Leupold GX4i (2) vs Bushnell Tour X

[Krizar]

Both of these rangefinders seem pretty equal at first. I was wondering about the pros and cons of each.

Both have changeable face plates to enable slope. Both have great optics and quick readings.

The tour x has jolt and can change display colors, but isn't waterproof.

The gx4i(2) is waterproof but doesn't have the jolt. Am I missing anything else? Which would you choose and why?

I have a Leupold being shipped to me as I post. But I have an opportunity to pick up a tour x ( I can always sell the other)

[avgjoe]

tour x supposedly locks on quicker. check that thread, a few guys are selling their gx4is for the tour x. that says a lot. since you basically have both, try em out and see which on you like better. after all, it really boils down to your preference

[SwingMan]

Read many reviews, and Leopold users seemed to lack enthusiasm on its ability or certainty to hit flags quickly.

Read the Tour X Reviews -- lots of enthusiasm.

Bought a Tour X ... it's great, and excellent ergonomics.

[Krizar]

[quote name='SwingMan' timestamp='1432125886' post='11592684']
Read many reviews, and Leopold users seemed to lack enthusiasm on its ability or certainty to hit flags quickly.

Read the Tour X Reviews -- lots of enthusiasm.

Bought a Tour X ... it's great, and excellent ergonomics.
[/quote]

I think you phrased it well. There is a lack of enthusiasm on the Leupold. As I should have both units with me shortly, I'll post again with my thoughts.

[Clark55810]

I purchased the Leupold and don't have anything to compare it to, but I can't believe another device would be much quicker. I can get a reading in 2-3 seconds...getting that down to 1 wouldn't make a big difference.

I don't seem to have issues locking on the pin, but I do have steady hands.

I do wish I could try other text colors to see what I like best. I get why they picked red, but I can see why people would prefer other colors.

Overall, I love the Leupold unit and have no reason to even look at other options.

Clark

[Krizar]

So, it's been a few days, and a few rounds with both - and they both have their pros and cons.
Bushnell:[list]
[*]Faster/easier targeting. The speed of the reading may help the ease of use. (Don't have to hold it steady as long as the Leupold
[*]Jolt is nice. If I didn't have it, I wouldn't mention this as a con against the Leupold. But after having it, going back to the Leupold leaves me waiting for the buzz.
[/list]
Leupold:[list]
[*]Build quality feels better than the Bushnell. More compact size and more solid overall. Feels like the more expensive unit.
[*]I kind of like the bluish tint to the lens.
[*]there wasn't any foggy weather when I played - but I'd like to give the fog mode a try. Seems pretty useful for the less than ideal days.
[/list]
I think the bottom line is both units are more than competent. Quick accurate readings with interchangeable plates make them great tools to complement anyone's game. If i had to choose, I'd give the edge to the Leupold. As it gives all the same information as the Tour X, but you can choose to add elevation/temps to get even more info if you want, you can enable/disable club selector too. All in a small neat package that feels solid. If the gx4i(2) had jolt it would win hands down. But that doesn't take away from the Tour X, the bigger size may help people keep it steady - and the quicker read is noticeable. As you can see, it's not an easy choice.

Hope this helps anyone deciding between the two.

[mattjud]

Wh[quote name='Krizar' timestamp='1433033419' post='11658156']
So, it's been a few days, and a few rounds with both - and they both have their pros and cons.
Bushnell:[list]
[*]Faster/easier targeting. The speed of the reading may help the ease of use. (Don't have to hold it steady as long as the Leupold
[*]Jolt is nice. If I didn't have it, I wouldn't mention this as a con against the Leupold. But after having it, going back to the Leupold leaves me waiting for the buzz.
[/list]
Leupold:[list]
[*]Build quality feels better than the Bushnell. More compact size and more solid overall. Feels like the more expensive unit.
[*]I kind of like the bluish tint to the lens.
[*]there wasn't any foggy weather when I played - but I'd like to give the fog mode a try. Seems pretty useful for the less than ideal days.
[/list]
I think the bottom line is both units are more than competent. Quick accurate readings with interchangeable plates make them great tools to complement anyone's game. If i had to choose, I'd give the edge to the Leupold. As it gives all the same information as the Tour X, but you can choose to add elevation/temps to get even more info if you want, you can enable/disable club selector too. All in a small neat package that feels solid. If the gx4i(2) had jolt it would win hands down. But that doesn't take away from the Tour X, the bigger size may help people keep it steady - and the quicker read is noticeable. As you can see, it's not an easy choice.

