Fettle Fitness ISO Chest Bench Press Machine Review

[@TheCarterHomeGym]

This type of machine is one of the things I miss the most about using a commercial gym. Great review! Your gym just gets better and better!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Same. The last two Fettle Purchases have really narrowed the gap between home and commercial for me. Thanks so much, Carter!

[@coreycrane9243]

Wow, I’m definitely going to check this out. Starting to build out my home gym because of this channel! Thanks for all the good hacks.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thanks so much and all the best as you begin your home gym journey! Ask away if you have any questions during the build.

[@bploan8464]

Did you end up getting it? How are you enjoying it?

[@babygiantbarbell1014]

My favorite thing about this machine is you do not have to load it extremely heavy to get a stimulus. The ego has to be taken out for this one! Congratulations HGHR that’s an awesome piece!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Agreed. It may have been my younger years talking to me, but I was thinking 6 45s would be easy, but 4 is good for now. Thanks so much, BGB!

[@andykrakatoa4930]

Thanks for the great review! I've been considering a Fettle purchase for the last few weeks but hesitated due to lack of reviews, now I feel much more confident purchasing from them. Still debating on saving up more $ for some Prime Fitness equipment, but for the price I think Fettle is going to be the way to go. Leaning toward the Fettle ISO Row, Pullover and Vertical Leg Press (would love the ultimate leg press but too large for the garage gym). Going to try to purchase all at once as shipping cost for each additional item drops significantly as compared to purchasing separately.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thanks so much! Fettle has won me over. Like you, I wasn’t entirely sure about purchasing from them due to a lack of reviews, but I couldn’t be happier. Their deluxe Leg Press looks amazing as it can be used to work each leg individually. Like you, I considered a few of Prime’s machines, but for my home gym, their prices are a little higher than the amount I want to spend.

[@fettlefitness7326]

Hope you'll give us a shot, if you haven't already :) [e-mail]

[@giannipastore7963]

Dude, your wife is a saint. Props to her! Does she have a sister, by any chance? :)

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

lol! She is. When we first met, we were both stronger and I think her greatest feat of strength was helping me move a treadmill from the basement to the middle floor. I doubt either of us could do that now. She does, 2 in fact, but they’re both married. 😂

[@mr.enigma8863]

The gym is getting better and better. As always 👍 from me 💪😎

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Greatly appreciated! It definitely has made a major transformation over the last 3 years.

[@clarkg5946]

The Fettle pieces look fantastic. I've looked at them before and 2 of my favorites are the two you have. Would love to get some of their equipment if I had the space and way to move them. Congrats on the great addition!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

They really are great. I couldn’t be happier. I thought I was going to have to deconstruct the machine to move it from the end of my driveway to the garage…I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it honestly wouldn’t be too bad because the machine isn’t a lot of different pieces, it’s mostly a few large pieces welded together. Thanks so much!

[@moose8618]

I wish my purchase from fettle went as smooth as yours man. Nothing simple about it, which is a shame because their equipment is priced very well.

[@davidlamb1421]

Neve heard of Fettle before this review. Definitely considering this piece for my next purchase.

[@TypicallyUniqueOfficial]

I just purchase their pendulum squat. Super excited to try it out.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Congratulations! I’ve heard great stuff about it. Let me know what you think when you get it.

[@orlandopozos5119]

Really thinkgin about getting it too. How do you like yours so far?! TIA!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I got the Fettle Pendulum a few weeks ago. I did a review for it and it is really good.

[@davidjfein]

I KNEW you were going to get a Fettle Chest Press! 😂. I was happy to hear how good this was and that it must not have bothered your shoulder (you said it was good on your joints). I hope your shoulder heals soon so you can buy the incline press next! Since I don’t have a garage yet, I’ve always wondered how I would get one of these machines off a truck if I had to. Your ramp idea was interesting, but I think a cool (and helpful to you) video would be finding better alternatives should this ever happen again. There must be better options than having to rent a mini-forklift. Maybe a truck tire jack? Anyway, amazing and very useful video!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Greatly appreciated. I am very glad it doesn’t aggravate the ol’ shoulder…as I’m still not 100% comfortable dumbbell pressing. I probably should have kept the camera running as we got the pallet off the truck, but I hope we don’t have to do that again, at least not with my limited supplies. 4 strong people on each side of the pallet would probably be the best and easiest option to get it out of a truck…I just don’t like asking people for help.

