Pricecheck on model C PM2

[Stormy_morning]

Hi guys,

I've been looking at purchasing a second hand concept 2. I ran into a guy selling a model C PM2 selling it for 500 euro's. He provided some photo's (haven't seen the machine IRL) and he put 365k lifemeters on it so far.

I was wondering if this was a decent price to buy it for or that I should keep looking. Also, what other pointers should I be looking for when purchasing second hand?

Cheers!

[Citroen]

That price seems too high. You shouldn't pay more than USD $450 (in your local currency units) for any model C with PM2 because sooner or later you're going to have to spend at least USD $180 on a new PM5. Just starting out with periodic maintenance you probably need a new handle, new chain and new cords.

They stopped production in 2003 so it's at least twelve years old. 365,000 metres seems too low for a machine that's at least twelve years old, remember the odometer on a PM2 counts in 1000s, so is that 365,000,000 metres (on an old ex-gym machine). As a comparison I've rowed more than 17,500,000 on gym machines since May 2004.

[Carl Watts]

Rowers are cheaper in the USA than anywhere else but there seams to be a problem with the secondhand market in general in that the rowers are overpriced.

Always compare to a new one, which was what I did and saving 10-20% off the cost of a new one for something old, even the early model D which can now be over 10 years old is a waste of time so I bought a new rower.

As pointed out the electronics are a problem now and unless that PM2 is mint and has never had a battery leak then factor in a new monitor and other work.

I would expect to pickup a Model C now for well under half the price of a new Model D

[Hollywood_Kuma]

300 euros is the correct price if it is in good condition, not 500. The exorbitant asking price for such an old erg means you are dealing with a comedian.

365k is also a suspiciously low amount of metres for a machine that, as Citroen says, is at least 12 years old. That's an average of 2,500 metres a month. Unless it's been is storage and unused, I doubt that number is legitimate. Note that you can't trust the "lifetime metres" on the monitor, as this is easy to reset.

Even if your guy comes down to a sensible price, I would still jump on it and do 5k with a few power 10s and, as Carl says, check the monitor carefully before you part with any money.

[Balkan boy]

It really depends on your location.
If someone offered me that deal, I'd be buying immediately. There aren't any C2 ergs for sale here.
I was looking for a used Model C or D all over Europe, and finally decided a new machine makes more sense.

People who payed 1200€ for a C2 want their money back, and know they can get it.
That is a high price for Model C, even if it's as-new. If you're keen on rowing, you're going to want to upgrade to PM5 soon. For a 200€ more you can get a home-used Model D with PM3.

This goes for any used machine you consider:
Get on it and pull a few hard strokes. See if the seat rollers slide nicely. Rolling should be smooth and without noise. Look at the chain. It should be clean and straight. Listen to the flywheel, sprocket and bearings. There should be whirling noise, but no screeching or grinding. Everything should be completely smooth.
Test the drag factor. This will tell you how clean the machine is on the inside and how it was maintained. You're looking for numbers around 100 at handle setting 1 and 200 at handle setting 10.
Check for rust around on all metal areas. Don't buy anything with rust.

[Citroen]

I was looking for a used Model C or D all over Europe, and finally decided a new machine makes more sense.

That, in a nutshell, is the correct answer for the original Dutch poster.