Precor EFX 865 Elliptical Review, Pros, Cons, & Comparison
Precor EFX 865 Overview
There are always those who are looking to make themselves fit and healthy without having to actually leave their home. This is especially good news in the face of a pandemic, where public gyms tend to be hotspots of flying bacteria. Thus, looking at some indoor exercise equipment can’t hurt anyone. Especially those who are trying to figure out which ones would be the best.
And so enters Precor. Precor have made the effort to develop some of the best and most advanced elliptical machines in recent times with their 800 series. One of the better ones (and the one that we’re going to look at today) is the Precor EFX 865 elliptical machine. You’ll find a whole host of different features available on this machine, from moving handlebars to an advanced monitor. There’s plenty to admire and want for your own elliptical in the EFX 865.
All of this does come with a cost, however. It’ll be up to you to decide whether or not that cost would be worth it. That’s why we’re going to go over the main elements of the EFX 865 and try to give a balanced view on the pros and cons at the end of the article. Then you’ll be able to make your own decision on if you would like this quality (but pricey) elliptical machine. So, with all of that out of the way, let’s hop right into our review of the Precor EFX 865 elliptical!
Precor EFX 865 Review and Specs:
First up are the specifications of the EFX 865 cross trainer. After all, it’s important to know exactly how big it is, how heavy it is and how much weight that it can hold. It is a heavy machine, weighing a hefty 340 lbs (154 kg). Surprisingly, the maximum user weight is close to that, sitting at 350 lbs (159 kg). Normally you find these two numbers sitting with a rather large distance between them. Fortunately, the maximum weight is not a hard limit. It’s not as though someone (or a combination of a person and other weights) that total 360 lbs would break the machine.
In terms of the dimensions of the EFX 865, it takes up a decent amount of space. It is 80 inches (203 cm) long, 30 inches (76 cm) long and 72 inches (183 cm) tall. Considering that it isn’t foldable, this elliptical will take up a good part of whatever room it happens to be in. For those with smaller homes, this might be an issue. While it is a large and heavy elliptical, it isn’t totally immobile. There are transportation wheels on the front to allow for some movement, although it still isn’t something you can just pick up and pocket.
The EFX 865 is powered by a cord, with that type of cord depending on which country you happen to be in. It should be 12 feet or 3.7 meters long, and be either the international 240 VAC or the U.S and Canada type of 120 VAC. Keep the outlets in mind when thinking about where the EFX 865 should go in your home.
Precor 865 Elliptical Monitor
The monitor of the Precor EFX 865 elliptical makes for a very important part as to why this is such an expensive machine (more on that below). It has so many features that it’s hard to comprehend at times. One of the first things to note is the customization. You can have it displayed in 17 different languages, including Finnish, Korean, Turkish and Danish. You can also have it display statistics in both metric and U.S standard measurements, saving you the trouble of mentally translating it.
Speaking of those statistics, there are 17 different ones that can be displayed by default. These are ones like total distance, average heart rate, distance remaining, time elapsed, time remaining and so on. You truly will get a full picture of how you are doing while looking at this monitor. If you want some help in your fitness journey, there are also 23 different preset fitness programs already in the monitor (including the manual mode). These give plenty of options, like hill climbs, glute toners and aerobic sessions.
There’s also an entertainment aspect included with this monitor. You can charge a mobile device on the EFX 865. There’s also a 10 inch, touch screen, Personal Viewing System (PVS) integrated with the elliptical, allowing you to hook up to a nearby TV and display it there. The monitor on this the Precor EFX 865 elliptical will make you feel like you’re at a gym without ever needing to leave home.
Precor 865 Stride and Incline
One of the elements that’s sure to make it on every review of ellipticals is the stride length. After all, it’s one of the most important parts to making sure these machines work as intended. Fortunately, the stride lengths available on the EFX 865 are nice and comfortable for the vast majority of people. The maximum stride length measures to be 25 inches (63 cm). The minimum stride length is 21 inches (54 cm). While it might not seem like that’s a great deal of variation, it should do for most people.
The incline being used on all of the Precor ellipticals is named “CrossRamp® Technology” and is meant to target various muscle groups at various incline settings. The minimum incline of these settings sits right at 10 degrees. The maximum incline goes all the way up to 35 degrees, allowing for a great deal of variation in workouts.
The stride lengths are chosen manually through the monitor. The same is normally true for the incline settings, unless you choose one of the preset workout programs that includes climbing. Whether it’s the “Rolling Hills” or “Mountain Peaks” these are the only types of programs where the incline changes automatically. The Converging CrossRamp® technology on display allows for users to get into a more natural stride on their machine. Despite it adjusting on it’s own, the fact that you can stride more naturally on it is something that should be praised.
Precor 865 Handlebar and Pedals
Other key parts of the Precor EFX 865 home elliptical include the pedals and handlebars. After all, these are the parts you’ll be actively touching the most. The handlebars of the EFX 865 are movable, allowing the user to push and pull to get an upper body workout alongside their lower body one. There’s also a set of fixed handlebars right underneath the monitor console that have heart rate monitors if you wish to check on that. If you don’t wish to use these, the EFX 865 is also compatible with chest straps through telemetry.
The pedals themselves are designed to be oversized for all foot sizes. They are also made of polypropylene in order to be easy to clean. The actual dimensions of the pedals sit right at 16 by 8 inches (40.6 by 20.3 cm). There is approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) between the pedals (commonly referred to as the Q-Factor on indoor bikes). When the pedal is at its lowest position (called the step-up height) it measures out to be 8 inches (20 cm).