[@davidjfein]

Plus 3 other people can be hard to come by when in need… I was going to ask you to compare to dumbbell presses…and so this actually feels better on your shoulder than dumbbell presses- wonderful! I tore my a pec tendon years ago and can’t press in too stretched a position- mainly 45 degrees is about right like you had in the video. Did the press feel particularly intense on the outer side of the pecs?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@davidjfein it definitely feels like it hits the pecs as a whole pretty hard. If you have some issues with your pec in a stretched position, you may want to add an additional foam piece, yoga block, etc., between the frame and the stopper. As I start moving up in weight, I will likely do the same.

[@LukesGarageGym]

That’s a win worth shipping dude, especially with a big piece like this!!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Very much agreed!

[@Useruytrw]

Hey Coach , get well soon , your channel keeps getting better

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I sincerely appreciate your kind words. Thank you!

[@thebodybeatdownDiTi]

Oh wow dude..great machine..really proud for ya..

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thanks so much, BBD! I appreciate you, sir!

[@clearedmovers4506]

Just subscribed to this channel. Pure gold!!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Greatly appreciated!

[@marywalton293]

Amazing how much like the HS version this feels. Love it!!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

🙌 🙌 🙌

[@patrickhaley1709]

Do you think In the future you’ll set your powertec equipment and slowly start to replace with this brand or other different brands?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I don’t think so. Whenever I’ve sold a piece of equipment, I usually end up regretting it for one reason or another. At some point, I may need to add an additional bay to my garage or something similar.

[@GoreckiFit]

Looks like a great machine, I’m pretty much out of room in my gym now that I bought the Rhino. Plus some parts are welded so bringing it downstairs wouldn’t be possible for these types of machines. But I’d love to have it 😂

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I can’t tell you how many times I thought I was out of room lol! Yeah, I wouldn’t want to think about how difficult it would be to get this in a basement that didn’t have easy lower level access.

[@ShawntreezyBreezy]

Fettle going off like a tea kettle playing hard metal

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

He’s back!!!

[@thebodybeatdownDiTi]

Converging arms are a game changer..

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I hope they’ll add a little extra muscle to this ol’ chest.

[@thebodybeatdownDiTi]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews get that Arnold chest..

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@thebodybeatdownDiTi maybe one day 😂

[@stormlord3309]

Great new addition fellow . Does anyone know if Fettle trade here in the UK ? Keep up the good reviews / content 👍

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thank you, SL! If you email Fettle’s customer service team, they may be able to help you. From time to time, a team member will show up and answer questions here too.

[@Sobersunrise]

Great review and overall a very well done video! Do you know if fettle has any plans to offer international shipping in the future?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thank you very much! I am not sure, but if you contact Fettle they may be able to work something out.

[@fettlefitness7326]

Email [e-mail]

[@briand5047]

Looks great!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thank you, Brian! Hopefully, the Nautilus Bicep machine is next.

[@briand5047]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews I was thinking the bicep machine was next.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@briand5047 my dad keeps saying, “soon.” I think he and I define the word differently. 😂

[@Ryan-ds3dh]

I just ordered the equivalent piece from Fray fitness do to the 25% off code this week. You have any experience with Fray equipment?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I do not. I hope you like the Fray machine.

[@Ryan-ds3dh]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews will let you know. Looks identical to Hammer Strength. Hoping quality is the same.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@Ryan-ds3dh sounds good. Looking forward to hearing what you think.

[@orlandopozos5119]

Did you get to try the Fray Fitness yet? What are your thought about it? Thanks man!

[@Ryan-ds3dh]

@@orlandopozos5119 I did. I purchased the incline press. Very similar than Hammer Strength, slightly more compact though. Only issue i had with it was the frame was full of metal shavings. Was a pain in the ass to clean up.

