Have you switched to Garmin ?

Have any of you that were Lowrance or Humminbird users, switched to Garmin ?

If so are you glad you switched?

Any major issues with your Garmin?

Thanks

Got a 93sv on a bay boat. Not impressed with the side imaging. Really can't compare to helix mega

Funny you post this. I was in BPS and never really paid much mind to the Garmin. But for whatever reason it caught my eye when I was in there and I've started researching a lil bit, seems like some good stuff. for some reason I thought it was priced a little less than HB and Lowrance.

What transducer are you using ?

Whatever came with it

Mega imaging is the only way to go

I don't think anything compares to mega imaging right now....From a Garmin owner.

I have the 73sv at bow and console. I really don't like them at all. I think the bigger units should b better.

Other than panoptic I'd see no advantage over lowrance or hbird.

love my 93sv for easy to use, and SI and DI, charts not so much, and they wont accept
lakemaster or navionics cards...I run a Helix 7 on console for my GPS/Charts, and a 93sw on a post
for sonars,..

Replaced an older Lowrance with the Garmin 7DV. West Marine had them on clearance a couple months ago so I thought I'd give it a shot. Using it at the bow, and the 2D and DV are really good. Really easy to use. The only questionable thing later on may be the flimsy power and transducer connections.

I thought garmin was higher $$$ than HB

The 93sv might be the best $1,000 unit in my opinion. Especially since it comes pre loaded with maps that are not bad. However, if I could go back I would spend a little more and have a helix mega

I got garmin since we needed a new graph very bad. I'm glad I went to it for 1k its the best deal to me. you get maps, down view, side view, and traditional sonar. its very easy to use. We have a 93sv at console and 73sv at bow.

Yes...love the trad sonar and panoptix. Di is a draw, Si is lacking, even the normal hb units.... Panoptix is a game changer. Won't ever get rid of it. Might get a mega just for the si, eventually.

Well, comparing the 1000 dollar 93sv to a humminbird mega unit probably isn't fair. Just gonna put that out there. I paid $530 for my used 93SV from a guy off of BBC, and for that 530 I LOVE it. Side imaging could be better. But I actually love the charts. I upgraded to the Lakevu ultra and think they're good. The graph, for the price, is great. I can't speak on the high end garmin units. I have heard from other users than panoptix is the bomb. But again comparing 93sv to mega unit just isn't fair.... two totally different price points.

Garmin makes a great product and have always been a staple in the Saltwater world, but the thing that limits them somewhat is the thing they limit you to only their mapping, which I hear is good on lakes they have mapped. With Humminbird and Lowrance, both have multiple mapping options(Lowrance-Navionics & Insight)(Humminbird-Navionics & Lakemaster) so that there is a really good chance that there is mapping available in your area. If not using the Panoptix, not really seeing a big advantage to switching over. Like stated above, if using the higher end units where Mega imaging is an option, that is definitely a good route to go. JMO

I switched from them.... mapping was the desision maker for me , not having access to navionics was a deal killer.

I bought one for the bow to do Panoptix. Haven't had it on the water yet, but my early impressions of playing with it a couple of hours in the garage are not having touchscreen like on my HDS units is a hard adjustment, the operating system of the unit seems very "unelegant" compared to Lowrance. Their Homeport software is pretty cruddy compared to Lowrance Insight Planner as far as viewing maps at home on your PC and managing waypoints.

The positives are Panoptix and the ability to build your own contoured map which I will use heavily at two small public lakes I fish that Navionics etc. does not support that have a lot of humps and other structure. I also like the color shading ability to custom set depths on their map, e.g. 1-5 is light blue, 5.1ft to 10ft is a darker blue etc. - would love Lowrance to knock that off. Kind of a get what you pay for deal?

I bought the 73SV and guess I didn't do enough research. Even though it touted "17,000"lake maps, I got used to flipping between Lowrance maps and Navionics.
My Garmin won't take Navionics....
Other than that, for a $400 unit, it's easier to see than my old HDS-5 Lowrance....