York Cast Iron Kit in a Case - 20 kg

If you're looking for a some free weights to use, these are a good choice. Lots of advantages here...

-reasonably priced
-come with a carrying case
-not plastic, made of metal, so one pair is all you'll ever need

Is there anything bad about them? Well, they are heavy (just kidding). Seriously though, I can only think of two disadvantages. Some people might be bothered by the rough handles. If this is the case, a) you will get used to them over time, but you could get callouses, and b) try some plastic wrap on the handles if need be.

Other than that, the only bad thing I can say is that to change the weights, the collars aren't the clip-on kind that make plate changes go quickly- rather they're the screw-on type- which take longer to get on and off, and some might find it a bit cumbersome if you're changing the plates around a lot.

All-in-all a good item to purchase if you're in the market for some dumbbells. And those with shoulder problems might also want to check out Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff for some good rehab/prevention exercises for the shoulder.

I've had the weights for a couple of weeks now. They arrived within 2 days, which was ridiculously impressive considering it was free delivery and an incredibly cheap price. The box they came in is sturdy enough, and easy to move around. The only real negative critism I can make of the packaging is that it can be awkward to repack. The weights have to be standing almost perfectly upright for the case to shut, and it can take a while to get the 12 of them to do that. Perhaps it'll become easier the more used to it I get, but it would have been nice to have some individual slots to place them in.

Upon first getting the weights out, they do smell a little odd. However I haven't found the smell to linger inside a room; the smell seems to stay exclusively on the weights. They slot onto the bars perfectly, with the spinlock collars again being a perfect fit (as opposed to some less well made spinlock products). Other reviews have mentioned the collars becoming loose; this hasn't happened to me yet so I still have full confidence. The rubber washers on the bars and the collars prevent the weights from making noise. Unfortunately the rubber washer on the collars is prone to becoming unglued and falling out - but they're hard to lose and easy to reglue if you're upto it.

I loved the variety in weight. To be able to start a workout using heavier weight than you're used to in an attempt to use progression, then when that becomes too much to be able to quickly and easily drop down to a lower weight to finish the workout is fabulous. They really do change quickly, with a wide range of different weight to go between. In addition when you get to the stage where these weights are no longer a challenge new discs can be bought and added without the need to buy a further set of bars or collars. Buying a set of fixed weights only mean the smaller weights have to be thrown out as you're no longer able to use them. These weights should be good for a long long time.

Finally a lot of the reviews mention the roughness of the bars. I didn't notice it myself, but my sister had a go with picking one up and immediately asked me why it was so rough. It won't do any harm to just grin and bear it if you do find the bars rough (unless you have some kind of skin complaint) as it'll just make your skin tougher. It won't make your skin harder, drier, simply more capable of handling rough objects without harm. If you really can't take that however, gloves will remove the issue entirely. Past reviews have recommended using clingfilm, I may be completely off the mark but that sounds plain dangerous. Sweat and smooth smooth clingfilm in the middle of a tiring workout.. Sounds like a recipe for harm.

In conclusion then, for the price what you get is outstanding. The product does its job, and the variety is fantastic. The case could be slightly better designed, and the collar washers better fitted, but those complaints are so small it's unreal. If you're looking to get some weights, these have my complete and full 5 of 5 recommedation.

Went for this as it is arround half the price of most of the other sets.
I purchased it Friday night and it arrived on Monday. So it looks like Amazon have fixed their problem sourcing the weights.
The metal bar is abrasive on bare hands (probably quite good if you use gloves though). However, this was quickly solved using a few layers of clingfilm as suggested by Raj B earlier on.
All in all. A good purchase!