STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

post continued...

What I recommend is doing some research, and going to some fitness shops and try them for yourself to see what feels best.

My sources for research were:
http://www.treadmillsensei.com/

and consumer reports -- I'll just post the reviews since you need a membership to view them:

Buying advice Elliptical exercisers

Look for well-designed handles. If you choose to hold on to the nonmoving hand grips instead of the back-and-forth handles, watch out that the handles don't whack you in the arms. Wide pedals are preferable to narrow ones. Also be sure to look for a model with a safety rim around both sides of the pedals.

Most models have exercise programs that adjust pedaling difficulty automatically as you work out, but some have programs that are easier to operate. Adjustable incline, available on some models, lets you change the elliptical profile and the exercise intensity.

A heart-rate monitor is normally included, but sometimes is only available at an extra cost. Models that use a chest-strap tend to be more accurate and convenient than those with a handgrip or thumb-sensor monitor.

A safety pin on some models goes through the pedal arm to keep unsupervised children from using the machine. Among the reasons to keep kids away are pinch points on some models.
Buying advice Elliptical exercisers
This relative newbie to the exercise field is growing in popularity

Elliptical exercisers are part stair-climber, part cross-country-ski machine. Your feet move in flattened circles--an elliptical pattern. The workout value comes from resistance that slows the machine's flywheel as you try to turn it.

A home elliptical trainer offers the convenience of not having to plan your workouts around the weather or off-peak hours at the gym. In a 65 percent increase from the year before, 3.3 million Americans regularly worked out on an elliptical exerciser in 2003. Ellipticals have caught on big for a number of reasons: The pedaling is easy on the joints (an advantage over treadmills); the exercise is weight-bearing and helps protect against osteoporosis (an advantage over bicycling and swimming); models with movable arms add a modest upper-body workout (an advantage over most treadmills and exercise bikes); and using an elliptical is easy (an advantage over cross-country-ski machines, which require a degree of finesse). What's more, an elliptical lets you burn calories about as effectively as does a treadmill.

The effort to make exercise interesting and as pain-free as possible has led to an array of features. One useful device found on most ellipticals is electronic programming that automatically increases or decreases the workout's intensity, the way running up and down real hills does outdoors. You can also make the adjustments manually. On the gimmicky side, a growing number of ellipticals load the console with gadgets such as fans, a CD player, and a cubbyhole for a TV remote.

The disappointing news from our most recent tests is that a number of machines had problems, from annoying "clunking" sounds to mechanical failures that seriously affected performance. Our findings also suggest that you get what you pay for, especially if you work out frequently. Ellipticals that cost $2,000 and up were well-built and felt stable to our testers, more like the $5,000 machines at gyms. And they were less likely to have defects.


WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Models costing less than $1,000 include Fitness Quest, Horizon Fitness, Keys Fitness, and Icon Fitness' Reebok, Nordic Track, and Proform brands. They're sold in big stores like Sears, The Sports Authority, and other national sporting-goods chains. Models that cost up to $2,000 are sold in specialty sports stores or online, under such brand names as Life Fitness, Nautilus, and Precor. The more-expensive machines tend to feel more solid, operate more smoothly, and have more features than the under-$1,000 models.

Price range: $500 to $1,000 (feel flimsier); $1,100 to $2,500 (approach the quality of those you'd find at a gym).


HOW TO CHOOSE

First decide whether you want to devote the money and space to a big exercise machine. A living-room workout is the height of convenience, but of course, you can get fit exercising outdoors or at a gym. If you decide to buy an elliptical exerciser, consider these tips:

Try it out first. Every model is a little different, so you shouldn't buy one before using it in the store. That's especially important with elliptical exercisers because the movement is less familiar than walking or running, and each machine has a slightly different pedaling profile.

Decide which features you'll use. Some, such as exercise programs, can make a workout more varied and less boring, which may get you on the machine more often. But don't pay for frills you don't care about.

Consider your space. Elliptical exercisers, most of which do not fold and are hard to move, take up as much floor space as a couch.

Make sure you can change your mind. Understand the store's return policies. Make sure the store will let you bring the machine back if you dislike using it.

