I didn’t center the hole very well in the cap. Other than affecting my perfectionism, it doesn’t hamper performance. I probably could have gotten something for just as cheap as making it, but whatever. I don’t love my DIY pulley system, so I guess I’ll just need to buy a horse stall mat gripper to make owning this worthwhile.

Mine has lived multiple lives, first as a space-saving soundproof platform, then as pulling blocks, and now as a more permanent platform. I’ve got a few layers of foam puzzle piece tiles stuffed under the stall mats, and they do a great job of deadening sound. There’s a little bounce, especially with bumpers, but it’s held up really well.

I use this at the gym at my office. Can’t imagine paying anything near full price for it. Performance-wise, it is extremely solid and can bear a ton of weight. The pad wobbles a bit, a trade-off you have to make for how easy it is to adjust it, I guess.

I’ve been pretty impressed with this bench. I got it used for a good price, but I think the value is still there. The pad is nice and grippy, and it feels really sturdy. There’s a little wobble, but I think that just comes with the territory for 3-post benches. No mishaps with the handle, either, despite it not being knurled.

This was the rack my gym at work had when I first started lifting. I had no idea how spoiled I was to start with it, because it held up great to the beating it took from a bunch of users. On top of that, the footprint and hole spacing are great. It gave me complete confidence to get a 2x3 rack for my home gym.

I got these for less than I resold my Fitness Gear plates for. They’re probably not an upgrade in terms of quality, but I like the classic aesthetic, and weight is weight. Don’t expect too much out of weight tolerance, hole size, or paint.

These get the job done if a matador-type handle isn't an option. I thought the construction and paint job were high-quality, and the pad on the handles held up well. The inherent flaw with a product like this is the inconvenience of getting it onto the safeties, setting up the proper width, and making sure they're locked in adequately. So...trade-offs.

The main thing these have going for them is that they're super cheap. That being said, the 45s aren't the standard diameter, the hole tolerance isn't great, and I doubt the precision of the weights was very high. To their credit, they did hold up fairly well in my garage in terms of rust.