There are some super helpful reviews which I read before purchase. As stated assembly time takes a bit but it’s easy. The 2 problems I refer to are:

1) the hard plastic handlebars – without gloves you can blister.

2) The velcro foot straps seem to loosen.

Here is how I ‘fixed’ the two “BIG” problems.

For the first fix I bought the largest pair of rubber handlebar grips (US 6.99) and with a little dish soap got them all the way onto the handles, so you don’t need bike riding gloves.

Fix 2, I bought 2- 18 inch bungee cords (US 4.99) and hooked them under the footrests. The hooks on the bungee cords fit perfectly into upper and lower strap slots on the foot rests. Now when I “get into” the footrests I just lift the already attached bungee cord and slide my foot in. No strapping, wrestling or groaning. And my heel doesn’t slip out of the foot rest.

Anyway – the kadett is now perfect. It’s an incredibly well built machine.

I tried most of the rowing machines before, this one is the most realistic stimulation of the life rowing. Also excellent steady workmanship and fun to use. Love it all 200%. Worth every penny.

I am 63 years old and last year I was tapped on my shoulder and reminded I was mortal. I decided to start taking care of myself. When I was younger I worked out with weights, but gave that up and gave them away many years ago. I recently purchased some dumbells and did the normal exercises, but it became boring. I knew what ever I did I would have to do for the rest of my life. I started looking at rowing machines.

I have learned that you generally get what you pay for. I did not want to get one where mechanical problems got in the way of exercise. Looked at the lower cost machines (I can be cheap), then looked a the Concept 2. I probably would have gotten the Concept 2 except for the length, I settled for the Kettler.

True to the other reviews the Kettler arrived in 5 days and was missing parts in my case the footrests. Kettler USA without any questions sent them with 3 day shipping.

It does take 1 1/2 hours to put together, mainly by following pictures, it is not rocket science. The piston adjustment numbers are alittle off, that is not a problem you adjust them so they are equal. The “computer” is in German, that is not a problem unless you believe the world should be in English and you can not remember what 5 digital readouts mean.

There are only two things I do not like about the Kettler

1) It assumes you know how to use the rowing machine, it comes with no instructions on rowing form, this is solved by going on the internet and watching some videos on YouTube;

2) The ear pulse heart monitor with its wire drives me craze, I purchased a Omron HR 100c heart rate monitor from Amazon for about $35 it comes with a handle bar mount that works great. If you are my age I suggest you use a heart rate monitor, it will keep you from over doing it on the machine. You do not want people to say “he died while rowing in his backyard”.

What I like about the Kettler

1) it is a solid machine and probably will not wear out so I will not get a chance buy a Concept 2;

2) its fluid rowing motion is low impact on joints something we old folks need; 3) it is relaxing and fun way to excerise;

3) my blood pressure is dropping as is my glucose level and I feel better. I am happy I made the investment.

One last note that maybe helpful to those that have footrest/tiedown problems. I strapped a pair of loose fitting Crocs permanently on foot rests so I would not have to deal with the velcro straps every time I get on the machine. All I need to do now is slip my feet into the Crocs and off I go.

August 11 – Had a part that failed, that can only be blamed on poor quality controls at Kettler. If it was not for the superior customer service in thier parts department this product would loose some shine. The parts department again without question shipped me a replacement part which I received within 7 days. I still consider it a good investment.

This machine exactly mimics rowing a real row boat. Not just a single handle in the middle that you grab with both hands and pull like most other so called rowing machines ! At first I almost had the urge to look behind me to make sure I was not going to run into something with the boat!!!

This is a very high quality piece of equipment that will last. I’ve watched many video demonstrations and researched several other models and found that the Kettler Kadet is in a league of its own. Nothing I viewed even came close to the rugged durability of this machine.

I read many reviews and found that lots of people who have purchased other machines have had buyer’s remorse and wish they would have spent the extra money for this machine. This is not a flimsy, unstable or disposable piece of equipment but rather a high quality German engineered and manufactured machine that will stand up to the most serious exerciser for years to come.

The price tag for this machine is slightly higher than many other rowing machines but since I am not exactly rolling in the money I had to consider all the alternatives. Do I buy one of the cheaper machines that I know will have to replaced or repaired after a short time, like so many other reviewers complained about, or bite the bullet, pay just a little bit more now and get a machine that will last?

In the end I bought the better machine because it is going to save me money and frustration in the long run. And I am glad to say that after using my machine for a while that I could not be happier with my decision!

Instructions are in English contrary to some reviews. Comes with a heart rate monitor – which most cheaper machines do not. Foot rests are adjustable to accommodate tall or short people. Comes with all the tools needed for assembly! All parts, screws ,etc… were present in box.

In summary I have just one word to describe my buying experience and overall satisfaction with this product ——- PERFECT

I initially tried to order my Kettler Kadett from a company called Mercantila, a.k.a. Rowingmachines.com. It was a complete disaster and nightmare including some false advertising, trying to cover up some mistakes on their part which caused about a month of delays, some horrible customer service (or lack thereof), some false charges, and a lot of headaches. Eventually enough was enough and I wound up ordering it directly from Amazon, which cost me a few bucks more, but was well worth it.

The machine comes mostly disassembled and took about an hour and a half to put together. There were a few confusing moments as the instructions are only pictures and no text, so making sure you have the right part takes a little extra focus. It came with all the tools necessary except an allen wrench which was necessary for one small thing.

In terms of overall quality, it’s very high. I’m not concerned about this thing breaking, nor does it rattle or have ill-fitting parts. That said, the housing for the computer is a little wimpy and doesn’t attach very securely to the main body as I’ve knocked it off a couple times. A small piece of tape at the base has kept it firmly locked into place since.

Some people have complained about the location of the straps on the foot plates. I actually find their location ideal, although they do tend to loosen themselves during a workout. I made a trip down to the store and bought some velcro which I sewed onto the straps. It took 15 minutes to do and I now have the best foot straps in the world.

The best thing about this machine, and the reason I bought it, is that it REALLY DOES in fact mimic an actual rowing motion. When I close my eyes I can actually believe I’m on a boat on the water which makes my workouts much more pleasant. So for anyone with any doubts, you can in fact believe the hype, it IS like rowing a boat.

Additionally, all the action is very smooth. The seat is very sturdy and comfortable and it doesn’t wobble. The arms are also smooth and the grips spin freely.

One other reason I bought this machine is that I’m very tall and the Kadett adjusts to accommodate my size. It does this by placing the footboards on a center beam that slides inside the central housing. This beam can be adjusted allowing my incredibly long logs to get a full complete extension without the seat hitting the end of it’s track.

Although it takes up a lot of space during use due to the outrigger style “oars”, it does fold up to the size of a traditional hydraulic rowing machine in about 30 seconds. I keep mine leaned up against a wall and out of the way in an adjacent room, and as it’s not very heavy it isn’t a big deal pulling it out every morning.

One problem I did discover, is that the numbers on one of my adjustable hydraulic pistons is misaligned. So it was a minor nuisance to set the resistance initially as I had to do it by feel.

In preview, the Kadette appears to be overpriced compared to virtually all other hydraulic rowing machines. But it really is a completely different kind of animal in terms of the rowing action that makes it worth the price tag. It still suffers from a slow start as the pistons come up to temperature like any other hydraulic rowing machine, but the rowing motion is like heaven.