Looking to purchase a new depth finder for my boat and would love the opinions of all on this board. I’ve always had a Lowrance however I own an I-pilot and am now thinking about the Hummingbird because of the navigation link available. Looking for something with a 9 inch screen or slightly better and cost between 1000 to 2000 dollars. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks! Slacker
Both are good units. I run a humminbird helix 9 SI and love it. I chose Hbird mainly because it was the biggest screen I could get at a decent price with SI included. Also, the lakemaster maps for Hbird with 1 ft contours and depth highlight are really really nice. However, I would bet most people probably run lowrance on here. Those HDS’s are just getting too expensive at the 9/10 inch screen for me. To each his own.
'97 Scout Sportfish 172
90 Yamaha
When I bought my current boat, it had a Humminbird 998c Si installed. I had to send it back to the factory for repairs 3 times. I will say that their customer service is/was outstanding and I think it was finally working properly when I got it back the last time, but my opinion of the brand kind of soured after the whole ordeal. When you lose confidence in something, it’s hard to get it back. So I replaced it.
Before that, I’ve used Lowrance products forever and have a lot of confidence in them. Their HDS series is very nice and has an amazing display. You can get the HDS Gen2 9" for around $1000 or less. The 12" will be around $1500. The latest version, which is Gen3, will be close to twice that. Shop around and you’ll find a deal. Only negative thing I can say about Lowrance is that their customer service needs considerable improvement. This is not from personal experience, but from what I’ve read and heard repeatedly.
The connectivity between the Humminbird and the i-Pilot is nice, but that would not be a decision maker for me on which brand I would buy.
Whatever you buy, my best advice is to get the BIGGEST</font id=“size4”> display that you can afford. You won’t regret it.
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when it’s lost and the story is told. - Me
-What’s the best eating fish, you ask? I’ve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad (1/13/37 - 9/27/16 I love you Pops)
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my “Puppy Dog” 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. I’ll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
-Team Gonna Fish
I ran the Humminbird Link on the skiff I sold earlier in 2016. Ability to dredge a sinking fly between 2 waypoints or on a contour while inching along and not having mess with a remote was cool. Also have waypoints(450+) and tracks that were easy to transfer from each Bird I’ve had. Lakemaster is seriously legit as well (have to have to link)
Lot of HDS guys on here and to each their own. One is no better really than the other it just takes time to learn the individual units and features. I know a good many guys that have this unit or that unit…and can’t catch a crap.
I run a Helix 7 on the console and a 859 up front hooked to the minn kota w/ US2.
“Don’t fear the vendors
Dreams can’t be bought”
All units are pretty much the same…you really just have to learn the unit that you pick…you don’t learn a unit by watching videos or having someone telling you what your looking at. You learn on the water. And as tough as it sounds, it’s the only real way to learn…
“All fisherman lie. And if they say otherwise, then they’re lying”
“Sea~N~Stripes”
21’ Hewes Craft Custom
140 Suzuki
quote:Agree 100%. Something the vast majority don't want to do
Originally posted by MurrymakerAll units are pretty much the same…you really just have to learn the unit that you pick…you don’t learn a unit by watching videos or having someone telling you what your looking at. You learn on the water. And as tough as it sounds, it’s the only real way to learn…
“All fisherman lie. And if they say otherwise, then they’re lying”
“Sea~N~Stripes”
21’ Hewes Craft Custom
140 Suzuki
“Don’t fear the vendors
Dreams can’t be bought”
Thanks for all the good information guys. I will continue my research and make sure that I get the biggest screen affordable. Again, thanks for all the good info. Slacker
I saw on FB somewhere had 2 998c humminbird like I use for $1100 for everything. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I gave $900 for my 1 unit 3 or 4 years ago
…
Chris Kneece
Sneaky Peek Bowfishing
2016 Tracker 2072 Sportsman MVX
115hp 4 stroke Mercury
I’ve had a humminbird since 2007. I had to replace a transducer, but other than that it has been fine. Only downfall is the accuracy of the gps at low speeds. But they may have taken care of that. I just upgraded to the HDS7 Gen 2 touchscreen. But that was only because Gander Mountain by me is closing and I got the display unit with transducer for $400. They also have 70# Ipilots for $525. Spent way too much there the last few weeks.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
quote:
Originally posted by Little Saluda SlackerThanks for all the good information guys. I will continue my research and make sure that I get the biggest screen affordable. Again, thanks for all the good info. Slacker
Definitely do your research and if you decide to look at any brands other than the 2 you mentioned, remember that Simrad and Lowrance are owned by the same parent company, Navico. So I’m sure they offer similar or the same technology.
Also, like murraymaker said, time on the water spent learning your unit is a must. You should know how to use it just like you know how to use the rest of your fishing equipment.
If you do see something you don’t understand or have a question about something, post it here and I’m sure that someone can help you.
But most importantly, if you’re fishing somewhere and they are biting like crazy, post a picture of your fish finder screen. Be sure to include a picture of the map with the location coordinates. 
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when it’s lost and the story is told. - Me
-What’s the best eating fish, you ask? I’ve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad (1/13/37 - 9/27/16 I love you Pops)
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my “Puppy Dog” 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. I’ll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
-Team Gonna Fish
Lol… Will do bow hunter. Thought that was given! Thanks again for the advice. Slacker