[@safecoachbackgroundchecks2137]

Awesome video

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Greatly appreciated!

[@nobreachfitness6942]

What's the difference between using this machine vs Titan Fitness T-3 Lever Arms on the T-3 rack? I'm trying to see if the T-3 would give me the same chest press workout. Thanks. Ps. I bought the Fettle Fitness Plate Loaded ISO Lateral Hi Row and love it! My sales person was Jace and he was awesome!!!!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

The biggest differences would be the converging arms and no set up required. Good to hear you are happy with the Pulldown! I agree.

[@nobreachfitness6942]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews Thanks man! Appreciate your channel and the quality of the material you create!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@nobreachfitness6942 thanks so much!

[@drethebarber700]

Once again another great video! I plan on buying this and the row machine using your code. I do have a question. Is the incline effective?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thanks so much! For a while, I switched to dropping the seat all the way down and using it as an incline. Recently, I completely removed the seat on the Bench Press, put my own adjustable bench in its place, and weighed the machine down. By doing so, I like the machine more than ever. I have a recent KZbin Short showing what I’m talking about. My dad used the bench press machine today and said it was his favorite exercise of the day.

[@drethebarber700]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews Im going to look for the video short. Why remove the seat though? The machine isn't good enough with the seat? Thank you.

[@drethebarber700]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews I can't find the KZbin short. What is the title of the video?

[@drethebarber700]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews Ok, I found the video.Did it almost tip over because you removed teethe seat?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@drethebarber700 I wanted to try a slightly different angle for variety bc I plateaued using the machine as it was. Luckily, for me, it paid off big time.

[@swanzilla1982]

Probably your best video Only bad thing about this machine it's kind of pricey

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I appreciate that. Agreed, pretty expensive for a single exercise, but half the price of Hammer Strength. I think Fettle tries to gear their equipment for small personal training studios or even commercial gyms (but I wanted to try a few of their machines in the garage gym).

[@swanzilla1982]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews I agree it is a nice machine I'm just use to Titan fitness prices w/ free shipping 😁

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@swanzilla1982 lol! I started my gym with Powertec and Titan so I know exactly what you mean.

[@DVDVAMPIRE01]

True, but worth the money. I have the incline version from Fettle and zero regrets.

[@kevinclark6022]

How does this compare to the French Fitness Chest Press (if you or any of your followers have had any experience with that brand)?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I’ve never had a French Fitness Machine, but I am interested to hear from anyone who has experience with the brand.

[@simoneorecchioni7352]

I think soon you will not use Levergym and the other Powertec machine anymore 🙁

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I don’t think that day will ever come 😂

[@fitnessh2o]

Hello my friend, I watched full your video, really interesting=

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thank you!

[@joemullen8453]

What brand were your dollies?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

They’re actually scooters. The brand is Connect A Scooter.

[@joemullen8453]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews Thanks

[@srilanka739]

how would you compare this to the HS version?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I think it’s very similar. I recently removed the seat and put my incline bench in its place and now I like it as much as I’ve liked any chest machine. I have a KZbin Short showing what I’m talking about.

[@srilanka739]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews thanks brother. trying to order some equipment for a commercial gym and some brands are charging unbelievable prices. Looking at the atlantis strength pendulum or the watson gym pendulum

[@airgordo4]

What dollys are you using to move the machine around?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

They are playground scooters. There are much better options, but this was I all had.

[@ix-ow3df]

is there a reason why you chose this version of the machine instead of the incline chest version? im thinking about getting the incline version

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@ix-ow3df if I could go back, I think I would have preferred the Incine. My shoulder was messed up when I made this purchase and I was worried the Incline Press would further aggravate my shoulder.

[@ix-ow3df]

thank you for the reply. love your channel. do you still feel fettle equipment is pretty much identical to hammer strength? or should i try to find a used hammer strength iso incline? just thought id ask before i order the fettle incline. thanks again

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@ix-ow3df thank you. I no longer have this because I have to buy and sell equipment to keep the channel going. These pieces are big and sturdy…they do not feel cheap at all. I would love to have a Fettle and Hammer Strength side-by-side to truly see if it feels any different, but from what I remember, they feel similar.

