fish finder.....the million dollar question

[kyrich]

Looking soon to start buying my electronic's for my new boat.....been around the humminbirds 1197 but yet to be around anyone with the lowrances...OK for the question and i understand that this is your opinion.....Which depth finder would you go with....998 vs hds8?

[blueball]

don`t know much but i`ve heard with the lowrance its set pretty close out of the box to find things with the structure scan ,but with humminbird you will have to make adjustment to get the same pic quality.as for price the humminbird probally cheaper,then theirs maps i hear the lowrance new insight maps are good,then theirs customer service and i believe humminbird is better their.this is just what i`ve read on the internat maybe somebody else will give you a hands on opinion of each

[Stymie]

Your and my needs may differ. Rather than give you my opinion, I'll suggest some things for you to ponder.

1) You need to determine if you need or want Side Sonar.
2) You need to download and read the manuals, note what features that you like and dislike of each.
3) Go to local Gander Mountain, Cabela's or BPS and smash the buttons on each one. See which one seems more "intuitive" to you.
4) Post a note on your state message board asking to go out with someone with each unit and see for yourself what you like and don't like.
5) Price the units.
6) If you want side sonar, you need to verify that your boat has the real estate for everything.

If you do all this, I hope you have a good idea of which one works for you.

[blueball]

when u go to gandermountain,cabellas or anywhere else don`t expect much help when smashing the buttons,most employees can find the display units but cant tell u much about the units.post on the state board and go out with someone and that will help u make ur decision

[Powertroll]

I just put an 998 on my rig it took about an hour to install; I got mine from Cabelas online and it came with the Navionics and they are great 1999$. I took it out today for the first time and I've never had a Di or Si unit and really I coun't be more satisfied I read the instructions once or twice before I got it (kid at Christmas time). It came with a CD that had all the installation instructions and the operators manual got confused installing it (was on the wrong page) called Humminbird and the lady was nice enough to tell me to scroll down and get on the correct transducer.:o The unit has a simulator feature that you can use where you run through all the operations and practice really helpfull and user friendly. I got the 998 because I fish CM and some of the fellas told me that Lorance had some problems and I would be happier with the 998 and I must say I am quite impressed not hard to use or install just make sure your boat is level as it would be in the water and your GOLD! Just my 2 cents good luck KYRich.

[beagle man]

I had humminbird, I switched to lowrance, and have been verry happy. but your doing the right thing, keep asking, and try to get as much info, now for the biggie, if you can afford to go with the lowrance DO IT,

[snake River]

I prefer hummingbird we've tried many different fish finders out there and always go back to hummingbird is the one that we've had the best luck with. I do have a Lawrence sitting in a box on my shelf in the shop and that's where it's going to stay. Not condemning Lawrence they are a fine piece of hardware but I found it easier for me to use the hummingbird.

[Barnacle Bill]

Last week I had a chance to view a 998 andd HDS (10 I think) side by side and both in si demo mode. The lowrance has a much better view.

[slimeyslab]

I have both(HB997 and HDS7) and i still cant decide. Both are great.

[Bronson]

These days I prefer the Humminbird over the Lowrance. Blueball told you right about customer service. I haven't had as good an experience with them the last couple of years as I have in the past. Be prepared to be put on hold for quite a while as well.

If at all possible, you might find it beneficial to upgrade to an 1197. Bigger screen and more features are one reason but an even bigger reason is I've been told the tranducer has a tendency to be easily broken. That's a few hundred bucks each time it happens. I've heard of some people who broke it 2 or 3 times that first summer. (especially around rock or wood) If this happens to you, you might consider reinforcing it with D Con's 2 Ton epoxy before it happens again. Check to make sure this doesn't void the warranty.

The 1197's transducer is better protected. Make sure you follow Humminbird's suggestions about where to mount it. There are a few places out there where you can buy an 1197 much cheaper than some of the big outdoor outlets. If you're like me, whatever you get is going to have to last for a good long while. My son and I both have one and we like them more and more every time we use them.