After trying out about a dozen different elliptical exercisers in sporting stores, I eventually bought the Gazelle Edge. It is a great little excercise machine but does have some short comings.I opted for this one because:1. PRICE: After trying out the ellipticals it became very clear that cheap ellipticals are incredibly uncomfortable to use. The motion on machines under $750 was either jerky or the short stride lead to the machine feeling more like a stepper than an elliptical. Many of the low line models were not all that stable. Of the mid-range steppers, I almost bought the Horizons E70 on sale for about $550 (marked down from the mid-$700s). This machine lacked a lot of options but did have the most natural motion I could find in a stepper in this range. Nevertheless, the motion on the Gazelle (they had the souped up Freestyle with thumb-pulse) was at least as good. The price on the Freestyle is about $200 on Amazon.com and the basic model is less than $1002. REVIEWS: Canvassing the internet, the Gazelle had a high satisfaction rates on a number of websites, including Amazon reviews. The low to mid-range ellipticals appeared to have poor reliability ratings and most reviews showed low satisfaction.3. BASIC MACHINE: It appeared to be a basic no-frills machine. If I was going to buy something at a low price range with few options, this one was as good as any other and far cheaper. It is also more light-weight and portable than any of the ellipticals I tried.After purchasing, I feel like I've hit the jackpot. The machine was easy to assemble, given its simple mechanism and few working parts. It offers a reasonable, comfortable workout and is remarkably stable. It also folds down flat for storage and weighs only about 40 lbs. It also requires little room to use. The manual recommends 3 feet in front and behind the machine, but 2 ? seemed to suffice for me. So far my machine is remarkably smooth and silent. There have been reports of squeaking, but I have not experienced this. The manual suggests lubing the machine with vasoline if this occurs... Despite the fact that Tony Little makes annoying infomercials, I think he has a winner in this machine.Nevertheless, it is important to realize that the machine has certain limitations:1. This is NOT a $1,500 Nordic Track Elliptical. It doesn't have the programs, options, and fluid movement of a high-line elliptical trainer. If you want such a model, you will have to spend the money to buy one. That being said, this machine will not approach the smoothness/comfort of the expensive ellipticals and is really not comparable.2. This is NOT an elliptical trainer. The motion is different, pleasant though it may be.3. The machine has NO built-in training programs. You have to either buy Tony Little's exercise tapes or make up a program as you go along. I did not opt to buy these, so I can't comment on them. There are purportedly 7 different exercises that you can do on the Gazelle, but in reality there are only three that I can discern: You can `Gazelle in the neutral position, leaning back, or leaning forward. The other `exercises' involve different grip heights, letting go/swinging your arms at your sides, bending your knees for a lower/longer stride, and `gazelling' on your toes. The latter variations don't really count for me as different exercises, but that's only my opinion.4. The basic machine has NO resistance adjustment. The `Freestyle' and `Pro' models appear to have hydraulic resistance that is adjustable to three levels. Having tried the Freestyle in the store, the hydraulic pistons did add resistance but seemed to make the motion a little less natural for me. Additionally, there was no way to adjust these while exercising. One would have to stop. Get off the machine. Adjust the resistance and resume exercising. Lower line ellipticals can be adjusted while exercising, the Gazelle cannot. Despite the lack of resistance, you can still get a good beginner to intermediate workout on this machine. It is certainly good for people just beginning a fitness program. I alternate aerobic and exercise training for 30 to 40 minutes, 6 days a week and have been doing so for over two years. I would consider myself to be an intermediate to advanced level and was able to raise my heart rate to the target range on this machine.5. It has an INADEQUATE fitness computer. The fitness computer tell you your speed, how far you have `travelled', the number of calories burned, and the time on the machine. Being a skeptic, I think the only reliable feature would be the time and possibly `distance'. I'm not knocking the company. Knowing how much time you have spent on the device is my most important issue. I could imagine using the `distance' counter as a measure of when to stop the workout. I just don't know exactly what `speed' means or howe exactly it calculates `distance' traveled or how the device calculates the number of calories when it doesn't know your weight or the exact amount of applied resistance.Having demoed the Freestyle, I don't think that the hydraulic pistons are worth the extra $100+ for the inexperienced Gazeller. (After a few months, I might change my mind about this but I don't think so.) You can also buy a number of other models which appear to have more heavy-duty tubing and extra's like water bottle holders. For my purposes, the basic machine appears to be just right. I wasn't about to plunk down more money for a cupholder or an advanced computer. The thumb pulse feature might be helpful to see if you achieve your target heart rate, but you can buy an inexpensive wrist monitor separately and use it when walking, jogging, or when you are one other equipment.To my mind, the way to make this machine better would be to add a magnetic (or even friction) resistance feature that could be adjusted during exercise. It could be made even better by adding fitness programs that could adjust the resistance for you.6. Despite the title 'Fitness System' the Gazelle is NOT a complete workout. This is aerobic exercise only and most professionals recommend some weight training to supplement aerobic exercise to maximize weight loss. Tony Little implies on his infomercial that the Gazelle incorporates strength training as well as aerobic training. Unless he is doing something different than is described in the manual, this is really only aerobic training.I don't think there is a better machine at this price. The midrange ellipticals were very uncomfortable to ride and appear to have a lot of mechanical problems. I