@offwidth and
@Mike Torres, thank you both for your replies and observations/opinions. I'll explain a bit more why I'm asking.
Much to my chagrin, we have a treadmill in our basement gym, which is more like a small commercial gym in many ways than a home gym - room for 4-5 people to train together, and 2-3 people quite easily. Half a dozen bars, a heavy lift bar, a thick bar, multiple chinup bars, squat stands, a power rack, dip attachment and, yes, because both my sons asked for it, a treadmill. Personally, I've never used the treadmill and it's very likely that I never will, and the same is true for my wife, who prefers deadlifting, kettlebell swings and snatches, and taking dance classes.
But, that said, someone on a local list has offered a free stair stepper, Lifeline brand, and I recall when I worked at a trainer at the local YMCA that people seems to like these, so I thought, what the heck, if it's free, maybe it's worth carving out a corner of the basement for.
That's my story.
Mike, I have found that my back doesn't care for rowing, and the machines take up a fair amount of space.
For me, I pick up heavy things and put them down again, walk 2-4 miles almost every day, and that's basically my program. I cycle swings and snatches in and out of it but, honestly, a deadlift and a press, with either a walk to warmup or a walk afterwards keeps me in very good health by all measures.
-S-