Thread: Choosing between Humminbird or Garmin

I am biased, I can tell you HB has great customer service!! I am contemplating a Helix 12. Just a titewad or I would have already bought it.

I got the 73sv and really like it. Simple to operate and great images.

I own both. At first I was a VERY loyal Bird customer. Greatly due to the fact of their great CS. Picked up a Garmin 2 yrs ago Installed as a back up unit. It was an Echomap 70 S. I was never altogether satisfied with the 2D performance on the Birds. That first year when I started playing with the 70S. It was showing me fish that
my 1198C was not in 2D.

DI and SI I would rate the performance as about equal. Ease of use and ease of updating the edge goes to Garmin. Get tired of getting the Bird set up just how I like and everytime an update is needed . Have to reset to factory settings at least twice . Prior and after update according to Humminbird. The Garmin doesn't require to reset anything download to SD card stick in unit and boom its done.

Either route you go I think you will be satisfied. Just have to figure out what you want the unit to do for you. All things being equal always opt for the larger screen size. Nuff said.

Helix will be the choice. Now to find best price

BBG Marine

Was gonna try and jump in on the Basspro deal for the Garmins until I read they were fading out the non-chirp versions. I don't wanna make a big purchase on a older model. Plus with the birds I like the live autochart and there is a lot of forum support if I ever run into troubles. The Garmins use such a LONG transducer and I'm not sure I could mount it on the trolling motor as I have a power drive 12v v1 where the skeg is kinda in the middle.

I use both, hard to say on which one is better. They both have good points but they are different from each other. The HB is a lot easier to read in sun.

From what I have seen on the forums, the Garmins have very good imaging.

Their achilles heel is that you use their mapping only. For some lakes it is great and others kinda sucks.......Do your homework on the mapping.