Best rangefinder out right now?

[teeithigh33]

51 minutes ago, cristphoto said:

 

TGW has two models of the Tour V5 on sale for $275.  Excellent quality at a great price.  I currently have two V4 models (one slope, one without that I gave to my wife) and they have served me well.  Fast response, easy to lock on, accurate.  After using my slope model for about three years I've come to the conclusion that it wasn't worth the extra price.  Perhaps if I played in mountainous areas it would be different.  

Awesome yes I think some of the sales have carried over from memorial day. I play courses with significant elevation changes so slope is a must for me.

[Klubster]

I too bought a cheap one off Amazon 3 years ago and it does all I need.  It gives the same reading as the expensive ones that some friends have.  Easy enough to get readings at 180-190 yards without image stabilization.  If it is beyond that, I will probably miss the green anyhow.  This is what I got.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BTBLHM4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Seattlegolfnut]

4 minutes ago, Klubster said:

I too bought a cheap one off Amazon 3 years ago and it does all I need.  It gives the same reading as the expensive ones that some friends have.  Easy enough to get readings at 180-190 yards without image stabilization.  If it is beyond that, I will probably miss the green anyhow.  This is what I got.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BTBLHM4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

Not sure if the Chinese RF's are made by the same underlying company; they seem to have similar external casings and probably identical internal components.

 

At any rate, I purchased a very similar looking & functioning unit as yours from the Wosports brand in 2019. And same as you, mine is going strong and does all I need for getting around a course with decent accuracy.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H146DL3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1WBI2IXXBFL1N&psc=1

 

[GooseHook]

23 hours ago, WasatchBogey said:

Certainly not in the running for “best”, but I wanted to get a cheap rangefinder to play around with. Grabbed an “Anyork” off Amazon, $75 after using $10 coupon.

 

I’ve used it a couple times now, and checked it against a distance measuring wheel. It’s within a yard or so compared to anything I’ve checked it with.

Has slope, not stabilized, but I don’t have any problem holding it steady enough.

 

Is it a finely machined precision instrument? Probably not, but it works really well, and if I drop it, lose it, or it’s stolen I’m only out $75😄

 

If you want to test the water & see how you like using a rangefinder, not a bad choice.

 

Definitely agree here. Gone are the days when there were no reasonably priced alternatives. I have used the TecTecTec rangefinders and they hit the same numbers my partners' Bushnells would read, and after selling that I got another slope model in a similar price range off Amazon. It serves me well and I would not be upset if something happened to it. 

 

I did have a high end Bushnell previously and decided "never again" after a caddy (at an extremely exclusive club, too) swiped it from me and played dumb afterwards. 

[Yuck]

I went from a Garmin GPS to a Voice Caddie SL2.  I like the fact the gps data is right on the device.  If I don’t need an exact pin location, I just leave the SL2 in the case and read the F/M/B yardages or hazard carry.  When I am using the laser, it is quick and easy, since it uses GPS data to avoid picking up targets behind the green.  MSRP is pricey, but you can find them   Under $450 with promotions.  No regrets here.

[teeithigh33]

42 minutes ago, Yuck said:

I went from a Garmin GPS to a Voice Caddie SL2.  I like the fact the gps data is right on the device.  If I don’t need an exact pin location, I just leave the SL2 in the case and read the F/M/B yardages or hazard carry.  When I am using the laser, it is quick and easy, since it uses GPS data to avoid picking up targets behind the green.  MSRP is pricey, but you can find them   Under $450 with promotions.  No regrets here.

Ya do like the pairing of GPS and RF. Although I already own a gps and does well enough for FMB so probably paired up with RF would be how I envision getting a yardage to play. 

[teeithigh33]

2 hours ago, GooseHook said:

 

Definitely agree here. Gone are the days when there were no reasonably priced alternatives. I have used the TecTecTec rangefinders and they hit the same numbers my partners' Bushnells would read, and after selling that I got another slope model in a similar price range off Amazon. It serves me well and I would not be upset if something happened to it. 

 

I did have a high end Bushnell previously and decided "never again" after a caddy (at an extremely exclusive club, too) swiped it from me and played dumb afterwards. 

