I was lucky to find one on Marketplace for a great deal. Couldn’t afford not to. The trolley on mine is red, which really pops. Mine has 2-3 fewer starting positions and safety positions than what RogueCrusher has. The weight horns are also not chrome like his, so I believe mine may be an early version or a prototype. I’ve asked Powertec and never got a response. That said, it still works great and I’m not impacted by the reduced number of starting or safety positions.
During use, it’s incredibly smooth. I added a new cable and cleaned/lubricated the trolley and pulleys. I’ve used it for belt squats, split squats, RDLs, and rows. Once I get a front squat harness and cable extender, I’ll be able to do a lot more. I can easily get full ROM on belt squats (I’m 5’9”). I added deadlift tiles to get an extra 1.5”. The starting position/automatic release feature is awesome. You do not have to move the handles like on the Rhino. I think that feature alone sets it above the Rhino as a standalone belt squat option.
I’ve used the Rhino a fair amount and you won’t go wrong with either option. If you’re deciding between a Powertec belt squat and Rogue Rhino, here are some things to consider.
- Powertec’s is too wide to drop it into a rack (I tried). If that’s what you want to do, the Rhino is a better option.
- At the time of me writing this, Powertec does not have a low row footplate attachment. That’s not a movement I’d plan on doing on this, so that’s not a dealbreaker.
- You would need to drill holes in the fixed uprights in order to add leg rollers or other attachments. The Rhino already has the holes so it’s more versatile in that way.
As a standalone option, I think the Powertec belt squat is superior to the Rhino. But if you want more versatility and the option to drop in to a Rogue rack, the Rhino is a better option. I’m really happy with mine.
Performance
Value
Build Quality