Introduction
The price is set at $135 with free shipping, and it has a small footprint; did you know this was out there? Now, before you hit the link for the Titan Preacher Curl Station, there are some things you need to know. Yes, this piece of equipment is extremely affordable, and yes, it definitely gets the job done as advertised, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. So keep reading, and you can find out if this is the right unit for your needs.
Packaging and Assembly
You’ve been eyeing the curl station on Titan’s website, you finally pull the trigger and buy it, and now it’s on your doorstep. Arriving extremely compact, the preacher curl station comes in a 22″x33″x7″ box with 8 major pieces and all of the nuts and bolts needed for assembly. The assembly instructions are a nightmare (2 finely printed pictures showing you all of the connections that need to be made), but it doesn’t take the largest brain to bolt this together, so this was really a non-issue. The total assembly time took about 30 minutes, and now your perfectly built curls station is ready for use… or is it? Here are some issues that we came across.
The Issues
Now that the curl station is built and has been put to use multiple times, the issues seem small, but during unboxing here were the complaints:
- Indented seat pad: The seat pad that was sent did not have a consistent cushion. There was a large indent running down the side of the pad.
- Bent metal: The straight part of the frame where the fasteners secure it to the feet was significantly bent. The fasteners straightened it only slightly.
- Scratched coating: The arm frame is coated in chrome. It came with a handful of scratches and imperfections.
- Chunky welds: Some of the welds seem extremely thick and ‘unclean.’
- Thin padding: The seat pad and the arm pad are thin. You can feel that the wood backing being used is 1/2″, and it is most likely plywood. With a thin backing and a thin pad, the pad is only 1.5″ thick.
- Bar Holding Arms: The arms meant to hold the bar are lined with cheap rubber strips. The welding on the underside is also questionable/non-existent. The claws where the bar rests also line up where you would want to grip an EZ bar which makes it less than ideal for gripping the bar before your set and racking.
- *Stability: This was mentioned in some customer reviews, but did not see it as an issue here.
Functionality
With all of the listed issues, the curl station still functions as advertised. It’s relatively comfortable to use and does not wobble, as mentioned above.
Below are a few of the products specs that stick out.
- 3 Height Adjustment Points: The unit allows you to adjust the seat height, the curl pad height, and the bar arm height. You adjust with a pin that uses the spring and thread.
- Weight: The unit weighs 45 lbs, and it is extremely easy to move around your space, which is important as many home gym owners typically move items like this around often as their setup changes.
- Total Footprint: Space is always something to keep in mind. The curl station has a total footprint of under 6.5 square feet.
An Upgrade Option
Corners were skipped with the building of this unit, but where this preacher curl station falls short the Preacher Curl Bench V2 seems to have improved. It comes with UHMW lined j-hooks, bolt down options, and weighs 73 lbs. The issue is the price; you get what you pay for. The Preacher Curl Bench V2 is priced at $329.99. If you are not doing your math, that is more than double the cost of the Preacher Curl Station.
Conclusion
In the end, the Titan Preacher Curl Station is far from perfect, but if you are looking for a preacher curl bench (and not a lot of home gym equipment companies have them) this option should be considered. It is priced right, and it gets the job done. If you find yourself being very picky and critical of home gym equipment you buy, then you have been warned, this one may not be for you.
