THOMM059,
To start off with, I'll let you know ahead of time that I'm a Pro-Staffer for Lowrance. So with that out of the way, lets address your "local supplier's" comments.
As much as I love my Lowrance electronics, I simply refuse to bad-mouth the competition. Fact is - Humminbird makes fine electronics that many have enjoyed using for many years. I'd never take a store employees word for fact when it comes to warranty issues unless they have proof (at least personal experience), and what he told you about Humminbird customer service is simply not what I've heard for a great many years. His statements about technology, while flattering to my own brand of choice, are highly inflated, and it sounds like he has some agenda.
Facts as I see them:
1) Both Lowrance and Humminbird put out top quality units. Both use highly advanced technology to put out superior sonar, structure / side scan, and GPS readouts. I believe it's the wise customers own choice of screen display and features that affects their decision (or it should
). My own preference for screen display, particularly 2D sonar, has been Lowrance for a great many years (since 1994). Many others who I respect greatly within the industry feel the same way about Humminbird. How can we all be right? It's because it's our personal preference in readout (and features). What one person thinks looks great, the other person may see as inferior in quality.
2) People base a lot of what they do off of the internet or point-of-purchase talk from store employees that may not be any more knowledgable than they are. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't. Why do that? It's a ton of money being spent. If you are going to talk to them and hear them make those types of claims, ask them how they know. I'd be willing to bet money that some have simply just heard it from someone else. If they have practical experience with the subject, then I give them more credit. If they can't answer "why?", then I just take that opinion for what it's worth.
3) Neither company make a shoot thru hull transducer for Structure Scan / Side Scan. They both make thru-hull mounts, but it is drilling though your hull to mount the actual transducer underneath your boat with the wiring coming through the hull into the boat. Pictures of the Humminbird thru-hull mount are here (towards bottom of page) :
http://www.humminbird.com/Faq.aspx?TaxonomyId=93A1817 Notations of the Lowrance thru-hull mount are here (side of page - bronze thru-hull single or double):
http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Sonar/Lowrance-StructureScan-HD-en-us.aspx
4) While I can definitely see an advantage to having one transducer to do it all (price, mounting), I can also see a disadvantage at the same time. If your 2D transducer goes out, you may have to replace the whole thing. If my 2D transducer goes out (still using the same shoot-thru-hull one that came in my boat in 2005), I can just replace that piece and not have to replace my Structure Scan transducer as well. Now, I have read that you can add a second "high speed" transducer to the Humminbird units. That may or may not be necessary with your particular setup to get a good reading at high speed. I'm sure Humminbird Greg can give a much better description of this, as well as pointing out what your particular needs might entail on this subject. I won't guess at this point, as Greg is much better versed in his own brand and can give better advice on Humminbird transducer choice.
5) If "every contact or experience that (you have) had with HB has been first class", then let that weigh more than some pretty convincing salesman that you just met. Too many people jump on the bandwagon after hearing a negative story about some company. Many won't even change that thought process, no matter how well that company may treat others after the fact.
I hope this helps in your decision, and wasn't confusing. I think you would be happy with either unit. But please take into consideration that shooting thru-hull isn't going to be possible with either manufacturer on the Structure / Side Scan.
All the best,
Glenn
P.S. (HDS7 touch is one awesome unit!)
