Here is my experience with both after having HB for 4 plus years and Lowrance going on 2 years.1. SI/SS toss up. SS cost more on Lowrance. Does not come with HDS 5, 7, 8 or 10. You have to buy separate SS box and SS transducer. HDS Touch Series has bridged the gap with built in SS but you still have to buy the SS transducer that cost around $200. 2. DI slightly Lowarnce. More personal preference. Lowrance offers little more clarity.3. 2D Sonar, Its a toss up and personal preference IMO. 4. Ease of use and functionality on all units: Humminbird. Hardware Macro Buttons alone is something I miss after going over to Lowrance. Also, HB overall is a little easier then Lowrance to navigate in general. Not a major difference like some have shared on HB side. Overall both are great. Back to Macro buttons. Those are nifty gifties to have while on the water. On HDS8 and up models there are macro buttons but you have to go through one extra screen option to do it. Doesnt sound like much but in comparison to HBs hardware Macro Buttons its a nuisance from my experience. You wouldnt think it but it is. At least to from my personal experience. If you never had HBs probably not a big deal. However, no software macro buttons offered on HDS7 or HDS5 models. Howewer newer models like HDS7 Touch probably offers This otption. 5. Customer Support: Without questions Humminbird way better then Lowrance. However Lowrance is getting better. Having some Lowrance connections and help Lowrance still took close to 3 plus weeks to get my unit repaired/exchanged. Customer Support was friendly but I got some real bad information that was way off base with some of the tech support people. However, other times I called the Tech Support was spot on. My Humminbird experience never went more then a the week with two units I sent in.6. N2k: Lowarance all the way. Way ahead of Humminbird with this marine standard. Networking in general better on Lowarnce vs early generation HB Interlink box. That Interlink box is crappy in my opinion. Cant comment on HBs newer Ethernet network box. 7. Screen display seeing more mapping and sonar displays goes to Lowrance with exception to SI/SS. Humminibird IMO needs to address big white block readouts on 998 and 898 units. It eats up to much of the screen display. HB Side Imagine display is right there with Lowrance on all models. Also, HB 10″ models dont have the big white block letters issues. so its a wash out.8. Overlays goes to Lowrance. Overlays are cool on Lowrance. You can be in any screen display and overlay like MPG, Temps, etc… Not a major deal breaker but a nice feature from Lowarnce. Decide which is important to you. Others may share things I missed if they have owned both. Hope this helps.Last edited by Flyswatter on August 28th, 2013, 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
.