Good to know. Saving $$$ is always a plus!

[cristphoto]

2 hours ago, GooseHook said:

 

I did have a high end Bushnell previously and decided "never again" after a caddy (at an extremely exclusive club, too) swiped it from me and played dumb afterwards. 

 

Sorry for your loss.  All Bushnell's have a serial number on them.  I take a photo of them and keep in my phone if any incident occurs.  Also my Taylor Made woods, Ping irons, and Scotty Cameron all have serial numbers too.  Again photographed and kept in my phone.  I have shaft ID bands on my clubs as a final identity.  On all my headcovers I put two small black Sharpie dots. Several years ago I was paired with a guy that also had a Scotty Cameron but with a generic headcover.  At the end of the round my cover ended up on his putter but he never got away with it.  He played dumb.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

2 hours ago, GooseHook said:

 

I did have a high end Bushnell previously and decided "never again" after a caddy (at an extremely exclusive club, too) swiped it from me and played dumb afterwards. 

Holy Cow Man!  Did you say anything to the GM of the club?  What did they say?

[Wardonation]

I just got the VC CL2 from Costco at $299. It works great...

[SE Gamer]

I ditched the GPS app in favor of a rangefinder this year. Went with a Harry Taylor Red Edition for $150. Pretty feature packed for the price. Optics are clear, has a magnet built in to stick it your cart, and an internal battery that lasts a LONG time. Accuracy is as good as anything else out there. 

 

A stabilized one would be nice. But I don't find it terribly difficult to lock onto a target. Especially when riding, and I can just rest my forearms on the wheel of the cart. 

[m_w]

Three options:

• Most precise and proven: Bushnell XE Pro
• Most easy-to-use: Nikon Coolshot Pro 2 Stabilized
• If you play a lot of different courses: VoiceCaddy SL2

[teeithigh33]

30 minutes ago, m_w said:

Three options:

• Most precise and proven: Bushnell XE Pro
• Most easy-to-use: Nikon Coolshot Pro 2 Stabilized
• If you play a lot of different courses: VoiceCaddy SL2

Sounds like you have familiarity with a few of them out there?

[m_w]

1 minute ago, teeithigh33 said:

Sounds like you have familiarity with a few of them out there?

I've used all 3

[doc52]

I have an XE and love it.

 

I've had several friends cheap out on rangefinders and end up buying a second finder since the cheaper models yardages weren't accurate. 

[teeithigh33]

4 hours ago, doc52 said:

I have an XE and love it.

 

I've had several friends cheap out on rangefinders and end up buying a second finder since the cheaper models yardages weren't accurate. 

Yes looks like xe seems to be a top range finder. 

[Blaiser]

I had several bushnell's and they were all great. However, after I lost 2 in a row (terrible stories) I opted to get a cheaper TecTecTec rangefinder to hold me over until I got a new bushnell -- since a new version was imminent.

 

I've now had the TecTecTec for over 5 years and I can't tell the difference between it and the Bushnell. Does everything it needs to do, and is plenty durable. So IMHO, if you just want basic yardage/slope I think the cheaper rangefinders are just as good and will save you some cash. If you want the bells and whistles of something like the Z82 or SL2, then you need to fork over the cash.

[SE Gamer]

9 hours ago, doc52 said:

I have an XE and love it.

 

I've had several friends cheap out on rangefinders and end up buying a second finder since the cheaper models yardages weren't accurate. 

 

Define "cheap out". Sub $100, or really go dumpster diving towards the $50 mark, and I can see them being unreliable. But once you're in $150-200 range, I haven't noticed any real difference in yardage accuracy compared to those in the 2-3x price range.

[TomBomb51]

I didnt read EVERY reply, but I didnt see mention of Precision Pro which seems to go along with my experience...

 

Their prices are great and for what you are getting, some of the cheaper ones could be a great option but I opted for the R1 and returned it after 4 rounds.

 

The battery life wasnt good and the GPS portion would not automatically change holes and I tried it on 3 different golf courses. Those 2 things alone were plenty for me to send it back.