Hope this helps anyone deciding between the two.
[/quote]

Which one u pick?

[andre2you]

I had a Leupold gx4i2 for about 30 days, I returned to as there were two outings where on a few holes I couldn't lock on the flag and had to depend on my buddies gps watch for the yardage. I really liked the leupold build quality but no matter how well it's built if you can't use it, it does you no good! I just ordered a Tour X and it s/b here next week.

[Krizar]

Long term update:
I settled on the Tour X as well - just seemed an overall easier unit. No worries about elevation, humidity etc. Point, shoot, buzz and get the info.

[andre2you]

[quote name='andre2you' timestamp='1437175420' post='11969258']
I had a Leupold gx4i2 for about 30 days, I returned to as there were two outings where on a few holes I couldn't lock on the flag and had to depend on my buddies gps watch for the yardage. I really liked the leupold build quality but no matter how well it's built if you can't use it, it does you no good! I just ordered a Tour X and it s/b here next week.
[/quote]

Just a quick update as I have now played two rounds with the Tour X. The Tour X is much better than I originally thought when comparing it to the Leupold GX-4i2. When I compared them in the store, the build quality, the weight, all the settings, as well as the salesman convinced me to get the Leupold. After owning both the Tour X is a lot better for me, I always wear prescription sun glasses when I play and the fact that I can adjust the sight makes a huge difference. The lock on target to flags is so much quicker on the Tour X, and the Tour X (in the store) was set on it's lowest brightness setting so it seemed washed out to the Leopold bit set the brightness higher as the are both equal. I didn't use the slope function on the Tour X so I can't compare that. Overall I am very satisfied with my Tour X purchase.

One more thing note; I do like the Tour X case better for removing and storing the device as the small bungee cord is easier to quickly open than Leupold case.

[PapaJohick]

I have the leupold. Like said above, it lock on quick enough for me that I don't think anything faster would be much of a gain. Accuracy is right on even with a bunch of trees or bushes behind especially if you hold it and scan. Plus being waterproof here in charleston where it rains a decent bit is nice. Never really needed jolt. Mine will beep at me if the pin has a prism on it and if it doesn't then doesn't really bother me.

Both are great units though. Cannot go wrong with either

[Wayneo]

With two top units to choose from, what else could help making the final decision? Have you gents looked at the threads comparing the Customer service should anything go wrong and your unit stops working? The Leupold service has been posted as being stellar, while the Bushnell is average at best.

[andre2you]

Tour-x - Do you wear glasses, being able to adjust focus on the eye piece really helps me. The bungie code on the Tour X case is nicer , it's faster to use that the clip on Leupold (small but it's there).
Leupold - Being that it's small it fits in a cart cupholder where the Tour-X does not. I can't comment on customer service.

[HazChem]

Having had a 1500 that lost its ability to lock on to the pin and being asked by Bushnell $200 to look at it, I went with the GX4i2 and haven't looked back. The tiny bit in potential performance loss compared to the X I'm giving up is worth it to me knowing that Leupold takes excellent care of their customers.

[theadvocate_ivan]

[quote name='HazChem' timestamp='1439251874' post='12113414']
Having had a 1500 that lost its ability to lock on to the pin and being asked by Bushnell $200 to look at it, I went with the GX4i2 and haven't looked back. The tiny bit in potential performance loss compared to the X I'm giving up is worth it to me knowing that Leupold takes excellent care of their customers.
[/quote]

+1 on this!

[twnikegolfer]

Leupold has better technology and are much more accurate than Bushnell. I have the GX3i-2 and it is amazing. You cant go wrong with either but Leupold all day over here!

[MaxBuck]

[quote name='twnikegolfer' timestamp='1439487854' post='12131070']
Leupold has better technology and are much more accurate than Bushnell.
[/quote]

Nonsense. Leupold has a good product, but there aren't any fundamental differences among laser distance measurement technologies used by the different manufacturers. They're all +/- a yard or so.

