Customer Rating: 
Summary: Slow customer service, but they stand behind their product
Comment: I purchased this for my wife she runs three miles a day on it. It developed a squeak in the first couple of weeks. A tech was sent out to fix the problem but that didn't last very long. After a few calls and emails and about 4 weeks Schwinn sent us a whole new machine and told us to keep the squeaky one. Now I have two a quiet one and a squeaky one for one low price. We've had the new one for 3 1/2 months and have had no complaints.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Very nice
Comment: Took a couple hours to put it together, it doesn't squeek, and provided hours of a good workout so far. The only complaint is that some of the parts ocassionally come loose but I just tighten and move on.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Comment: This elliptical definately is not the best however, for non-commercial/home use it's not bad.
Our elliptical was delivered in a timely manner with all of the packaging intact. I put the elliptical together on my own in about 2 hours (with little people interruptions). I'm sure that without them I could have completed the task quicker.
After putting the elliptical together it ran well. Not one sound and very smooth. It has been a few weeks of daily use and now there is a slight knocking noise. It is a problem, maybe but the elliptical still runs very smoothly.
Though this elliptical cannot compare to the ranks of Sole or higher priced/quality models. I would call this purchase a "good buy." Just make sure to take advantage of the warranty before it expires
Customer Rating:
Summary: timely service lacking
Comment: When the elliptical works we love it. Bought it in April. Electrical issues began July 2. It is now Sept. and it still doesn't work properly. Problem has been getting service to show up in a timely manner. Have now waited another week since reporting a problem and still haven't heard from the repair person. If you buy this equipment, an extended warranty is a must. Now if we could only get someone to show up and truly fix it...
Customer Rating:
Summary: Squeaky, but still a good value
Comment: My wife researched elliptical machines for several months. We looked at a wide range of machines, from entry level to gym quality. We ultimately decided on the Schwinn 430 due to the small footprint, the stride, and the solid feeling of the machine given its price point. My biggest reservation came while reading comments from numerous reviewers about squeaking issues.
After carefully assembling the machine, I got on for a test ride. Smooth and quiet! Excellent, I thought. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. The next morning my wife got on for her first workout. Exactly two minutes into her routine, a soft clunking sound started coming from the left handlebar central pivot. Two minutes later, a squeaking noise started. By the end of her 30 minute workout, there was squeaking coming from both handlebar pivot points that was so loud I had to crank the TV up to hear the dialogue! I guess I wasn't so lucky.
In my opinion, the Achilles' heel of this machine is the design of the central handlebar pivot point mechanism. Each pivot consists of a plastic "bushing" and a metal axle. The axle and bushings come from the factory with a very light coat of grease. In the case of my machine, clearly not enough lubrication was applied to prevent squeaking. In addition, because the bushings are lightly coated with grease, they attracted black plastic "sawdust" and other small fragments during manufacture and shipping. This debris may have also contributed to my squeaking issues. The fix was fairly easy. I disassembled the offending squeaking points, cleaned all of the grease and plastic debris off of the bushings and axles and then re-applied a coat of synthetic white lithium grease to all contact points. I used synthetic grease as I've read that petroleum based grease may break down plastic parts over time.... I reassembled everything and during a subsequent 30 minute workout session the machine was squeak free. In my opinion, Schwinn could solve this whole issue by simply supplying a tube of high-quality grease and leaving the pivot points clean. I guess they assume that the pre-applied lubricant will get most machines through the 90 day labor warranty period without squeaks.... Perhaps I'm too cynical.
So what's the long term life expectancy of the machine and maintenance requirements? Not sure. I imagine that I'll have to perform the above steps for the other pivot points and will likely need to repeat the process for all pivot points on some periodic basis. If the pivot points stay lubricated, I'm hoping the plastic bushings hold up for 5 years or more. At which point, I'll feel like I've gotten good value out of the machine. Perhaps, worn bushings will be replaceable as necessary.... That could extend the life of the machine indefinitely.
I give the machine three stars because it is a good value for the price point. Be aware that you may get squeaking issues right out of the box or experience the issue at some point down the road. Additional lubrication appears to solve the problem (at least based on my short term experience). I'll update this review at some point in the future if/when the handlebar pivot points start squeaking again. That's my first hand info for anyone considering this purchase. Cheers!
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