would strongly recommend actually trying out the machines in a store before you buy on line. The only way to know if a machine is comfortable is to actually try it. If you are a more advanced exerciser, you might want to opt to invest in the bigger/expensive machines of the type that are used in gyms or by physical therapists. But if you are like me and want just a basic machine at a bargain price, this could be the one for you.I usually don’t take time to write reviews, but this machine is too good to not encourage people to try it. I have been looking for a machine that will give me a decent workout without being to hard on my joints. This fits the bill and it’s actually fun to do. I get my heart rate up, I sweat, and I feel it all of my muscles. Best of all, I enjoy doing it and just want to keep going.I put it together by myself( I’m 58 female). It took me about 30 minutes. Oh and it’s almost silent when using.I’ve only been using this a week, but so far, combined with walking and watching what I eat, I’ve lost almost three pounds.I figure when I get really proficient I can add resistance bands to make it harder.I would recommend a two-person team for assembly, and let's be honest about the recommended tools. The provided tools are functional, but a socket set will make this MUCH better. Being forewarned about size of nuts would be good too. Some people have tools, some people need to borrow from a friend, so please consider providing data. BTW I am pleased with the end product.This machine makes zero noise. Putting it together was easy. Took me 30 minutes all in and I did it by myself.First impression on the workout possibilities of this machine is it’s going to be very lightweight. Nothing strenuous, more like stretching, but I may change my mind over the long term.It came well packaged and took about an hour to put together. Easy to use but a little squeaky. Too early to tell how long it’ll last. I get a good workout while watching tvProduct came 2 days early. Assembly was a breeze. I use it watching my favorite shows no noise what so everI bought this to get exercise and lose some weight. First, it was pretty easy to put together. I did most myself, but needed a bit of help putting the two main pieces together. Just someone to hold while I pushed them together. For exercise, I started with 10 minutes in the am, and 10 minutes in the pm. Not enough. Moved to 15 minutes twice a day. Now at 20 minutes 4x day. It’s good exercise. My legs look amazing. Losing weight slowly, but not really dieting. I am 60 yo, 5’4” tall. I actually look forward to exercising now. Watching tv while striding is really easy. Before I know it, my time is done. I recommend striding for 15 minutes after each meal. It helps with digestion. Good luck and Happy Striding!All you gotta do is use it exercise move your bodyThis deserves five stars because it's all that they say it is and more. Comes with quick set up guide, nutrition guide, operations manual and DVD. Quick set up guide could have been designed better.At first it seemed a bit confusing but once I dove in, it all fell into place. Set up took me about 40 minutes but it could be done in 25, I just took my time and made sure everything was right.They even give an extra wrench, bolts and washers as spares. The fitness computer is made of cheap plastic but it works good so far. This is one of the best fitness peices I ever bought. It's super easy to use and I feel like it was meant for me.Right now I'm weighing at about 175 and need to trim some fat off the waist line. I'll give an update after 6 months.Assembly was quite smooth (only about 10 bolts). It went together in less than 1/2 hour.If you're looking for a whole pile of options, you won't find them here....but for me that's an upside. First and foremost, this is likely the primary reason for keeping the price down. It also means the features that it does have are well engineered and function well.There are quite a few different ways you can use it (altering your hand placement, stride, angle etc) to target different parts of the body and get a pretty decent workout in. It comes with a DVD that, although horribly old (circa 2003 or so I think), it still provides great instruction. It's easy to follow, a decent pace and she does a good job explaining things as you go.I can really only think of one complaint at that is this: Given it's price point, I understand why it doesn't have certain things like a better computer, adjustable resistance etc. The only thing I wish they included was a water bottle holder. I'm sure they could find a way to include one without driving the cost way up. It's not a big deal, but I wish they had included one.All in all, a well built product that provides a good, no-frills workout.I use it for gliding. I used to cross country ski when I lived somewhere with snow and it is a terrific kind of exercise for overall fitness. The glider is the same type of exercise, for all four quadrants of your body, both arms and both legs. I really like the resistance and I really like how sturdy and secure it feels using it. I have one artificial knee and this machine is extremely easy on the knee joints. Overall, I am a VERY happy customer!!This is okay. I like how compact it is. I had a PRO glider before that allowed for different moves and I loved that, though it only had one level, like the Gazelle, I find that I worked harder and burned more calories even if only performing the gliding movement.The foot pedals are not comfortable. I've changed shoes three times but after an hour on this my feet are achy especially since they keep slipping.For those looking for a big calorie burn, this isn't for you. I am not new to fitness, take long strides, and go quite quickly and only burn a little over 400 calories in an hour. Compared to the 1000 cals I burn on an eliptical in an hour, the Gazelle cal burn is piddly.Purchased a Gazelle Edge in 2010 and used it diligently until hip replacement...once physio/ortho surgeon gave me 'thumbs up', I began using it again until the cable connection for left foot pad broke in February 2022.Tried other exercise routines but missed the efficiency of upper/lower body workout of Gazelle Edge...my new machine arrived promptly and my husband and I were able to assemble it without too much difficulty.I'm feeling good again and enjoying my daily workout...building up to being able to do 40 minutes per day averaging about 4 miles...now I can move without arthritic discomfort and my clothing fits comfortably again.