Compared to more expensive functional trainers, the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer has a much simpler design. But don’t let its humble approach fool you: Body-Solid has invented a functional trainer that can compete with many more premium options on the market and all at a much more affordable price.
The Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer retails in the mid-$1,000s. That’s easily $500 to $1,000 cheaper than competing models from brands like Inspire Fitness, XMark, or BodyCraft. Don’t get us wrong: It’s not the most inexpensive functional trainer, but Body-Solid’s PFT100 just might be the most affordable functional trainer when you take into account its various features and benefits.
If you’re not quite willing to take out another mortgage to fund your home gym, but you also don’t want to get a cheap, flimsy functional trainer that is missing key features, then the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer might strike the right balance for you.
Find out more in our in-depth analysis of Body-Solid’s PFT100 below. We’ll break down everything you need to know before buying this functional trainer, including:
● A quick snapshot: The pros and cons of the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer (and who it’s best for)
● Technical specifications, measurements, and weight
● Weight stacks and weight ratio (and why it matters)
● Included attachments and options
● Frame construction, durability, and assembly
● Exercise options that work with the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 HFT Functional Trainer
● What we love
● What to watch out for
● Our final thoughts: Is the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer worth its price tag?
Let’s explore in this review whether you’re better off paying for a more expensive functional trainer or if the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer can give you a high-quality, strenuous workout while saving you money.
In a Snapshot: The Pros and Cons of the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer
Body-Solid has managed to accomplish an interesting engineering balance.
The company’s designers have swapped out small features that are included by default in more expensive brands. On their own, each little change may seem insignificant, but collectively, it drops the price of the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer considerably while keeping the overall setup quite similar to what you’d expect in higher-end functional trainers.
For instance, yes — this functional trainer includes a built-in pull-up bar. Many sub-$1,000 functional trainers don’t include this. However, unlike more expensive models, the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100’s pull-up bar is a simple, straight pull-up bar and not the multi-grip bar you’d find in competing machines from brands like Xmark or BodyCraft.
It’s a small shift, but a smart one if you’re willing to overlook such modifications.
We’ll break down the full Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 measurements, features, drawbacks, and quality reviews later in our in-depth equipment analysis, but here’s a quick snapshot of what Body-Solid’s machine has to offer you.
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Pros
Many buyers praise the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 cable machine because:
● It is affordable. (we keep mentioning this, but it truly is what draws many customers to Body-Solid’s offering in the first place).
● You get dual 160-pound weight stacks, which is a premium feature not found in budget models.
● These weight stacks can be upgraded with an extra 50 pounds on each side, letting the Body-Solid cable machine progress with you on your fitness journey.
● Pulleys come with 20 height settings and a 180-degree range of motion so you can target all major body parts and perform all of your favorite exercises.
● Nylon pulleys are reinforced with fiberglass, and many customers remark how quiet the cables are when exercising.
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Cons
At its budget-conscious price, potential customers shouldn’t be shocked that you sacrifice a few things when going with the Body-Solid cable machine:
● There are some trade-offs, like the aforementioned straight pull-up bar, which may be a deal-breaker for you.
● The machine has a relatively wide footprint, so measure your room carefully (especially if you live in a small condo or apartment).
● You receive two D-shaped handles by default, but all other accessories — ankle straps, triceps ropes, short bars, and long bars, etc. — are not included.
● Upgrading the weight stacks costs hundreds of dollars more, which is probably not something you’d like to do if the cost is an issue in the first place.
● The manufacturer’s warranty is only ten years, whereas many other cable machines come with a lifetime warranty when used in a home gym setting.
Technical Specifications: Size Measurements, Shipping Weight, and More
Body-Solid’s PFT100 is compact. Its overall measurements sit at the middle of the pack in terms of Body-Solid’s full product lineup.
While the PFT100 is wider than the company’s PCCO90X, it’s not as wide as Body-Solid’s GDCC200 line. The full measurements are as follows:
● Diameter: 42.3 inches
● Width: 62.6 inches
● Height: 83 inches
● Shipping Weight: Just under 480 pounds
Weight Stacks and Adjustable Pulleys
The Body-Solid PFT100 Weight Stacks Beat the Competition
While Body-Solid has made some trade-offs in other areas of the machine in order to keep the sticker price in a more affordable range, there’s one area that the manufacturer hasn’t skimped out on the pulley and weight setup in the PFT100.
