Hours on a Fish Finder

[rschweissguth]

Why are people worried about the hours on a fish finder? When selling or listing an unit that is everyone's first question on humminbirds. If the unit is the latest gen model you know it is but only a few years old at most. Does it really matter if the unit has 50, 500, or 5000 hours? For people that always ask how many hours are on the unit, what is consider high? If it is high what are your worries with the unit, even if it may only be a year old? Look at how many hours a computer, phone, or tv gets used with no issues and nobody caring/worrying about the hours. Seems like it is was a sales gimic by someone to try and sell their unit faster and has now become the norm.

Just curious on everyone else's thoughts and opinion. It seems that this only relates to hummingbird and not Lowrance or Garmin.

[Phoenix Jim]

They think it’s a good question to ask like asking for boat hours

[SLYDoggie]

It's pretty meaningless. The more important question is what kind of hours have they been? I troll for Stripers with a pontoon. I would submit that 2,000 hours on my finders would be better than 500 hours on a finder mounted on the front of a ballz out bass boat being hammered by the waves at 60+ MPH.

Most electronic failures occur in the early days of operation, or during shipment anyway.

[bobcoy]

May mean something to the repair center? Given a choice I will take lower. But as Sly says it depends. If you are the seller high is not important. I got a demo model once with 500 hours.(BPS) The keyboard was loose and intermittent. Kids mashing on it in the store. Sent it back and spent a bit more for new.(somewhere else) Used is a crap shoot if you don’t know the seller. Let the buyer beware. Like used cars. JMO Bob

[woppercatcher]

Not sure it matters but why not ask how old or how many hours are on them? I've sold at least 10 units over the years and no one has asked how many hours are on them. My Helix units have over 1000 if not higher hours and they are almost 3 years old. All three of them have been sent in for screen issues and all three are slowly going bad again. I put a lot of hours on everything on my boat since I fish over 200 days a year so if I was buying my boat I would be sure to ask .

[fishnfireman]

After selling several used units------IMO, asking for hours comes from tire kickers. Never wound up selling a unit to someone who asked for the hours.

[rschweissguth]

I've sold three units of the past year and the question was asked several times about the hours on each unit. I understand asking the age/condition of the unit, just don't understand the whole hour phase.

[JohnN]

I had a helix 9 G2 with more than 1,500 hours. Zero issues. I’m guessing something else is going on with the screen issues mentioned above. Hours don’t matter at all in my experience.

[jerzia]

Funny thing though, people only ask about hrs on Birds. I don't know if hrs are recorded on other brands but hrs are never mentioned in for sale ads.

[Les Young]

I've sold a few to a buddy & all had over 2000 hours on them & he's never had a problem with any of them & neither did I.

[Mahomee]

Not sure it matters but why not ask how old or how many hours are on them? I've sold at least 10 units over the years and no one has asked how many hours are on them. My Helix units have over 1000 if not higher hours and they are almost 3 years old. All three of them have been sent in for screen issues and all three are slowly going bad again. I put a lot of hours on everything on my boat since I fish over 200 days a year so if I was buying my boat I would be sure to ask .

Ive sent in 3 units for repair to Humminbird by using the pre paid method online and NOT one time have I got a used unit back or gotten the same generation even.

[bombercraw]

I think it matters. Everything wears out and has a lifespan, including electronics. I'd rather have one with 500 or 1000 hours vs one that has several thousand hours on it. Stuff doesn't last forever.

[Les Young]

I think it matters. Everything wears out and has a lifespan, including electronics. I'd rather have one with 500 or 1000 hours vs one that has several thousand hours on it. Stuff doesn't last forever.

That i agree with but a couple thousand really isn't that many either.

[bombercraw]

That i agree with but a couple thousand really isn't that many either.

That's a good point. Doing the math, that would equate to only 83 days of continuous use. However, extrapolated to actual days on the water, even 2,000 hours could equate to several years of use and pounding waves while running across the lake (and that use could be especially more abusive if that unit was installed at the bow.)