Bells of Steel Leg Press Hack Squat Machine review

Bells of Steel’s Leg Press Hack Squat Machine costs $2,053.99 and carries a 1,000 lb / 454 kg sled rating no matter which angle you load it at — leg press, hack squat, or calf raise. This bells of steel leg press hack squat review pulls every number straight from the maker’s product page and space-planning guide, so you can decide if it fits your garage before you order.

What it is and who it’s for

This is a plate-loaded sled machine that switches between a horizontal leg press and an angled hack squat position, with a calf raise option built in. Bells of Steel frames it as three movements in one footprint: leg press, hack squat, and standing calf raise, all rated to the same 1,000 lb capacity.

It suits a home gym owner who already has a squat rack for barbell work and wants a dedicated leg machine that does not force a compromise on load capacity. The empty sled weighs 55 lb / 25 kg, which the maker points out matters for warm-up sets — you’re not fighting the sled itself before you add plates. Five racking positions are built to fit lifters from 5’0” up to 6’2” and up to 265 lb / 120 kg, according to the maker.

It is not the pick for someone who wants plates bundled in the box, or someone working with a garage smaller than roughly 87 in by 37 in of floor plus loading clearance on both sides. Those shoppers should look at the lower-priced RitFit options covered further down, or a rack-based alternative like a vertical leg press attachment.

Specs

Spec	Bells of Steel Leg Press Hack Squat Machine
Price	$2,053.99
Sled capacity	1,000 lb / 454 kg at every angle
Empty sled weight	55 lb / 25 kg
Footprint	87 in / 221 cm x 37 in / 95.3 cm
Racking positions	5
Frame warranty	Lifetime
Moving parts warranty	3 years
Pad warranty	1 year
Shipping	Free in lower 48; local pickup in Indianapolis or LA

The sled runs on linear ball bearings over solid steel shafts, per the maker, rather than bushings or rollers. Bells of Steel’s pitch is that this keeps the sled moving the same on rep 1 as on rep 500, though our product research does not include independent wear-testing data to confirm that claim over years of use.

Price and variants

There is exactly one variant listed for this machine: Default Title at $2,053.99, marked in stock with 1-3 business day shipping. There are no color options, no bundled-plate variants, and no lower-priced stripped-down version in our product research — unlike the RitFit line covered below, which sells the bare machine separately from plate packages.

Dividing price by rated capacity gives a rough sense of what you’re paying for load headroom.

Machine	Price	Sled capacity (lb)	Price per lb of capacity (our calculation)
Bells of Steel Leg Press Hack Squat	$2,053.99	1,000	$2.05
RitFit BLP01 (machine only)	$799.99	Not listed by maker	Not calculable
RitFit BLP01 with 370 lb plate package	$1,599.99	Not listed by maker	Not calculable

The RitFit listings give plate-package weights (170 lb, 260 lb, or 370 lb) rather than a rated sled capacity, so a direct capacity-per-dollar comparison isn’t possible with the facts on hand. What our product research does confirm is that Bells of Steel’s $2,053.99 price is for a bare sled with no plates, while RitFit’s higher-tier prices bundle plates into the cost.

Bells of Steel also notes the product is HSA/FSA eligible and says buyers can save an average of 30% through that route, though our product research does not specify the mechanism or give a dollar figure for that saving.

Build and features

The frame is built around a sled that Bells of Steel says converts between leg press and hack squat positions in under 60 seconds — one customer quote in the maker’s own listing claims 30 seconds, though the maker adds “your mileage may vary.” Five racking positions let you set the range of motion for your height and mobility rather than forcing one fixed depth.

Band pegs are built into the frame. The idea, per the maker, is to loop resistance bands onto the sled to add tension at the top of the rep — the point in a leg press or hack squat where lifters most often lose tightness. This is a feature, not a requirement; you can run the machine with plates alone.

Plate storage is built into the base of the sled rather than a separate weight tree, which is how Bells of Steel keeps the stated 87 in by 37 in footprint from growing once you load it up with 45s. The maker also states the frame carries a lifetime warranty, which it contrasts directly with what it calls a common industry pattern of covering the whole machine for only 12 months.

One caution from the maker itself: assembly is described as “challenging due to the weight and size of the boxes and components,” with a strong recommendation to have a second person on hand. This isn’t a five-minute assemble-and-go machine — budget real time and a helper before you commit to a delivery date.

How it compares with other leg press products in our product research

Three other product lines show up in our product research that compete for the same shelf space: two variants of RitFit’s BLP01 3-in-1, and Bells of Steel’s own Pandemonium Squat, which uses a different mechanism entirely.