[Flames20]

I just bought the Tour X. I was between the 2. I choose the tour x, for a couple reasons. My buddy that I play most of my golf with (40 rounds or so this summer)has the Leupold and it works great. I had the bushnell v2 which works fine and is accurate, but it eats batteries and i just wanted a new one. The leupold has club selection, altitude and other settings. The club selector is basically useless unless you somehow have no idea how far you hit a club. It doesn't go below PW, and has no idea what the wind is doing, or if you want to hit it high or low. Have noticed no advantage to the alltitude feature, and we very rarley get fog. The best advantage i saw with the leupold is that it is waterproof vs rainproof Bushnell (which is not waterproof). I also found that there was no real time difference on how long it took to measure. Extremely minimal (maybe 1 second...maybe) As for the bushnell I like the focus dial, it works well. So, i mainly choose bushnell over the leupold because the case is better, it was $20 cheaper, and it was the opposite one to what my buddy has. They both work great, the added features of the leupold were of no benefit to me. Bushnell if you are listening, make the next version waterproof. Then it would be really great.

[snyper1d]

Played my first round with the tour x yesterday, here are my initial thoughts. FWIW- I just upgraded from a Bushnell 1600 with Slope.

Pros:
-Very ergonomic
-Fast aquisition
-Precise (decimal) distances at closer range
-Lightweight
-Love having Jolt


Cons-
-Lens color makes everything appear dark, especially in the evening. I'm sure afternoon and full daylight rounds this will be fine. Just hard to find a pin from distance with a dark background in low light. I'm assuming this is due to the blue tint on the lens.
-Focus ring is easily moved out of focus when it is resting in the cart/on cart seat. Not hard to move it back, but I am going to try to place a piece of tape over this to stop it from moving.
- Interchangeable face plates can pop off relatively easy. Would be nice to have a gel skin/cover like the V3's have to keep it on. (This only happened once, and it was when I put it in the cup holder and pulled it out at an angle)
-Optics are great in the center of the lens, but do have some haloing around the edges. Not a big deal at all, just the hunter in me reviewing like I would through a riflescope.
-Would like to see more options in the menu. Possibly how long to leave the unit in after target acquisition, jolt off/on.


Overall I am very pleased with the unit. Just being a nitpick, and trying to point out the flaws I saw for anyone considering a purchase of this unit.

[vspin1]

I just picked up a gx-4i. Why? Craigslist $200 and it worked great when I tried it out. Will play a round tomorrow and report back.

[vspin1]

Ok, I played a round up at Palouse Ridge the other day and had no problems with the gx-4i. Seemed to lock on fine and was within a yard of my buddies Bushnell v2 on all our checks. Very happy with my bargain.

[rickfoil]

I came to this thread hoping to get some help on figuring out which one to get.
Sadly, both sides give compelling and eloquent arguments. I am no where nearer to deciding.

GRRRRR.

But thanks to everyone. At the very least, I have a few new details to consider.

[ultrafl1ght]

+1 Leupold as a GX-4i(2) owner. I can't speak for Bushnell, but Leupold customer service is top notch.

I've read that the Bushnell is "faster," but unless you're playing speed golf the difference is marginal (fraction of a second).

Cons:
- No "Jolt" -- no haptic feedback will have to rely on your eyes/viewfinder
- Only one reticle display, bright red

Pros:
- Measures to 1/10 of a yard [...now if only my swing were this accurate]
- Compact size, yet solid feel; nice secure carrying pouch with separate zippered section to store extra removable faceplate -- when walking, even with pouch flap open attached to towel ring, I have never had an issue with the rangefinder falling out // finder+pouch also fits in [most] cart cupholders
- Prism Lock emits audible beep when it catches prisms in flagstick -- never had a problem catching the prism when using scan mode (note: this feature is useless if your local/home course does not have prisms in their flagsticks)
- Press+Hold = scan mode, is fast and accurate

I admittedly am a club hoe and own more golf shoes than running shoes, but I have neither the disposable income nor reason to have two top-of-the-line rangefinders. Like many before me have said, it boils down to personal preference -- "how does it feel it my hands? how does the viewfinder look? how does the rangefinder look?" -- or in my case, "what's on sale?" I've been pretty satisfied with my Leupold.

