Ironman ATIS 4000 Inversion Table

I looked into several other brands before I decided to buy this unit. I was surprised at how quickly it was delivered and judging from the large hole in the box and the deterioration of the styrofoam packing that flew all over when I unpacked it, it was in perfect condition, it was packed well .... all the way from China. I've read all of the reviews I could find before I purchased and some reviews were helpful and some were not. Here is my review, I don't suffer from back pain (yet) and got this for belly reduction purposes.As I said, shipping was fast and it arrived in perfect condition but I didn't get the lumbar pad some folks wrote about either.It took me approx 2 hours to put it together but I'm a guy that rarely uses instructions so somehow I put the table part on backwards and had to do that part twice. If I paid attention to the instructions and used my own tools it could be done in an hour or so by one fairly fit person. I did read in a review that some superdude put his together in a 1/2 hour but I'm not buying it as it take 15 minutes to remove from box and inventory hardware. On a scale of 1-10 this assembly is a 5.It is a fair sized unit and takes up approx 10-11 sq ft of space, assembled it measures 31-1/2" x 47" and stands approx 6' tall. It is not going to go through a 30" door opening but it will make it through a 36" opening. It works fine being 8-10" away from a wall. My small wife can scoot it around as it has hard plastic feet that slide on tile but if it's going to be placed on carpet and you're a wimpy person you may need help moving it as I think it weighs around 90lbs.All of the fastening hardware to assemble it was packaged well and complete, but I somehow ended up with (2) extra bolts, I think they shipped extra since there is no place left for them to be used on the unit. Tools you need are also provided and will work but they are cumbersome and awkward, use your own and the job will go faster. I did use loc-tite on the threads as I'm a bit anal about bolts coming loose. I had no problems with any of the fasteners fitting into where they attach to, all the threads were clean and alignment through the frame was proper without having to enlarge the holes. A warning to pay attention to the curved washers as they do all look the same however, two of them have larger diameter openings and if you use them on the smaller bolts you'll have to back track to retrieve them when you put the curved handles on.I'm 6' - 210lbs and I just finished a workout in which I intentionally put as much strain on the unit with jerky movements and actually tried to make something stress out but nothing bent or broke. This unit feels comfortable and sturdy. I do believe that in time some parts will wear out but anything mechanical eventually requires maintenance and repair. Hang onto to the instructions since inside is a fax number, parts order form sheet and a full parts list with part numbers in case you need to place an order.I really like the ample padding in the table part and and how simple it is to get in and out of via the quick release design, it's hassle free and the mechanism on my unit works fine, it was pre-assembled but I suggest you tighten up screws before use. I like the versatility of the height adjustment design as well since my wife who is 5'6 can easily make any height adjustment by herself when she want's to use it.I've seen a few complaints about the padded foot/ankle holder thing that you hang from, they do get a bit uncomfortable but for me they are holding 220lbs, granted it would be painful to hang for hours but I only plan on full inversion for 10-20 minutes at a time and can rationalize the discomfort away believing in no pain no gain.Someone in a review brought up their concern about the ankle holder design, how it fastens to the bars. For a skinny light person like my wife, I'm not to concerned with it but for a fatty like me, I feel it could become a viable concern as (4) screws hold in the ankle pads and it's a bit cheesy in both design and application. I think the manufacturer could replace the sheet metal type screws with a machine screw, lock washers and nuts and it would offer more peace of mind for some folks. I have a simple fix if mine ever breaks. In reality I believe most people will do a safety check on the equipment or become aware of something not feeling right before they strap in and hang upside down. It's really a simple 2 dollar fix and a safety check before use if it really bothers you.A few other people have commented about the table locking mechanism so I paid special attention to it as it's a big reason I selected this unit. Mine works great and don't have any issues with the design, I did put a small amount of some white lithium grease on it to help out since I see it as the part of the unit that I don't want to have failure with in the future. Mine is in good alignment and it's really a clever design based on weight keeping it seated in place, I don't think the manufacturer would recommend grease but for me, a bit of lube always helps.It's made in China and that's the only real complaint I have about it, nothing against chinese, I hold politicians and corporate america accountable for this. But anyhow, unless you've got lot's of dough to buy american made, this is the best bang for your buck, I've looked and you really will have a hard time finding something better for 300 bucks, Overall it's a great inversion/exercise unit, buy once cry once.I hope my review helps you with your decision.

