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REP fitness PR-4000 rack vs Rogue RML 390F

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jun 2, 2021 4:00:00 PM

REP fitness PR-4000 rack vs Rogue RML 390F

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness PR-4000 and the Rogue RML 390F. Follow the links for more details.

Rogue RML 390f flat foot 

 

The Rogue RML 390F rack comes in at $795 and is one of the mid-range options for under $1000 from Rogue. Learn more in this review which was originally published in the Article "Which Rack to buy from Rogue for under $1000".

Overview of RML 390F

 
The Rogue RML 390F is an option from Rogue that does not need to be bolted to the floor. You will get a half rack for a reasonable price which can be placed anywhere from your garage, to one of the spare bedrooms or in the corner of an already established gym. It comes in black is manufactured in Columbus, Ohio. 
 
The 390F weighs in at 295LB with a length of 48'', a width of 49'' and a height of 92.375''. Note that because of the extra beams at the bottom it is slightly higher than the average 90.375'' from Rogue. It comes with Westside Hole spacing and ships with a Single Skinny or a Fat/Skinny pull up bar, band pegs, and J Cups. The stell notes come in 3x3'' for the uprights and 2x3'' for the bases. With this rack, you are entering the Monster lite series of Rogue and the accessories available in there. 
 

Pros of the RML 390F

 
This rack is easy to install and light. With this, it can be added to any kind of floor that you do not want to drill into. This can be especially beneficial when a gym already has been outfitted or your landlord does not allow for these alterations to be made. With this, you are set up and ready to go in no time, while it will also take up little space.
 

Cons of the RML 390F

 
As this is a small rack and it won't be bolted down to the floor it is not ideal for any extreme exercises. If you kip like a beserker or regularly throw 400 pounds or more around you might want to get a rack that is either bigger if you don't bolt it down or a smaller rack that can be bolted down to the floor. You will also have to think about where to store your plates as on the rack itself might not leave you with the best experience due to lack of space.
 

Alternatives to the RML 390F

 
 
The RML 390C would be an alternative to add color to your life. It has roughly the same dimensions as the flat foot and can be bolted to the ground. The price is higher, but you will get a good rack in your choice of color.
 
If you don't want to increase the budget and prefer to have a rack that can be bolted to the ground for extra stability the RML3 might be the right choice for you. It comes in at roughly the same price and has also less height. This might also be a better solution if you have a low ceiling. 
 
The RM 390F is the big brother of the RML 390F. This is the monster version of this rack. If you want to build on your investment and upgrade your rack over time, this is the option for you. There will be more upgrades available for the Monster series than for the Monster Lite is Rogue focuses on the higher price tag items first to push the portfolio forward. 
 

Overview and review of the REP fitness PR-4000 rack

This is an overview of the REP fitness PR-4000 rack including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which rack to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.

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Overview of the REP PR-4000 Rack $623

 
The PR-4000 line of REP fitness is their answer to the Rogue Monster lite series. While it uses the same 3x3 uprights as the PR-5000 the holes are smaller and therefore the nuts and bolts are also smaller. This makes the rack slightly cheaper but leaves you with fewer options for attachments. Some of the specs are:
 
3x3” 11 gauge steel
1” hole spacing through the bench zone
5/8” pinholes
 
This is a good rack if you want to stretch your budget as far as possible without compromising on quality too much. Especially if you are not planning on upgrading your initial purchase.
 

Pros of the REP PR-4000 Rack

 
Pros of the REP PR 4000 are:
 
  • Excellent value for money
  • Westside bench spacing
  • Smallest depth option from REP
 
If you are already on the “slight compromises for savings” train you might as well ride it all the way and get the PR-4000 instead of the PR-5000. With this, you are optimizing for brand and within the brand for a product for savings.
 
Westside bench spacing is relevant if you train with the west side method. With this, you can work better with partial ranges of motions for the bench press or with bands on the squat and bench press. Don’t make it a reason to buy this rack if you are not regularly training westside already. Chances are high you will regret that decision.
 
I personally think the strongest reason you swing it for this rack is that this is the smallest depth REP fitness provides for a 3x3 gauge steel rack. If you have to optimize for space and budget, but don’t want to go into the low-quality range where you might as well go to a random Amazon seller instead then this is a great option.
 

