The Dane 2.0

I initially had the Dane 1.0 and didn't see much reason to upgrading. But, when the opportunity arrived, I jumped on it. The upgraded pulley system is SMOOTH, lower starting weight is helpful for my wife and a few exercises, and the 1:1 ratio for low rows and lat pulldowns make it super versatile. Bang for your buck, I haven't seen anything else for a better value.

For my gym, the Dane 2.0 has been the perfect choice of an all-in-one rack. The quality for the price is just hard to beat. I purchased it during the early drop, and it has taken everything I’ve thrown at it. My only recommendation is, make sure you have the cables straightened out before installing, and make sure you have the right tension when installed. Otherwise, you will have some twisting. Also, you can’t beat Fringe Sports customer service. One final thing, PK the owner actually listens to his customers, and into the home gym community as a whole.

Did a ton of research trying pick out my first rack, especially one with weight stacks. I needed the most bang for my buck and this one was a great choice. Luckily I purchased before the tariffs hit. Everything is 5 stars on the rack with very minor issues. The UHMW on the accessories is pretty sharp, but easy to sand down. The lat pull down seat moved quite a bit, but Fringe has excellent customer service and sent people UHMW shims to alleviate that for free. The other common issue is dealing with bad cable twisting. Again, the guys at Fringe put out videos constantly to help their customers. I still have some issues, but they also sent customers swivel clips to help. All in all, I absolutely love this rack, comes with great safeties, cool j-cups, and again they take care of their customers.

As a strength coach, I’ve trained on and around a lot of commercial racks over the years and the Dane 2.0 is a tank. Once it’s bolter together, there is zero wiggle. No sway, no instability. It feels planted and trustworthy, which is exactly what you want when real weight is on the bar. The stainless steel uprights are a huge plus. The trolleys move freely and consistently, and the cable system overall is very solid, I’d confidently rate it an 8 to 8.5 out of 10. The 1:1, 160 lb weight stack is excellent for lat pulldowns and seated rows. You actually feel that true ratio. It’s slightly less smooth at the very lightest loads, but once you’re into moderate weight it performs exactly how it should. One thing to note: the true 10 lb starting weight is legitimate. For stronger lifters, that’s great. For lighter users like my wife and daughter doing single-arm shoulder work…it can be a bit heavy. That’s the tradeoff with a true 1:1 stack. You gain performance and realism at the cost of ultra-light accessibility. The pop-pin locking spotter arms and J-cups are top notch. They lock in tight, adjust easily, and inspire confidence. When you’re coaching or training heavy, equipment that feels secure matters. These deliver. Out of the crate, the powder coat was nearly flawless. I’d rate the powder coats durability around a 7.5–8 out of 10. It can scuff with metal-on-metal contact, but not down to bare steel in my experience. Most interaction happens on the stainless uprights anyway — and those are rugged, smooth, and built to take abuse. Bottom line: for what this rack offers at its price point, it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck setups available right now. It gives you real training capability without the commercial price tag. If you’re buying one, I’d highly recommend adding The Drew Lat Pulldown Extension and the footplate, they really expand the rack’s versatility and add serious value.