Functional Trainer - Plate Loaded

Bells of Steel’s Functional Trainer is a dual-tower cable machine sold in two configurations off one frame: a pin-loaded Weight Stack version and this Plate Loaded version, which swaps the stack for standard weight plates loaded onto posts – a lower entry price, with a conversion kit sold separately if a buyer later wants to add the stack. Both versions share the same 14-gauge steel frame, dual independent cables with 16 height adjustments per side, aluminum pulleys, and a 2:1 pull ratio, plus an included multi-grip pull-up bar and four welded hooks for attachment storage.

Independent reviews of this exact plate-loaded configuration are scarce – the coverage that exists (Garage Gym Reviews at 3.7/5, Garage Gym Products at 4.6/5, and three YouTube reviews) is specifically about the Weight Stack sibling. Their shared-frame findings still apply here: consistent praise for smooth, non-sticky aluminum pulleys, alongside a recurring knock that the 14-gauge steel runs thin for the category and that height adjustment is limited to the cable pulleys rather than the frame itself. The one signal found specifically about the plate-loaded version – a 2023 r/homegym comment – called it “unbeatable for someone on a budget” against comparable Inspire functional trainers. Buyers should treat the manufacturer’s own 4.9-star, 47-review rating as a single on-page widget not broken out by configuration, and note that at least one syndicated “best functional trainers” roundup appears to describe a different Bells of Steel single-tower product under this one’s name – worth confirming specs directly with Bells of Steel before assuming a spec sheet found online actually applies to this dual-tower unit.

Buying guide

Best GHD for a Home Gym — July 2026

Frame	14-gauge steel rails, dual independent towers
Cables	Dual independent cables, 2:1 pull ratio
Loading	Plate-loaded (standard weight plates); Weight Stack Upgrade Kit sold separately
Pulleys	Aluminum, high-quality bearings
Included	Multi-grip pull-up bar; four welded attachment hooks for cable-attachment storage
Warranty	Limited lifetime (frame); 90-day (cables and pulleys)
Configuration note	Sold on the same product page as the pin-loaded Weight Stack configuration; per-side plate-loading capacity is not published by the manufacturer
Height adjustments	16 positions per cable side

What is a Machine?

What a strength machine is

A strength machine guides the resistance along a fixed path so you can train a movement safely, often without a spotter. The main types: selectorized (pick weight with a pin), plate-loaded (add your own plates for a heavier ceiling and better feel), and functional trainers / cable machines (adjustable pulleys for dozens of exercises).

Machines vs. free weights

Machines shine for isolation, safety, and high-rep hypertrophy, and for training hard alone. Free weights build more stabilizer strength and carry over better to sport. Most well-rounded home gyms use a rack and barbell as the core and add one machine — often a cable/functional trainer or a lat-pulldown/row — to fill the gaps.

The sub-types worth knowing

“Machines” covers several categories that barely compete with each other: GHDs for hamstring and posterior-chain work, belt squats for loading the legs without the bar on your back, leg press / hack squat combos for heavy quad volume, reverse hypers for posterior-chain work and lower-back decompression, cable towers and functional trainers for pulling movements, and row machines. Pick the one that fills a gap in what your rack and barbell already do. Almost nobody needs two.

Space and standalone vs. rack-mounted

Most of these come in a standalone version and a cheaper rack-attachment version. The attachment saves floor space and money, but often gives up stability or range of motion — a tradeoff worth checking on the specific product rather than assuming, since it varies a lot between designs.

A note on ratings

Machine listings frequently show a manufacturer’s own on-site rating, which runs high (4.7–5.0 is typical) and sometimes pools reviews across a whole product family rather than the exact configuration you’re buying. Where we have independent hands-on coverage, our summaries anchor to that instead, and say so on the product page.

