I just stuck a new sounder in my boat.

I was restricted to dash space so had to go for a smaller unit and didnt want to put another combo in.

I put a Furuno FCV620 in, and now use my Lowrance LCX as a GPS only. The Furuno bottom sounding looks heaps better than what the Lowrance does (compared them on my last outing).

I have heard the HDS are much better than the LCX but after not being happy with the LCX for a few years, I wanted something different. The Furuno is good. If you got the coin and dash space, I'd look at the Furuno 585 with 1000W tranny.

is only good if your fishing in less than twenty metres!!! buy your self a furuno! i have a hds 7 sitting along side my furuno 585 and there is no comparison, the furuno is tops by a long way.so a second vote for furuno 585 and 1kw tranny

Furuno FCV 585 fits perfectly in the space behind the steering wheel on your boat. Put the plotter on the dash next to it above the gauges. Furuno is a great sounder, tweaking my tranny around now to get the picture better at some decent speeds.

Cheers Mullows

Lowrance make an ok sounder, but Furuno make a really good one. FCV585 w/1kW all the way.

Can not go past Raymarine, have always been a furuno man myself but my wellcraft came new from the US with raymarine gear fitted, shits on other sounders & you budget should cover that. They have had HD tech in their sounders for over 10 years.

big tick from me for a Furuno 585 and 1kw transducer (in hull transducer if you can fit it). If you really want structure scan, then get a Lowrance HDS and run this as a GPS with structure scan. The Furuno beats the HDS as a sounder by a mile. I'm running a Furuno 585 and HDS10 with structure scan (only just fitted the structure scan so can't comment if it's worth it yet). The bigger the HDS the better in my opinion if you're going to split screens but it will blow your budget. If in doubt, spend the bulk of your dollars on the sounder as this finds you fish, the GPS only gets you to a spot.

Same as Tim. I run the Furono 585 with 600 watt transducer and HDS 8 side by side and the Furuno shows alot better detail

Agree with the posts above.

I run a 585 on a 1kw transom mount tranny, and use the HDS10 as a gps and back-up sounder with its separate 600w tranny. Hands down I reckon the Furuno 585 gives a better reading.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Cheers

Browny.

another tick for the furuno ......for rec fishers,  furuno price & quality cant be beaten

.the fcv 620 & 585 are pretty similar units .....technically ...........

when i bought mine several years ago i went for the  620 as i had limited dash space so smaller size was the go .........

if you are able upgrade your transducer to the best you can afford , i put a 2kw transducer on mine , unbelievable difference quality of info and at high speed you get imo

always had furuno and never yet had any unit give me grief

hezzy

 Thanks, that sound like the one. With the transducers, to get the 2kw do you have to connect 2 X 1kw or is there a 2kw unit? Also, to compliment that what is a good plotter/gps unit? I have only had experience with basic units for my tinnie. 

Hmm FCV585 is nice choice, but its limited to 1kW out of the box. You can hook up 2kW trannys though, its just a bit more work though. I know that southcity104 has the 585 with the MB1100 matching box and two separate primary transducers, one 50 and one 200khz.

Furuno you cant go wrong and the 585 with a 1kw is a great sytem, will get you to 300 mts no probs. match it with a HDS8M plotter with navionics gold, you got yourself one hot package. PM me for a deal.

another vote for furuno. I run the 620 with hds5m plotter. If I had more space on the console & fished deeper water, I'd go a 585 with 1kw tranny.

i will put a vote in for the hds.

i used a 585 600w at exxy l and it struggled to read boattom in 110mtr,  my hds10  600w reads 110mtr not a problem at all and at speed, and you can scroll back and mark waypoints of the sounder pic.

yer differant boats, differant locations, differant settings, but i like my hds,  i have not had the 585 on my boat so its hard to compare, i steped up from the origanal navman 6600 that come with the boat so the hds is like gold to that.

 i did have a jmc commercial sounder with the 1kw and the hds shits all over that as well.

my uncle has just fiited the hds10 combo and he also has the 585, i will get out with him and run both on sounder and do the compare thing like tim did, take some pics as well.

cheers

But if your not convinced the HDS no matter what everyone says theyre just as good as the others and the latest software has improved alot of features and performance. the real only way to go on a furuno is a 1kw to make it good, the HDS you dont need to its just as good on 600watt, match it with a 1kw you got yourself a awsome package, package that is as the HDS are more avail in combo's. If you want stand alone Furuno but they need a better resolution which lowrance has over em.

I hav been out on boats with Furuno and Lowrance sounders and Furuno are far beter and picture far more cleaner..........if you look at the fishing gurus that fish heaps most use Furuno so yer that says sumthing

Ive been looking up the transducer options for the Furuno. There are heaps. What is a good option? Does the rear mounted pick up more than the inside hull? Does the hull cause any interferance? Are the inside hull harder to mount accurately?

