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Home gym machines are bought with good intentions and sold a year later, which makes the used market large and prices good. Buy a known brand you can get parts for, test it for at least five minutes, and plan the transport before you go: a treadmill can weigh over 100 kg.
The Concept2 RowErg (formerly Model D and Model E) is the safest buy on the whole fitness market. It is simple, built for gyms, every part is available, and it barely loses value. Check the chain for rust, pull it out fully and let it return smoothly, and look at the seat rollers and the rail for grooves. The PM5 monitor is the newer one; older PM3 and PM4 work but have fewer features.
WaterRower machines are also durable. Look for algae in the tank (add a purification tablet) and leaks at the seals. Cheap magnetic rowers from webshops are usually not worth buying used.
Treadmills are where most bad buys happen. Home models from Flow Fitness, Focus Fitness, Kettler, Tunturi and Horizon vary a lot. Commercial models from Life Fitness, Technogym, Precor and Matrix are built to run all day, but weigh 150 kg or more and often need a 16 amp outlet or a separate group, so check the plug and the specs.
Run on it at a jogging pace for several minutes. Listen for a rhythmic thump (worn belt or deck), slipping when you push off, or the motor straining. Look at the belt edges for fraying and under the belt for a dry, worn deck.
Hometrainers (upright bikes with a console) and spinning bikes are the easiest to buy used: few moving parts and light enough to move. Peloton bikes appear often; check whether the screen works and that the seller has removed the bike from their account, since a subscription is needed for the classes. Tunturi, Kettler and Schwinn bikes from the last decade are good basic buys.
On a spinning bike, check the flywheel spins freely, the resistance knob changes the load smoothly, and the emergency brake works when you press it.
Vibration plates, ab rollers with a TV-shop logo and folding multi-gyms with cables and pulleys tend to be sold for a reason: they are uncomfortable, rattle or are hard to adjust. Old treadmills without a brand name or model number are a gamble, because a single worn motor board can cost more than the machine is worth. If the seller says 'works, only needs a new belt', assume you are buying a project.
Ask the weight before you go. A folding home treadmill can be 70-100 kg, a Concept2 is around 26 kg and splits in two, a spinning bike is 40-60 kg. Most sellers will not help carry a treadmill down three flights of stairs. Measure your ceiling too: on a treadmill you rise about 20 cm, and a tall runner needs room above their head.
Crosstrainers (elliptical machines) are long and awkward, and the cheap ones wobble. Test one carefully before committing to the transport.
Prices are highest in January and lowest in late spring and summer. If you want, say, a Concept2 with PM5 under 800 euro within 30 km, vindje.com can read the descriptions and drop the monitor-only and parts listings that a keyword search mixes in.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Concept2 RowErg / Model D with PM5 | EUR 600-900 |
| WaterRower | EUR 450-850 |
| Home folding treadmill (Flow, Focus, Tunturi) | EUR 100-400 |
| Commercial treadmill (Life Fitness, Technogym) | EUR 700-2000 |
| Hometrainer or spinning bike | EUR 50-250 |
| Peloton Bike | EUR 400-900 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Concept2 rowing machine with PM5 monitor, in good working order, under 800 euro, within 30 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
It can be, if it is a decent brand, runs smoothly at speed and you can get it home. Cheap folding models often have worn belts and weak motors.
The Concept2 RowErg. Parts are easy to find, it lasts for years and resells close to what you paid.
Home models weigh around 60-100 kg, commercial gym models 150 kg or more. Plan for two people and a van.
It works as a basic bike, but the classes need a membership. Make sure the seller has removed the bike from their account.