Old Garmins

 

Is it just me or do a lot of the retail outlets still sell the old versions of the Garmins? I feel like it used to be that the new ones came out and the old ones disappeared but now, a year after the new line came out, best buy and other stores are still selling models that are a few years old!

.

Most of the older Garmins you see at Best Buy ,etc are Refurbs. Since they are usually factory referbed units with a full warranty, they are usually a pretty good deal - I bought both of my 1490Ts that way, and never had any problems with either one.....and they were about half what they were when brand new.

It was a win-win as far as I was concerned.

--
"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks" ~ Excerpt from the notebooks of Lazarus Long, from Robert Heinlein's "Time Enough for Love"

Do the stores not label

Do the stores not label refurbs as such? Or am I just not knowing where to look for that information?

Refurbs

WuLabsWuTecH wrote:

Do the stores not label refurbs as such? Or am I just not knowing where to look for that information?

Factory refurbs that is, are normally in a white box with black lettering.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Occasionally..

supplies of new items are discovered in warehouses that have either been misplaced for some reason or tied up in bankrupcy litigation. These items can sometimes hit the market years after they were manufactured. On eBay, its called "new old stock" (NOS).

Good To Know

bdhsfz6 wrote:

supplies of new items are discovered in warehouses that have either been misplaced for some reason or tied up in bankrupcy litigation. These items can sometimes hit the market years after they were manufactured. On eBay, its called "new old stock" (NOS).

Lots of them in the stores here.

I see new-old-stock Garmins

I see new-old-stock Garmins all the time, especially at places like Canadian Tire.

The sad part is that there are some models I would buy today, but they never lower the price and they never go on sale. It seems like just showcase fillers.

It would be interesting to see if one were to buy a NON-lifetime map model, but one brand new (never activated or refurbed) and ten years old. I even saw a 255W in a northern Walmart last week!

I assume Garmin would honor their commitment to give you ONE new map update. But I don't know that for sure.

Why would I want older models like the LMT2555? Simple. You can still install Cyclops safety camera databases in them. yes, it costs a bit of money but it is far less irritating. It only alerts on the one road affected by intersection safety cameras, not on all four roads. This is why I will continue to buy refurbs of older models while I can.

As for why buy an old 255W that doesn't even have lifetime maps? Simple Gary Busey.

I had a Gary Busey celebrity voice on my old 250W, but the screen went on it, and I cannot install those old celebrity voices on any newer models.

Every time I hear Busey give me directions, it causes nightmare flashbacks to the two months I spent actually working with Busey. Great fun.

Use Caution

when purchasing new, older Garmin GPS receivers. Technically, these GPSr’s still carry the original one year factory warranty. Depending on the individual unit and its age, Garmin may not be able to honor the warranty if the unit has been discontinued for a period of time.

Simple repairs can usually be handled but a catastrophic failure requiring unit component replacement can be a problem due to part stock issues.

Last year I purchased a new Garmin GPS V manufactured in 2003 on eBay. It was part of a lot of 10 units discovered in a vacant store that had gone out of business in 1997. Although Garmin allowed me to register the unit, I was informed of the problems mentioned above.

well if they can't honor the

well if they can't honor the warranty, don't the just replace it with something that's similar but newer?

Usually

WuLabsWuTecH wrote:

well if they can't honor the warranty, don't the just replace it with something that's similar but newer?

Garmin will replace a defective older unit under warranty with a newer one of equal or better value. However, one of the reasons I buy older units is to get features that are no longer available on newer models.

Older vs Newer...?

bdhsfz6 wrote:

However, one of the reasons I buy older units is to get features that are no longer available on newer models.

But then again, the "newer" units have upgraded and better features cool that are not available on the "older" neutral units.

That being the case, are you winning or losing confused in the game of "older" vs "newer" question

Nuvi1300WTGPS

--
I'm not really lost.... just temporarily misplaced!

Hard to Tell

Nuvi1300WTGPS wrote:
bdhsfz6 wrote:

However, one of the reasons I buy older units is to get features that are no longer available on newer models.

But then again, the "newer" units have upgraded and better features cool that are not available on the "older" neutral units.

That being the case, are you winning or losing confused in the game of "older" vs "newer" question

Nuvi1300WTGPS

For the most part, you are correct. In general, newer units do have better features than older models but not always.

I don’t think it’s a case of winning or losing but rather finding a GPSr with specific features that suit a purpose.

Take Garmin’s Monterra for example. It is a handheld unit similar to the Montana with many great new features. I ordered one to replace my Montana only to find the distance readout on the Monterra, as well as several other parameters, reads out in tenths of a mile rather than hundredths like the Montana. I suppose for many owners, this isn’t an issue but to me, a handheld that reads in tenths rather than hundredths is all but useless on the trail.

My decade old GPS V has two features which Garmin discontinued on newer units. Its small black and white screen actually gets brighter and easier to read in direct sunlight. Newer units with larger color or high resolution black and white displays are nice but sometimes difficult to read in bright sun. The GPS V also provides raw satellite data output which I use to feed other equipment. This function has all but disappeared on newer units.

I suppose it is a matter of personal opinion as to whether one unit is better than another. The trick is to find one that does the job.

right

if we all had the same needs they would only make one model

--
nuvi 2757LM-65LM-65LM

Hmmmm...

bill2125 wrote:

if we all had the same needs they would only make one model

I thought they only made the 3597, you mean they make others? grin

--
Never argue with a pig. It makes you look foolish and it anoys the hell out of the pig!

Old Garmins

I have a Nuvi 680 and it has a headphone jack which is ideal for use on my touring motorcycle as it can be plugged into the connector into my headset! Newer isn't always better!
Frankly as long as I get the latest maps, what's the diff? I have Bluetooth on mine, and a bunch of apps I'll never use. As long as it works, gets me there and not lost, I can't see buying another GPS is worth it.

--
Paul Garmin Nuvi 2595 LMT