Cons of the REP PR-4000 Rack

 
The cons of the REP PR-4000 rack are:
 
  • Smaller holes
  • Numbering
  • The backplate of nameplate
  • Colors
  • Imported
 
Quite a few people like to save on the price for a rack compared to the Rogue Monster series and then get some of the Rogue accessories like the Rhino or lever arms from rogue fitted with the PR-5000. With the PR-4000 this little trick is not possible as it runs with the Monster lite series from Rogue. There are also fewer attachment options out of the REP fitness line up for this rack than for the PR-5000.
 
The uprights for this rack are only partly numbered. If you are not OCD that is probably not a big issue for a home gym. For a commercial gym, it might better to opt for the slightly more expensive since PR-5000 has full numbering for the convenience of your clients.
 
This is a rack that has to cut some corners on production quality compared to Rogue to be a high-quality competitor at a lower price. One way of doing that is to have the logo on the nameplate just on the front. You will not have a logo at the back. If you are planning to place the rack against a wall that might not be an issue. But in a middle of a busy commercial gym, it will come across a little cheap. Of course, that depends on whether or not you think that your clients will care. I would.
 
Colors are another great way to save some cost while still keeping a good quality rack. REP fitness uses colors with a slightly lower pigmentation than Rogue fitness which makes the color cheaper by the liter. Anyone who paints Warhammer miniatures knows exactly what I am talking about when I mention pinkish reds ( that means the color manufacturer is cutting cost). Nothing to be hugely worried about, but still worth mentioning.
 
Probably the biggest con for REP fitness is that their racks are imported for China to keep the lower price. If you care about that, chances are high that it is VERY important to you that everything comes from the US. If that is the case rep fitness is not an option for you and you are better of with Rogue Fitness who made it an integral part of their brand to keep as much of their production in the US as possible. If you are not that patriotic REP fitness is a great choice. Kind of a similar decision as to the one between Volkswagen and Skoda or Honda and Acura.
 

Alternatives to the REP PR-4000 Rack

 
 
 
 
The REP PR-5000 is the big brother of the PR-4000 and comes with bigger holes, nuts, and bolts. The PR-5000 is the bread and butter rack from REP fitness to rival Rogue’s monster series. It is fair to assume that this rack will get a lot of love from product development at REP Fitness in the future and as you are already deciding to save money by going through REP Fitness, rather than Rogue you might as well upgrade as long as you have the space to do so.
 
The REP PR-4100 is the foldable version of the PR-4000. This is a great budget option to get a 3x3 foldable rack for your garage gym to still be able to park your car after you are done training. The same would go for a playroom for the kids or basement that also is used as a hobby room.
 
The Rogue RML series is the most comparable to the PR-4000 out of the Rogue portfolio. Within the Rogue Monster lite series. The main options are the 690c, 490c, 390c, and the 390WC. All of these racks come with a choice of color, Westside spacing, and numbering on the uprights. The 690c is a six post rack, 490c a full rack, 390c a half rack, and the 390WC is a foldable rack. The main differences to Rep Fitness are the higher quality colors used and that they are made in the USA, not China. So if you want the best in the industry while feeling good about yourself keeping production local, then Rogue is the right choice.
 
The TITAN T3 series is the TITAN fitness 3x3 steel version with smaller holes running along the lines of the Monster lite and the PR-4000 series. This comes also as a finding rack of that is your preferred choice to save money and space. TITAN fitness usually bears the highest risk of minor quality flaws compared to REP Fitness and Rogue. In return, they are the cheapest. Decking out your Homegym / garage gym with TITAN gear is an especially good choice when you are a handyman and know how to fix minor issues and want to build a big gym that combines machines and free-weight sections. TITAN has a vastly wider range of gym machines available than the other two vendors.
 

Conclusion for the REP PR-4000 Rack

 
The REP PR-4000 is a great choice to maximize your budget if you do not intend to do many changes once you are up and running. It is also the right choice for anyone who wants a good rack with a minimum depth. Personally, I would use the choice to go for REP to upgrade to bigger and better things for the same budget rather than fitting more things into the same budget. But that is the question you have to ask yourself between the PR-4000 and 5000 when you depart from Rogue.