 

Their customer service was excellent, but the R1 was not.

 

I went back to my trusty Bushnell Pro x2 and bought myself a Bushnell Phantom 2 for GPS. This combo will last me until Bushnell figures out the Pro x3.

Edited June 8, 2022 by TomBomb51

[iKOH423]

1 hour ago, TomBomb51 said:

I didnt read EVERY reply, but I didnt see mention of Precision Pro which seems to go along with my experience...

 

Their prices are great and for what you are getting, some of the cheaper ones could be a great option but I opted for the R1 and returned it after 4 rounds.

 

The battery life wasnt good and the GPS portion would not automatically change holes and I tried it on 3 different golf courses. Those 2 things alone were plenty for me to send it back.

 

Their customer service was excellent, but the R1 was not.

 

I went back to my trusty Bushnell Pro x2 and bought myself a Bushnell Phantom 2 for GPS. This combo will last me until Bushnell figures out the Pro x3.

Was the R1 the only Precision Pro you've had experience with?  I have my eye on the NX9 Slope version.  The R1 seems pretty cool with the features but kind of feel that it could be too much of an oversell of features.  I am also curious to the app and how that works, does it go along with the rangefinders or more of a separate tool.  I will say the lifetime batteries is intriguing also.

 

I did pop into my local PGASS yesterday played around with some of the rangefinders.  The Nikon CSPro II was pretty awesome.  Just depends on how much I want to spend. 

[doc52]

6 hours ago, SE Gamer said:

 

Define "cheap out". Sub $100, or really go dumpster diving towards the $50 mark, and I can see them being unreliable. But once you're in $150-200 range, I haven't noticed any real difference in yardage accuracy compared to those in the 2-3x price range.

 Sub $120 would be my definition of cheap for a rangefinder.

[TomBomb51]

2 hours ago, iKOH423 said:

Was the R1 the only Precision Pro you've had experience with?  I have my eye on the NX9 Slope version.  The R1 seems pretty cool with the features but kind of feel that it could be too much of an oversell of features.  I am also curious to the app and how that works, does it go along with the rangefinders or more of a separate tool.  I will say the lifetime batteries is intriguing also.

 

I did pop into my local PGASS yesterday played around with some of the rangefinders.  The Nikon CSPro II was pretty awesome.  Just depends on how much I want to spend. 

Yeah, the R1 is the only experience I have had with PP. I imagine their "regular" range finders are just fine, especially at the price they are listed at.

 

The app is more of a separate tool where you can log your entire round (manually of course) but you also HAVE to have the app running and connected to the R1 to get the GPS readings and MySlope. I am trying to be LESS connected to my phone while out on the course, so this was also a big turn off for me.

 

When Bushnell releases the Pro x3, they will hopefully have all of this figured out. GPS without your phone, some great battery life and the consistency of Bushnell that we all know.

[wolverine_man]

Costco CaddyTek V2 Slope is working great for me. 

[Minarets]

20 hours ago, Wardonation said:

I just got the VC CL2 from Costco at $299. It works great...

I wondered how it was.  Saw it on Costco.com.  Can’t find many reviews. 

[Wardonation]

13 minutes ago, Minarets said:

I wondered how it was.  Saw it on Costco.com.  Can’t find many reviews. 

It is great and best for the price. Reviews are scarce but my Bushnell was stuck on slope and not legal for tournaments so I went for it. i figured at that price I cannot beat it...

[makana]

On 6/6/2022 at 1:56 PM, teeithigh33 said:

Yes was looking at blue tees too. Any cons you can think of?

Do not get the Blue Tees. I have the max 3, has the magnet, has slope has the light numbers. Dropped it 1x on a grass and it is totally broken. They wont replace it or help me fix it as I got it as a gift from a relative who paid for it cash at dicks sporting goods with a number of other gifts. Without that proof you are absolutely screwed. I repeat DO NOT buy the Blue tees. 

