Got this functional trainer from Anhui Tap through Alibaba. ~$2600 delivered, including around $70 of "payment processing fees" from Alibaba, and $120ish for a Bureau Veritas inspection. Stainless uprights, two 100kg stacks, ARES 2.0 style.
Ordered June 24th, delivered September 30th.
REVIEW:
Seems solid and smooth. No complaints. Not Rogue quality, obviously, but looks plenty nice enough. The weights are compelled toward the center of the Earth, as expected. Love the tiny footprint.
EXPERIENCE:
I'm happy. After ordering I saw some people complaining about Anhui Tap, but my experience with them was good. There were some things that made me nervous along the way, but it all worked out fine. The rep wasn't very detailed when she added my customization requests to the quotation, but they delivered exactly what I asked for. The rep didn't warn me she was going to put an Alaska (I'm in California) shipping address on the order, but when I asked she assured me it was just a formality. Then I got a delivery confirmation notice from Alibaba saying my 2kg functional trainer had been delivered in Kentucky. Again, when I asked the rep said that was a formality too.
I'd seen warnings that factories were contacting buyers asking them to cover increased shipping costs, but that didn't happen to me.
I'd seen warnings that buyers would be asked to pay extra for lift gate delivery if they didn't have a forklift on hand, but that didn't happen to me either.
I didn't really end up needing the 3rd party inspection, but it was nice to know there weren't going to be any surprises when I opened the crate.
ISSUES:
Crate they shipped it in was a little flimsy. The bottom was sagging open and one side had a hole punched in it. The parts all arrived OK, but now I need to dispose of the crate instead of easily finding a taker for it on FB marketplace.
REGRETS:
I paid the deposit with my paypal balance. Should've used a credit card for layered coverage. When I paid the remainder, paypal didn't ask what payment source I wanted to use it remembered the one I used with the merchant before and automatically used the same one.
I wish I'd inquired about stainless nuts & bolts. Shipping is a killer, but upgrades that don't increase weight seem to be a great deal.
I should've spec'd a taller height. They'll pretty much built it however you want it.
I should've created a logo and had them cut it into the logo plate. I'm guessing that would've been free, I just didn't think of it.
It came with some nice J-Hooks, front "legs", and some beefy optional spotter arms but I'm not going to end up using any of these.
I tried buying a set of plates from 2 different sellers on Alibaba and couldn't even get an answer when I asked about the weight tolerance of the plates and total cost shipped.
The tiny footprint plus dual stacks is a lot of function for the space. The third-party inspection also sounds worth the peace of mind on a custom order, even if it didn't uncover anything.
Did you get any extras? I got mine with a smith and 120kg stacks for $3k from Tap. And that's with several add-ons and some dumbbells. Maybe the shipping cost was higher for yours.
That's the thigh pad for the lat pulldown. Not shown are a pair of 65 lb dumbbells, a chest support pad, a barbell holder, and various storage pins. The pegboard on the back also costs extra.
Steel bolts should be fine unless there's a LOT of moisture in your workout area (galvanic corrosion). Actually steel may be better than stainless for fasteners in this situation be cause stainless is a softer metal
Hopefully not being stainless steel is okay for the nuts and bolts then..
Another person seems to have liked the tornado arms. think posted in r/GarageGym quite recently. YMMV I guess. I'm looking to get it from Taobao since I have access to it (and a 3rd party shipper), but I'm getting reviews before I pull the trigger.
Looks nice - I just went through there Alibaba page and was surprised to find exact replicas (even the cables were adjusted the same way in the picture) like from a brand in Germany. So maybe they are manufacturing for quite a lot of reseller's...
Been so long since I ordered, I forget! The Dane 2.0 does look nice. Looks like it'd be around $3,500 today. When I placed my order originally, I hadn't bought the inspection, didn't know about the payment processing fees, and thought two 70kg stacks would be enough, so I was figuring cost was more like $2200. Maybe the Fringe wasn't on sale then and the price difference seemed like a lot.
