I am thinking of buying a cardio machine.
which one of the three is the cheapest to have in terms of initial payment cost, maintenance cost, conviniency (which one is easier to fix by myself when it broke)?

Concept2, one of the best rowing machine cost 900 usd.
Sole F63 treadmill (best bang for the buck according to http://www.consumersearch.com/www/health_and_fitness/treadmills/index.html
costs 1,198.99 usd.

Plus, concept2 rowing machine doesn't have motor (it only use fan), while sole treadmill use motor so, is rowing machine is easier to fix if it broke?

now I think rowing win, treadmill lose here, but I don't know which elliptical machine is the best bang for the buck....

which one is the cheapest to have?
Thank you for the advice

 

I know you asked about cost, but there are other factors I think are more important to look at first.

First: What do you like to do? The best choice of activity for aerobic exercise is one that you enjoy and will do consistently. If you can see a personal preference for one type of activity over another, that should sway the decision to that type of machine. Example: my wife is a runner, so we got her a treadmill. Never even looked at rowing machines.

Second: How are you going to use the machine? Different activities can be performed on some typed of machine that then narrow the list of possibilities for a type of machine. Example: there are two types of treadmills, those for walking and those for running, which basically are bigger. We didn't look at the walking models for my wife.

Third: Where will this piece of equipment be? Nobody likes to be in the grungy basement, so exercise equipment down there will get ignored. On the other hand, a room with a window and a TV makes for a setting that people like and the equipment will get more use as a result.

Once you've narrowed the list of type of equipment you want, I'd start looking at the second hand shops, since many people will sell hardly used equipment to them, but that means a changing selection at the stores, so a little patience is needed to wait for the right one to show up for you.