How to Sell a Broken Rowing Machine

A broken rowing machine is still worth selling — typically £20 to £112 at For Parts, against £80 to £450 in working order.

Can you sell a rowing machine that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with rowing machines

These are the faults that move a rowing machine down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

Worn seat rollers, which make the stroke rough
Corroded or pitted rails
Water leakage on tank-based models
Cheap hydraulic rowers, which sell for very little

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £36 to £202. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £20 to £112. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Row twenty strokes and feel for catching or roughness
Inspect the seat rollers and the rail surface
Confirm the monitor reads and holds settings

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The machine assembled, side on, whole
The monitor lit and displaying a reading
The seat and rail, clean
Folded or separated for storage, plus the flywheel or water tank

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken rowing machines want these confirmed:

Resistance type: air, water, magnetic or hydraulic
Brand, model and monitor type
Assembled and stored dimensions, and whether it separates or folds
Maximum user weight, and the condition of the seat rollers and chain or strap

Resistance type and brand: “Concept2 Model D Air Rowing Machine with PM5 Monitor”. Resistance type is the primary filter. Say whether it separates or folds for storage, which is the second thing every buyer wants to know.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“What resistance type is it?”

Name it. Air and water machines feel completely different from magnetic ones and buyers usually know which they want.

“Does it fold or come apart?”

Say so and give the stored dimensions. Storage is the main hesitation with rowing machines and this answer resolves it.

“Does the monitor work?”

Fit a fresh battery and photograph it displaying a reading. A dead monitor makes buyers assume the machine is neglected.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Air and water resistance models from established makers
Smooth-running chain or strap with no catching
Intact seat rollers and rail with no pitting
Working performance monitor

If the work would cost more than the gap between £112 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

January is by far the strongest month, with a secondary lift in autumn. Recognised brands hold value remarkably well and sell within days in season.

Getting it to the buyer

Collection in practice, though many separate into two parts that fit in a car — say so if yours does, because buyers assume they need a van.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full rowing machine selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken rowing machine worth anything?

Yes — typically £20 to £112 at For Parts against £80 to £450 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Worn seat rollers, which make the stroke rough

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are air and water resistance models from established makers and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty rowing machine?

The fault itself, in detail. Name it. Air and water machines feel completely different from magnetic ones and buyers usually know which they want. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.