It seems to me that Lowrance HDS units with Structure scan are quit a bit more expensive than Humminbird SI units with the same screen size. Am I seeing this wrong? Is the price difference justified in performance?
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It seems to me that Lowrance HDS units with Structure scan are quit a bit more expensive than Humminbird SI units with the same screen size. Am I seeing this wrong? Is the price difference justified in performance?
this is a loaded question, but for what its worth i have ran the lowrances for along time, i got a humminbird 898 last year after one of my lowrances crapped out on me and all i can say is that i just bought another 898 to replace my other lowrance, humminbird has really stepped there game up and i love mine!
They are roughly the same price per screen size. Now if you want the 5 times per second gps refresh with the low you will need to buy to LGC 4000 that is another 200.00. IF you want to mount your HB SI TD out of harms way you will need to but another TD for 83/200 to get on plane depth, 75.00 or so depending on the one you choose.
998c SI's for around $1700. That is has a 8" diagonal
HDS 8 LSS Bundle $2000 8.4" diagonal
BPS has HDS Gen2 8 for 2200 and HB 998 for 2000. So to me they are not that far off. It was not the price that made me choose HB, and at couple hundred difference I"m going to get the one I want if I'm spending 2K anyway. I'd have bought the HB if it was 200 more than the Low. The difference for me was shallow water SI performance and not having to mount a second box to get SI. If there were a 3rd maker that had HB shallow water SI performance and Lowrance built in GPS performance all in one 8"-10"unit I'd have bought that.
the donut on the hb at .5 not on the low. the low has a better pick. and will pick up stuff that hb wont i ran a 997 next to a low, hds 8 and the hb didnt show the stuff we just put out and still had markers on it
Don't own a newer Lowrance, but I have messed with one on a friends boat. I would probably give the edge to Lowrance on more detailed screen shots. But H/B wins on ease of operation. If you are a techy and like to figit with the buttons, Lowrance might serve you better. If you are like me and don't want to be fiddling thru the menus, H/B would serve you better. The preset buttons on H/B are a big plus for me.
I use humminbird.one transducer one unit.it works.all the other stuff,what ever.
BPS is too expensive and I would have to pay 10% sales tax here.Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolinaJim
Go Fridays and get your VA 10% discount.
I'm wondering if this is comparing apples to apples....(because I don't actually know)...Quote:
Originally Posted by FAADAN
Just for clarification....isn't the HDS "Bundle" also include extra upgraded mapping...??
And if this is, indeed the case.. The cost difference is not as much as it seems....
Rickie
I don't know either. You may be right.Quote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
The prices are comparable. The units are a bit different, with different options and add-ons. Best thing to do is go and look at both, see what they can do, what they have to offer, and then make a decision. Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one. Be a pioneer for yourself.
It seems like you have to be a nuclear physicist to figure out what you are buying. If I could buy what I really want for the trolling motor, it would be a side imaging unit without GPS. I wouldn't even need mapping. I have a great little hand held GPS that I have used for a long time when I want to find a brush pile. It seems you can either buy a traditional down looking sonar or you have to buy a chart plotter. You can spend $200 or $2000. There's nothing in between.
HB and Lowrance both make some great units. I prefer the Lowrance, but not everyone is the same. One of the things I like about the Lowrance structure scan is that three units can be ran off the same box, the down side is only one tranducers can be used. If you shop smart you can find some great deals, the last HDS-8 I bought was $1240 after the rebate. It is a gen 1 and was on sale plus a rebate after the gen 2s came out. The first 8 I bought was $1550.
IMHO you can't go wrong with either brand.
FAADAN;
If you are wanting to put the new SI unit on the TM, something to think about is what brand and model of TM you have. If you have a MK Terrova, the Low TD wire will not fit in the slot on the side of the Terrovas shaft, nor will it fit thru the lower unit that the shaft slides thru. Not sure about an HB SI TD wire, but I have a HB 788ciHD on my Terrova, and the TD wire will/does fit in the shaft slot and the lower unit, making for a nice clean install. This is the only reason I bought an HB as I prefer Lowrance. I did not like the loose wire hanging off the TM all the time with a Low FF. I did install a HDS 8 w/ SS on the console, it works good, if I can figure out all the settings, its not that hard to install but yes, you have another box to install and 2 TD's, but again, not that bad. I'm considering getting a HDS 7 or 8 to hook up for the front, but keep coming back to the "overkill" factor. I've found myself messing with the HDS more than fishing, and I used to go to the lake to fish, not watch a small TV outside in the heat. :biggrin
I'm a Low guy but like other said before me, the Birds are nice units too. Also as others have said having the extra box and ducer on the Low is no big deal. Again like others I added a 2nd unit and I like sharing info via LSS1. There are times I think of adding a 3rd unit again it would be sharing info via LSS1.
For the amount of money you are going to invest I would do my homework and see what unit you like and buy that unit. A few dollars one way or the other shouldn't be the focus. I would be more concerned of the features you want. What ever you have you will probably want to add to it eventually. (I've been telling my self for the last 30 years that I've bought the best and its my last electronics I'll need to buy.)
Ease of use really wouldn't be much of a concern as everything has a learning curve and in just a short time will become 2nd nature to use.
The best advice I can give is to buy the biggest screen you can afford. Even if that means waiting awhile before buying. I'm so glad others gave me this advice (and I listened) when I was looking.
Good luck in your decision.
I like to have separate units myself. So a F/F without GPS sounds like it would be fine. But one thing a combo has going for it, is the ability to scroll back on the screen to a brushpile you have already passed, then mark it's position. Without a combo unit, you would have to circle back and find the brushpile to mark it correctly.Quote:
Originally Posted by FAADAN
In the past, questions like this sparked, shall we say, lively debate. There became an us versus them atmosphere. It is good to see that a lot of folks are now recognizing the merits and opportunities of both brands.
Lively debate = :bash
:biggrin
And I'm not wanting to start a war here. I want to benefit from the experiences, good and bad, of others before, as my wife puts it, I spend a couple thousand dollars on a fishfinder. {rolling her eyes)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stymie
I've seen too many good shots from both brands to say either is superior. I have HB but don't think o wouldn't love to have an hds unit !! that being said, does the low have an ipod input or something????Quote:
Originally Posted by Stymie
HDS does have a ipod connection but its an extra ya gotta buy, no connection directly to the HU.Quote:
Originally Posted by TITANSFAN2104
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the Humminbird people regularly monitor these forums and others to offer help\advise. They have helped me a lot.
The lowrance route will get cheaper if you have more than 2 units to share the accessories, but with HB's ethernet now, you can start sharing sonars now. Not sure if Lowrance is coming out with new stuff comparable to the 360imaging or something like Ipilot-Link.
Lowrance has a longer warranty and much better screen than any bird. The 1198 is led backlit and the rest 900 and 800 series is not. I would not buy the current 900 or 800 bird series. I have been looking for awhile and am leaning towards the gen 2 hds 10
Hummnbird select matches the warranty period of lowrance as well as better customer support and as stated more support on numerous forums. As far as screen , the 800 and 900 series lacks a lot but that is changing later this year. Saying the hds 10 screen is better than ANY HB would be hard to distinguish for any human eye regardless of the specs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mj73
The 798 humminbird has led backlighting.