 

I have the Bushnell Pro X2, its 100x better, no magnet thats the only thing but Bushnell would actually fix it if it got broken, or replace it with a small cost. https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiw7tjlrZ74AhWgPK0GHfPYD3gYABAIGgJwdg&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESauD2AVVH0Pr9BtStOBJLNwB6kZwQSRQE9Oc5LpzGqidgb0_LP5LtkuPtu-iR0oz-G56djl1GMjkl7z6TDxIdNAabi2HB6Epp5suHqAbdGTAhCK_4CGJ_0uOsy8TuJyg1VQ_F1JPL8tIMRrQ&sig=AOD64_35GW2HBxjkzSrFZWZXm8rBfCp0Aw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwilo8vlrZ74AhU4DEQIHdheBiwQ9aACKAB6BQgCEIwB&adurl=https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiw7tjlrZ74AhWgPK0GHfPYD3gYABAIGgJwdg&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESauD2AVVH0Pr9BtStOBJLNwB6kZwQSRQE9Oc5LpzGqidgb0_LP5LtkuPtu-iR0oz-G56djl1GMjkl7z6TDxIdNAabi2HB6Epp5suHqAbdGTAhCK_4CGJ_0uOsy8TuJyg1VQ_F1JPL8tIMRrQ&sig=AOD64_35GW2HBxjkzSrFZWZXm8rBfCp0Aw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwilo8vlrZ74AhU4DEQIHdheBiwQ9aACKAB6BQgCEIwB&adurl=

[teeithigh33]

16 minutes ago, makana said:

Do not get the Blue Tees. I have the max 3, has the magnet, has slope has the light numbers. Dropped it 1x on a grass and it is totally broken. They wont replace it or help me fix it as I got it as a gift from a relative who paid for it cash at dicks sporting goods with a number of other gifts. Without that proof you are absolutely screwed. I repeat DO NOT buy the Blue tees. 

 

I have the Bushnell Pro X2, its 100x better, no magnet thats the only thing but Bushnell would actually fix it if it got broken, or replace it with a small cost. https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiw7tjlrZ74AhWgPK0GHfPYD3gYABAIGgJwdg&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESauD2AVVH0Pr9BtStOBJLNwB6kZwQSRQE9Oc5LpzGqidgb0_LP5LtkuPtu-iR0oz-G56djl1GMjkl7z6TDxIdNAabi2HB6Epp5suHqAbdGTAhCK_4CGJ_0uOsy8TuJyg1VQ_F1JPL8tIMRrQ&sig=AOD64_35GW2HBxjkzSrFZWZXm8rBfCp0Aw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwilo8vlrZ74AhU4DEQIHdheBiwQ9aACKAB6BQgCEIwB&adurl=https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiw7tjlrZ74AhWgPK0GHfPYD3gYABAIGgJwdg&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESauD2AVVH0Pr9BtStOBJLNwB6kZwQSRQE9Oc5LpzGqidgb0_LP5LtkuPtu-iR0oz-G56djl1GMjkl7z6TDxIdNAabi2HB6Epp5suHqAbdGTAhCK_4CGJ_0uOsy8TuJyg1VQ_F1JPL8tIMRrQ&sig=AOD64_35GW2HBxjkzSrFZWZXm8rBfCp0Aw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwilo8vlrZ74AhU4DEQIHdheBiwQ9aACKAB6BQgCEIwB&adurl=

Thanks for the info. 

[teeithigh33]

Just an update, have ended up getting a Bushnell tour v5 shift from a fellow GolfWrx member. Got a great deal and think it will handle what I need it to. Stabilization wasn't a concern for me going into this so if this doesn't work out may explore the Nikon line. Thanks for all the input, and I'll try and update after a few rounds of use.

Edited June 8, 2022 by teeithigh33

[schwollo]

My v5 shift slope stopped working and it’s outside the warranty period. Bushnell won’t fix but they offered 20% off a new one. Just something to consider imo 

[teeithigh33]

3 minutes ago, schwollo said:

My v5 shift slope stopped working and it’s outside the warranty period. Bushnell won’t fix but they offered 20% off a new one. Just something to consider imo 

Oh wow good info to have. Fingers crossed it works out when I get it. Did the whole thing just fail and not turn on or something else?