Functional Trainer - Weight Stack

Bells of Steel’s Functional Trainer is a dual-tower, pin-loaded cable machine that undercuts most integrated functional trainers on price while keeping the core cable feel solid: aluminum pulleys and high-quality bearings deliver a smooth 2:1 pull across 16 height positions per side, with a 160lb weight stack on each tower (320lb total) and a multi-grip pull-up bar built in. Garage Gym Reviews scores it 3.7/5, calling out the value case but flagging 14-gauge steel as thin for the category and noting the machine is locked to a single fixed height/depth configuration – there’s no adjustable footprint to grow into a bigger space later. Owners on YouTube and r/homegym echo that trade-off: assembly and cable install are straightforward, and the pulleys run smooth once broken in (a few owners lubricate them out of the box to settle inconsistency at very low weights), but attachments beyond the two included handles cost extra and add up.

At roughly $2,145, it sits well below premium dual-cable trainers while still covering the core lat pulldown, low row, cable crossover, and functional-training moves most home gyms need. Bells of Steel also sells the same frame as a plate-loaded configuration starting under $1,100, with an upgrade kit to add the weight stack later – a reasonable path for buyers who want to spread the cost out rather than pay for the stack up front. Independent long-term rating data is still thin (GymRadar shows only a single review), so treat the manufacturer’s own 4.9/5 on-site rating as promotional rather than a settled verdict; the GGR score and owner accounts above are the more grounded read on where this machine actually lands.

Buying guide

Best GHD for a Home Gym — July 2026

Pulleys	Aluminum, high-quality bearings
Includes	2x single D handles, multi-grip pull-up bar, 4x carabiners, 2x chains, 4 welded storage hooks
Shipping	Ships in 12 boxes, ~507 lbs total
Warranty	Limited lifetime on frame; 90 days on cables and pulleys
Footprint	30" L x 53" W x 81" H (per Garage Gym Reviews)
Pull ratio	2:1
Steel gauge	14-gauge steel rails
Weight stack	160 lb per side (320 lb total), pin-loaded
Height positions	16 per cable side
Rack compatibility	Tower uprights fit 2.3" rack attachments
Attachment compatibility	20+ Bells of Steel cable attachments (sold separately)

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 - Weight Stack	Westside Scout Hyper	Voltra	Monster Rhino Belt Squat - Stand Alone
GymRadar rating		4.43/5	4.71/5	4.67/5
Price	$2,144.99	$395.00	$2,199.00	$2,415.00
Pulleys	Aluminum, high-quality bearings
Includes	2x single D handles, multi-grip pull-up bar, 4x carabiners, 2x chains, 4 welded storage hooks
Shipping	Ships in 12 boxes, ~507 lbs total
Warranty	Limited lifetime on frame; 90 days on cables and pulleys		12 months standard (US); 24 months EU/UK; extendable to 36 months
Footprint	30" L x 53" W x 81" H (per Garage Gym Reviews)
Pull ratio	2:1
Steel gauge	14-gauge steel rails
Weight stack	160 lb per side (320 lb total), pin-loaded
Height positions	16 per cable side
Rack compatibility	Tower uprights fit 2.3" rack attachments
Attachment compatibility	20+ Bells of Steel cable attachments (sold separately)

Reviews by source

Expert	4.0/5	1 reviews
Retailer	4.9/5	47 reviews

Bells of Steel’s Functional Trainer is a dual-tower, pin-loaded cable machine built to undercut premium functional trainers on price while keeping the core cable experience solid. Functionality is the standout: aluminum pulleys turn in smoothly at a 2:1 ratio across 16 height positions per side, and owners across YouTube and Reddit consistently praise the pull feel once the pulleys are broken in (a couple of owners lubricate them out of the box to smooth out low-weight inconsistency). Value is genuinely strong at roughly $2,145 for a 160lb-per-side stack machine – well under most integrated functional trainers – but build quality is the weakest dimension: Garage Gym Reviews flags the 14-gauge steel as thin for the category, and the machine is locked to a single height/depth configuration with no adjustable footprint. Attachments beyond the two included handles cost extra, a recurring complaint across expert and owner sources alike. Bells of Steel also sells this frame as a plate-loaded configuration with an upgrade kit to add the weight stack later, for buyers who want to spread out the cost.

+Functionality: aluminum pulleys and a 2:1 ratio give a smooth, consistent pull across 16 height positions per side (manufacturer page, Garage Gym Reviews)
+Value: roughly $2,145 for a 160lb-per-side pin-loaded stack undercuts most integrated functional trainers in its class (manufacturer page, Garage Gym Reviews comparison to Beyond Power Voltra I / XMark)
+Versatility: multi-grip pull-up bar included and compatible with 20+ Bells of Steel cable attachments, plus 2.3" rack-compatible uprights (manufacturer page)
+Durability: owners in the r/homegym community report the shared BoS pulley/weight-stack hardware holds up well under regular use once broken in (r/homegym "Review: BoS Cable Tower")
+Functionality: straightforward assembly praised across both YouTube reviews, with the cable-install steps called out as clear (YouTube: 5-months-later review; YouTube: Compact Budget Functional Trainer review)

−Build quality: 14-gauge steel construction is considered thin for a functional trainer at this price point (Garage Gym Reviews)
−Build quality: locked to a single fixed height/depth configuration, unlike trainers with adjustable footprints (Garage Gym Reviews)
−Value: attachments beyond the two included handles are sold separately, and third-party accessories add up (Garage Gym Reviews, r/homegym comments)
−Functionality: pulleys can feel inconsistent at low weight (under ~30lb) until lubricated (r/homegym "Review: BoS Cable Tower", on the shared-hardware standalone Cable Tower)
−Durability: independent rating sample is thin -- GymRadar shows only a single review (4.0/5), so long-term reliability data beyond the manufacturer's own testimonials is limited

$2,144.99

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