I need to know what people think about these and which is the best one.

Looked at both of these at Bass Pro Grapevine yesterday with the demo set up.
I liked the HDS7 for the regular sonar and the maps.
But the 998 seemed to have better, clearer Si and Di (at least on the demo programs at the store.

The Lowrance has a bundle pack where you can buy the whole system (maps included) for around $1500
Where the 998 after you buy the shoot through transducer and the map chip was around $2400.

The 998 is an 8 inch and the HDS 7 is a 7 inch.
Neither the HDS 7 or 998 come with a shoot through transducer.
Lakemaster maps for the bird are much better than Insight Maps
Shoot through hull does NOT support side imaging

Which is best is up to you. Everyone has their own opinion.

If your going to spend $2400 , you should spend the extra $400-500 and get a 1198 ..

Size matters!!

http://www.universalmania.com/_e/Marine/product/407990-1/Humminbird_1198c_SI_HD_Combo.htm

I just ordered mine from here, they also have 998c.

Love my 998, wouldn't trade for it. Got it from Xtreme Navigation.com,,,, 1600.00 to my door. Do a search, I've seen some as low as 1350.00 lately

Well since the HDS7 is a 7in screen I'd compare it to the 898 which also has a 7in screen and is about $500 cheaper than the 998 and is otherwise the same. However, if money was no object I'd spend the extra and get a bigger screen because bigger will make SI and DI easier to see and tell what your looking at for sure.

Otherwise it comes to preferance in many ways. With HB you can do lakemaster which are awesome maps however I would get both Navionics and Lakemaster because you would have maps in one that the other simply doesn't have and in many cases have both and each will show different things. Lakemaster does have alot of cool features that navionics simply don't.

TX Basser,
The shoot through is extra and is (from what I got from the sales guys)is for running and sonar only. The Si and Di x ducer came with the system.
My son was with me and said hew liked the Si Di view of the bird better than the HDS.
Did you install your 998? And is your x ducer mounted on the jackplate?
Bob

Revoman,
I have seen some better deals online and will look at the link you posted. Have you installed your 998 yet?
Bob

Looking at the 2 at BPS I actually liked the 998 better as far as Si and Di. I thought the maps (at least the ones they showed me) were better on the Lowrance.
What always worries me when looking at electronics for my boat is what you see in the display program compared to what you see when you are actually on the lake.
For example, I bought a Mark 5x dsi on sale once and that thing is basically useless.

I mounted my si/di transducer on the jackplate using Transducer Shield mount. I have a couple of the NIB HB shoot through the hull transducers if anyone needs one,,,$55.00 shipped.

Lowrance has better images. HB is more user-friendly. Customer service is a wash. Both are very good and you'll be happy with either.

Lowrance is set up where you can run 2D with a shoot-thru transducer to get depth readings on plane and a transom-mount TD for your DI and SI.

As others have said, you need to be comparing the 898 and HDS-7 or 998 and HDS-8. If I was already spending that kind of money, I'd just bite the bullet and get an 1198 or HDS-10.

Seems to be some people that don't know exactly what they are talikng about here. With Lowrance you can use the supplied skimmer as a "shoot thru", it's even in the instruction manual. Few other things, yes DO NOT buy from Bass Pro they are way overpriced! The 998's are real cheap (if you consider 1329.00 cheap) at Universal Mania; but that's because a new model is coming out in Dec or Jan (a easier to see model, led backlit).

As far as "biting the bullet", easier said than done sometimes. Always easier to spend someone else's money. Check out these 3 places before you buy. universalmania.com for Hbird, boemarine.com for Lowrance & bbgmarine.com They seem to have the best prices for new graphs.

grout-scout,
10-4 on biting the bullet. If I could do that I would simply by the very best of what they had. I am looking at the 2 models because of price. So if I'm going to lay down $1000-$2000 on a fishfinder (us married guys know how that stuff goes over)then it is going to have to be the LAST ONE for a long while.
Thanks for the links,
Bob

It is my understanding that the side imaging transducer CAN NOT be mounted to shoot through the hull. Yes, the standard transducer for sonar can be used to shoot through the hull. Side scan transducer must have an unobstructed view.

With Lowrance you get two transducers. One for sonar and one for side imaging. Humminbird has only one transducer for both.

Get an hds8 and quit thinking about anything else.