Are Cheap Fish Finders Any Good?

Are Cheap Fish Finders ACTUALLY Any Good?!  This is the question that we hear a lot from our readers!  In this article we will look at some of the best budget fish finders out there, take them through their paces, and take a look to see how they compare.

In this article we will recommend our top picks for what we think are some of the best budget fish finders that you can buy today and work whether they are ACTUALLY any good!

How much do you really need to spend to get a good fish finder?

The answer to this question we believe really depends on your own personal needs, and there are many different types of fish finders on the market that serve different purposes.  Also many people’s idea of what is a budget device may be different.  If you have just bought a new expensive boat then it may be very tempting to splash the cash and go for a top of the range Lowrance, Humminbird or Simrad Fish Finder – But do you REALLY need to spend 100s of dollars on a fish finder, from these brands, or is a cheaper budget device just as good?

In this article we will first look at the sub $200 fish finder range to see how the different fish finder devices compare.  One thing we would say is that the technology in recent years has made fish finders more accessible to more people.  There are actually many different choices for under $200 that you can look at, and these can also make great gifts for friends and family, especially if they have expressed an interest in going fishing!

Best Fish Finders below $200

First we will summarise the best brands that operate at this price point.  Obviously there are many fish finders on the market, but we will only be looking at the top sellers and the fish finders that people really love.  What can you realistically get at this price point?  Well, the biggest cost in most fish finders is generally the screen.  In the sub $200 range you get a much smaller screen that isn’t touch screen and has physical buttons.  For many people this isn’t an issue and they actually prefer the physical buttons to the touch screen.  However if you are going ice fishing then you may be concerned that the buttons could seize up and stop working.  In our tests, we haven’t known any of the brands or models that we have reviewed to do this, meaning that all units reviewed on fishfinderexpert.com are high quality units.

Which Brands should I be considering for a budget fish finder?

Garmin – If you are into any other sports that involve GPS then you will have likely have heard of Garmin.  Garmin are a well known and trusted brand within sports electronics and have many years of experience of working with GPS products.  Many people typically associate Garmin with more high end products, but interestingly they have a variety of small portable (and affordable) fish finders that have proved very popular with customers.

1. Garmin – The market leader and best all rounder in budget fish finders

Garmin have a variety of budget fish finders that are extremely well featured and are constantly on the best sellers list.  Customers really love their fish finders!  Garmin are extremely popular on Amazon.com and staggeringly 4 of the top 10 best sellers on Amazon.com are actually Garmin Fish Finders, all of which fit into this price point.  This probably tells you all you need to know that Garmin are one of the most dominant brands within the budget fish finder market.  At Fish Finder Expert we have reviewed all of their top selling units and we are certain that you won’t be disappointed with any of them.  If you want to know the details of each fish finders, you can click the links below to jump to our reviews of these products.

What is the Best Garmin Fish Finder for below $100?

If your budget is at the lower end of this spectrum then we would definitely advise going for the Garmin Striker 4 with Transducer.  This is a fantastically well featured and general good all rounder and will definitely speed up making your next catch.  Customers love this fish finder and it has over 6000 positive reviews on Amazon.com!

As we mentioned Garmin is a well respected brand and this particular fish finder really does represent incredible value.

To find our what we love about this product click the link below to read the full review, or if you can’t wait then click the Amazon.com link below that and hop straight to the product listing and check it out for yourself.

To Read our Review of the Garmin Striker 4 Click Here…

To Check out the Garmin Striker 4 on Amazon.com Click here…

If you have a little bit more budget available then you may be interested in Garmin’s Striker Plus 4 with Dual Beam Transducer.

The Striker Plus 4 with dual beam transducer is very similar in its design to the Garmin Striker 4, but it has an extra feature that allows you to contour maps at the bottom of any river or lake that you are in.

