change are the seat- not very comfortable and the electronics- still working through making sense of the computer...

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Use it with free weights and exercise bike. Second rowing machine I have owned and this one is great.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

This is a great equipment, easy for use and great for loss weigth

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I just love it. I try and use it every night when I get home from work. Its a great investment and I'd buy it again. Two things I would change: Make the read out in English and make it less noisy. jw

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I've tried other cheaper rowers (stamina 1205) but while they had solid frames, it was the small parts that were badly constructed. Wheels would wear out, bolts would grind against moving parts leaving fine plastic and metal dust on the floor, etc.

Not so with the Kettler Favorit. It is well engineered from top to bottom, and the joints and moving parts are solid and smooth.

I am very pleased with this rower.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Very well-made, but too small for me---I'm 6'4, and the seat didn't glide back far enough for me.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

This is a comfortable machine to use and is easily adjusted for resistance. It really works well as a machine used in conjunction with other forms of exercise, providing a welcome change in routine. It is solidly built and should last. It's worth the price. As one who has been addicted to workouts and exercise my entire life, I can recommend this machine.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

After using the Favorit for a year, I have only a few issues with it.

When I first set it up, I constantly had the problem of the tensioner knobs loosening and slipping down the arms. I figured out that I have to use all my hand strength to tighten them so they don't slip, which is a workout in itself every time I increase the resistance on the machine.

A more annoying issue I have is that the right hydraulic doesn't kick in until the arm is at about a 45 degree angle from the resting point. I occasionally have to stop my reps and pull the arm back and forth a couple of times to get the resistance back. Might be I lost a bit of hydraulic fluid on the right side, I noticed another user saying theirs leaked. I'll have to check that out.

Finally, the seat is about 1 inch too high for the machine to slide under my bed.

Those issues aside, the machine still works great after a year of use. I'm sure I'll continue to use it for at least another year.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use the product every morning. About 40 minutes. It was my mistake in not realizing that it does not simulate rowing in a more fluid motion, obviously the pneumatics. In hindsight, i would have shelled out few more dollars and gotten a magnetic or air resistance model instead.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use it once a week for 15 minutes. (because of my back problems)
The great thing about it it is well constructed.
The problem digital does not turn off after use. Does not start at 0 it starts at 10. Don't feel it is accurate enough to be on there. I would prefer a counter like the old rowing machine I had. I use seperate monitor that attaches to the ear which is very accurate.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Product is very steady and appears well made, well built. The console works well and is large and easy to view. The big problem (and it is quite big) is the lack of easily adjustable intensity levels on the machine. This means that you basically repeat the same exercise at the same resistance level. There are no "on the fly" adjustments possible. Thus I do not consider this machine cost-effective.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

my most recent purchase had the exact same problem as the original purchase. the left tension knob was stripped. no matter how tight you put it, the tension knob slides down while rowing. you end up w/no tension on that side.

this is very frustrating to keep stopping to re-adjust this knob.

why doesn't your qa pick this up? is this a warranty item? if not, how much does it cost to get one that isn't stripped?

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use this rowing machine in my daily routine.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Once I located the English portion of the Owner's Manual setup was relatively easy. The machine is solid. For a short person the rowing arms may be a little high as you pull into your body. The machine has worked perfectly and the display is easy to read - although the User's Manual could be more helpful in discussing the display operation. I have had no problems with the tension slipping and have been using the machine everyday since I got it. Excellent value for the money.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Have used it for over a year now. Easy to use once you build up the muscles in the fore arms. Best to start with 10 min twice a week, and then consider longer once you have the muscle strength. The pistons have less resistance once they heat up, whch is not bad since you have less strength towards the end. I would say after the first 5 min of exercise they stabalize at their normal resistance and stay there.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I have 2 issues with this otherwise solid and reasonably-priced machine. The first is that the shock absorbers tend to leak lubricant - doesn't effect operation, but don't use on a carpet. The other is the lack of rubberized feet to keep the machine from sliding on a bare floor - had to jerryrig my own by cutting small square from an old yoga mat and putting them under each floor contact. I have, however, used this machine 3 times a week for the last two years, and the motion is still smooth and the workout a good one.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

use it every morning

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

very nice rower but two flaws: the feet tie down velcro straps are not easy to use and the adjustable power knobs dont keep the power constant - they slip down the shaft as i keep rowing. I had to put hose clamps on them to keep them in place - making the adjustable part not very easy to adjust for different family members.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

