Mikolo Leg Press Hack Squat Machine, 30-Degree Compact Leg Press Machine for Home Gym, Hack Squat Machine with Removable Shoulder Pad, Lower Body Workout Equipment

Bought this product for my home gym since we have an athlete with scoliosis and squats/deadlifts are problematic. I am really impressed with what this product is - a great workout tool for leg strength with versatility for both leg press and hack squats with good range of motion and versatility. Pros: Assembly was straightforward and and build quality is great. The machine is sturdy and smooth to operate. There is ample ability to re-configure the machine to fit many body types with excellent functionality. The machine fits nicely in a corner of my home gym without monopolizing space. The build hardware is strong and lends itself to safety in operation. The added bumper plate option was an absolute steal (230 lb of extra weight for around a $1 per lb price point - which is nearly impossible to beat these days). That bonus bumper plate deal was an overall home gym enhancement beyond just the leg machine. Cons: The bottom leg rest is on the smaller side. It is appropriate for our body sizes herein (middle and high school HS athletes) but this could be a challenge if you are exceptionally tall. Final note: The seller was quite responsive and kept me posted on delivery details. The item will come in two boxes for the machine and multiple other boxes for the extra bumper plates. Thank you for the excellent product and excellent customer support. All in total cost and provided value makes this a great addition to any home gym setup.

I absolutely love this machine. After dealing with repeated hamstring pulls, I struggled to safely rebuild my leg strength using free weights—especially with deep squats and lunges. This combo machine has been a game-changer. It allows for a deep, controlled stretch without the risk of reinjury. The motion is smooth, and the build feels rock-solid. I’ve loaded up to 4 plates per side, and while there’s a little bounce in the weight sleeves, it’s nothing that affects performance or safety. The machine still feels sturdy and stable throughout. One of the biggest deciding factors for me was the compact footprint. Floor space in my garage gym is limited, so space-to-usability ratio really mattered—and this machine fits the bill perfectly. When I’m done using it, I simply slide it to the back of the garage. I’d recommend putting furniture sliders under the legs to prevent damage to the rubber feet, especially if you're on rough concrete. There are a few minor cons worth mentioning: The foot platform could be slightly larger—maybe an inch or two all around. My pinky toes tend to hang near the edge, but it hasn’t affected performance. During hack squats, the sled bottoms out a bit sooner than I’d like due to the flat backrest. I’m 5'11", and it hits the full range just right in leg press mode. If you're shorter, adding a rolled-up yoga mat or shoulder blocks can help extend ROM. The safety locking handle is placed very close to the side of the machine. Early on, I found it hard to reach and would occasionally bump my knuckles on the sled hardware. After getting used to it, it’s manageable, but if the handle protruded just 1–2 more inches outward, it would be a big improvement. Even with those small drawbacks, I highly recommend this machine—especially at this price point. I’ve seen similar units for $1,000+, but to get this kind of quality in the $600 range is an absolute steal. If you're looking for a reliable, compact, and effective leg press/hack squat solution for your home gym, this is it.

To preface the product review I want to give the folks at Mikolo a big thumbs up for their top notch customer service. I received a message from them almost immediately after ordering this leg press letting me know that this order would come in two seperate boxes and may arrive at different times. They said if there was any problems with the shipment or with the product itself after shipment to contact them immediately and they would make it right, they weren’t joking, the shipping company lost half of the order and as soon as I contacted them they immediately sent that box, it came within that same week. Thanks Mikolo for your excellent customer service this means a lot. Now to the product review. Assembly: super easy to assemble. The paper instructions are easy to read and accurate. You can also use the video on the product description if you need clarification. Just study the parts list and get the bolt and washer numbers in your head so you know what to use during assembly and it will come together nicely. However, if you are not “mechanically” inclined it would be a good idea to get some help. But for me this was super easy. For assembly I give this product a grade of Excellent! Quality: while assembling any product one should inspect all the pieces and parts for quality especially the weight bearing components, ie.. frame rails and junctions, looking for cracks and inspecting all welded points. I found “zero” flaws and all of the welds were exceptional. The hardware was good quality and all of the frame joints fit perfectly. Once assembled the machine was straight level and functioned smoothly.. very smoothly, more on that later. This machine also looks great in my tiny gym, more on that later as well. For quality I give this product a grade of Excellent! Functionality: not sure if that is a word but this machine functions beautifully. It is quiet and smooth as butter during operation, so smooth that my 11 year old grandson uses it effortlessly and loves it. The padding is well made and comfortable the adjustments are well thought out, I am 5’10” my grandson is 5’ and my 84 year old mother in law is 5’8” and even she found the leg press comfortable to use. So for functionality I give this product a grade of Excellent! Performance: this is where all of the aforementioned mentioned begins to matter, the machine is very comfortable and easy to use. Once you adjust it to fit “you” it is ready to go. During operation it is whisper quiet, smooth as butter, no kinks noises or rough spots during operation and it is balanced and sturdy. I started off with light weight and worked my way up to heavy. With weights it worked flawlessly and made the movements targeted by taking the stress off the spinal column and placing it squarely on the legs. This is important as it’s what this type of machine is supposed to do. I have used hack squat machines that don’t transfer this pressure from your back thus making it ineffective. To my surprise and joy this machine with weights transfers the stress and pressure perfectly allowing me to focus on “legs and calves” and that’s the point of the whole thing! This machine also gives you the option of using resistance bands either by themselves or in conjunction with weights. Something to know about bands, be careful with them rather on a machine or with body weight exercises. Resistance bands constantly pull against your force progressively adding force against your applied force, one slip or sudden reduction of your “applied” force and the bands will “force” you to the earths surface.. quickly!! So be safe and be smart when using bands in any application especially on a machine like this, and on this machine they work beautifully. You will need a 20” circumference band and they are hard to find. Serious steel makes them and you can find it here on Amazon. A 41” band can be used but you have to loop them around the weight load bars and that doubles the tension of the band. And let me tell you using bands on this machine will give you a quality workout, add them in conjunction with weights and you will definitely get a world class leg workout experience. Burbles be smart and please be safe! For performance I give this product a grade of Excellent! Footprint Features: I going to lump the rest of the categories into this segment. This machine is compact which was one of my greatest concerns but once it was assembled and put into place it fits perfect. You can see in the photo and video how it fits nicely into the corner. And the way it is designed it allows the weight carriage to move freely without contacting the wall or other equipment. And if I needed to move it, it is very lightweight and easy to move. I can’t say enough about how happy I am about this purchase and will, in closing give Mikolo a two thumbs up on their customer service. And that brings me to giving this product an overall score of “EXCELLENT” great job Mikolo!