You get everything you’d expect in functional trainers that easily cost $1,000 more than the PFT100, including dual weight stacks. This is important to highlight because as the sticker price creeps down, many brands switch to a single weight stack, which severely limits your workout capacity and exercise options.
Interestingly, each weight stack rings in at 160 pounds, which is 10-20 pounds more than some other more expensive functional trainers. It’s a curious choice by Body-Solid, but a nice “bonus” when you’re experiencing trade-offs in other areas of the machine’s design (more about the drawbacks further down in this equipment review).
Other features and notable elements of the Body-Solid PFT100’s cables and weight stacks:
● Each individual weight plate is made of cast iron for high-end quality (competing brands with slightly lower prices tend to use cement weight stacks, which are often less durable).
● The weight stacks are comprised of 10-pound individual plates with a comparatively low resistance ratio of just 2:1.
● Chrome-plated guide rods provide durable stability.
● You can upgrade each weight stack to a total of 210 pounds if you opt for Body-Solid’s optional 50-pound upgrade.
If you’ve tested other functional trainers, keep in mind that most machines use 5-pound weight increments. The Body-Solid machine uses 10-pound increments. This might seem inconsequential, but if you’re a beginner, you may find that this slows down your lifting progression as you move from weight setting to weight setting.
Body-Solid’s Pulleys and Cables Offer Quiet Operation
When it comes to the vertically adjustable pulleys and cables that Body-Solid uses, it’s yet another example of the subtle trade-offs between this functional trainer and more expensive models.
For instance, the pricier BodyCraft functional trainer offers 31 height settings for the pulleys. Meanwhile, this Body-Solid machine offers significantly less. That being said, do you really need so many height settings? Most people only need a handful of height options when performing major exercises like chest flyes, bicep curls, or torso twists.
Other aspects that bear mentioning:
● The Body-Solid cable machine’s 20 height settings are each spaced 3.2 inches apart.
● The vertical pulleys swivel a full 180 degrees, giving you an exceptional range of motion for all of your workouts and muscle groups.
● Springs in the pulleys, plus smooth gliding up and down the frame, let you adjust the height setting with just one hand.
● Many recent customers remark that the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 is very quiet thanks to fiberglass-reinforced nylon cables (each cable offers 2,000-pound tensile strength).
Included Attachments and Options
The Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer comes with convenient, integrated accessory bar storage for your accessories. And Body-Solid sells a wide range of accessories, including a bench, different ropes, ankle straps, various bars for exercises like lat pulldowns, etc.
There’s just one problem: None of that is included right out the box.
This may be one of the most notable trade-offs in keeping this machine’s sticker price low. Virtually every other functional trainer includes the above example accessories automatically, but with Body-Solid, you’ll have to pay for what you want.
Now, this might be a pro, or it might be a con, depending on your needs. If you already have home workout equipment or don’t want to pay for accessories you’ll never use, then this all might be a benefit.
But if you want a comprehensive setup without paying an extra $50 here and another $100 there, the lack of accessories is an immediate drawback.
Frame Construction and Assembly
Body-Solid’s 10-year manufacturer’s warranty backs the durability and construction of its entire frame, with the exception of the paint, finish, and similar expendable parts. Keep in mind that this warranty only applies to home users who aren’t using the PFT100 functional trainer in a commercial aspect.
Because the manufacturer doesn’t provide a lifetime warranty like some other brands, potential buyers of the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 will want to pay careful attention to the materials Body-Solid used to build their machine. Thankfully, while there are a few minor trade-offs to keep the price down, this machine either meets or exceeds expectations.
Frame Construction and Overall Durability
Right off the bat, Body-Solid has gone with standard, highly durable materials that you’d find in pricier functional trainers. That includes a premium-looking all-black palette with chrome accents.
The frame itself is made from 11-gauge steel tubes. While it’s not powder-coated like some higher-end brands, it is covered with a corrosion-resistant finish that should resist most wear and tear in your home gym.
The overall frame design is straightforward and lacks a few bells and whistles, but it more than gets the job done. You get two weight towers on each side, connected with a basic bar in the back and a pull-up bar at the top. It’s a relatively open design, so you won’t feel as enclosed as you are in other functional trainers where the back is mostly solid.
