Fishfinder Choice

Want to put new fishfinder/GPS in my boat. Been a Lowrance and Garmin fan but open to Hummingbird. Budget cap...$2000 max with depth chart software .
Probably not portable for ice fishing but if it works...Suggestions?

I have Humminbird Helix on my boat. I use it because the boat was equipped with Humminbird when I bought it, so I continued to buy Humminbird.

I guess it comes down to the type of fishing you will do. Maybe give us a bit more information

Always using Hummingbirds, and its kind of habit now , As well Helix on my boat.

For Simcoe lakers tuning tried different makes on my buddies boats, and found Lowrance is kind of much easy to set to max sensitivity/fish detection in approach, but, IMXO, Lowrance always causes huge interference with Hummingbirds etc. when it comes to close rage. Even modern technologies not able to fix that noise on screen properly.

I've always used Lowrance products and have been happy with them.

I'm certainly not an expert on electronics, but from what I have been told by some folks at Radioworld, Humminbird has lost ground to Garmin and Lowrance over the past couple of years - I think in terms of technology etc.

Personal observations... Lowrance seems to be a bit more expensive than other brands but has a good product overall, Garmin seems poised to really accelerate in the "Fishfinder" market (especially with their purchase of Navionics). I can't comment on 'Birds, as I don't really know much about them.

I think at the end of the day, find a product that will do what you want it to do, is priced right, and has the potential to upgrade easily. Talk to folks like Radioworld who carry all three brands, and can point out pros and cons to each one.

Garmin is the king right now, there is no question. Panoptix and Live Scope is just too good for many situations. Even trolling, Garmin Live Scope can watch the fish come into your spread, and you can watch which lines interest them and which ones might frighten them. That said, it's also the most money.

Still, Live Scope may not be useful depending on the type of fish you target. For example, there is no fashion where Live Scope will be even remotely useful for jigging Lake Trout or White Fish. For that, I'd suggest just a simple 2D fish finder. But if you are targeting schools of fish you have to hunt, like bass, perch or most panfish, then Panoptix or Live Scope is the way to go over another tech like Side Imaging or Down Imaging. Many competitive Salmon fishermen swear by Garmin Live Scope to watch their trolling spread. I have yet to get it because of the cost.

If your budget is $2000, you might benefit the most from finding a used unit. For example, used Humminbird Helix 12s out there can be half the price of a new unit. A few years ago, I picked up a used Helix 10 and a used Helix 9 together in a package deal with the transducers for about $1600. They are probably cheaper on the used market now.

I have had about 4 Humminbirds in a row now and currently running a Helix 10 with down and side imaging. G2 Chirp.

Arnie

I ran Lowrance and Hummingbird back the in the past. Currently I am running a Hummingbird Helix 7 mega SI and DI. I am shocked at how good this unit is. It usually retails around $1200.00 but I got it on sale for $850.00 plus I bought a new Navionics chip. I was way under your 2k budget and I couldn’t be happier.

Humminbird is buttons only except Solix where's Lowrance and -Garmin are touchscreen/ buttons- much much quicker to change screens or settings. Also a 7 " Bird is a size and weight of a 9" Lowrance if space is limited.

only ever run humminbird . last one was a helix 7 and was never happy with it. made the switch to garmin this year and have been very happy with it, like night and day between the two units.touch screen very easy to operate and one little issue i had when i installed it was rectified by garmin support very easily. that being said i have a helix 7 complete unit someone could have cheap lol.

Define Cheap! LOL

Define Cheap! LOL

if you are interested pm me we can talk not looking for much

I really like how my Birds network with my Ulterra for deploying, shuffling etc.
The networking alone was over $500 so probably not in your budget.

Define Cheap! LOL

if you are interested pm me we can talk not looking for much

PM Sent