Multi gym or free weights advice!!

[Auss11e]

I'm after some advice as to whether renewing my gym membership or purchasing a multi gym (one or the other)!!
Now i know a lot of you are going to say "membership" straight away but keep in mind my goals;
I am 6'2 29yo 216pounds and about 14%bf.

I have been lifting on and off (due to injury) for about 18months now and im basically looking to just gain a little lean muscle mass and lose a little bf. I'm definately not looking to get big, just lean/athletic.........
I already have a flat bench and weights/bar etc and a fairly cheap sorta multi gym which is way too light for chest presses/ pec flys and only really good for tricep pushdowns and cable crunches!!!
The multi i'm looking at is a real good one. All the basics plus added leg press station and hanging leg raises. 260 pound stack!! (enough for me) and costs $2800 Aussy $$$$.

What sounds better for me?

[brianfantana]

Multigyms for me just dont have the same stability, i used to have a golds gym multigym, leg wise the whole frame would shake on full stack - it's scary and i didnt feel particularly safe. This also went for pec dec too, of course each multi-gym will be different, that's a given - i just feel safer in a gym - if a gym machine breaks and i hurt myself i can whinge and get some apologies if i do it in my own room on my own equipment, tough tits!

I also felt that when i had my bench, curling bar and multi-gym i'd be more inclined to be lazy and do less, too many distractions like my girlfriend or the computer games!

If you know its a rigid piece of equipment and you've played around on one before and you have the drive to use it, certainly do get it - if you're like me then you'll get bored and it'll sit doing nothing while you still go down the gym! If you can afford a personal smith machine, they're sweet but they lack the cables which you'd probably want :P - again, they arent necessarily the most sturdy of things either!

[Auss11e]

Multigyms for me just dont have the same stability, i used to have a golds gym multigym, leg wise the whole frame would shake on full stack - it's scary and i didnt feel particularly safe. This also went for pec dec too, of course each multi-gym will be different, that's a given - i just feel safer in a gym - if a gym machine breaks and i hurt myself i can whinge and get some apologies if i do it in my own room on my own equipment, tough tits!

I also felt that when i had my bench, curling bar and multi-gym i'd be more inclined to be lazy and do less, too many distractions like my girlfriend or the computer games!

If you know its a rigid piece of equipment and you've played around on one before and you have the drive to use it, certainly do get it - if you're like me then you'll get bored and it'll sit doing nothing while you still go down the gym! If you can afford a personal smith machine, they're sweet but they lack the cables which you'd probably want :P - again, they arent necessarily the most sturdy of things either!

Well the Smith machine is definately another option that i'm seriously considering. The multi station gym i'm talking about actually has a lifetime warranty on the frame and components, everything moves so smoothly cos it uses bearings to rotate unlike the cheaper versions with the pins.
Anyway i think that i like the idea of having everything at home cos i often get the urge late at night to hit the weights and only have to wander downstairs and crank the tunes up..........

[brianfantana]

I wish i could do that, get some photos of your beast if you do buy it - i'd like to see it - could be a cheaper option!