whats the best garmin gps to buy

[windjammer]

in the market for a garmin gps just wondered which one to get,whats the Garmin Edge Touring Plus like,i want to download a route then follow it

[Ben98]

Dakota 20 if you can still get it, small, good battery life, reliable, easy to use.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'd also vote for a Dakota but it depends what you want to do. The edges have an inbuilt battery, so on multiday trips you'll likely need a way to charge one. Dakota / etrex / oregon use AA which are obviously easy to source.

The main issue is that many only come with base maps, not detailed OS type and genuine Garmin maps aren't exactly cheap.

[windjammer]

ive got the etrex 30 but i dont like it,you have to keep moving the joystick to keep the pointer in the screen,i cant download routes off the garmin website either

[Chew]

ive got the etrex 30 but i dont like it,you have to keep moving the joystick to keep the pointer in the screen,

I'm assuming that can be changed in the settings?

i cant download routes off the garmin website either

Dont think you're missing much. Strava premium will probably be more useful and cheaper?

[fatbikephil]

The Dakota is discontinued - they now do an 'E trex touch' which looks like an updated dakota with better screen res and quicker to refresh the maps as you move.

[barney]

Dakota 20 if you can still get it, small, good battery life, reliable, easy to use.

Another happy Dakota 20 user (didn't know it was discontinued though)

[ctznsmith]

There is still some stock of the old stuff knocking about in sales so you might be able to grab a bargain.

It's a sad day for anyone who likes a knob though as it looks like all the new Garmin stuff is now touch screen.

[scott of the woods]

I've got a Dakota 20 2nd hand from eBay does the job for me only niggle is the brightness of the screen, quite hard to see your route when riding. Battery life is good one set of AAs will do a couple of days

[jamesatthelodge]

Why is the dakota 20 better than an etrex 30x please. I was going to buy etrex but now?

[fatbikephil]

Etrex has a smaller non touch screen. Touch screen can be handy but can also be a PIA when it gets covered in water and mud as everytime you go to wipe it you scroll the map across. Etrex is lighter and uses even less battery than the Dakota. I was going to get an etrex but got a really good deal on a NOS dakota.

[deft punk]

I got a refurbished space sextant/Etrex 30 around Christmas there. Decided on that one since I've never been the biggest fan of touchscreens.

etrex 30 you have to keep moving the joystick to keep the pointer in the screen,

It only does that if you scroll around the map using the stick, or nudge it accidentally. If you push the "back" button once it'll go back to auto-pan.

[Trail-rat]

I know its alien to men but rtm befor slagging off a product please

What he said ^ re scrolling :)

[scott of the woods]

If you use rechargeable batteries in a Dakota can you charge them through the plug/usb type thing? Just wondering

[ScotRoutes]

Nope. But you can with an Oregon.

[Alpinum]

Edge 810 or 1000 for anything cycling.

Really happy with mine.

About the batteries. Think again about AA. How many have something to charge by USB with you on multiday trips? I've come away from trying to have everything running on exchangeable batteries and moved towards mini USB ports and one adequately sized battery tank. Even my head lamp can be charged by USB.

[benp1]

I still think AAs are the easiest option. Don't have to worry about charging, just take spares

I also use my Garmin for walking and the motorbike so for me the Oregon works very well, and having AAs is easy to switch across without having to remember to charge it

The latest Oregon is a few years old now, I wonder if they'll be bringing out a new one soon?

[Pickers]

In response to the OPs question about the Edge Touring, I have one and in all honesty I can't recommend it.

I find that the screen is far too small to be of any use with mapping (ie trying to follow a marked route), and the resolution isn't high enough (this might just be me though)
I've also had problems following preset routes. Firstly on an Audax last year it decided that the route that had been carefully and accurately set up on Garmin Connect wasn't really the right way, and that I should actually use another route that completely missed out a control (spotted and corrected but I had to backtrack quite a way). Offroad routes loaded in as gpx files also seem to confuse it. On the WRT I could follow the route on screen but it kept defaulting to give me turn instructions based on the road alternative (re the manual above - there may be a way to turn this off but I haven't found it yet).
Lastly, it seems to have developed an ability to shut itself down for no apparent reason. It did this for me on another audax earlier this year with 1/3 of the route left. No navigation and no tracking. Great.
It may be that I have a duff unit, but I'm not inclined to trust it.