Ive been looking up the transducer options for the Furuno. There are heaps. What is a good option? Does the rear mounted pick up more than the inside hull? Does the hull cause any interferance? Are the inside hull harder to mount accurately?

must agree with everyone on the furuno are a great unit. just to throw another one up there is the jrc ff60. i have one and have matched it to the garmin 551s  and they both work a treat. very easy to use and have no problem with them.

thanks rocky

 If you want side scan/down scan then only Humminbird. There simply is no competition. Plenty of models and with that cash the 1100 series would be the go. Simply cant understand why people would ever choose a lowrank with side/down scan?

If you just want a traditional 2D sounder then choose between the Furuno or Raymarine.

Give lowrank a wide berth!

i total agree with you damo on the lowrank. waste of time ad money imo.

thanks rocky

What depth does the humminbird side and down scan work at? And how does the chartplotter compare to the Lowrance? Does it come as standard with the sounder as the Lowrance you have to purchase the structure scan for a further $600. Im leaning towards the Furuno 585 for the sounder and the Lowrance for the chartplotter and back up sounder. Why do you not recommend the Lowrance? 

 
Opposed to looking at who uses what, maybe look at who posts the most pics when they go fishing, it speaks volumes to me. Plenty talk, only a very few post every time. Which seems to suggest that whatever unit you buy, learn to read it well and you'll catch fish. 

 Thanks for all of your advice everyone. Ive seen a couple of Furuno 585 units on ebay that are only about $1255 + postage. Are they a different unit or is that a good deal? 

 Braxi im doing the same homework you are and have also decided on the 585 over the lowrance.

The only thing i dont see here is everyone saying go the 1kw tranny BUT WHICH ONE as there is a few to choose from.

For me i can only go transome mount and the tm260 looks like the go and you being in exmouth id say it would have to be your pick as well as you can go big depths.

but to fish between 30 to 90 meters the tm258 could be a little bit better im just not sure but im still steering towards the tm260.

Ive been looking at ebay and localy getting prices.

localy for 585 with tm260 for $3532

overseas best price is $2470aud landed at home including import tax.

i no what looks better but Braxi the warranty is the biggest thing, bying overseas furuno Australia will not warrant it, so if something goes wrong it will have to be sent back at about $200 dollars delivery each way.

When your looking at bying it from overseas the 585 head unit is over a $1000 so it will attract 15% import tax on top, the tranny is less than a $1000 so it wont

Check out fishon marine on the net he seems ok i havnt bought yet but im only a week or two away and i think this is were ill be bying from.

Hope this helps

Hi,

Yeah, I think ive decided on the Furuno 585 and  the TM260 sounds like the best option. With these units has anyone had any problems with them that would cause for them to be sent back for repairs? Looking at getting it from the US im just wondering if it would be a safe and reliable unit? I have found a seller that can do both the 585 unit and the Airmar tm260 1KW tranny for $2363 including postage and import tax. The stoe is GLS JJM. Worth a look. Thanks again for your advice.

Ask them if they will put value at less than 1000 Inc postage some will some won't but worth the ask

i just got a tm270w sent was 1200 and no import tax

i think you would be very unlucky if its only 200 over and they get you for duty tax

If you think customs look at every thing that comes in it would take forever I have bought so many things never had a problem as long as sender declairs value

Anyways which ever way you go the Furuno sounder is available from us for $1725.00 for Display only(and 2 year oz warranty) plus $1300 for a TM260

My son is building me a smaller new 5.5 boat after selling my Epic Captiva 6.1, had a furuno 625 in it, never could master it and used to run it in auto all the time, but work mate and everyone on site have said furuno 585, so if I do a deal for one do you run "classes for dopes"
Do not need classes but need someone to show me how to set up, Brian.

Have a furuno 620 with a 600w transducer and a lowrance hds9 gen 3 combo and the furuno out performs the lowrance hands down.  I do like the down scan on the lowrance and think it's pretty cool.  Furuno sounder and lowrance gps is my preferred choice.

 Furuno = good

HDS = pooooo

I don't own a furuno, but part of my system is a HDS 10 gen 2 with the LSS2 transducer for structurescan.

Like others have said, its not really worth anything anywhere over 50 meters really.
I do tend to use the down imagining side of things a fair bit, but that runs beside the chirp gear on the bigger NSS12 and the HDS is running the maps & engine data.

Mates run the Furuno gear and swear by it, as most here do also. The times I have gone out with them, I find it a bit harder to navigate, but that might be due to beers :-/

 Cannot fault my 585, I had it running beautifully in the 70-90m up north, love bottom lock for bottom/fish distinction. But I also love my HDS9 GPS I would have this set up in any boat if I get a bigger one ;) 

I'm running a Furuno 587 now through 2 x SS264 1kw transducers. I am running the Furuno to get fish separation in deep water. Having said that, I have run my HDS8 through the same transducers and have marked fish clearly in 100m plus at 25 knots. I have also had no problem marking fish in 280m plus with the HDS but at a slower speed, say 5 knots.

I am working hard with the Furuno as their reputation sets them apart but I am struggling to get the same clarity. I will get there as I feel that I am close to really understanding how it works and it will all click soon. 

But people should not sh*tcan the HDS as if it is set up with the right transducers in the right position I think they are as good as anything else out there at least in moderate depths. My opinion only.

 If you want to find fish then dont worry about other brands cause you will start from a handicap.