And while other brands use that rear wall for storage and to hang accessories, the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer still includes accessory storage with hooks on the backside of the trainer.
Lastly, the more open design gives you a bit more wiggle room inside the trainer to do some exercises.
A common complaint with some functional trainers is that the space between the two weight towers is too narrow, especially if you have very broad shoulders or are currently at a larger body size. With a width of just under 63 inches, most people should find the Body-Solid machine spacious enough.
As noted previously, unlike nearly all other functional trainers at this price point, the pull-up bar is straight and doesn’t give you different grip options. Also, while you likely won’t need it since the entire frame weighs nearly 500 pounds, Body-Solid has pre-drilled anchor points in the frame should you decide to screw it into the floor for additional stability.
Assembly
Once it arrives at your home, assembling the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer is a breeze.
Thanks to its straightforward design, you aren’t dealing with as many complex pieces as other functional trainers. There are only 34 different components (compared to the 100+ often seen in other models), and you should be able to complete construction within two hours of starting.
Likewise, the tools you’ll need for assembly (not included) are simply:
● A standard wrench set
● A standard allen key set
The most important thing to remember when building your Body-Solid machine is to do everything in the exact order and flow as described in the owner’s manual.
As for maintenance, you’ll need to occasionally lubricate the pulleys and guide rods, and inspect the springs, bolts, and nuts every week (tightening when appropriate).
Should you have any questions while putting together your Body-Solid functional trainer, their customer service team is available via email at service@bodysolid.com or by telephone toll-free at 1-800-556-3113.
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Trainer Machine Exercises
With the included pull-up bar and the adjustable D-shaped nylon cable handles, you can perform a range of exercises right out of the box:
● Bicep curls
● Cable crossovers (both high and low)
● Glute kickbacks
● Leg raises
● Rows
● Single-arm tricep pressdowns
● Single-arm tricep extensions
● Trunk twists
● And more
It’s very important to repeat that the manufacturer does not include any additional accessories beyond the D-shaped handles and the pull-up bar. These can be bought directly from Body-Solid or through a third-party vendor and can vastly expand the types of exercise you do on this functional trainer.
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer Review: What We Love
Body-Solid checks all the main boxes of what you should look for in a functional trainer. Beyond what’s noted above in our product review, we really loved:
● The balance this manufacturer was able to strike between exceeding industry standards while keeping the cost in a more budget-conscious price range.
● The dual weight stacks and the slightly higher weight capabilities.
● The solid construction that is on par with what you’d expect in much pricier functional trainers.
● The extremely simple assembly process, which is exceptional compared to most other functional trainers (this is, in part, due to the cost-saving design that’s much more basic and simple than other machines).
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer Review: What to Watch Out For
Each little trade-off that you make at this price point may seem small, but add them together and the overall outcome muddies the picture.
Some of the most notable drawbacks to the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 include:
● A shocking lack of accessories besides the two included vinyl handles — it severely limits your workout unless you already have accessories on hand (in which case, this could be a benefit since you aren’t forced to pay for accessories you don’t need) or if you go out and buy the accessories for an additional cost.
● Missing “bonuses,” such as a lack of different grip angles on the pull-up bar.
● No powder coating for the all-steel frame, which you find in more expensive functional trainers (most home users won’t even notice a problem since the frame is still very durable).
● A 10-year warranty compared to the lifetime warranty that’s standard in many other brands.
Final Thoughts: Is the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Worth It?
For a minority of customers, the combined impact of the many small trade-offs you make when buying the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 is simply too much to overlook.`
But for most athletes, if not everyone, the Body-Solid has found the right balance between premium features that are worth the cost and smaller features that don’t offer enough benefits to warrant their automatic inclusion.
In the end, most potential buyers will discover that the Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 is an exceptional value for its mid-$1,000 price range. And what few sacrifices you make when opting for the Body-Solid will seem like just small inconveniences when you check your credit card statement.
Body-Solid Powerline PFT100 Functional Trainer
Pros
- Sturdy, steel frame construction
- Straightforward assembly
- Smooth cable cross machine
- Great price
Cons
- No option to increase weights
- Some additional handles and bars are missing