Hi,
I am new to this froum.
I spent the past few day's shopping for a Elliptical trainer in the sub $1000.00
price range. I saw a listing for a used Precor 5.21i In my price range.
From all I have read the Precor's are in a completely different league then the units in the price range I am looking at.
The Unit is listed as bought in 2002 and lightly used.
A couple of questions I have are... What should I be concerned about buying a used Precor?
What should I look for when checking the machine out?

Thanks,
Bob

There are a lot of things to be concerned with when purchasing a used unit no matter waht brand.

Most likely, the wear parts have been changed but there are some things you can look for.
1) Look at the wheels and see if they are new
2) Run your hand across the ramp where the wheels roll. If there are pits or scratches on the ramp, that needs to be replaced (or you will burn through the wheels).
3) Wiggle the arms (where the wheels attach) and see how much they move side to side. There may be a little movement but not much.
4) Check at the base of the ramp, where it attaches to the frame. Make sure the ramp is secure with no wobble and theres no rust at the base.
5) Ride the unit and make sure all the buttons on the display work properly; the speed, resistance, etc.; also make sure all the lights on the display work.
6) Check the serial number and see when the unit was actually manufactured (to verify their claims... This does not mean it was sold at the same time but it should be within a few months). The serial number system is as follows (for the older Precor models):
ZAJ02Q0005 would be:
Series = ZA
Month = J
Day = 02
Year = Q
Number that day = 0005
-Note- for the year of 2002, there are two letters, before 01-11-2002 it was an 'O' and after 01-11-08 it was changed to a 'P'. The 'O' looked too much like a zero.

7) Contact Precor with the serial number and see who they have as the original owner and sale date.
8) Check all the welds VERY carefully and look for any cracks in the frame.

Unless you can open the cover before purchase that's about all I can think of, off the top of my head.

Precor is a well known and respected brand. If you can see it is in condition and it works well then Im sure you wont run into too many problems.

I would recommend at least checking out a like model of the Precor before you buy. There is no doubt that Precor makes a great reliable machine, but they are not for everyone. I was in the market for an elliptical and Precor was at the top of my list from the reviews, but that changed after I tried one out at a local gym. I just never felt comfortable on the machine (felt like I was having to lean at an odd angle and my knees ached after workouts). This happened after trying several different of the Precor models with and without the ramp. One of the trainers told me that the Precor machines were not built for tall people (I'm 6'2"), so maybe this was the problem. Anyhow I was much more comfortable on the Lifefitness and Smooth machines and ended up getting a Smooth.