Check out the full range of Garmin Fish Finders here…

2. Lucky – A Challenger Brand that represents incredible value for money at the lowest price point in the market

Lucky – Lucky are a challenger brand to Garmin and certainly seem to be making a name for themselves in the budget fish finder market.  Customers love their products (especially the prices)! and you can frequently see them in the best sellers lists across the internet.  Lucky have two key fish finders that are in the best selling fish finders and they are possibly the best featured budget options that you can get in terms of price point.  Lucky fish finders are typically anywhere between 20% and 50% cheaper than Garmin fish finders, so if you are looking to save a bit of money then a Lucky Fish Finder may be what you are looking for.  The fish finder that is worthy of a look in our opinion is the Lucky Portable Fish Finder handheld kayak fish finder.  As the name suggests this particular fish finder has been very popular for people who are into kayak fishing.

 

Check out the full range of Lucky Fish Finders here…

What is the Best Kayak Fish Finder? – Read our Analysis Here…

The portability of the unit and the price point makes this a real challenger brand to Garmin’s dominance in the market.

3. Reelsonar iBobber Bluetooth Smart Fish Finder – Best for tech savvy Smart Phone Owners who like an App

The iBobber is a smart fish finder with Bluetooth which all comes in for a price below the $100 mark.  Which sounds very impressive, but what does this actually mean?!

The iBobber allows you to sync your phone or tablet’s screen to track the fish from the iBobber.  This means that so long as you have a decent smart phone to pair with the iBobber then you are all set and their are technically no screen size limitations that you would get on a Garmin or Lucky device.  And as most smart phones are touch screen, you also get the benefit of a touch screen experience.  These smart fish finders have become extremely popular recently and the Reelsonar iBobber Bluetooth Smart Fish Finder is leading the way with it currently being the 2nd most best selling item on Amazon.com.  This makes a good choice if you are tech savvy as you can have the more expensive fish finder feel with the touch screen ease of use at a fraction of the cost of some of the all included touch screen models by other more expensive brands.  If you are good with technology and have a smart phone you may want to check out our review of the Reelsonar iBobber Bluetooth Smart Fish Finder and see if it is right for you by clicking the link below.

Check out our review of the Reelsonar iBobber Bluetooth Smart Fish Finder here…

4. Deeper Start Smart Fish Finder – Best for Tech Savvy Users on a budget

If you are in the market for an alternative option for a smart fish finder then you may want to check out the Deeper Start Smart Fish Finder. This is a castable smart fish finder is very similar to the iBobber but is actually slightly less popular, we think it is a very advanced fish finder for the money though and if you are technologically savvy then you will enjoy the portability and features that this fish finder provides.  If you want to check out our review of this fish finder click the link below.

Click here to check out our review of the Deeper Start Castable Smart Fish Finder…

5. Humminbird PiranahMax 4 – Best in Class Fish Finder at this price point

When people think of Humminbird as a brand you tend to think of expensive fish finders with beautiful touch screens.  Humminbird do actually make what we could consider to be a budget model fish finder though that is sub $200.  For this brand this represents very good value for money.  So what do you get from Humminbird at this lower price point?  Obviously you don’t get the big touch screen and instead you get a 4 inch screen, and instead you have some buttons instead of a touch screen.  If these types of features don’t make a big deal to you then you might actually really like the Humminbird PiranahMax4.  Find out in detail about this fish finder by clicking the link to our review below.

Check out our full review of the Humminbird Piranahmax4 by clicking here…

Conclusion

I think it is fair to say that you don’t actually have to have a huge budget at all to get fishing and set up with a decent fish finder.  We have covered all of the top options and brands here in this post for cheaper fish finders that are actually incredibly well featured.  If you are very serious about your fish finder then you will obviously want to check out some of the more advanced options for fish finders that are available, but for beginners you shouldn’t need to spend more than $100-200 to get set up with an incredible fish finder that doesn’t break the bank.  Another great thing about all the fish finders mentioned in this article is that they would all make perfect presents for friends or family.  If you have a friend or relative who is curious about fishing, or is perhaps good with technology you could send them the iBobber or the Deeper Start Fish Finder as a present.  If they had a Kayak you might want to consider the Lucky Range.  If you are after a solid all round unit that has top features then you really can’t go wrong with options like the Garmin Striker 4 or even looking at the Humminbird Piranahmax4.

Whichever fish finder you decide to purchase make sure you have fun while using it.  If this post helped you to make a buying decision please let us know and send us photos of you using your latest purchase!

We hope you enjoyed this article.  Happy Fishing!