What matters most when buying a rangefinder?

[tjwor]

I got very curious about how accurate range finders are when I had some inconsistent readings one of mine, so I decided it would be fun to put them to the test.

 

I've put together a website (http://rangefinderguy.com), I'm ordering 9 rangefinders from Amazon, borrowing a handful from friends, flying in a friend to film a youtube video for the rangefinder test accuracy & speed.

Here is the plan for my test:

 

I will start by setting up a flag at a local football field. This will give me precise measurements inside 120 yards (readings from 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, & 120 yards). I'll test the whole lot of rangefinders on multiple attempts and log the data that shows:

• 1. How accurate the devices is each shot
  
• 2. The speed at which the unit was able to lock onto the flag from each distance
  
• 3. Whether the device picked up background noise instead of the pin at any distance
  
• 4. If there is a limited range each unit can easily pick up the flag
  

After my time at the football field, I’ll move out to a flat fairway on the golf course to measure off the longer distances. I'll get readings from 150, 175, 200, 225, 250 and 300+ yards.

 

Once I'm finished collecting our data, I will rate the optics, size and build quality, and compare the rangefinders based on price. The goal is to compile all of the data in a way that is very readable. I want it to be easy for you to take a look at what metrics matter the most for you and your game.

 

So, with all of that being said, what are the biggest factors you would be interested in seeing me look at?

 

I'm very curious to see how the <$100 rangefinders stack up against the $400+ Bushnell units.

[cristphoto]

I think you'll find all decent rangefinders will read pretty much the same. I have a Bushnell Z6 Jolt and a Nikon Coolshot 20 and they both read within one yard of each other. When compared with a friends Bushnell Tour V3, again they read within one yard. One thing I do notice is the Bushnell's give basically instant readings. The Nikon does also up to about 175 yards. At about 200 yards it takes several seconds to give a reading. At 200 yards the Bushnell is still pretty much instant. Where do you find under $100 rangefinders? These can't be laser units? If not I wouldn't waste my time with them. I remember winning a cheapo rangefinder at an outing several years ago and it was worthless.

[tjwor]

I think you'll find all decent rangefinders will read pretty much the same. I have a Bushnell Z6 Jolt and a Nikon Coolshot 20 and they both read within one yard of each other. When compared with a friends Bushnell Tour V3, again they read within one yard. One thing I do notice is the Bushnell's give basically instant readings. The Nikon does also up to about 175 yards. At about 200 yards it takes several seconds to give a reading. At 200 yards the Bushnell is still pretty much instant. Where do you find under $100 rangefinders? These can't be laser units? If not I wouldn't waste my time with them. I remember winning a cheapo rangefinder at an outing several years ago and it was worthless.

 

I put out a survey on Reddit about rangefinders to see what people had. There were 2 of them that people responded to having and rating highly there were under $100 on Amazon. The Simmons LRF600 and the Gamer Golf Z450. I have my doubts these units will stack up, but there are a handful of others under $200, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was in the runnings. It will be interesting to see. The main things I want to know is are they accurate, and how quickly can they pick up the flag.

[phil75070]

I have one with slope that was under $200 from Amazon ($164 with tax) and I have been very pleased with it. It replaced a Bushnell Tour V2 which crapped out on me.

[Stuart_G]

I applaud your intention but I think your test is targeting the wrong aspect of the range finders. The main difference between different laser range finders is not how accurate they are to a single target. Rather it's how well (or how easily) they can lock on and pick up the desired target when there are other possible targets available to lock onto.

[cristphoto]

I applaud your intention but I think your test is targeting the wrong aspect of the range finders. The main difference between different laser range finders is not how accurate they are to a single target. Rather it's how well (or how easily) they can lock on and pick up the desired target when there are other possible targets available to lock onto.

 

I agree. I've found rangefinder accuracy to be a non-issue. However as I posted above speed to lock onto the target is an important factor. I got my Nikon solely because of its small size - slipped in my pocket easily. However after using it a few months I noticed at longer distances it was sluggish (but still accurate). For this reason alone I switched back to my Bushnell Z6 which is pretty much instant on anything I encounter on the course.

[tjwor]

I applaud your intention but I think your test is targeting the wrong aspect of the range finders. The main difference between different laser range finders is not how accurate they are to a single target. Rather it's how well (or how easily) they can lock on and pick up the desired target when there are other possible targets available to lock onto.

I have one with slope that was under $200 from Amazon ($164 with tax) and I have been very pleased with it. It replaced a Bushnell Tour V2 which crapped out on me.

 

Do you mind letting me know which model you own?

[tjwor]

I applaud your intention but I think your test is targeting the wrong aspect of the range finders. The main difference between different laser range finders is not how accurate they are to a single target. Rather it's how well (or how easily) they can lock on and pick up the desired target when there are other possible targets available to lock onto.

