Lowrance/Humminbird

[Rob LaMoy]

OK fellas, this one ought to be about as controversial as Ford vs Chevy.



Years ago, I used run the old style Humminbirds, simply because they were cheaper and all I could afford. They were junk, no two ways about it. They didn't read right and were more or less useless.

I then switched over to Lowrance and have been upgrading ever since. I have always liked my Lowrance units, however, I have not had a SINGLE unit that does not fog up. No, I don't use Windex to clean them and I take very good care of them, but they fog up anyway. And I have owned over a dozen.



Then Humminbird came out with the sidefinders and I told my Lowrance rep and a buddy that was (lost his ride since) the touring Lowrance pro, that they would loose a LOT of marketshare to Humminbird if they didn't get on board with the side finding.



Now they have it, but I have heard from a few extremely reliable sources that Lowrance has even admitted to having a "water issue" with their units.......huh??? "Water issue"???? with my MARINE electronics??? Now what you want to hear. I was advised to keep the covers on whenever not using the units.



I have had the opportunity to use a few Humminbird sidefinders and they down imaging and all I can say is, "UNREAL"!!! They will up your game as much as having a GPS in the boat. I look back and can't imagine HOW in the world I was ever competitive without GPS and I am sure that side imaging is as much a game changer.



I want to hear from some folks that have had them for a while and see how they work long term.



Let the debate begin.

 

[Bob G.]

Ever since I put a GPS unit in my boat, it makes it a lot easier to follow a certain New Yawker around Champlain and mark his chit. I have cashed so many tourney checks with these spots, I can't even keep track!! I even got a faded pink hat to wear during tourneys. :lol:



I've thought about getting the sidefinders, but using binoculars to see where the NYer is fishing is cheaper. :lol:



Just razzin' ya Rob.....I don't fish anyones chit.

 

[Mini]

I have been using Lowrance for close to 20 years and have only had one water intrusion problem (with an LMS350a....look it up you young ones). I will say one thing NO MATTER who you go with. Why would you want to hard mount (in dasah) any of these units? The vibration going down the road, the heat from under a cover, the chance of them getting stolen, etc.



mounting them on RAM mounts and removing them after every trip is the only smart way to protect your investment.



i am currently running a LCX28cHD on the bow w/a 3000 antenna, HDS8 on the console, LSS-1 Structure Scan, Sirius sat weather and radio, and a Lowrance 250 VHF radio. When I finally get all the wiring ran all will be networked via NMEA and/or Ethernet (depending on the units capabilities). i am also looking at adding the LMF400 and LMF200 multi function gauges with fuel flow, fuel level and water pressure on them. My teleflex guages are about shot and if I can get a good enough deal on the guages and "EP"'s i will get them.



All that said....you are right the Birds are great units too. i dont have much seat time with them, but they impress me.



My personal observations:



Lowrance Pro's: Ease of use (I am used to them), Ease of install, better 2d (broadand) sonar, clearer structure scan



Lowrance Con's: Price!!, seemingly slow operation of the HDS with Navionics, Sirius and Structure scan running, excessive power consumption



Humminbird Pro's: Lots of buttons!!!! Lol, I dont know what they are all for, but they have to come in handy. Customer service/tech support are in the USA!, Greg Walters is a member of this baord and invaluable for the Bird users.



Humminbird COn's: Price!!, funky connectors that seem to want to lose connection or become disassembled, strange un repeatable errors with interlink (remember, i have limited experience with these...only on Neeley's boat, hopefullt it gets resolved.



Either way you cant go wrong. Just treat them well with safe handling, remove them after every trip BEFORE you leave the ramp. Lock them up well as they are quickly stolen if not.



Last year i found 4 shipwrecks on a lake I have been fishing for 20+ years. Also found a 65 foot long tree in 24 feet....nope, not gonna be any fish on that!!! lol



Good luck

 

[Jim B]

Rob,

I will be on my third season with my Birds on my boat. To date i have been 100% totally satisfied with mine. Your right about the side imaging being a game changer as well. I have found stuff i never knew existed with it on lakes i thought i really knew. There is a lake i fish weekley down here in mass and the first time out with my side imaging i found a rockpile in the middle of nowhere that i never found before and i hammered fish off it for hours.



Before i had these birds i was a lowrance guy. I had a lot of problems with water intrusion on my 520c's. I lost three in one season and i also had a x135 flood out as well. I also had a ton of issues with networking and having the gps just drop off at random and the only way to bring it back would be to remove power from both units and the puck and reboot the entire thing. Those 520c's also couldnt mark a school of fish the size of a bus that i could see with my eyes(my 788c will pick up a 3" grub no problem). Those 520c's were jsut not good performers at all. I never got those issues resolved and dealing with customer service drove me batty. The poor customer service at Lowrance is really one of the biggest reasons i went with Humminbird. Overall im so happy i made that change, the last two seasons are the only two in a row that i havent wanted to kick my electronics overboard.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Hear ya Mini. I was with a kid that stayed with me last year for the Bass northern open and we were in his rig with a sidefinder. We ran across a bay I've run across more times than I care to count for the last 20 yrs and whataya know, there was a rock pile I NEVER knew was there. It was a small one, no bigger than the front deck, but it held fish and being in only 15' of water I would only have found it if I had driven right over it with my rig. And beind just out of the way, I doubt I would ever had run over there.

Really need one for my TBF regional this year in ME. If I am to have a shot at being state champ again and going back to nationals, I'm gonna need that side imaging!

 

[Gary R]

I love both my HDS's.



Lowrance did have water problems on the first units they came out with a couple years ago. Units being sold now do not have that problem.



I just got my LWX-1 working this weekend. I love knowing what storms are coming.

 

[Jim in VA]

Dedicated Humminbird fan. Haven't tried the side scan (out of my budget - and I'm not a tournament fisherman), but for me its all about customer service. Had a Lowrance unit on my new-to-me G3 HP180 go out a few years back. Called Linda Colt. She suggested I try a new transducer. Did that, nothing. I wanted to send the unit back for repair. She told me the diagnostic cost with no guarantee of repair. Said forget it and got me a Humminbird instead. Had one of the side bolt covers on the mount come out during a rough run on the Potomac. Called Humminbird a couple of years after I bought the unit. What did they do? Send me a BRAND NEW mount - no questions asked. That attitude and the fact that their products have worked flawlessly keep me loyal. Oh, and Bill in VA's old Humminbird unit (Tracker brand name) is STILL working the front of my boat to this day!

 

[Texas Transplant]

My experience has been that Hummingbird knows how to treat the customer right. Personally, I think that Lowrance got lazy when they seemed to have a technological edge over everyone. Once that attitude is accepted within the company, and coupled with the consumer buying like crazy - it's hard to change.



Hummingbird listens to the customers, and treats them right.



Greg Walters is a great example of the type of people that you want on your team.



And their technology rocks!



Tex

 

[fatrap]

I use a rock with a string tied to it with knots on the string every foot. Works great for me. Side imaging for my area is a waste of time when your lakes a ten foot deep with muck bottoms. Actually been using Lowrance for years with zero problems.

fatrap