# Hummingbird vs lowrance



## bluegilla killa (Feb 17, 2012)

Lets hear what you all have to say


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I'm a Low guy but I have owned Birds before. 
In todays world both companies have their followers and each says their brand is best. I say its good we get to make choices and it's good both companies compete for our business. Competition for business is good for consumers.


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

C) none of the above...garmin for me! had nothing but bad luck with 4 birds and the guys i know that have lowrances have all had to send back repeatedly (frozen screens and card reader issues mostly)


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## bigragu (Jan 7, 2010)

Personally like BIRDS. Store the sounders, wrapped in a plastic box after each session on the water and the quick disconnect makes this easy. Primarily use the sounders for structure ID & GPS location/marking & don't need anything magic to find fish.

Just my two cents!


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## chopper (May 15, 2004)

I have had both and am quite pleased with my 898c SI. Also HB has been great with one little problem and helping me learn the unit.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

i,ve had my lowrance for quite a few years now. and never had a problem. but i think they are both good units. it just depends on what you bought and how it serves you.
sherman


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

I voted for Lowrance because I have only used Lowrance, or Eagle. And since Eagles are made by Lowrance, I gotta say Lowrance. Although I am sure the HB's are just as sweet. I do have one slight problem I'm hoping that someone may be able to answer though. 

It's not with the unit itself, it's with the map card we put in it. The unit is a Lowrance LMS-522 C sonar/GPS combo, using a Navionics Premium HotMaps card. The problem I have with it is that the trail that shows where your boat has traveled, shows up on shore. Quite a bit up on shore at times. This only happens at Milton. It's right on the money at all the other lakes. It doesn't really bug me all that much. It's just something I figured I'd ask and see if anyone else has a similar problem with their map cards. I'm assuming the reason it is showing the boats trail on shore, is because the GPS numbers they used to place the map on the card were off. I never ran the unit using the base maps that are preinstalled. So I don't know if it was that way for Milton on them either.

Any ideas?


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Bassbme, I have basemap on 1 HDS unit and insight on the other. I know the unit I have the basemap on it showed me up on the shore on one lake. I really don't remember which lake it was but if I has to guess it would have been Ceasers Creek. It's definitley not the whole lake, just a couple hundred yards of 1 shore. I never looked at the unit with insight to see what it was doing. I'm sure it was the same.
I figured it was a mapping glitch too.


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Bassbme said:


> I voted for Lowrance because I have only used Lowrance, or Eagle. And since Eagles are made by Lowrance, I gotta say Lowrance. Although I am sure the HB's are just as sweet. I do have one slight problem I'm hoping that someone may be able to answer though.
> 
> It's not with the unit itself, it's with the map card we put in it. The unit is a Lowrance LMS-522 C sonar/GPS combo, using a Navionics Premium HotMaps card. The problem I have with it is that the trail that shows where your boat has traveled, shows up on shore. Quite a bit up on shore at times. This only happens at Milton. It's right on the money at all the other lakes. It doesn't really bug me all that much. It's just something I figured I'd ask and see if anyone else has a similar problem with their map cards. I'm assuming the reason it is showing the boats trail on shore, is because the GPS numbers they used to place the map on the card were off. I never ran the unit using the base maps that are preinstalled. So I don't know if it was that way for Milton on them either.
> 
> Any ideas?


I have a 334igps and it does the same thing. Not often, but occasionally. I relive my map card is from '05. I just notched it up to technology growing pains..... 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Bad Bub (Jan 17, 2006)

Bad Bub said:


> I have a 334igps and it does the same thing. Not often, but occasionally. I relive my map card is from '05. I just notched it up to technology growing pains.....
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Edit: map card is from '06....

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Bad Bub said:


> I have a 334igps and it does the same thing. Not often, but occasionally. I relive my map card is from '05. I just notched it up to technology growing pains.....
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Yeah....... that's what I figured too. Thanks for the response.


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## bassinator_oh (Sep 28, 2011)

I use a Lowrance HDS 5 gen2/structure scan in the front and a 798 Di/si bird in the back. The lowrance is better bc of the sweet over lay features.


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## Rough House (Jun 1, 2012)

love my 1198. Just a fantastic unit. Moved from Garmin 2010c to It and what a difference.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Just browsing and came across this thread, Im gonna have to go low.... My uncle and i have had both. Last hum. bird we had developed a fog in the screen. At times it would never clear and we could only see part of the screen. The last lowarnce we had lasted almost 13 yrs and was still working when we updated to a hds-5... So out of the last to lowrances we have had 0 problems other then i think a transducer going bad once.


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## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

I went Lowrance, as it is all I have used, but have heard great reviews about HB. 

I think of it as a Ford vs Chevy deal... either are good and comes down to a personal preference.


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