ProForce Stretchmaster II

This stretcher does exactly what it advertises. It requires no assembly and has worked flawlessly from day one. The only thing I would like is a degree of stretch indicator but that can be overcome by simply counting the number of turns of the wheel. I have seen significant improvement in a very short time but that improvement only comes if you are willing to push yourself.

This is all around a solid product. If you're looking for a way to increase your flexibility, this is it. I give it four stars instead of five for two reasons. The first is that the support beam for the back rest isn't very strong. If you lean back too far on it, you'll bend or break it - be aware of that. The second is that the wheel is a little wobbly when you're turning it to expand your stretch, and can come off of the base a little easy. It's easy removal seems like a good thing, but I'd prefer a snap-lock mechanism. Because, when you're in full stretch, pushing your limits, yelling to the heavens and giving yourself a mighty pep-talk, you might shake or wiggle a little bit... And that wheel coming off in the moment you're trying to end your stretching pain is a tad frustrating. But all in all, just don't lean back in your stretching too much, and don't be a wobbly tense shaking yelling kind of stretcher so the wheel won't slide off, and you'll be fine.

The perfect torture device for anyone looking to enhance their flexiblity. Although just buying the device will not enable you to do the splits, this device allows you to stretch your muscles while they are in a relaxed state which makes increasing your flexibility easier. After using this once or twice a day for a little over a month I went from 100 degrees to 170 degrees. I'm hoping to go past 180 to maybe 200 :)

I don't usually rate a machine but based on the super high reviews I am always skeptical if they are written by employees of the manufacturer. Let me start by saying, if you need instructions to put this together you are an idiot. This comes completely assembled minus twisting a few wheels on the bottom and screwing the handle into the steering wheel. That is amazing for a product like this. Quick background on myself... I'm a runner/triathlete so I bought this to help me stretch and add to my routine. It does feel amazing to stretch a bit, remove the wheel and lean forward, then repeat. Once you feel stretched, twist the wheel to release stretch and do it again. You can definitely see improvements. Here are the most annoying things about this high quality stretch device: 1. The plastic wrap. What the hell is going on? It was pre-wrapped and assembled at the factory with the wrap on so there is no way to get rid of the plastic covered without disassembling it. Why would you do that? Why not take a razorblade and cut a slit to allow you to screw the bolts in without locking the plastic wrap in place. 2. It has a cheap mesh that will eventually rip on the back of the pads. Not sure why but just get rid of it, it doesn't do anything 3. Lastly, the pads are not adjustable. There either needs to be a cutout for your knee or some way to adjust the pad. It will put strain right on the muscle outside your knee cap. The more you crank, the more pressure you get. Either adjustable pad or a slit in the existing pad would have fixed this. Like I said, highest quality one you can currently purchase and worth the extra price but not perfect.

Wow this thing really puts the stretch on. I'm no where near as flexible as I thought I was. The Jean-Claude Van Damme Volvo commercial gave me the motivation to buy this. If that dude can do the splits at 50 something years old, I sure as hell can get there at 40! I use this in the evening after my workouts. It's nice to sit in the living room and watch a little TV while stretching. Wear sweats and socks when you're using it. Bare skin tends to stick to the leg rests and it will not allow your legs and heel to slide freely when you're really cranking it down. Trust me, sweat pants and socks make for a better stretching experience. The only assembly involved with this item is installing the hand wheel. It just slips on, can't get any easier than that. You can remove it too and this allows you to lean forward or grab your toes for that super stretch. I don't know how long it's going to take me to achieve Jean-Claude Van Damme flexibility but I know one thing for sure, this thing will get me there, eventually.... Awesome device, get it!

The product arrived mostly fully assembled. However as someone else stated in their review, it had no instructions and the packaging was poor. As a result of the poor packing one of the casters was completely destroyed. I was able to make some adjustments to still allow me to use the product, however after one use of the wheel, it would no longer allow the legs to open or close. I opened up the compartment where the gears were located and I could see that the teeth of the gears would not fully join together thus allowing it to slip constantly and make it unusable. I tried everything to get the gears to stay joined but they would continue to slip out every time I tried to use it. So disappointed and frustrated I had no choice to return and get a refund. One last other note is that I was disappointed that the system had no way to measure how open you have the legs at. Thus you could not gauge your progress. The machine is a neat idea and I had really hoped it would work. Maybe with some modifications on the quality the next generation will be better. Until then I recommend you avoid this product.