Depth Raider vs. Fish Hawk

[trucktramp]

Everyone seems to feel that a speed/temp probe is a good investment. Unfortunately, I do not have one. There is a bit of difference between the prices of the two. If you were to buy one or the other, which would it be and why? Is one significantly better than the other or are they about the same? This may be the next thing that my piggy bank gets broken for.

[Paulywood]

I am in the same boat as I will be adding a speed and temp probe this spring. When comparing the 2 it comes down to the different way the units transmit signal. The Fishhawk uses a transducer, the Depth Raider uses a rigger cable. People had a lot of problems with the old Fishhawk. The probe leaked, it ate batteries, the display was quite large. And that is why the Depth Raider gained popularity. But the new Fishhawk unit seems to be much improved on all of the old issues. So now the complaints with the Depth Raider are being acccentuated. The main one being the use of the coated cable in relation to signal strength and blowback. Both units are good and either will help you catch fish. It's more of a preference thing now. Until the new Fishhawk came out I was 100% planning on buying a Depth Raider. But now I will probably take a closer look at the Fishhawk in the spring, even with the price difference.

[GLF]

I am running the fishhawk with an old style head unit and the new probe. The new probe is the cats meow. Fishhawk got it right when the redid everything. About half way through this season, I started loosing contact with the probe at deeper depths. I put a new set of batteries in and it ran the rest of the season without an issue.

You do not have to worry about the coated cable going bad with the Fishhawk.

[Boltman]

I have the new Fishawk probe and ran it all last year, same batteries all year and never lost contact with the probe all year, but I don't fish as often as Mike does. I love the display as I'm 45 going on 46 now and I can see it all the way across the boat, and at night it's even better backlit with a Blue screen... It track well, and it's very easy to use as it doesn't need the coated Rigger cable, I believe like Mike said, Fishawk got it done... this time.

[mattmishler]

we have the x4 head unit and the 840 probe i went threw four batteries in the season and put on well over 40 trips on the water it works for us and the x4 head unit is great when you can see it from the stern to the wheel. its fish hawk or nothing for us.