DH and I bought one for ourselves for Christmas 2006.  We bought a Keys Fitness brand, but I can't remember the model.   I really would have liked to had a Precor, but it was out of my price range.  We picked it because it was smooth and not jumpy like a lot of the others we had tried (at places like Dick's, Sears, etc.)  We also went with it because a lot of the other ones had a very short stride length which did not work for my husband (he is 6'4").  I believe we paid about $1800 for ours, which was supposedly on sale.  We were able to bargain with the salesman on the price too because we paid cash and didn't use a credit card. 
We put our elliptical in our study and while it is not small, it's not too terribly big either.  I have been pleased with it - my only complaint is that my feet seem to fall asleep more than they do when I use the Precors at the gym.  I'm not really sure why that is.  Mine doesn't have the adjustable incline, I wish it did but that would have meant jumping up in price about $800 to $1000 more than what we paid. 
Hope that helps. 
The information D posted will be very valuable to you as you look. 

greendiamond wrote:

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D, I'm going to go out on a limb and say you bought a Commercial Nordic Track elliptical from Costco.

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Actually, I just looked at it it's a ProForm Epic EL 1200 Elliptical:

ProForm Epic EL 1200 Elliptical Information:

ProForm Epic EL 1200 Elliptical

Stop trouble spots with Quick Target Toning. This technology allows you to select the trouble spots you want to focus on and the elliptical does the rest. The Power Incline Ramp automatically configures to the right position and the elliptical controls your resistance throughout your entire workout. With upper-body workout arms, you also get the extra benefits of being able to work out both your upper and lower body-enabling you to get a better cardio workout and burn more calories. It also features commercial components so you can enjoy smooth, seamless operation. Additionally, the sophisticated controls are easy to use and make getting in shape hassle free.

ProForm Epic EL 1200 Elliptical Features:
Quick Target Toning
Target your trouble spots with these special programs designed to work specific areas of your body like glutes, quads, hamstrings, upper-body and more. Just press the muscle group you want to focus on and the elliptical will automatically control the resistance and the incline for you.

Power Incline Ramp
When you change the incline of an elliptical, it changes the shape of the elliptical stride, which alters the muscle groups your workout focuses on. As a result, the El 1200's Power Incline Ramp allows you to work every muscle in your legs and glutes for better results.

SMR Silent Magnetic Resistance
This smooth, frictionless resistance system allows you to adjust your workout intensity without interrupting your workout. Choose from 16 resistance levels to target specific workout and conditioning goals.

Total-Body Cross Training
Allowing you to work both your upper and lower body, this elliptical lets you tone more muscle and burn more calories in less time. The upper body arms help tone your biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and back, while the pedal's elliptical striding action targets your hips, thighs and glutes.

14 Personal Trainer Workouts and 2 Create & Save Workouts
The EL 1200 comes with 14 Personal Trainer workouts that automatically adjust the resistance of the elliptical to focus on aerobic, weight loss, or performance goals. It also features 2 Create & Save workouts you can customize and save yourself.

Power Pulse Heart Rate Monitor
Make the most out of every workout by monitoring your heart rate with these sensors that are built into the handlebars to ensure you are in the right training zone for your goals.

GelStride Pedals
These large, non-slip pedals allow you a number of different foot positions and provide great stability as you exercise.

CoolAire Workout Fan
To help you work out longer and more comfortably, this elliptical has a workout fan built right into the console.

I got the same one D did from Costco - I looooved it.  Unfortunately it was defective and unable to be fixed, and by the time we found that out and returned it there weren't any more.  Now I have nearly the same model but with a Nordic track sticker on it and I like it almost just as much.  My one complaint is that IMO the arm bars don't have quite the range of motion that the ProForm one did, but I think the ramp design is stronger in the Nordic version.  The Nordic version is also nearly 6 inches shorter in length, if space is a concern.

Anyway, I still really like it and it's great to have around.  One thing I didn't think was a big deal but really is - the fan.  If I don't have it on, I poop out in about 20 minutes.  If the one you end up with doesn't have a fan built in, get one of the battery clip-on ones for it right away!