I have talked to quite a few good fisherman at work and online, and most prefer Lowrance. But when you look at the specs the lower end($200) Humminbird 565 has more power, better screen, dual angle, and price. Is there something i'm missing here??
[signature]
Its really a comfort thing. Lowrance has led the market for a long time. The Bird jumped Lowrance's technology. Now, both have some hot stuff. Find the one that has the easiest settings for you.
[signature]
For the price you will be hard pressed to find a better sonar than the Hummingbird 565 because of all the things you stated.... More power, vertical screen pixels, dual cone transducer, etc.. Shop online and you can find it in the $175 range..
If you wanna spend more money get the Lowrance and you won't be disappointed.
[signature]
LOWRANCE!!!!!! [laugh]
-Rich
[signature]
I have a 565 and really like it! I use it on the ice and in the boat. I have ice fished right next to guys with the Lowrance units, and mine does everything they do. I can't see a good reason to switch.
Now if you were just going to use it ice fishing I would get a Vexilar. Not because it's alot better, but because you don't have to worry about the LCD screen freezing up. The Vex is probably a little smaller and compact unit for the ice. But they cost way more than a 565!
[signature]
Hey Bigcat What options does the lowrance have that are better? Is it a quality issue?
[signature]
Lowrance has been the leader for many years however Hummingbirds technology is rated up there as well. I use Lowrance therefore its hard to give up something I've used for years. I still have to read the manuel while I'm out the lake. There is so much to learn about these electronics and it takes time. What fits in your budget? [
]
[signature]
[quote streamfisherman]Hey Bigcat What options does the lowrance have that are better? Is it a quality issue?[/quote]
Its been a few years now since I have really shopped sonars. So I can't talk about the fine details of each any more. But I have friends with the 565 and they love them. They have performed flawlessly on the ice and in the boat over several years. I ended up buying a Garmin color sonar a couple years ago and paid double what my buddies did with their 565's. And theirs will do everything that mine can just not in color. I would say to set your price point and get the best one you can afford to buy. They make fishing even more fun..... especially ice fishing!
But for the cost you would be very happy with the 565.
[signature]
Do some web searching on Lowance customer support. A couple years ago they got aquired by Navico and everything has really gone downhill. Reliability has become sub-par and people are waiting 2-3 months to get units repaired under warranty with little to no communication at all. I'd go Humminbird if I were you.
[signature]
Thanks for the responses guys, Its good to know a little more about lowrance's history, and to get personal feed back when comparing fish finders. [cool] Paul
[signature]