[@ix-ow3df]

thanks for the reply. kind of having second thoughts that you didnt like it enough to keep it. i understand you need to sell stuff to keep the channel going but still. did you sell the fettle iso pulldown and the fettle iso back row also?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@ix-ow3df I sold everything about a year ago. The Rhino, The Squatmax, The IM 2000, pretty much everything I had.

[@ein1110]

Upper chest focus?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

For example, incline work is said to hit the upper region of the chest to a greater extent.

[@c---R]

Are these fettle machines commercial quality?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

I think they are and they are advertised on their webpage as commercial.

[@fatboitino2]

You're going to need a bigger house. The addiction is real. I still find myself, scouring- searching, longing to buy more

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

A bigger house or a new hobby 😂 Agreed. It’s a lot of fun searching and adding to the home gym.

[@fatboitino2]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews 😂🤣😂

[@jl7kicks]

So the real question is…what did you have to replace to fit this baby in? Lol

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Amazingly enough, the only machine I have in storage is the Titan Plate Loaded Dip. Aside from that, all the same machines from the last year are still here. This has required changing the layout multiple times.

[@jl7kicks]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews going to need an updated tour soon!

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@jl7kicks thanks so much! I am waiting for one more machine that my dad is supposed to give me and after I receive that, I’ll likely do one. Thank you!

[@jonp694]

Can you share some tips on how your move heavy machines when rearranging? I’ve heard furniture sliders can work well.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@jonp694 I’ve only used furniture slides in my bonus room where there’s carpet. I don’t know how well they’d do on horse stall mats. I honestly just push and pull most everything…I use my daisy chains quite often for pulling so I don’t have to position my body low (although, this sometimes tears up the gorilla tape holding the mats together). Also, I will use the scooters I showed in this video and tilt the machine to one side, slide the scooters under, then lift the other side with my daisy chains and get the scooters under the other side. 90% of the time it’s just me, but if it’s something heavy like one of the selectorized machines, I’ll ask for my wife’s help.

[@danski6694]

How much is this like $700?

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Shipped = 2k

[@danski6694]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews Oh jeez. I’ll stick to my powertec press for now lol

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@danski6694 ain’t nothin’ wrong with that…I love my Powertec!

[@cccccrrrr]

it would be a headache to get this inside a house

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

With 2 people, I don’t think it would be too bad. It’s not all that many pieces because so much of the machine is welded together.

[@cccccrrrr]

@@HomeGymHacksandReviews so it isnt just 1 piece-the width seems a problem for average door

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

@@cccccrrrr it can be taken apart. If you look at my close up videos of the machine, I think you can see how the frame gets bolted together.

[@pk417]

If i were your neighbour would u allow me to use your machine for workout

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Maybe.

[@vtwinfant50]

HGH&R, 👍 This was a good companion follow-up to your first Fettle purchase. These machines represent a strong (pun intended) value for either residential or commercial use. The one drawback (for me) of most HS type designs, are the expansive structural framework …a bit reminiscent of freakishly massive 80‘s era Nautilus units. Although within 150 miles of Fettle‘s address, I‘m not aware if these are manufactured locally or imported here …is there a MFG data plate indicating this? In addition to the space saving plate loaded units from Nautilus, have you considered Crossaxes Tech or Gym80 pieces? Similar to Nautilus‘ newest PL line, they too, are more expensive than Fettle’s pieces …but utilize a more efficient footprint. The owner/fabricator of Crossaxes actively posts and solicits feedback for his new designs on the BB.com site (manufactured in S. California) and Gym80 is based in Europe.

[@HomeGymHacksandReviews]

Thanks so much! I thought it was a good companion piece too. While the machines are pretty big, I expected the pulldown and bench press to take up more space than they do. I’ve got both Fettle pieces along one wall in the garage and they only stick out about 4 feet. They are manufactured overseas and assembled in the Fettle warehouse. You just shared with me 2 brands I haven’t heard of. I’ll check them out.