Lowrance HDS-5
Tonight I found out I screwed up bad when I bought the HDS-5. I talked to people about them, looked on the Lowrance website, did research and then headed up to Bass Pro to take a look at one. I was impressed with what I saw because of the side scan/down scan that it had especially for the price, which I thought was a couple hundred less than a comparably equipped Humminbird. I talked to the rep at the counter about it and he went through the shpeel about it never once telling me that you can only get the “Structure Scan” as they call it with a $600 add-on! Nowhere at any time did they EVER tell me it was an add-on, especially for that price! I’m so pissed off right now about I just want to smash the damn thing. I never would have even considered buying it had someone told me that you can only get the structure scan as a horrendously expensive add-on! Now when you look everything says that it’s only available as a add-on. Where the hell was that info when I was looking? Why the hell didn’t the rep tell me that when he was showing me all the features and walking me through the demo? I really feel like I got ripped off & lied to.
Bass pro just lost a loyal customer because of this BS & I’ll never, ever by a lowrance again. Nor will I ever have anything positive to say about them. I’ll do everything in my power to convert as many people to humminbird as I can.
My wife and I bought a 997 NVB SI last year and humminbird offered a free download to add the down scan feature! It took 5 minutes to update the software and it worked. I was playing around with it this evening and loved it!
To get the structure scan I’ll have spent in total $1400 I could have and should have spent $1200 on the 798ci SI Combo NVB that comes with the preloaded with navionics charts!
If you’re looking for a great fishfinder that is easy to use, has great customer support along with a great price do yourself a favor & get a humminbird. Lowrance is over prices a REAL pain in the ass to learn how to use and their customer support is one of the worst I’ve ever dealt with
Now I just gotta figure out what to do with this over-priced HDS piece of crap……………..
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4 Comments
I wouldn’t think that would be Lowrance fault for not telling the right information. That’s differently the clerk fault in the marine dept. I would not hold that towards Lowrance. Lowrance makes superior unit, esp when you do add on the structure scan.
Also since you just purchase from Bass Pro Shop and the clerk told you wrong information. Why didn’t you just take it back and get your money back or exchange the unit for the one you want? Instead of going on rant rave on Lowrance, your rant rave should have been towards Bass Pro Shop.
You shouldn’t have any problem selling your HDS 5 since its a great unit.
Here’s more information about the Lowrance Structure:
o Lowrance can be networked with 3 head units- a system is cheaper than 2 individual h. birds
o Lowrance does not require an aditional transducer to run at high speeds( est 100 dollars extra with h,bird)
You know that if you net work the Lowrance HDS units you can share the LSS module with up to three units. Making it cheaper than the Humminbird. I really like this feature as I run three units in my boat and only have to buy the LSS once, where I’d have to buy 3 SI units and cost me hundreds more.
Thank you very much for your responses guys. Now that I’ve had a chance to cool off I do see your points!
Being able to have 3 units run from one LSS will make it cheaper in the long run.
Jason you are right about it being the clerks fault and not Lowrances. I know a lot of guys that run lowrance units and rave about them, that’s the reason I decided to try one. Compared to a humminbird i do find them not to be quite as user friendly but that just might be my lack of experience.
There are plenty of fan & detractors on both sides while I have both on my boat. Right now I have a HDS-5 for my main unit on the center and a matrix 12 on the front hooked up to the minn kota just to watch the depth. Odd but it works!
I’ll give the HDS a chance and see if I can talk the wife into letting me get the LSS unit. We’ll see about that one!