 

Thanks for the input. My first goal is to make sure these things are accurate and see how quickly they can lock onto a flag with a fairly clear background. If there prove to be none or very few discrepancies on that side of things, I'll do testing for locking onto a flag where there are trees closely behind the green, and finally I'll try to do some testing where there is a small window between branches to get a lock on the flag.

[Cwing]

I can't wait until they hit the BST!

[skyking]

I've been in a golf store and compared mine (Dick's for $100 +$25 rebate) to all the models on display and the accuracy was the same at 50-60 yards. I noticed Dick's has a model for around $125 I believe...HALO something, that gives slope as well as distance at 6X zoom. I am in no way saying buy a cheapo and they will be the same at 200+ yards because I don't know. I sometimes have difficulty getting the pin if a bunch of trees are behind the pin for example but I use my Garmin G6 GPS to confirm the laser distance isn't way off.

 

It is interesting how non-golf lasers are so much cheaper.

[phil75070]

I applaud your intention but I think your test is targeting the wrong aspect of the range finders. The main difference between different laser range finders is not how accurate they are to a single target. Rather it's how well (or how easily) they can lock on and pick up the desired target when there are other possible targets available to lock onto.

I have one with slope that was under $200 from Amazon ($164 with tax) and I have been very pleased with it. It replaced a Bushnell Tour V2 which crapped out on me.

 

Do you mind letting me know which model you own?

 

I got the CaddyTek CaddyView V2 with Slope. With Slope it is $159 on Amazon; the without slope model is $129. It seems to lock on the flag as quickly and as accurately as the Bushnell it replaced, is small enough to fit in the cup holder in the cart and has both "Pinseeker" and scan functionality as well as a battery level indicator that is always visible.

[Stuart_G]

Do you mind letting me know which model you own?

 

One of the Callaway branded Nikon's. The Diablo Octane - same as the Nikon LR550.

[Shambles]

I like the rangefinder because it's so very handy. I really don't give a lot of attention to tiny distance differences as I'm not that accurate anyway, so anything that works reasonably well is fine by me. However I learned, after I bought my first, that the most important aspect is a rechargeable battery. Too often I need to be ready for a round early the next day and find I don't have a battery. Rechargeable serves way good.

 

 

 

Shambles

[s1ten]

Easy to lock on to my target, small, decent battery life. I too haven't seen a big difference in accuracy.

[skyking]

Golf Datatech is the most widely accepted authority on the golf industry, retail sales, very detailed analysis on specific buying patterns, etc., and they have just issued a report about measuring devices. The small part of the article on their website about measuring devices that's free, states lower selling prices in the future because future buyers are simply upgrading. New entrants in purchasing measuring devices will be minimal.

 

I've always felt paying 3-4 times as much for a "golf" specific laser was outrageous.

 

Not sure which one you have Shambles but I know for a fact there was a batch of Bushnell V2's that had a manufacturing defect that cause batteries to drain quickly.

[Stuart_G]

I sometimes have difficulty getting the pin if a bunch of trees are behind the pin

 

That's one of the possible differences - the target priority mode. Although many hunting laser's have the ability to switch between different modes so can be equally effective IF you get the right one.

 

I've always felt paying 3-4 times as much for a "golf" specific laser was outrageous.

 

A smart shopper would find that the price difference is significantly smaller when actually comparing to golf lasers with comparable functionality.

[dylanl]

I'm interested to see how this turns out. I think I seem to be in the minority now days since I don't yet use a rangefinder on the course. I've been looking at buying one and all three appear to be in your review (Bushnell Tour V3 Jolt, Caddytek CaddyView V2, TecTecTec VPRO500). To me the most important things are accuracy and speed. I want an accurate distance but I don't want to feel as though me standing to get a range is holding anything up on the course. Some people take way too long with their rangefinder in my view. That probably sounds pretty snarky but I don't mean it to. I'm interested to see how these reviews turn out.

[phil75070]

I like the rangefinder because it's so very handy. I really don't give a lot of attention to tiny distance differences as I'm not that accurate anyway, so anything that works reasonably well is fine by me. However I learned, after I bought my first, that the most important aspect is a rechargeable battery. Too often I need to be ready for a round early the next day and find I don't have a battery. Rechargeable serves way good.

 

 

 

Shambles

 

Most rangefinders use the CR2 battery. I buy them cheap, several at a time, off eBay and always keep an extra in the bag "just in case".

[Cwing]

What's tends to be missing us the value of a laser vs GPS on the practice range.

[Dimebag777]

What's tends to be missing us the value of a laser vs GPS on the practice range.

 

I just bought a rangefinder (Nikon cool shot 20) for that benefit as well as for the course being able to quickly shoot a flag or landmark on the range is a killer feature for me. I had used google maps with the distance option on the range but it's not quite accurate enough 50 metres is a big margin of error.