[ultrafl1ght]

I should add that Leupold's Prism Lock technology, in practice, is equivalent to Bushnell's Pin Seeker technology.

**Disclaimer: The following statement is as a consumer without any proprietary information as to the algorithms used in either rangefinder**

To clarify, I've read complaints that Leupold do not "lock" onto pins as easily as Bushnell. This is merely a question of preference for accuracy versus convenience. Given the Leupold displays measurements in 1/10 yard = 3.6 inches (with +/- 0.5 yards, margin of error), if you are targeting a flag that is waving in the air, the nature of the moving target (flag) will continually display different distances in your viewfinder. The 'convenience' of the Bushnell's Pin Seeker/Jolt technology is once it hits a waving flag in the distance it freezes the measurement at that moment and displays that reading (and JOLTs). The 'accuracy' of the Leupold Prism Lock technology is that if it hits a waving flag in the distance, [in scan mode] the display will constantly change to adjust to the movement of the flag -- hence what I assume is the issue of not "locking on." Furthermore, the 'accuracy' of the Prism Lock is that once the laser is refracted on a prism on the flagstick, only then does it freeze that measurement and display that reading (and beeps).

The issue with Leupold of course is that it will never "lock" (beep) onto a pin that does not have prisms, whereas the Bushnell will "lock" (Jolt) at every pin -- I wonder if it Jolts for wicker basket flags? . . . but I digress -- all of this is moot given the incredible accuracy of both devices unless your golf swing is +/- 1 yard, margin of error. So again, it comes down to preference of whether you want the convenience of a Jolt and frozen yardage reading to the flag, or the accuracy of multiple readings to the flag depending on what point/where the laser is hitting the flag and only receiving a frozen yardage reading if it laser hits a prism on the pin.

[Guia]

I had both. I found the Tour X to be much faster and I like the Badda-Bing. Sold the Leo, kept the X.

Also, the Tour X works well with hands that shake, great for older guys.

[magnumpl]

I bought Tour X two months ago and although its good I have to admit that now, in the time where there is no much sun when I play its rather "dark" compering to my old cheap Nikon rangefiner. When I put them both in play the ease of use (also quickness) of the Nikon is much greater and even it doesnt have the Jolt its much faster to get the result and so much brighter. Maybe Im doing something wrong with Bushnell?

[cwgolfman]

I recently purchased a tour x--I have had bushnells since they first came out with the 1500 with pinseeker technology. I never had a problem locking onto the right target. With this one I seem to be locking onto the wrong target quiet frequently. I aim right at the flag before I hit the button and have the flag right in the circle immediately and it still locks onto something in the background fairly often. Maybe I am doing something wrong--any ideas would help because I really like this unit coming from the v3.

[MJisGOAT]

Leupold feels more solid and quality difference is noticeable. I've had my leupold for over 3 years and it's held up better than anything else in my bag. Just picked up a tour x and not sure I can commit just yet.

[mablax12]

Leupold has better technology and are much more accurate than Bushnell.

 

Nonsense. Leupold has a good product, but there aren't any fundamental differences among laser distance measurement technologies used by the different manufacturers. They're all +/- a yard or so.

 

Looking through some old threads and have to call you out on this one bud. Bushnell measures to within .5 yards, while the Leupold measures to within .1 yards (granted within 125 yards or something like that). That, technically, is more accurate than the Bushnell... by definition of the word "accurate"...

[North Butte]

OK, let's say you shoot a flag with three rangefinders. One says the distance is 123.9678957 yards while another says it's 123.5 yards and the third says 123 yards. Does that make the first one more "accurate" and the third one least accurate?

 

How about if I tell you the actual distance is, in fact, exactly 123 yards?

 

Accuracy, by the only definition that matters, is the difference between the true distance and the number displayed on the rangefinder. It is possible for extra digits of precision to result in more accuracy but only if those extra distance display a number that is...wait for it...more ACCURATE.