I have had Powerblocks for the past 7 years: The Pro Rexan Pro with 85 lbs per hand.
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I love the Powerblocks; however, and would purchase them again.
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Another adjustable dumbell to consider are the Ironmaster dumbells. They can be dropped unlike the Powerblocks (I don't know if the Bowflex can be dropped) and the Ironmasters have a lifetime warranty. Transition from one weight to another takes longer also.
I have a pair of the Pro Elite powerblocks.
Here's a reasonable side-by-side comparison:
Power blocks: up to 130lbs/hand
Bowflew: up to 52.5lbs/hand.
Powerblocks: 10 year warranty
Bowflex: 1 yr labor, 2 yr tumblers, 5 yr plates.
Powerblocks: metal plates.
Bowflex: plastic covered.
The one drawback on the powerblocks is the the increment skips 5lbs from a weight that ends in 0 to one the ends in 5, so:
5, 7.5, 10, 15, 17.5, 20, 25, etc, etc.
To get a intermediate from 0 to 5, you'll need to use plate mates.
The SelectTechs has a single width that some people complain about when doing exercises tight on space. The powerblocks get narrower as the weight goes down.
Still, I love my powerblocks and consider them the single most important addition to the home gym.
...As for power-blocks, I have a set myself. A number of my clients are in-home, and I take the equipment to them. Power blocks are one of the best, most versatile training tools I have ever used.
...I've looked at dumbbells and found that are definitely what I would get. You can start out with the elite 5-50 pounds and you can upgrade them to 130 pounds I think. I've seen several reviews of people that love them and say they are way better than the bowflex crap. They are not cheap at around $350 for the set but they are about the same price as the bowflex and very upgradable. They are a little different but read about them and you will see why they just seem better!...
I've been wanting a set of adjustable dumbbells for a while, but I couldn't justify spending hundreds of dollars on the , , or .
The selecttech go up to 50 pounds and cost $400.
There are several powerblock models, the ones I would need to allow enough room for growth go up to 90 pounds and cost $588 + shipping.
The ironmaster cost $429 + shipping, and go up to 75 lbs.
If you are set in getting one of these adjustable dumbbells, the ironmaster are the best value.
I ended up buying standard dumbbell handles and 150 lbs worth of plates, all for $113 including tax.
I'll let someone else answer your other questions.
...So I've had an expanded Pro set of these weights for about 3 years now and just love 'em. Maybe 2 years ago, the weight selection pins on mine started cracking and falling apart. Hmm...very disappointing. I emailed their customer service to see if I could get replacement pins under warranty, and within 2 hours, I had a phone call and an email from their owner, Greg Olson. He informed me that they had redesigned their pins to be more rugged, and that he'd already put a new pair in the mail for me. They were there the next day! The company is in Owatonna, MN, a little over an hour south of where I live, so the speed of the mail didn't surprise me, it was the quick response from Greg.
Flash forward to about a week ago. I got a little carried away lifting one day, and accidentally dropped one of the weights from a pretty good height at a very bad angle, bending a pin all to hell. Now it was nearly impossible to get the pin out. I wrestled it out, tried my best to bend it straight, but nothing I could do helped much. When you're used to a one-handed quick and slick weight change, screwing around with both hands struggling to pull that selection pin out every time is beyond frustrating.
Last night, I decided it was time to send another email to the company. This time, I explained that it was my bad dropping the weights and offered to pay for replacement pins. I mean really, they gave me great customer service, I'm thrilled with their product, and I have no problem forking over money to a good company to replace these pins. Sure enough, this morning I find an email from Greg Olson. New pins will be shipped via UPS today at no charge.
How many companies in this day and age will go out of their way like that? And for a customer who made a boneheaded move, admitted outright the damage was their own fault, and offered directly to pay for replacement parts? None that I can think of....
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I've been reading on here that some people use PowerBlocks at home. I am thinking about buying a pair, but wanted to see if they are durable.... if you drop them, or knock them around on accident.... will they break.... if the pins break/bend, are they easily fixable or replaceable?
Overall, are they worth the money?
Thanks,
Jon
