Rogue Monkey Rig vs Titan Indoor tire flipping machine
This is a comparison of the Rogue Monkey rig and the TITAN indoor tire flipping machine including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Indoor tire flipping machine $1199
This is an overview of the TITAN Indoor tire flipping machine including pros, cons and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which gym machine to get from TITAN. Follow the links for additional information.
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Overview of the TITAN tire flipping machine
The
Tire flipping machine is probably one of the coolest and silliest machines I have seen in a long time. The basic idea is that you get a tire on a metal frame with some loading pins inside. This is great for a very specific use, which is not to get the floor dirty while still doing tire flips, but other than this I think this is expensive and a waste of space. Get a real tractor tire instead, especially for your home gym. The full specifications of this machine are:
- Achieve a full traditional tire training workout in one stationary machine.
- 125 lb. starting weight with room for an additional 60 LB worth of weight plates.
- Compact design takes up minimal room.
- Handles and wheels for easy storage and movement.
- High quality steel construction with 3.5-in rubber stoppers for a silent drop.
- Footprint: 48-in L x 57-in W
- Recommended Floor Space Required: 108-in L x 100-in W
- Tire Width: 13-in
- Tire Diameter: 48-in
- Tire Weight: 125 lb.
- Weight Post Loadable Length: 4.5-in
- Product Weight: 315 lb.
This is a good option in an urban commercial gym that wants to offer tire flips and has no access to the road. A crossfit box or garage gym probably is better of getting an actual tire/s to flip.
Pros of the TITAN tire flipping machine
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No dirt
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Higher safety
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Loadable
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Fun
Compared to a proper tractor tire the
TITAN Tire flipping machine produces less dirt. There will be no track marks and less impact on the floor compared to a traditional tire. In this sense the
tire flipping machine saves a lot of the problems a main stream commercial gym would have with actual tires.
As the machine makes the range of motion more controlled and leaves less opportunity to grip or lift the tire in a weird way, it is also safer with beginners. The frame is sturdy and will not go anywhere once it is installed.
To progress beginners you also have the option to load this tire with additional weight to incrementally improve. This is a big advantage to an ordinary tire which will always stay the same weight, unless you get another.
The last thing about tire flips is that they are fun. Anyone who does them, likes them. Having this machine will definitely set you apart from your average run of the mill gym with a subscription fee of $20 a month.
Cons of the TITAN tire flipping machine
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Limited use
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Space requirements
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Price
Compared to an old tractor tire the
tire flipping machine has limited use. Real tires can be dragged, pushed, flipped, and hammered. You can do only one of these with the machine. If you put a hammer to this tire it will over time warp the frame and wreck the construction as the tire has lost its integrity to be fitted for the machine.
This is definetly not an option for most home gyms. The
Tire flipping machine will eat up a lot of space for very limited use and can also not be leaned against a wall to save space. Get a tire instead for your home gym.
Not everyone has the right connections, but if you do, you can get a big tire for free or the cost of the transport to you. Most people want to get rid of their old tires and it is a hassle to transport them. If you offer the transport you can usually pick them of for $20 to $100 or even for free depending on how well you know your local source. That is 11 tires for the price of one of these and they usually last forever.
Alternatives to the TITAN tire flipping machine
An old tractor tire is cheaper, has more uses and overall is cooler and more manly. If you can source one for a decent price and do not mind that your gym gets a little dirty, get this instead.
The volcano is in my opinion the better option for urban commercial gyms who want to offer flips to their customers. The volcano is easier to move around in your local gym, triples up as a yoke and
plate stand, and still lets you do flips in a secure way without tire marks. It can also be loaded with more and a bigger variety of
plates. The only downside is that it is $700 more expensive than the
TITAN Tire flip machine.
Conclusion for the TITAN Tire flipping machine
The use case for the
TITAN Tire flipping machine is narrow and better covered by a real tractor tire or the volcano depending on whether you are in a barn or urban setting. I think there are many better ways to spend more than $1000 on your gym. I would use it, but definitely not buy it. Unless I owned a gym on the 32nd floor of a skyscraper in London or New York and wanted to keep some Yuppie clients happy who have been pestering me about tire flips for some years. Even then i would only do it If I happen to get a windfall for new, but ultimately non essential equipment.
