Thread: 998c si

Unless it's someone you know and you are familiar about the finder, ask to see it work on the water. If you don't know anything about the finder, I wouldn't buy a used one. Go to Cabela's, Bass Pro or somewhere that you can get answers from a knowledgeable sales person and get what you want or an idea of what you want the first time!

What to look for? Well a honest seller to start with and always get them in writing/email to say if everything is go to be working when you get it. Good to pay with a paypal account for your protection and it also helps protect the sellers also. Ask questions like how many hours, is screen in good shape, if all of the
parts,transducer,cables,etc come with it. If unit was registered and updated software with whatever company (humminbird,Garmin, Lowrance,Etc.) It is always good to see pictures of the product to see it yourself before buying. Ask questions before buying it and if the sonar is in good shape the seller should not have any trouble answering them. Remember that most older sonars are discontinued after a few years and can not or will not be repaired by companies. It is usually real expensive to have them repaired after the warranty has expired also. Not trying to scare anyone here of buying used but it is always bad to windup with a paper weight instead of a working and functioning sonar. Like BigDawgg said it helps to see it working out on the water also. I have bought several used myself and so far I have not had any problems so it is just up to you as taking a risk.

The cosmetic appearance of the unit would be a major factor.....was the unit well taken care of? The transducer can degrade over time, and the number of hours on the unit will give you an idea of how much use the transducer has seen.