Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wanted an elliptical machine to use during the winter when we couldn't get out and walk. I'm 6'3" and my wife is 5'4" so we needed something that would work for both of us. After reading the reviews and checking out equipment at several stores we decided The Exerpeutic 100XL was the best one for us. The box was delivered today (one day earlier than expected). After reading other reviews about the difficulties other people were having I decided to share my experience putting it together. Three things stuck out in my mind about the reviews I read 1: The nuts and bolts work loose after using the machine and had to be retightened regularly 2: It developed squeaks and needed to be treated with WD40 often. I decided to solve those problems before I even started assembly. I went to Home Depot and bought a tube of "White Lithium Grease" and "LOCTITE Thread Locker BLUE" (not red). It cost about $11 for both. 3: I did not attach the plastic decorative covers after reading how they were an added source of squeaks. They are not needed. When I got home I took everything out of the box and laid the parts out. Next I read all the instructions and familiarized myself with the layout and began putting it together. Note: There are left and right side parts that must be put together correctly. Right parts have a red (R) and left parts have a black (L). Left and right are determined from the view as if you are standing on the machine. The nuts and bolts of the left and right parts thread on differently, read the instructions and it's not a problem. The tools they provide will work fine, but I used my own because they worked better for me. Remember it is not a race. It took me 4 hours to assemble. It may take you less or more time. Take your time and do it right the first time. I put a drop of Loctite blue on the threads of each bolt I attached. Use the blue Loctite because it locks the nut on so it will not loosen on its own but can be removed with a wrench if needed. The red Loctite holds the nut and bolt together so tight you need a heatgun or torch to break the bond. You do not need to use Loctite on the bolts where the nuts have white nylon in the center of the nut. They should stay tight on their own. Some of the parts have a little grease on them from the factory. This is where I put the White Lithium Grease. The grease they use is not that good and WD40 will solve a squeak for a while but it is a lubricant, not grease. Use rubber gloves or an old tooth brush and put a good glob of grease all around where the arms attach to the frame and the foot attaches to the crank. You can always wipe off any excess grease that squeezes out while tightening the bolts. The computer comes with 2 Heavy Duty AA batteries. I replaced them with alkaline batteries so they will last longer. I gave it a whirl after I was done and it gave me one heck of a workout. I could only do about 5 minutes on the lowest setting and I was pooped. It should do the job. UP-DATE: 01-29-2014 We have had the Exerpeutic 100XL for about 2 weeks now and so far so good. I'm 57 years old, 6'3" tall and weigh 220 lbs. My wife is 5'4" (I will not list her age or weight for fear of great bodily harm to my person). The machine works great for both of us. I started out at 4 minutes on the elliptical and it kicked my butt. I'm now up to 10 minutes and doing much better. It gives me quite the workout. As others have mentioned the calorie counter is way off and I use it and the other settings as a rough idea on my workout. I like the pulse monitor to keep track of my heart rate. I have not had an issue with bolts, nuts or screws becoming loose since I put "Blue Loctite" on them during assembly. Using "White Lithium Grease" on the movable parts has resulted in no squeaks with one exception. The plastic Foot Pedals squeaked where they met the metal Foot Bar. I solved this issue by taking a piece of the thin foam sheet of packing material from the box, cutting it to fit the Foot Pedal and placing it between the Foot Pedal and Foot Bar. No more squeaks. UP-DATE: 01-18-2015 We have had the Exerpeutic 100XL for 1 year now and it has performed great. The machine is used in the winter months when we can't get outside to walk. I started out doing 4 min. then worked up to 10, now I am able to workout for 30 min. Because we used the "Blue Loctite" and "White Lithium Grease" during assembly we have had no issues with nuts or bolts coming loose and no squeaks at all. We are very happy with this exercise machine and would recommend it to anyone looking for a way to get some exercise at home in a small area.