[skyking]

I use a laser for the range as well and is an advantage over most GPS'...SkyCaddie did\does provide range distance to targets at more upscale courses but bear in mind the quality or lack thereof for the range balls compared to the make\model you use on course.

[edtaa]

I bought my first rangefinder about 6 months ago and had to send it back because the lens fogged if I left it in the bag after playing in the rain. I then went through three more rangefinders all with various defects so here's what I found on each.

Shotsaver Laser Range Finder - not fully waterproof, lens fogged in the bag, did not work at all in rain

Eyoyo Waterproof - very hard to lock on to targets

Nikon Coolshot - worked fine but the battery cover came loose in the case and dropped out through holes in the bottom of the case. Why have holes in the case???

TecTec - works fine and is quick to lock on to targets under 200 yards. Not so good to more distant targets which is OK for me since I can't hit that far. Very impressed with TecTec as a company and I'm sticking with this rangefinder which is adequate for me at half the price of a Bushnell.

[Shambles]

Golf Datatech is the most widely accepted authority on the golf industry, retail sales, very detailed analysis on specific buying patterns, etc., and they have just issued a report about measuring devices. The small part of the article on their website about measuring devices that's free, states lower selling prices in the future because future buyers are simply upgrading. New entrants in purchasing measuring devices will be minimal.

 

I've always felt paying 3-4 times as much for a "golf" specific laser was outrageous.

 

Not sure which one you have Shambles but I know for a fact there was a batch of Bushnell V2's that had a manufacturing defect that cause batteries to drain quickly.

 

My first was a Bushnell with the CR2 battery and it grew really old carrying a spare battery along all the time in case of battery death. Just more clutter. The one I use now is a Bushnell Hybrid that I can recharge the night before at home. I never bothered to activate the GPS side of the thing though it seems to be working. It just never seemed necessary because it's on the bulky side and it's simpler to look and see. For GPS I have a Bushnell Neo wristwatch type of thing. I just use it on the courses I play most often as it also got really old plugging into a computer to see if I could download a new course and which has to go to make room. Handy stuff all but the real need is the distance to the target and the rangefinder does that really well regardless of what course you are playing. Best beginners toy in my book. All Pros I've played with just looked and shot. Eyeball is a lot cheaper and we all have our own pair for use.

 

 

 

Shambles

[avgjoe]

Don't overthink it... go with a quality brand that you trust. From there, it's all personal preference.

[crcraig]

I have a Nikon Cool Shot 20, and in retrospect, the one thing I would have paid extra for is a more readable display. When you shoot a pin with a dark background behind it (dense woods, stuff like that), the black text is very hard to read. I end up having to whip the rangefinder up into the sky and read the number quickly, as it disappears after a second or so. I know there are some rangefinders out there that have red text, and I'm sure those would be far easier to see.

[tjwor]

Thanks for all of the input!

 

I've made the plunge and purchased 7 rangefinders on Amazon today. I have 1 at home already, and I'm borrowing around 7 others.

 

Testing will take place starting a week from today. Updates will follow!

[avgjoe]

I hope you're not reinventing the wheel

http://www.criticalgolf.com/category/reviews/laser-rangefinders/

[tjwor]

I hope you're not reinventing the wheel

http://www.criticalg...r-rangefinders/

 

Oh yea, there are a handful of sites just like that out there. Most of them it is pretty clear that they base their opinion 100% on the manufacture listed specs. They come up with which one is best and tell you to buy that one. It's a bit harder to tell on critical golf, as they do make claims that they have the rangefinders in the hands of the "reviewer", but I still see no proof on the site that they've actually tested anywhere. I want to see photos of the product, in the hands of the user. I'll never put a stock image of a rangefinder in a review. I want you to see me holding it, see it next to a hole, have an idea of what the real product looks like.

 

On Critical golf, they have a speed test listed: http://www.criticalgolf.com/laser-rangefinder-readings/. This is great, except even after reading through it all, I have no clue what the numbers mean. What does 68 for the Bushnell Hybrid mean? They also did their speed test from around 125 yards. That's great, but some rangefinders may be better at certain ranges, and I'd sure like to know that as a consumer.

 

I've found no where that has done a test, made it clear what metrics they were looking at, and then displayed the results.

 

There are definitely other sites out there that "review" or actually review rangefinders, but I don't feel like any of them have done justice to it. Hopefully I'll find a way to do that!

[larrybud]

Most rangefinders use the CR2 battery. I buy them cheap, several at a time, off eBay and always keep an extra in the bag "just in case".

 

Yep, I get mine on Amazon, usually a 10 pack, for about $25. At that price battery life is a non-issue.

 

Lock speed, what are we talking, the difference of a second or two? Non-issue to me.

 

the #1 and 2 would be price and dependability. My bushnell's have never crapped out, except when dropped. I'm on my 3rd one in the last, what, 12 years? The first two were both dropped and jostled out of alignment.