Machine	Price range	Mechanism	Capacity / plate tier	Frame warranty
Bells of Steel Leg Press Hack Squat	$2,053.99	Linear-bearing sled	1,000 lb at every angle	Lifetime
RitFit BLP01 (all colors)	$799.99 to $1,599.99	45-degree sled, 3 adjustable angles	170 / 260 / 370 lb plate packages	Not listed in sheet
Bells of Steel Pandemonium Squat	$1,749.99	Pendulum lever with counterbalance arm	Not listed as a sled rating	Not listed in sheet

The RitFit BLP01 line (sold under a few near-identical listings, including a pink variant and a “Full Leg Workout Package” bundle) undercuts Bells of Steel on price at every tier, starting at $799.99 for the bare machine and topping out at $1,599.99 with a 370 lb plate package included. RitFit’s footboard offers 3 adjustable angles (some listings say 5 adjustable angles) with anti-slip steel foot pedals. Our product research does not list a sled weight capacity figure for RitFit, only the plate-package weight, so shoppers comparing raw load ceiling against the Bells of Steel unit don’t have an apples-to-apples number to work with — only price and included plates.

Bells of Steel’s own Pandemonium Squat is a different animal: a 3-in-1 pendulum squat, viking press, and calf raise machine at $1,749.99, built around a single tall upright with three peg levels rather than a sled. It’s rated for lifters up to roughly 6’5” and uses a counterbalance arm to smooth the resistance curve — a different feel from a straight-line sled press. It also accepts 2.3 in (60mm) rack attachments and includes two plate storage pegs and a removable back pad with magnetic pins. If you want a pendulum-style squat feel rather than a horizontal leg press, this is the closer sheet match, and it’s $304 cheaper than the leg press hack squat combo (our calculation).

For lifters who want to compare leg press mechanics against dedicated leg curl or leg extension machines instead of a combo unit, that’s a separate equipment category covered elsewhere on this site.

Space and setup

At 87 in / 221 cm long and 37 in / 95.3 cm wide, the machine itself is long but narrow — closer to a bench footprint stretched out than a wide rack. Bells of Steel’s general space-planning guidance (from its separate blog content) says a barbell setup needs at least 8 ft of clear width to load safely, and a full powerlifting-style setup needs 8 to 10 ft wide by 8 to 10 ft deep as a minimum. Those numbers are for barbell training, not this specific machine, but they’re a useful reference point: an 87 in sled plus loading room on both ends will eat a meaningful chunk of an 8 ft wide bay.

Because plates store under the sled rather than on a separate tree, you don’t need to plan extra floor space for plate storage the way you would with some rack-mounted leg press attachments. That’s a real footprint advantage over machines that ship without built-in storage.

Assembly is the setup step to plan around. The maker’s own product page flags it as difficult due to box weight and component size and recommends a second set of hands. Budget more than an afternoon, and don’t assume a single person can safely maneuver every component — heavier steel components paired with a bare sled at 55 lb mean some parts of the build involve real weight even before you touch a single plate.

Shipping ships within 1-3 business days and typically arrives within 3-7 business days, per the maker, with up to 2 additional business days possible during sales events. Shipping is free in the lower 48, or you can pick up locally at the Indianapolis or LA warehouses if you’re near either location.

Warranty and support listed

Bells of Steel backs the frame with a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. Moving parts get 3 years of coverage, and pads — the parts that see the most direct sweat and friction contact — get 1 year. The maker frames this against what it describes as a common competitor pattern of covering the whole machine for just 12 months.

Support contact listed on the page is a phone number, 1-888-718-7997, for help before or after purchase. Our product research does not list a return window or restocking fee for this specific product, so confirm those terms directly with Bells of Steel before ordering if that matters to your decision.

Who should buy something else

Budget-first shoppers should look at RitFit’s BLP01, which starts at $799.99 for the bare machine — over $1,250 less than the Bells of Steel unit (our calculation) — and climbs to $1,599.99 with a 370 lb plate package bundled in. That’s a meaningfully lower total cost if you don’t already own plates, since the Bells of Steel price is for the sled only.

Anyone who wants a pendulum-style squat feel, a counterbalance arm, and rack-attachment compatibility instead of a straight sled should look at the Pandemonium Squat at $1,749.99, also from Bells of Steel. It suits taller lifters (up to roughly 6’5”) and skips the leg press movement pattern entirely in favor of pendulum squat and viking press mechanics.

If floor space is the constraint rather than price, compare the 87 in by 37 in footprint here against a rack-mounted vertical leg press attachment, which trades some load capacity for a footprint that piggybacks on a power rack you may already own.

Bottom line

The Bells of Steel Leg Press Hack Squat Machine earns its $2,053.99 price with a 1,000 lb sled rating at every angle, a lifetime frame warranty, and a footprint that hides plate storage under the sled instead of bolting on a separate tree. It’s a strong pick if you want one machine to cover leg press, hack squat, and calf raise without buying plates twice for two separate units.

It’s not the pick if you’re price-sensitive or want plates included — RitFit’s BLP01 line covers that ground for less, even if its capacity numbers aren’t listed the same way. Whichever machine you land on, confirm current stock and pricing on the maker’s site before ordering, since both prices and availability listed here can change.