Where does each excel? Who has better mapping, who has better side/down imaging?

 

I’m trying to rig my new boat and I’m trying to decide which direction to go. Boat is currently all Garmin (which I feel is best in the ffs/live world). If y’all had to pick units for each, which would you recommend?

I like Humminbird.  Their units are easy to use.

Garmin for FFS and Humminbird for Mapping and Side/Down/360. Garmin's side/down imaging and navionics mapping are more than adequate for what you'll probably need them for but since I have both, I prefer humminbird for those specific tasks. 

Humminbird is the only one with 360

 

Humminbird is the only one with Lakemaster maps. They also have Navionics as a option.

 

Humminbird has the best side and down imaging.

 

Garman has the best FFS.

 

I haven’t used Lowrance in a while and I’ve never owned a Garman but they can’t possibly be as buggy as Humminbirds.  

I've always used Lowrance.  I find their GUI easy to use.  A friend has Garmin on his boat.  Garmin screens are much better than any Lowrance I own.  @Fishing Rhino has Hummingbird on his Nitro, which I now pilot for him when we go out.  I find the Hummingbird's menus difficult to maneuver through.

I had a problem once with a Hummingbird I bought and returned.  What I found out about it was after the fact.  The processor in the unit was slow and it would look fine on the screen but I went over some submerged laydowns in clear water and it missed most of the laydown. Just flat didn't pick it up on the screen.  This was a cheap unit (5" screen) and probably 11-12 years ago and I was on a budget.  It has likely changed since then.  I found out about it on the internet and since then it has soured me on Hummingbird.  It may have been fine on the newer units or the higher end units not using the cheap processor chip. I switched to Lowrance and then to Garmin.

FM

Like others have said,

 

Humminbird has 360 imaging and IMO have the best side imaging with MEGA

 

Garmin (which I use) has budget friendly models, has the best FFS, and they’re the most user friendly. Oh, and their customer service has been great.

 

Lowrance….meh

If you are ligit going to spend a lot of time on sidescan you'd probably notice the difference with humminbird. 

 

I decided to go all garmin to share waypoints, same interface on every unit, etc. Sidescan seems fine to me, but it's not as nice as the humminbird I had before. 

And on a 360, this is just personal, but I can't see a reason to have it - livescope gives me the same info. I've occassionally threatened to put another transducer on for perspective mode (eg live 360) but it hasn't gotten to the 'oh that's a serious plan' level yet, and might not ever. 

 

I can't speak to the map difference though. I fished with someone that ran garmin for ffs, hbird at the console, and lowrance for mapping. 

8 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Humminbird is the only one with 360

 

Humminbird is the only one with Lakemaster maps. They also have Navionics as a option.

 

Humminbird has the best side and down imaging.

 

Garman has the best FFS.

 

I haven’t used Lowrance in a while and I’ve never owned a Garman but they can’t possibly be as buggy as Humminbirds.  

 

4 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Like others have said,

 

Humminbird has 360 imaging and IMO have the best side imaging with MEGA

 

Garmin (which I use) has budget friendly models, has the best FFS, and they’re the most user friendly. Oh, and their customer service has been great.

 

Lowrance….meh

 

This is mostly where I am also.  My dad has lowrance and as much as people tout the user interface, the new UI on the explore units is miles better now.  I have had helix and now have explore units. The side and down imaging is the best on HB.  They are the only 360.  

 

I would caution everyone against saying that Garmin is clearly the best FFS. If it better than mega live 2?  I think so.  Clear and obviously better?  That’s a tough call now.  ML1 was barely serviceable.  ML2 is a huge difference and right up there.  In the past you could have amazing SI and passable FFS or you could have amazing FFS and passable SI.  Hbird upped their FFS game way more than garmin upped their SI.  If you had to pick one brand to run using all ‘things’ I think it would have to be humminbird.

16 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I would caution everyone against saying that Garmin is clearly the best FFS

If I remember correctly, Garmin holds the pattens to FFS so everyone will be behind in the technology because they lease the technology to the other two. Humminbird is a close second no doubt. I’m my opinion you can’t go wrong with either brand. I’ve owned both brands and each other has something better than the other one.