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The rowing machine is a great exercise equipment, able to provide both aerobic and muscle-building workouts. As with many useful things, they can be expensive with the average unit costing $500. There’s, of course, a wide range of prices both below and above that, but if you’re looking for a suitable home rowing machine with the right balance of features, you’ll likely be shelling out an amount somewhere in that neighborhood.

If you want to save money on your exercise equipment purchase, getting a used rowing machine is, of course, one way to do it. Do keep in mind the necessary precautions when buying any sort of used item, though. They’ll usually come with missing manuals, a few signs of wear and may not perform in peak condition. If you’re comfortable dealing with those potential problems and don’t find them to be deal breakers of any sort, then a used rowing machine is likely for you.

Now comes the hard part – finding a good used rowing machine. Where exactly do you find decent-grade, acceptable-quality used rowing machine units?

Local Classifieds

When buying a used rowing machine, it’s always best if you can get them locally. Since they’re local, you won’t need to fork much cash for shipping and delivery nor will you have a hard time visiting the seller when problems occur with the unit.

For finding used local items for sale, nothing beats combing through classified ads. Filled with all sorts of people selling all sorts of things, the classifieds section of your local newspaper is a good first reference when you’re trying to shop for used goods. Some cities will even have papers whose sole purpose is to facilitate classified ads – they are usually your best bet for finding second-hand fitness equipment like a used rowing machine.

Online

There are various places online where you can chance upon great deals on fitness equipment like a used rowing machine. Internet classifieds like Craigslist even have them grouped by locales, so you can try searching for a used rowing machine in your area first before moving on to adjacent cities.

Auction sites like eBay usually have several used rowing machine units on sale at any one time. Be wary of the many reported problems with auction sites though, from unscrupulous sellers to sky-high shipping fees on large items like a used rowing machine.

Large online retailers usually sell both brand new and used versions of products. Sites like Amazon, Big Fitness and The Rowing Machine Superstore will usually have second hand units for sale along with the brand new equipment they have in stock. Shopping for a used rowing machine from these reputable merchants give you the added security of having someone to call in case problems turn up in the unit. Because they are basically a third-party facilitating the sale, their prices might prove a bit higher than the ones you can find across classified ads and eBay though.