You’ll find that there’s very little to complain about in regards to both the handlebars and the pedals of the Precor EFX 865 elliptical machine. They allow a great variety of different people to feel comfortable, monitor their heart rate and get a good upper body workout in as well. This is good, because if they offered anything less, then there would be some complaints with the value for money here.
EFX 865 Accessories and Assembly
You won’t find a whole lot of bonus features available in the Precor EFX 865 elliptical trainer. On one hand, it’s good that they don’t try to boost the price up with a bunch of features that could basically be optional. On the other, you’d almost like to see more based on the price. The only real accessory that is on the EFX 865 is a little storage holder that sits beneath the handlebars. It can hold a phone, tablet or water bottle to keep you hydrated during your workout.
Like the other ellipticals in the 800 series, the EFX 865 is a large and complex machine. It would normally be a pain to assemble, especially if you have no experience of doing so before. Fortunately, the manual that comes with the elliptical should make the process much easier. If you have another person helping you, or you are just naturally better at handling such products, you could get it done in a much shorter time.
The accessories and the assembly process shouldn’t take up too much of your mind when looking at the EFX 865. The accessory is just that: something to be added on and taken advantage of if you really want to. Meanwhile you never have to worry about the assembly process again once you are done with it.
Warranty, Price, and Shipping
Finally, we arrive at the part that many people will be wanting to know: just how much does this seemingly faultless elliptical cost? Well, the bad news is that number is quite high. The default price of the Precor EFX 865 elliptical cross trainer is $10,300. It has been known to drop down to $9,000, but these are both extremely high prices. There are cars that are less expensive. You can pay in monthly shipments, but that still goes as low as $300 a month, which is still quite a price to be paid.
The warranty that comes with the EFX 865 is a quality one, which is good. Precor knows how to back up their product. The Residential Warranty has a 10 year warranty on the parts, 1 year on the labour and a lifetime guarantee on the frame. The Commercial Warranty has 2 years on the parts, 1 year on the labour and 7 years on the frame. If you want more information on their customer service, their page can be found here.
The shipping process shouldn’t be too much of a headache. It shouldn’t take an overly long time, so long as there’s not any sort of worldwide pandemic going on that might slow the process. The package itself is a rather large one, measuring to be 85 inches (216 cm) long, 30.75 inches (78 cm) wide and 28.125 inches (71.4 cm) tall. It also weighs a rather heavy 396 lbs (180 kg). A very, very chunky package.
Precor EFX 865 Elliptical Machine Pros
- Fantastic Monitor: We daresay that the monitor might be THE feature of the EFX 865 to look forward to. It can do just about everything you want. It displays all sorts of statistics, has preset workouts available and can even display nearby TV programs. It’s a truly wonderful monitor and should be praised as such.
- Customization and Adjustability: Just about anyone can get on the EFX 865 and start using it according to how they feel most comfortable. You can change the type of measurements used, the stride length and the incline type. The languages are also so varied that they’ve included Finnish. Finnish!
- Smooth and Comfortable Workouts: There are 20 different resistance settings available on the Precor EFX 865. All of the levels feel smooth, while the handlebars and pedals are comfortable – even during the most intense workout sessions.
Precor EFX 865 Elliptical Machine Cons
- It’s A Heavy Machine: The transportation wheels means that the EFX 865 isn’t immobile, but you really won’t be moving it around once it’s set up. It’s just so heavy and bulky that you had better pick a good spot for it to sit.
- You’ll Pay A Heavy Price: It might be a drop in the pond for Jeff Bezos, but $9-10k is a lot to put into a piece of exercise equipment, even a high quality one. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got an appropriate amount of money to acquire this elliptical.
Final Verdict
In terms of the 800 series of Precor ellipticals, the 865 is a good machine, no doubt. It’s (shockingly) not the most expensive elliptical in the lineup, which means it provides better value for money. However, that size and cost still somewhat outweigh the features that it offers. If you do have such money to spend on it, then you will not be disappointed with what you get. Especially if you happen to be a Finnish person desperate to have an elliptical that speaks your language.
| Review | Image | C.C.R | Price | Capacity | Display | Stride | Programs | Incline | Charger | Metrics | Handlebars | Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precor EFX 885 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P82 - 15" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Moving & Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 883 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P82 - 15" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Only Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 865 | | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P62 - 10" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Moving & Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 863 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P62 - 10" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Only Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 835 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 330 lb / 150 kg | P31 - LED Display | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 15 | 10-35° Motorized | No | Workout Metrics 18 | Moving & Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 833 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 330 lb / 150 kg | P31 - LED Display | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 15 | 10-35° Motorized | No | Workout Metrics 18 | Only Fixed | 720 Watts |
Hi, my name is Sayed Hamed Hosseiny. I am a professional health and fitness trainer with nearly 20 years of experience using ellipticals, rowing machines, and spin bikes. I also have my own EU-based Rock Fitness Pro fitness brand where I design, import and sell exercise equipment such as rowing machines and spin bikes. I and writers on my team also often receive fitness equipment to review and evaluate their functionalities and performance from tens of different exercise machines manufacturers. Fitness equipment tips, guides, reviews, and comparisons on this website are my opinion (and opinions of my fitness expert colleagues) based on tens of criteria. I never accept payment to write reviews of products or say positive things about fitness equipment products. If brands are interested to have me review their rowers, ellipticals, or spin bikes, they can get in touch with me via email provided on the contact page and send a sample of their product.
