Plate-loaded machines are designed to allow you to move weight plates between machines, either to increase or decrease resistance. This means you can buy the weight plates separately, which is especially useful if you have a few different machines you’d like to use the same weights for. This also makes these machines highly customisable. Users can fine-tune the exact amount of weight they want with varying plates, rather than being locked into the amounts that are built into other machines.
Weight plate machines are also typically designed to hold heavier loads than pin loaded machines, so they’re great for those who want to lift heavy.
This also means they can be used to lift lighter weights too—beginners can use plate loaded gym equipment to adjust the resistance down to very small amounts as well, making them popular with all fitness levels.