Garmin DriveSmart 61 NA LMT Refurbished 1 Year Warranty

I am seeing the same. VERY short battery life. Maybe I haven't cycled it enough times to develop max capacity. I guess it's not a big deal, just kind of surprised me.

(FWIW, I'm nowhere close to an hour duration.)

Like the device very much otherwise. It's lightweight and the display brightness and screen quality are very good. It's a crazy deal at the $118 price. The wireless connectivity is a nice bonus feature, too. Quite handy.

The other negative I found is that it does not have magnetic mount. Everyday connecting and disconnecting USB cable may damage the USB port at the back of the device. I don't feel comfortable leaving the GPS mounted when I park my car in the parking lot for all day.

I've never had a mag mount and in many many years of owning Garmins I've never had a USB port go bad.

Seems like a good deal - thanks for sharing.

My 2689's port went bad, stopped recognizing the cable from repeated plugging and unplugging. Bought new cables still no go. Garmin agreed that was the problem, since that model had been discontinued shortly after I bought it they replaced it with a DriveSmart 61 for free (after some negotiations).

I opened a node about it here: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/48490

I use mine in my company owned work trucks, never leave it in one of the trucks and leaving the plug in would prevent it from fitting in the storage case.

Just ordered the DriveSmart 61 from Buydig as a birthday present to myself.

The price has gone up to $149 for the GPS but for some reason the 61 with the accessories bundle is down to $118 from $179.

One heck of a bargain!!!!!

Just ordered the DriveSmart 61 from Buydig as a birthday present to myself.

The price has gone up to $149 for the GPS but for some reason the 61 with the accessories bundle is down to $118 from $179.

One heck of a bargain even if you don't need or use the accessories!!!!

Just got the Bundle added free for $149. The $179 deal was back up to $179.

Here is my order:

Item: E2GRDRIVES61RB

Description: Garmin DriveSmart 61 NA LMT-S 6.95" GPS w/ Smart Features Refurbished Accessory Bundle

Quantity: 1

Price: $118.99

Guess I got lucky, unless they don't honor there posted price.

Alan, thank you.. I did not realize the traffic option. As always you have good info... Happy Holidays

I had a Garmin Nuvi 3590LM with a garmin "Quick release powered mount." (a mount like this https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-11785-00-suction-cup-mount...) Sadly I dropped it and cracked the screen.

As a replacement, I purchased the refurb Garmin DriveSmart 61 NA LMT from BuyDig for $120.

I like the new gps, but I am really unhappy with the mount. I cannot leave the gps in my car overnight. So every time I drive the car, I need to connect the USB cable and place the gps in the mount. First, as soon as I connect the power cable, the unit powers on. Second, it is challenging to get the gps to seat in the mount because I cannot see what I am doing (you have to line up the gps and the mount by feel b/c everything is out of sight behind the gps). These two things combined create a problem: each time I install the unit in my car, my fingers are all over the screen of the powered on gps causing the unit to surf through a lot of weird menus with unknown effect. My old Nuvi did not have this problem b/c, even though I sometimes fumblefingered the install, it did not turn on until it was installed in the cradle. Also, the install was easier because I could see what I was doing--the mount was not hidden behind unit. In addition, I suspect that constantly connecting and disconnecting the USB cable will cause a long term failure of the cable, the USB connector on the GPS, or both.

Is there any sort of mount for the Drivesmart 61 that allows me to see what I am doing when I place the GPS into the mount and that doesn't require me to connect/disconnect the USB cable every time? My online searching hasn't found one and, overall, this is making the experience of my new unit somewhat miserable. At the outset, I can see that there is a challenge b/c the Nuvi 3590LM has built in power connections on the bottom edge to allow the quick release mount to power the unit without a USB cable being connected. The Drivesmart 61 seems to omit these innovations which would make a quick release mount much harder to accomplish.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

e

Edit: I found this FAQ (http://www.poi-factory.com/node/45200) suggesting I may just be out of luck. I now have to consider whether the Drivesmart 61 is a workable option for me. hmmm.

I've never had a powered mount. Never had a problem either, with mounting the unit or with the usb connector. You'll be fine once you get used to it.

My 2689's port went bad, all of a sudden I was getting an "incompatible cable" message and although it still powered up it would no longer provide traffic info. Bought new cables still no go. Garmin agreed the port was the problem, since that model had been discontinued shortly after I bought it they replaced it with a DriveSmart 61 for free (after some negotiations). The 2689 port was the exact same as the DriveSmart 61.

I opened a node about it here: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/48490

I too am not happy about the port, I thought the best was the type my 2640 had. The constant plugging and unplugging of the small USB port WILL loosen the port over time. I now plug and unplug as carefully as I can to prolong the port going bad because other than the poorly designed port the DS61 is an awesome GPS.

I use mine in my company owned work trucks, never leave it in one of the trucks and leaving the plug in would prevent it from fitting in the storage case.

I have 4 automobile GPS, and two handhelds, oldest one is around 8 years old and all usb ports are still solid so I don't think you can say it WILL be loosened over time.

... because it has and I can feel it getting loose on my 61 already. Of all the USB mini port devices you have how many have you used every day for years? I use mine everyday. Plugging and unplugging every day takes its toll, even when done as gingerly as possible, the old style with the many pins that plugged into the cradle itself was a much better system.

It really is too bad that Garmin has eliminated all devices with powered mounts.

It belonged to the company. We were required to remove it from the vehicle every time we parked and went in to a plant to work and at the end of the day. That could be multiple times a day. It loosened up over time. I found I had to be very careful. It got to the point where I ignored the company and just left it in the vehicle due to the issues.

pwohlrab, alandb, soberbyker and sussamb--I appreciate your thoughts.

To me, elimination of the powered mount seems like a real step backward for these units. However, I will try to get less fumblefingered when installing and see how I feel at that point. Longer term, it sounds like experiences vary regarding the usb port, so I hope I get lucky.

For any current users of a gps with a powered mount thinking of upgrading to the Drivesmart 61, my personal opinion at this time is that the upsides of the new model are significant but nonetheless outweighed by lack of a powered mount. That said, I cracked the screen on my old model so I will be trying to find ways to effectively use the Drivesmart 61.

If anyone is interested in the Drivesmart 61, I think the price of the refurb model is down to appx. $100 on buydig.

Thanks again,

e_identity

Refurbished Garmin DriveSmart 61 NA LMT-S 6.95" GPS w/ Smart Features, $99 until 12/27. See https://www.buydig.com/shop/product/GRDRIVES61RB/Garmin-Driv....