(03-02-2021, 01:06 AM)Scott Stevenson Wrote: All other things being equal, I personally would prefer a vertical (no angle) smith machine. Exercises such as belt squats, Smith lap bar squats, smith sissy hack squats, and somersault squats are all done better with a vertical smith machine, for instance.
The switching of the bench orientation can be a pain in the butt, too and angles of push can be adjusted with the bench.
An angle is nice not n' again for some exercises (e.g., a BO row can feel pretty good pulling back towards oneself), but all in all, vertical wins out in many ways.
I'd also pick the machine that allows the bar to go all the way to the floor. If you want to do full deads or a smith pendlay row, this is easier than standing on a box (and that depth is necessary for most of the leg exercises I mentioned above, which you can find discussed here with vids on youtube).
-S
Thanks Scott for the informative response. It is very much appreciated.
Regards, MJL