*Update to review at bottom*Let me start by saying that this is a product review, not a review of inversion therapy. I'm disappointed so many people gave inversion tables 5 stars when they were rating inversion therapy rather than the inversion table. I would advise anyone to read these reviews carefully. I would rate inversion therapy as a 5 - do it yourself traction is great for your back. It can help older people with compressed disks to find pain relief and help younger people from developing such problems as quickly. For more advanced degenerative spinal disease you should definitely seek medical advice before purchasing such a system.OK that said, I just received an Ironman ATIS 4000 Inversion Table and put it together last night, which took about an hour and a half. It would have taken less time if I didn't have two little helpers constantly in my way. The only part missing was a metal washer, which (being a guy) only took a trip to the garage to address. Still, it's very disappointing when assembly hardware is missing. Assembly instructions were clear, all tools were included and it was easy to assemble, but there are no usage instructions. I hung upside down (180 degree inversion) after assembly like you're not supposed to do, had the blood rush to my head, got immediately congested, and had a subluxated vertebra in my lower back slowly and painfully slide itself into proper spinal alignment. Ah, I haven't felt this good in weeks! The table is very heavy duty, and I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the back board. It is of the minimum base quality I would expect to see in a gym - not the highest quality, but still very solid and able to last a lifetime of home use.There are a number of problems, however. First, The Amazon ad for this model states the product includes "a removable lumbar support pillow for additional lower back support" - there is no such lumbar support - the sloppy description is incorrect. Not a huge issue, but I disdain false advertising. Second, when fully inverted and hanging completely by the ankles, your feet/ankles will be uncomfortable. The very well-padded ankle straps are not completely pain-free, as the moulding-line cuts into the top of your feet. Given the pain in my back, a little momentary discomfort in the ankles is a very small price to pay, but if you're considering purchasing an inversion table know it exists if you're not pain tolerant (probably regardless of brand/model). Third, and most importantly, the table does not lock. It is advertised as having "10 different inversion locking angles", but the locking mechanism is cheap, it sticks, works sometimes and not others, and I refuse to ever use it again. Ironman, whoever designed your locking system should be fired. I locked myself in at about 160 degrees from vertical and then the mechanism stuck. If I freed my feet I would slide off the table, head hitting the metal stand. Fortunately after much jiggling I got the mechanism unstuck. I am certainly not an expert on inversion traction but I would think being stuck inverted for a long span of time could be potentially dangerous. This completely undermines the units ability to be used for inverted sit-ups where locking is a necessity. You can only use it to hang upside down on, and have to haul yourself up by the handles (weight shifts when you hang by your ankles and your weight is no longer balanced, but shifts towards your head). Note that some of the other Ironman inversion tables have this same faulty locking mechanism design - and this is supposed to be their best design!This table comes under the category of great idea, very well made otherwise, but a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and the "Smart Gear System" is a complete piece of garbage. I'm going to look at the locking mechanism more this evening; if it is not something I can fix myself, I will return the unit. This is one reason I buy from Amazon - they pay for return shipping when they sell faulty equipment like the Ironman ATIS 4000 Inversion Table. If I spend $300 on a piece of equipment and it is not what is advertised and arrives broken, I should not have to pay to return junk.**UPDATE**I have decided to keep the table. The locking mechanism is completely broken, but it's in the unlocked state, so I can invert without any issue. I am unable to do inverted sit-ups, but oh well. It is not worth my time & effort to disassemble and repack this monstrosity for shipment. It does work well for inversion therapy, which is the main reason I purchased it. So yes, I'm keeping it, but if I knew this is what I would get for $300 I would have bought from another more reputable manufacturer.I strongly advise looking for a better manufacturer than Ironman. I noticed on negative reviews, there is always one "not helpful" vote on the review - from the seller or manufacturer of the item, who is notified of any reviews of their products. Regardless of your final purchasing decision, no one could honestly consider this review not helpful in making a decision as to whether or not to purchase this item. I challenge anyone who feels this review is not helpful to COMMENT ON IT and specify what information is inaccurate or lacking, and I will gladly correct that oversight. The only thing unhelpful about this review is that it's unhelpful to Ironman in gaining additional sales of an inferior product. Sorry, Ironman, people will still read this regardless of your ploy to bury the comment.**2ND UPDATE**Inverted sit-ups without the lock are possible, but you do experience some swing as your center of gravity shifts relative to the unlocked table's pivot point. Inverted crunches do not have as much sway. You have to go slow, but it's achievable.**3RD UPDATE**This unit is now sitting in my garage. Wish I would have put the money towards a camera lens instead.

Little difficult to put together, instructions were not the best and if your injured forget it. Also the extended release handle is far from perfect. If you're using this for injury rehab like I was (disk herniation) then the handle being extended is a bonus. That being said I still couldn't reach it, and not only that but once I could reach it I couldn't ratchet myself in tight enough due to the force needed to do so. My back could not handle it. I rigged something up to get myself nice and snug but trying to get off was a nightmare and neeeed to call for help to get out. The amount of pressure needed to push don on the release on was so much I was in way to much pain to be able to press down hard enough. Once my gf showed up she could barley get me out. And the auto locking mechanism for the tilt angle is a great idea!! If it didn't get stuck ALL THE TIME. If u do buy this and it works better please let me know. Also DO NOT TRY ALONE.

Had this unit for almost 4 years, I’m 200lbs and use it almost daily for stretching and sit ups etc. It is rock solid construction and still looks like the day I set it up. I do significant AB work from the 180 position and this table doesn’t flinch. Highly recommended. If you have the space it’s definitely best in class.

Have only used this devise a couple of times but I am really happy with it! Extremely well made and user friendly it went together easily This unit takes up a bit of real estate but is worth it.

Good

Solid, has all of the upgrades and was exactly as advertised. Fast shipping too, arrived 2 days after ordering. Highly recommend.