Garmin nuvi 3597LMTHD refurb ... $199.95

I see that these are now listed as "in stock" and shipping, but also listed as "limited quantity available".

Good price, great model.

Thanks. Will suggest it to some friends I know are looking for a good GPS.

Thank you for the tip!

Good deal. Thanks for sharing!

Just ordered one.

Thanks for the heads up.

Good find, thanks!

Rob

Today (May 15) is the last day of the sale. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that the price will go up.

What's the big difference between the 3597 and the 50LTMHD ?

It seems the 50 LTMHD is the newest "Premium" model that replaces the 3597... is that correct?

I have the 3597 and not the 50, but that's the conclusion I came to as well.....

I too would like to hear from someone that's used both and can clearly articulate the pros & cons and differences between the two machines..

I know my 3597 doesn't respond very well to profanity and I called Garmin requesting the next model could appropriately handle profanity

Here is a comparison listing for the 2 units:

http://www.thegpsstore.com/automotive-gps-consumer-compariso...

And here is the comparison from the Garmin site: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/catalog/product/compareResul...

To me, the main difference is the Driver Alerts on the DriveLuxe. And the DriveLuxe does not have the 3D terrain/building features on the map. Everything else seems to me to be pretty much cosmetic.

Thank you both for the links

the biggest difference is the 50's ability to use a backup camera whereas the 3597 will not.

Otherwise, I agree with alandb that the other differences are mostly cosmetic.

I agree. Nice job on posting the comparison.

So... which unit would "YOU" buy ?

The 3597 Refurb or the 50LMTHD ?

Ummmm.... Lemme see....

3597 - $200

Or

LM50 - $350

I think I'll stick with asking my date

I received the refurbished one from The GPS Store a few days ago and except the fact that it was in a white box I couldn't see a single sign that it was not a brand new unit. It is a really beautiful device and definitely worth $200. At least for us that still appreciate and want to own a stand alone unit.

My 1490T quit working this morning, so, I am ordering now.
Thanks for in-time info.

The 3597LMTHD is a big upgrade from your 1490. Enjoy!

Thanks, Alan.
Received the delivery couple days after order was placed.
Like Alan said, it is a big leap from 1490T. In addition to animated lane assistance, I noticed "saved" locations now can be categorized.
Everything runs very well.

Just got an email from theGPSStore.com, and they have knocked another $10 of the 3597LMTHD refurb.

They are also advertising the Garmin Montana 610 handheld (new) for $349.95. That is the lowest price I have seen on that device (MSRP=$499.99).

Good to hear they're still available.

Anxiously waiting for it to arrive.

3597 will be a big upgrade from your 760. I hope you like it as much as I do mine.

I recently purchased a 3597. Previously I was using a 3790 and 3490. Those had a powered cradle with a snap tab. It very easy to mount and dismount the unit.

The 3597 has a magnetic mount. How do you guys remove the GPS from the mount without moving the ball joint? The magnetic force is pretty high. When I angle the unit away from the mount to break it free, the ball joint moves slightly. So when I put the GPS back on, I have to readjust the GPS every time. This is really inconvenient.

Now I've been reaching under the unit with my left hand and holding the magnetic mount still, while using my right hand to angle the GPS and break it free. The problem is the magnetic mount is small, slick and tapered backwards so it's not that easy to grab onto. Am I missing someone or did Garmin really goof this up?

The least they could have done was shape the mount so it has a tab to hold onto. But I see the nuvicam and the Driveluxe have magnetic mounts that are the same way (no grab tab). I guess I'm not really liking this magnetic mount. I think the snap-in, pushbutton release, powered cradle on the 27x7, 27x9, dezl 760/770 is much better and still slick looking: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/shop-by-accessories/mounts/s...

What do you all think?

I have this problem occasionally. To fix it, I put a couple of wraps of teflon pipe thread tape around the ball mount before snapping on the magnetic base. It stiffens the joint slightly and allows the magnets to separate without disengaging the ball joint.

I hear echos of my first observations with the 3597:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42345

I still agree with you that the removal could be better designed but will say that with more practise and experience, the aggravation is much less.

One last observation for folks thinking of getting the 3597. Act now and don't deliberate too long. You snooze, you lose and the GPS City inventory could be gone very soon. Their price with free shipping pretty much matches what used 3597s are going for on eBay.

I leave the cradle permanently mounted with a vent mount on both my car and truck (I have 2 magnetic cradles for my 3597). To remove the nuvi from the mount, I put my thumb under the bottom of the nuvi and my fingers against the top of the screen to stabilize it. I pull out and up with my thumb until the bottom of the magnet releases, then grab the nuvi between my thumb and fingers and pull it away from the magnet. I think pulling up with the thumb while kind of pushing on the top of the screen with the fingers prevents having the ball release like it might with a strait out pull. It is sort of the same operation you use on popping the tab of a beer can, and I have plenty of practice with that

It works good for me, but maybe the vent mount is a little more solid than some other mounting methods.

The 3597 is my third nuvi with a powered mount (755T and 855 are the other two), and I like the magnetic mount on the 3597 the best.

Thank you all for the suggestions. With more practice, it is getting better. I'm using alanb's technique of pushing on the top of the screen to stabilize it, then pulling out and up with my thumb on the bottom of the screen. This releases the unit without moving the ball joint most of the time. However, when I re-mount, the unit tends to snap to the mount rather forcefully, which can move the ball joint slightly.

Also, sometimes the perimeter lip around the mount does not engage the groove in the nuvi because it snaps back so fast and is not aligned just right. Maybe this is why in the Driveluxe Garmin got rid of this lip and groove and went with two posts. But with practice the re-mount process will probably get better. Thanks again everyone. After some time I will be back with comments on how the 3597 compares with older and newer units.

We have talked about this before, but for the benefit of new 3597 owners I will say it again ... be careful with your nuvi around credit cards, hotel key cards and anything else that has magnetic based recording media. The strong magnet will destroy the data. I found myself locked out of my motel room several times before I figured out what was going on because I had the habit of putting both my room key card and nuvi in the same pocket.