How it compares

	Functional Trainer - Plate Loaded	Westside Scout Hyper	Voltra	Monster Rhino Belt Squat - Stand Alone
GymRadar rating		4.43/5	4.71/5	4.67/5
Price		$395.00	$2,199.00	$2,415.00
Frame	14-gauge steel rails, dual independent towers			3"x3", 11-gauge steel arms/crossmembers; 3"x6" weight trolley tower; legs 53.925" (US-made, Columbus, Ohio)
Cables	Dual independent cables, 2:1 pull ratio
Loading	Plate-loaded (standard weight plates); Weight Stack Upgrade Kit sold separately
Pulleys	Aluminum, high-quality bearings
Included	Multi-grip pull-up bar; four welded attachment hooks for cable-attachment storage
Warranty	Limited lifetime (frame); 90-day (cables and pulleys)			not published on the manufacturer page or in gathered reviews — confirm current terms directly with Rogue before purchase
Configuration note	Sold on the same product page as the pin-loaded Weight Stack configuration; per-side plate-loading capacity is not published by the manufacturer
Height adjustments	16 positions per cable side

Reviews by source

Expert	0.0/5	0 reviews
Retailer	4.9/5	47 reviews

Bells of Steel’s Functional Trainer lets buyers start with a plate-loaded setup instead of the pin-loaded stack, on the same dual-cable frame with 16 height adjustments per side, aluminum pulleys, and a 2:1 pull ratio. Value is the standout: it undercuts most commercial-style functional trainers by a wide margin, and the one independent community verdict specific to this configuration calls it “unbeatable for someone on a budget” next to comparable Inspire units. Build quality is the weakest dimension by the same evidence – reviewers of the shared frame (all covering the Weight Stack sibling, since no independent editorial review of the plate-loaded version itself was found) consistently flag the 14-gauge steel as thin for the category and note the height adjustment is on the cable pulleys only, not the frame position. Treat both the manufacturer’s pooled 4.9-star rating and any competing spec sheets (a widely syndicated “33 height settings / nylon pulleys” writeup appears to describe a different Bells of Steel product) with caution until more configuration-specific coverage exists.

+Value: starts well under typical commercial-style functional trainer pricing by letting buyers supply their own plates instead of paying for a pin-loaded stack, and can be upgraded to a weight stack later via a separate kit (Bells of Steel product page)
+Value: a 2023 r/homegym comment specifically about this plate-loaded configuration calls it "unbeatable for someone on a budget" versus comparable Inspire functional trainers (r/homegym)
+Functionality: dual independent cables with 16 height adjustments per side let each arm be set the same or differently for unilateral or bilateral work (Bells of Steel product page)
+Functionality: aluminum pulleys and a 2:1 pull ratio produce a smooth, non-sticky cable feel -- the one attribute every independent source that handled the shared frame agrees on, even when reviewing the weight-stack sibling (Garage Gym Reviews, Garage Gym Products, YouTube reviews)
+Versatility: includes a multi-grip pull-up bar and four welded hooks for attachment storage at no extra cost (Bells of Steel product page)

−Build quality: 14-gauge steel frame is repeatedly called thin for a functional trainer relative to 12-gauge competitors -- a finding from reviews of the shared-frame Weight Stack version, since no independent review specifically covers the Plate Loaded configuration (Garage Gym Reviews, Garage Gym Products)
−Versatility: height adjustment is limited to the cable pulley positions -- the frame itself doesn't reposition or reconfigure, unlike some pricier commercial units (Garage Gym Reviews)
−Durability: independent coverage of this exact configuration is thin enough that long-term reliability of the plate-loaded posts/pins specifically is undocumented; the closest available signal (a separate Bells of Steel plate-loaded cable product discussed on r/homegym) reports a cable-twisting issue during long-range single-cable movements, though it isn't confirmed to apply to this SKU (r/homegym)
−Value: most attachments beyond the included pull-up bar and two handles are sold separately (Garage Gym Reviews, Garage Gym Products)
−Functionality: no per-side weight capacity is published for the plate-loaded configuration on the manufacturer's own page, making it hard to size against rival plate-loaded trainers without contacting the company directly (Bells of Steel product page)

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