Used Bowflex: Where to Find and What to Know before You Buy
Due to their sturdy construction and the continuing promotion of Bowflex, the Bowflex machines retain their value fairly well. That means it's hard to find a really cheap Bowflex, but it also means once you get one, it's not going to fall apart on you. And sometimes you can get lucky and find deals.
The two main places to look for a used Bowflex are on eBay and in your local classifieds. Don't bother doing a Google search because even if someone listed one on their site, it would likely be sold by the time the listing appeared in the search engine.
Used Bowflex and the Classifieds
Depending on the size of the area you live in, the classifieds may or may not be helpful. At the very least, expect to spend weeks or months before finding the model you want. However, Bowflex machines are not light, and if you can find one locally, you can save on shipping costs of $100 or more. This also gives you the opportunity to try it out before you commit to buying.
Used Bowflex on eBay
There are usually four or five pages related to Bowflex whenever I do a search on eBay. Let's face it; a lot of people buy them and never use them again. Bad for them, good for you. The stiff competition drops the prices a bit.
There are also several sellers who make a living buying fitness equipment locally and reselling it on eBay. These people are typically experienced with packaging and shipping. Sometimes, they will only disassemble your Bowflex as much as is needed to ship it, thus making reassembly simple. To find these experienced sellers, look for sellers with high feedback and make sure their ratings are positive. Be very wary of buying something as expensive as a Bowflex from somebody with no or low feedback (by be very wary, I mean don't do it).
Best of Both Worlds
Sometimes, you can find people selling Bowflex on eBay who are also local to you. In such cases, most sellers will be happy to let you pick it up in order to avoid the hassle of packaging and shipping. As with the classifieds, it may take a little longer to find just the Bowflex you're looking for at the cost you're willing to pay, but it may be worth it to avoid shipping costs.
Tip:
If you don't find what you're looking for listed the first time you search on eBay, go to advanced search, enter Bowflex (model) into the search box and check Show Only Items near Me (you may have to add this from the search options menu). After you do the search, eBay will give you the option to send e-mail when new items appear that fit your specifications. In this way, you can find out when somebody lists a Bowflex in your hometown without having to check every day.
What You Should Know before Buying a Used Bowflex
In general, Bowflex holds up well over time. Some people have said the power rods lose some of their tension over the years (this is disputed). However, most people who sell their Bowflex never really used it much, so there's a good chance you'll get a near new machine.
What you should do before buying:
- Ask to see pictures (not stock pictures) of the actual unit.
- If the Bowflex is going to be shipped to you, find out how experienced the seller is with shipping and packaging large items.
- Find out how old the Bowflex is and ask what kind of use it's seen (remember, a number of the Power Pros were later found to need an upgrade for safety, so you may want to avoid that model unless the owner has the upgrade installed).
- Find out if the Bowflex is still under warranty and if the owner still has the paperwork.
- Find out if there are any missing pieces or "MacGyvered" parts.
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Make sure you have the cash; most people aren't going to finance you.
That's about it. The Bowflex doesn't have a lot of superfluous or moving parts, so it's pretty difficult to break. Be smart researching before you buy, and you'll enjoy your new used Bowflex as much as if you had paid the full price.