Overview and Review of the Monster Lite Monkey Rig
This review was originally posted in the longer article "Which strength equipment to buy from rogue" in which you can read about 25 products of Rogue which cost more than 1.000$. The Rogue Monkey Lite rig is a gym in its own for advanced athletes. See the details in this article.
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Overview of the Monkey Rig
The Rogue
Monster Lite Monkey Rig is an impressive piece of hardware
which will catch the eye of anyone who will cast an eye on it. The main addition to the normal Rogue setups are the Monkey bars at various heights. If you want to prepare your athletes for CrossFit competitions or to compete in the Ninja warrior series, this is the way to go.
The
monkey rig is constructed by 3x3 11- Gauge steel with 0.625 holes and
Westside spacing. Its length is 24', width 6' and height 9'. This makes for a total footprint of 24'-3'' x 6'-8''. On this space, you will create 6 squat/bench stations and more than 10
pull up stations. It comes in black and ships in 6-8 weeks.
Be aware that it does not ship with
barbells or
plates when you purchase it. These are additions to your budget. You can read up on my blog if you are not sure yet
which rogue barbell to buy. to get an overview of the portfolio.
Pros of the Monkey Rig
The
Monster lite Monkey Rig makes a big statement. If you want to differentiate yourself from other CrossFit boxes in an area where you have a lot of fit people around it makes sense. If your clients are also collectively moving into a direction where they want to compete in CrossFit team sports, this is a good bet. It will also open your gym up to clients who are more interested in climbing.
In addition to the Monkey bars, you will also get a fully functioning 24'
Monster Lite Pull-up rig. This is already a full gym. It is ideally suited to training
which incorporates a lot of kipping
pull-ups and muscle ups. The middle also creates a corridor
which can be used for sprints and other aerobic ideas like bear crawls.
Cons of the Monkey rig
This thing is massive! Most gyms will not have enough space. If I was to open a gym I would think of the
Monster lite Monkey Rig as something to aspire to rather than a first purchase. Most of your clients will not be able to do
pull-ups, muscle-ups or climb the entire Rig. This is something that the fitness community you will build has to grow into. The 5.000$ might be invested more wisely in other
equipment in a first purchase unless you have unlimited sources, space and want to build the most impressive gym in the entire city (
which is also a valid business strategy, if you have good financial backing).
It is a pity that you can not get the
monkey rig in individual colors and that there is no conversion kit available at the moment for already existing 24' rigs. Also be aware that the
Monster Lite series is not compatible with all of the Rogue accessory. Think about what additional
equipment you want to get before you hit the purchase button. In my opinion, it also does not make sense to have beams at the lower end of this setup. Therefore you will not be able to use band pegs for the squat/bench stations. You will also have to store the weight
plates away from the rig. To protect your clients from injury you want to take special care that this setup is not cluttered with
plates.
How many clients should this rig bring you?
If you think the
Monkey Rig can attract 17 new clients
which you can sign up for 50$ a month on a 1-year retainer, make the purchase. This equals net new revenue of 10.200$ against 5.000$ in the first year. Adjust the numbers for your own gym accordingly.
Alternatives to the monkey rig
Depending on
which clients you serve and how much floor space you have here some alternatives from Rogue based on a 5K budget excluding
barbells and
plates:
This configuration will give you more opportunities to generate revenue from beginning weightlifters and gives you some color options.
- 2x RM6 @ 2095 each
- 2x Monster Single Post Shelf @ 95$ each
- 2x Monster Single Post Kettlebell Shelf
This configuration will give you more options in terms of training styles, especially when most of your clients cannot do
pull-ups yet. This configuration leans more towards a powerlifting gym or an upgrade of the free weight section of a commercial gym. The Single Post shelves are often overlooked when buying the 6er series of Rogue. If your clients are used to
half racks you can leave the back free. More often than not new additions to the Rogue portfolio are made exclusively or earlier available to the Monster range and not to the
Monster lite range. Keep that in mind when making your investment.
Conclusion
The monkey rig is a great piece of equipment if you have space and money to afford it. It is the right addition to your gym, if you have advanced athletes who are looking for a bigger challenge. If your gym mainly has recreational weekend warriors on the roster this beast of steel and bars might be a little too intimidating.