My last rower (a PreCor) died of metal fatigue after 16 years of faithful service. My Kettler Favorit is sturdier and will last longer than I will.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use it twice a day for 10 minute workouts. Sounds lame, but after three weeks, my whole body has built up strength, endurance, and as an added benefit, my midsection toned perfectly. For such a total workout, (without any damaging impact) you couldn't ask for more. OK, only drawback is, it does take up floor space, but, if company is coming, stand it up and hide it behind the curtins. Although the readouts are in German, after you have used it a few times, you can figure out what they mean, just by the numbers.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I have been very impressed with the Kettler Favorit. This machine is sturdy, adjustable and effective. The sales person at Mercantila was extremely helpful in helping me make the decision to purchase this, as opposed to a higher priced machine that wasn't necessary for my needs. The Kettler Favorit has exceeded my expectations in terms of performance and durability. Even after a couple of years of toddler abuse it still works perfectly.

Highly recommended.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

This machine was awkward and uncomfortable. I spent more time adjusting the machine than using it. The row action is not smooth. It either had too much resistance or not enough. Purchase a rowing machine without pistons. Mercantile was not helpful with returning this product. I would not order from them or their affiliates.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Too difficult to adjust the resistance: part 9 does not slide on part 7 without a little pounding.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Very well built machine. I have owned for a few years and had no problems with it. Great for toning but do not expect this to suffice as a good cardio workout. Make sure you have a radio or tv handy because if you are unaccustomed to rowers, it can get pretty boring.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

i have had many and this is the best

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

Small and easy to use and store. Good quality. Would buy again. Second equipment as first was bought in Germany.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

compact to store, unlike sweep style indoor rowers. only criticism is that oar tension is somewhat difficult to even out. i use it to supplement other aerobic work that i do.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I love this product I keep by my bed and row for about 5 mins a day. I lost ten pounds fast. Working up to a longer workout.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

This is the best all around exerciser for toning your core muscles

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

I use the rower only occasionally and it is satisfactory for my needs. My husband also uses it for getting/staying in shape. It is a very good quality, sturdy rower. It would be nice if the display were backlit as it's often difficult to read.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

The Kettler Favorit is an excellent rower which holds up to the expectations one can have of a piston rowing machine. If offers resistance that no high-end ergometer can match (at least to my knowledge).
Of course, like all piston machines it has it's limits; the piston on the right on my machine has already lost some of it's resistance (first few inches of a traction are loose). I experienced the same problem with my previous Kettler piston rowing machine.
The knobs that allow to change the resistance are far from ideal: they are hard to turn well, and if they are not very tight, they do not grip the bar enough; the next thing you know, they've fallen to the bottom of the bar. I have left them alone since I started using my rower.
I don't know why people complain about the statistics -- Joules are an international unit (Calories are not)--, they are perfectly comprehensive.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

A solid, well built, entry level rower. As good as it gets without getting into much costlier machines.
Easy setup, compact storage and a perfect addition for those looking to incorporate rowing into the daily workout.

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

not one thing about this machine i like. i would return it for a refund immediately if i could. may put it to the curb for scrap

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

The machine came in about 4-5 days after ordering it. Everything was in good order, nothing was missing. Setting it up wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but it wasn't mission impossible. All the tools one needs, come with the machine. The directions are ok. The machine itself is quite heavy. Once one sets it up in one room, there will not be much moving. No, it doesn't fold up, so easy storage is out of the question, but that doesn't bother me at all. If space is an important factor, think twice. The machine, will became a fixture in your house. Not something you move every morning/afternoon. The quality of the machine is top of the line. NOT MADE IN CHINA, but GERMANY. Need I say more? We only use it in the easiest setting and I think is still pretty hard. It is also very quiet, with a very natural rowing motion, but in time I am sure I will drastically increase my workouts. After ten minutes on it, I am beat. For the money, in my opinion as a novice, this is the best machine for the money

Comments about Kettler Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine:

i have to say when i first got it , i used it a lot and was happy with it. then, like all exercises i have experienced, i lost interest. i gave it away not too long ago. It did everythign i needed , except motivate me.