I do like the dedicated low row and lat pulldown on mine also.
Yeah, Fringe is always running sales and their customer service is top notch. For a piece of equipment that I’ll use for 15 or more years, the limited lifetime warranty was worth the price. I bought the Dane 2.0 with support feet, low row foot stand, spotter arms, pull-up bar, lat pull down seat, j-hooks, and mammoth belt squat for $3,013. Being able to add additional attachments and not worry about compatibility is also a huge plus.
But when you buy the Ares, there are guarantees, customer service, and warranties. For $2,600 you could buy another reputable brand without the guesswork or hoping you get all the pieces in the mail and that they will fit together and function properly.
I bought a clone for $2400 USD. Had over a year, no issues. Why do I need "guarantees and warranties". It's a piece of metal. It's not complicated stuff. Also - customer service for what? Ship me the product, I'll build it and its made of 11 gauge steel....there's no tech support I need.
customer service for what - Ship me the product
This, you ever scan the complaint threads, it's because something was missing or broken in transit.
You're hoping that, hey bro its tony, packs your stuff right but will answer the phone when you're missing a pack of bolts and an upright.
I bought the rack w/ counterbalanced smith, 2x 265lb weight stacks, low row, lat pulldown, tornado arms, bench, and a bunch of attachments from Anhui in April and it was $3650 to my door.
If I could have afforded the extra $4,000, I probably would have gone with a name brand that has support + warranty. It's a risk, but for the price, it was plenty worth it. I think generally it comes down to budget and risk tolerance.
I didn't have any issues with my order, but I saw some people who did got them resolved in other threads. They helped me with installation and troubleshooting since the document wasn't super helpful.
Edit: 85lb adjustable dumbbells were also included int he price above (Nuobell clones)
These companies selling these clones are way beyond the thoughts of hoping it fits together. There are several that are actually improving the real ares 2.0 design, where Rep does nothing to solve the issues with their own racks.
People acting like we're talking about ordering tech with no support or warranty. This is simple mechanical hunks of metal. My rack from the same vendor OP ordered from is awesome, absolutely love it.
Yeah exactly. It’s not coming from mars. I Think people
Forget how much stuff comes from China - almost every piece of home gym equipment apart from a select few.
The “this comparable to a $4,000 Ares” is a big leap.I think it’s more likely that at the $2,600 price point the Dane is more comparable in terms of quality and having a company standing behind their product. If this knockoff is truly an Ares without the branding sure but the issue is that’s a big if.
You are welcome to believe that it is lower quality than the OP claims it is despite them having it in their house. That being said, REP products are manufactured in China as well.
I know why I wouldn’t buy this, that’s why I asked OP the question. What is the value they see in spending that kind of money on a questionable product.
The value is the savings. Bought a 6 post Ares clone, counter smith, aluminum pulleys, 100KG stacks, tornado arms and handful of attachments from the same manufacturer for $3400 shipped to my door. Same set up from Rep was $7.5K before tax and would need to get the tornado arms else where. If you’re worried about fit, order an inspection. I didn’t order one. They put my rack together and gave pics and videos of it before shipping it out.
Thickness is great, 11-gauge. It's ROCK solid. I had a rogue hr2 before this, with pull-up bar, loaded plate horns, and 3 shelves on the back. I could flex that one a little side to side if I threw my weight at it. This thing is an immovable object. That nameplate piece really stiffens it against sway. Everything functions smoothly. Not having any cable stretching/twisting issues so far.
The black finish isn't great. I wish it were more matte, and I already have some scratches and nicks in the paint (pictured) . Welds arent works of art (also pictured) but they seem fine. This place has been making these for a long time. One niceity I liked about my rogue, the bolt heads and nuts were all the same size. This one has two size bolt heads, and the nuts are a third size. But now it's assembled and I don't plan on moving so that'll be my wife's problem after I'm dead.
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