Elite 4 or Garmin Echomap

So I picked up an Elite 4 yesterday that I will use to mount on my snowmobile for GPS purposes only. It was a great deal ($329 incl. Navionics + and Lake Insight chips). It’s a nice unit but I am having some buyers remorse on whether I should have bought the Gaemin Echomap 43dv ($299) instead which does not come with a chip. Does anyone here have experience with either? The Garmin is a sexy unit with super clear screen but the Lowrance is a tried a true unit. Help!

I have the Elite-4, I keep it on the pontoon in the summer and then RAM mount it to the handlebar on my quad for ice fishing, it does what I need it to do.

I will be buying one this year too. I am stuck between the two.

I love the Lowrance products.

The thing I like about the Lowrance stuff is that it uses the navionics maps, I am familiar with the phone app and I like it a lot. It’s actually pretty accurate. I am just concerned about going with Garmin for their maps and ever really used them. I like to fish a lot of smaller lakes that I know navionics has but unknown if Garmins would. It could be a costly mistake. Right now Cabelas has a some deals going on for Lowrance stuff.

Thanks everyone. I think I’m going to stick with the Lowrance.

Now I just need to figure out a good way to use this both on my snowmobile and if I walk/drive out instead. Anyone have pictures of mounts they use? I debated a Genz box but I’d like to keep it to a much smaller package.

I use the included quick release mount on my pontoon, the Lowrance Elite RAM mount on my 4 wheeler, and the Lowrance Icepack when out on the ice, all I ever do is just unplug the combo power/transducer cord and snap it into the next setup.

ps0345 wrote:

The thing I like about the Lowrance stuff is that it uses the navionics maps, I am familiar with the phone app and I like it a lot. It’s actually pretty accurate. I am just concerned about going with Garmin for their maps and ever really used them. I like to fish a lot of smaller lakes that I know navionics has but unknown if Garmins would. It could be a costly mistake. Right now Cabelas has a some deals going on for Lowrance stuff.

I’m not sure, but I think you’re correct and Navionics does have more lakes mapped in the upper midwest, but from what I hear Garmin is working pretty hard at getting more lakes on their list.

If you want to see the lakes Garmin has you go to their site: to check them out.

I just wish Garmin would give you a look at what their maps look like. Navionics does that with their web app.

edit: I guess I don’t know how to add a link…. copy/paste this to see their site: lakes.garmin.com