Do they just "go bad" over time?

I have a Bushnell Tour v3 that suddenly starting giving me noticeably incorrect yardages. And the battery seems fine, or at least a battery tester for AA batteries seemed to indicate it was off the charts. Do they just stop working one day? Or could it be dirty lenses?

Put a new battery in it anyway. Easy way to confirm that's not the issue. That being said I'm noticing my tour v3 is slightly off lately. I'll shoot a flag a few times and get 1-2y variations. That being said, when I compare the number to my dad's newer Bushnell, I'm always within 1-2y of his number so I'm not to worried about it, yet.

Yep over time they do go. Bushnell is known for yardages to be off / lock in correctly over time and Leupold the OLED read out fades over time based on use/care making it hard to read. I think its trap to keep us buying them every 4-6 years =)

Mine lasted like 10 so I guess I'm due

having to walk off yardages makes me appreciate the skill and knowledge it takes to do that. lasers are basically cheating... but who cares

Planned obsolescence!! Go back quite some years and the older Bushnells like the big 1500 and 1600 lasted forever and were built like a tank, most the newer stuff are cheap flimsy plastic cases and just aren't built to last. The lower end lasers are really no different whoever's name is branded on the side and all the reason more to buy the up and comers who are usually a $100 or more less!

My Bushnell v2 is still working fine and always in line with everyone else's laser.

Exactly, the V2 was still during the Quality period of their products!

The V2 was IMO their last "well built" $299 laser, once they went to the V3 they became very much a plastic box that wont hold up as well over time and has continued with the V4, I haven't seen the V5 up close but assume it is the same construction type other than a magnet added.

I have an old pro 1600 model... maybe I should break that thing out again?

I shot flags with both the 1600 and v3 and got different yardages so +/- 1 yard... yeah right. I'll have to experiment to see which one is more accurate, if either of them.

I just refuse to spend $500 for a laser range finder. I can walk off sprinklers and do the math for slope and pin positions pretty well without any of this stuff. But for $300, saves me some time having to do all that stuff so I guess it's worth it.

The V5 is the same construction type

I've had my Bushnell Z6 for about 8 years now. Waterproof and solid build, play about 40 rounds a year and only on my third battery. Had the V2 before and that was solid, just went to the Z6 because it was much faster... little sleeker.

Bushnell v3 with new battery... just as goofy as it was before. Something went bad with it. For every 100 yards there's about a 5 yard shortage in distance measured for a reason I don't understand other than it's junk.

But my Bushnell Pro 1600 Tournament Edition I got off the bay many many years ago keeps on trucking. I paced off yardages and it's still within +/- 1 yard. And it comes with a 7x zoom, which was missing from products until the XE came out. The only thing missing is the Jolt feature, but it works good enough for me. And the fact that it runs on a 9 volt battery and has a screw in the bottom to be mounted on a tripod... this thing was really legit when it came out. Plus if a bear attacks you on the course, it's so heavy I'm pretty sure you could defend yourself with it as well. Better than spending $500 on a new one.

Never thought of a 1600 as a weapon but they were built like a brick. You have to imagine that the Corporate powers decided they were built too well and lets shift to a cheap plastic box with higher margins and a shorter life span.....corporate mindset but a mistake in the long run.

I got in early on the lasers. I was not willing to pay out the extra $200 for a "golf specific" laser rangefinder so I got a Bushnell Scout1000 laser back in 2008. It still works like a champ. I've played 43 or 44 rounds this year alone (thanks Covid), have gone thru two batteries, and this thing is still accurate (at least for my 11HC game). They don't build them like they used to.

I bought my first rangefinder in 2010? and still use it every weekend. The Bushnell Medalist with a 9v battery.

None better that I have found. Still just as accurate compared to anyone that stands beside me with any of theirs...My friend had the same one and it worked just like brand new until he lost it last year-

Anyway doesn't mean they are all good- Just some models are probably good and some might not be

Honestly I think as others have stated the older / orginal models when they first came out had way better QC and just built to last.