Fitness equipment can be extremely expensive when new, which is why many people choose to buy second hand. While there are many owners of these machines who bought them and never used them, there are also some real garbage pieces of equipment out there, so you need to be careful when making a purchase. Here are a few tips on what to keep in mind when looking at used fitness equipment to buy.
Reading up on the type of fitness equipment you want to buy ahead of time will help you greatly once you are actually ready to make your purchase. You should know what features you are looking for as well as have a good idea of the standard price of the equipment when new. This will help you decide if the used equipment price is worth your while. Also, you should know what price you want to pay, so you will better able to negotiate.
Finding used fitness equipment shouldn’t be too difficult since a large number of units are sold right after New Year’s when everyone has made their resolution to get fit. About six months later, many people decide they are better off taking a loss and selling their new machines instead of having them sit around the house! This means big savings for you, if you know what to look for and which questions to ask.
Used fitness equipment is often sold in garage sales as well, these may be relatively new or fairly ancient items. You will usually know by looking at them. However, even newer equipment will be priced far lower than in a private sale, so it is a good idea to check out any garage sale that lists fitness equipment as one of the items that it is selling.
Check out your potential purchase very carefully. You should be able to test it, if not, walk away. Fitness equipment is a major purchase, even at the used discount price, and it is not worth buying something only to find out at home that it doesn’t work as promised!
All moving parts should slide easily and without making noises. If something is squeaking, it might just need some oil, but if you hear clanking (that isn’t coming from weights) then you should avoid the item. Check to make sure that all the wires and cords are intact, no fraying or wear should be evident since these parts could then break and cause serious injury.
Another thing that you should check out when thinking about buying a new piece of fitness equipment is the electronic side of things. Is the display screen clear? Do all of the functions work? This is something that is better to do now. Also, some owners will still have the guarantee and may be willing to hand it over if the machine is less than a year old. This is a great help to you in case the fitness equipment later breaks down for some reason, you can still get it fixed under the warranty.
Buying used fitness equipment is the best choice you can make. You will be able to get fit for a fraction of the cost and without hassle if you follow the above tips.
