I ordered this for my boyfriends birthday. He specifically asked for this machine as he was looking into different brands and this one stuck out to him. So when we got it it was super easy to put together. Most of it is put together already! So in 5 steps it's done! As my boyfriend and I were putting it together we noticed the console was missing. We called the company and Cecelia R helped us so much! Got the part shipped the same day! I was nervous when I called Amazon and all they could do was a 30% discount on a new one from a different company. So I called Xterra and Cecelia R answered and took my information and stayed on the line just to make sure everything went through for us! It costed no extra fee or anything. I'm just extremely grateful Cecelia R answered and answered all our questions and helped us immediately!

I have had the ERG600W water rowing machine for a week now and are 1587 rowing strokes into it. The machine was nicely packaged in the box, and it needed little assembly - mount the stand legs, insert the seat, and attach the main tube to the already assembled main unit. The computer needs mounting, too, with four screws. The connection to the water wheel is on top, as is the water fill hole.

When upright to store, the water level is below the rotor shaft and the drain plug. I haven't seen any leakage in the upright or horizontal position. It comes with a siphon and a funnel. The siphon would be good to drain the water, but I used a gallon jug and the funnel to fill it. By the way, you might as well fill it to the top mark. Momentum keeps the water circulating as you slide forward, so once you get it going, you get more swoosh from having the highest water level (as indicated on the side of the unit near and below the fill port).

The unit no longer comes with the water tablets described in some of the reviews here. The chest strap for heart rate is also not included. They are both options that you can order from xterrafitness.com.

I do suggest putting a foot on the front stabilizer when lifting the unit into the storage position, in order to prevent the unit from rolling forward and crashing into the wall (or whatever is behind it).

This is my first experience with a rowing machine. I'm pretty pleased with it-- so far, so good. If anything breaks or stops working, I'll update this review.

My wife and I bought a pair before the new year. The boxes are heavy, but assembly was straight forward. After just over 1 week of daily use, we heard a snap during a work out and my power stroke was no longer even. The resistance seemed to freewheel midway through the pull. It seemed like a tooth on a gear broke, and now it skipped a bit.

I called Xterra support, and they (Rhiannon) were awesome. Since it was less than 30 days since purchase they wanted me to go back to Amazon for a full replacement. The Amazon return process was easy through the Amazon app. I requested that they call me, which they did immediately! They scheduled a pickup of the broken one for the next day, and the new one arrives in just 3 days. I had to disassemble the broken one and put it back in the box (which we had saved thankfully).

Overall it's a good machine for the price. The seat rollers are not as smooth as the much more expensive machines, but we are still happy with them and their response when one had a problem

Update: replacement came as expected as did the UPS pickup for the return.

We continue to be happy with them. #1 rower is working just fine with no issues, and the replacement for #2 rower has had no issues.

FWIW I've unpacked 3 of them so far and they are all packed extremely well. It is a heavy and big box, but it's well constructed and packed

I'll be updating this review with time.

10/26/18:
Impressed with the quick shipping on this giant box. The rower was delivered within 48hrs via FedEx, and the box weighs a solid 115lb. The contents were extremely well packed and there were no blemishes on any of the painted surfaces. However, one of my foot pedals was cracked, but it's just plastic and Xterra Fitness has been quick to send out a replacement without any fuss.

Build quality 8/10:
All of the components are sturdy and inspire confidence. I'm guess the steel components are 12 gauge, but they are more than adequate. The welds leave a little to be desired; however, this is an item that will basically stay in one place, so the welds are the least of my concerns here. All of the included hardware feels like your standard zinc hardware. The foot pedals are hard, brittle plastic and I'm certain (more certain since one of mine arrived damaged) that these will be a point of failure in the future. The nylon strap that spins the water wheels appears to be well built, but I would have liked to see stitching that was a little sturdier. The bungee cord that serves as the recoil system (not sure what this is actually called) feels great, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it over time.

TL;DR - Everything is well built. Welds are adequate. Hardware is zinc. The Nylon strap, bungee cord and plastic pedals might be failure points in the future.

Foot pedals 9/10:
Unlike the other reviewer, compared to the C2, I quite like these foot pedals and straps. I love that the straps are wider and have a little piece of rope at the end to really seat them. My feet stay put! My only complaint i the plastic used to make the foot pedals is brittle.

Handle & Pulley system 7/10:
If you're comparing this to the C2 (they really arent in the same class, two completely different uses) then you'll notice the nylon strap used to spin the water wheel here is far less sturdy than linked chain on the C2. For now the strap seems sturdy, but it's something I'll be keeping an eye on.

Ergonomics 10/10:
Getting on and off this thing is a joy. The sound of the water is calming AF. I mean seriously. Put this in your room and just have someone row you to sleep. It's like an ocean every time you spin it up.

Meter 10/10:
The display is large and does what it's intended to do. I can't comment on its accuracy or how it compares to the C2 - I dont know how Xterra counts meters/cals etc...

Resistance 9/10:
Xterra includes a funnel and a siphon for you to add and remove water. Honestly, though, just fill the thing up to its max level and leave it. Who's got time to siphon out water? I like that they added it, but it's not necessary. Compared to the C2, the resistance at max level is maybe 90% of that C2's max level. More than adequate for a good workout.

Whos it for?
You won't be running sprints or doing time trials on this thing, so if you're trying to cheap out on your CF workout this is not the rower for you.

Buy now?
Yep. Do it. I think Xterra hit the sweet spot with price and build quality. This thing is less expensive than the wooden rowers similar products from First Degree. It's in a different class than the C2, and really shouldnt be compared to that. The two year warranty on parts and 5 year warranty on the frame is lovely.

I love it! It's perfect for home use. The C2 can stay in the CF box for when I want to go crazy on a rowing machine.

Update 1:
The other foot pedal has since broken in the exact same location as the other. The plastic used for the foot pedals is cheap and brittle. I'm not concerned because it's under warranty, but Xterra needs to fix this materials flaw. Otherwise I still think it's a good buy and I am absolutely loving the rower. Minus 2 stars for two cheap plastic foot pedals.

Update 2:
Xterra has been great in honoring their warranty on parts, and has been in contact to correct the problem with the foot pedals. Back up to 5 stars for great customer service!

I can't say enough about XTERRA Fitness and specifically Rhiannon B the customer support rep who helped me. I bought the ERG600W Water Rower almost 2 years ago. The reason why I am writing the review now is because of how the company stands behind their product and the professionalism of Rhiannon. One of the reasons I bought this rower is because of the 2 year warranty. Most other rowers in this price range have a warranty that is under a year. I row a lot. I the past year and a half I have put 27,110 plus strokes on the machine. (I reset the computer by mistake and so don't have the full 2 years). I have the water level set to the highest resistance. When I row I row hard, which is not to say that I am some incredible person, but just that I use the machine, it is not in some closet.
Anyway, the short of it is that I was rowing on Jan 2nd and the rower broke. The warranty expires in a couple of months, so I filled out a service request not expecting much and the next day I got a response (that was the day most businesses were closed for New Years). Anyway today is 1/15 just finished rowing on the new machine they sent at no cost to me.
I really can't say enough.

So the rower is solid. It can put up with me for 2 years. I prefer water rowers because the feel is closer to actual rowing. The machine is pretty simple, it does what it is intended to do very well. My original machine is still solid as well, some small internal part broke in the rowing mechanism. I would recommend this rower over all the other rowers in its' class because of its' overall quality, the warranty, and the company.
I really can't say enough.