Aluminum Cable Pulley Wheels VS.s. Plastic: Worth The Upgrade for Home Gyms?

After playing with these aluminum pulley wheels for a week now, I can say that they are 100% worth it. While the plastic wheels are actually impressively smooth, the aluminum pulley wheels make these comparable to commercial-quality equipment and the difference is night & day.

For just over $100, it's an upgrade that I'll proudly recommend.

I have Bells of Steel cable towers, and they happen to sell aluminum pulleys as an upgrade, so it was an easy swap. If you have different pulley towers, you'll need to make sure the sizes are comparable.

PS: Yeah, these are called pulley wheels and I'm not proud of myself for only calling them "pulleys" for an entire video. Whoops.

Products & videos mentioned:
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[BELLSOFSTEEL]

Glad you like the aluminum upgrades, Matt! 🙌

[Redmaile]

You can see the difference too. It looks smoother when you pull. Thank you for uploading this video. I can’t wait to upgrade mine

[k-popfan]

I added aluminum wheels to my Titan machine and extremely happy with the change. The pull is definitely smoother. I bought them on Walmart marketplace for a great price.

[thegipper]

thank you for taking the time to do this.

[SuperMerlot]

I just got my FTX Inspire functional trainer. No need to change the plastic pulleys; I just applied silicon based lubricant and it became super smooth.

[NoTimeForThatNow]

I’d say the selectorized plate version is expensive but if you consider the weight stack itself using 210 lbs of plates, that’s easily $450 in cast iron if you bought the same weight in new loose plates as a set. Then add the aluminum pulley upgrade and really the difference is about $100-150. Shipping is “free” on the Bells of Steel site, but you know that piece is going to need special packaging and moving it across the country isn’t cheap. Finally the convenience of the pin is a big factor, allowing you to do things that would be impractical with a plate loaded setup. You get a lot for what you’re spending. So overall, for a quality piece of gym equipment, expensive yes, but also worth it.

[realghostxd]

Really good comparision, still in the works of getting a home gym going, step by step so this helps

[JacobTemplar]

I’m preferential to plate loaded over stacks because I get to the point eventually where I max the stack for movements I’m doing for a long time. Which with standard metal plates isn’t an issue

[Brockthedog]

I have plastic pulleys on my 25+ year Parabody 425. They work just like they did when I got it.

[standeeks]

I have 2 of the stack version of it. LOVE IT. I just didnt want to have to keep putting on and off plates.

[liftyMcLift]

Did you add the super lube to the aluminum pulleys as well? Does it feel more smooth? I am thinking about trying this with mine.

[exq]

The nylon pulleys on my new Bells of Steel machine are slightly different and not nearly as smooth. I'm trying to see if they can be lubricated.

[fightingwarrior]

Would I need to order the set for 150$? Or can I buy them all separately?

[franckthetank]

Hello Matt, it is a very interesting video ..Would you know if the aluminum pulleys over used the cables ?In term ok smooth no doubts it is so much better...I had this on my to do list for the past 12 months since I bought my brand new piece of equipment...16 pulleys on total...i found a good deal for $50 Aus. ( US 32)for 4 pulleys so in total it will be $200..Your video kind of making it happening. The smooth and noise of cable to the pulley is the reason why I like to change or maybe just changing the front towers pulleys which is 4 on each side ..What is your take on that please ?Thank you. Oh i nearly forgot are you competing with the INBA /PNBA ?Cheers

[rkseifert]

Was it the aluminum or was it just better bearing in the aluminum pulleys?

[gwmcpher]

Do you need to use the Lube on the metal pulley's as well?

[xdpbx]

Great comparison, I want to re-cable my Inspire Fitness FT2 & upgrade the pulleys but they don’t have the specs listed for them anywhere lol.

[ernie]

Great vid! How drastic is the difference in smoothness?

[tampajep]

I'm a bit confused as to the cost. You said hundreds, then you said $100 per side, then you said $500. Is it $500 for all the pulleys (both sides) for the entire cage behind you? Thanks!

[davidbueso]

Hey thanks for the video. I have aluminum pulleys, but I want to to know what lubricant did you use for to put in between the bearings? Thanks man!