Garmin 520 deals

StillGoing

noodleman wrote:

For what it's worth, four of our club members have recently purchased a 520 and none of them are particularly happy with them. Missing rides, auto shut downs, patchy Bluetooth functionality and the usual horrible garmin UI being the main offenders.

For what it's worth, several riders I've met use the 520 and have no problems using it. I think it is archaic by having to use buttons to navigate between screens etc, but that is an opinion on it's operation rather than the performance.

bluemoon17

I like my 520, does everything I need it to. Hasn't missed a beat in the 14 months I've had it.

ZMC888

noodleman wrote:

For what it's worth, four of our club members have recently purchased a 520 and none of them are particularly happy with them. Missing rides, auto shut downs, patchy Bluetooth functionality and the usual horrible garmin UI being the main offenders.

Well how dare you, come online telling us this complete nonsense!
Garmin make the best devices since sliced bread, and anyone saying different will be shipped off to be re-educated at Garmin headquarters using an enema and a brick.

How are Garmin supposed to become super wealthy market leaders unless we have 100% agreement that their products the best thing ever? Common sense and any constructive criticism are not permitted!

noodleman

ZMC888 wrote:

noodleman wrote:

For what it's worth, four of our club members have recently purchased a 520 and none of them are particularly happy with them. Missing rides, auto shut downs, patchy Bluetooth functionality and the usual horrible garmin UI being the main offenders.

Well how dare you, come online telling us this complete nonsense!
Garmin make the best devices since sliced bread, and anyone saying different will be shipped off to be re-educated at Garmin headquarters using an enema and a brick.

How are Garmin supposed to become super wealthy market leaders unless we have 100% agreement that their products the best thing ever? Common sense and any constructive criticism are not permitted!

The fact some people haven't had problems is irrelevant isnt it? I've owned several garmins, only one of them (500) being reliable. My wife has a 520 and has no end of trouble with it and as said, all four recent purchases of the 520 in our club have been met with disappointment and i barely know of anyone in our club not having had garmin issues on a fairly regular basis. Two 800's dying from being ridden in rain, 810's not working with bluetooth, several devices not being recognised when plugged into laptops, devices losing rides and randomly turning off, the tabs on the back of the units breaking.
This is just within a club of 25 or so riders! Garmin connect is crap, Garmin customer service is crap and if any other electronic device, such as a TV started turning itself on and off and not being recognised when plugged into a wall socket there would be a recall and a reliable replacement rolled out. Good luck to you if you've not had problems but a huge number of people have.

jgsi

I was lucky to get one of the last 520's made in Bangla Desh before Garmin moved the assembly plant to Uzbekhistan.

StillGoing

Nobody has denied some users have had problems (other than an idiot dropping theirs and trying to blame the manufacturer) but rather pointed out that the vast majority of Garmin owners are happy with their product. Might be why they outsell the opposition by millions of units.

kingstongraham

noodleman wrote:

ZMC888 wrote:

noodleman wrote:

For what it's worth, four of our club members have recently purchased a 520 and none of them are particularly happy with them. Missing rides, auto shut downs, patchy Bluetooth functionality and the usual horrible garmin UI being the main offenders.

Well how dare you, come online telling us this complete nonsense!
Garmin make the best devices since sliced bread, and anyone saying different will be shipped off to be re-educated at Garmin headquarters using an enema and a brick.

How are Garmin supposed to become super wealthy market leaders unless we have 100% agreement that their products the best thing ever? Common sense and any constructive criticism are not permitted!

The fact some people haven't had problems is irrelevant isnt it? I've owned several garmins, only one of them (500) being reliable. My wife has a 520 and has no end of trouble with it and as said, all four recent purchases of the 520 in our club have been met with disappointment and i barely know of anyone in our club not having had garmin issues on a fairly regular basis. Two 800's dying from being ridden in rain, 810's not working with bluetooth, several devices not being recognised when plugged into laptops, devices losing rides and randomly turning off, the tabs on the back of the units breaking.
This is just within a club of 25 or so riders! Garmin connect is crap, Garmin customer service is crap and if any other electronic device, such as a TV started turning itself on and off and not being recognised when plugged into a wall socket there would be a recall and a reliable replacement rolled out. Good luck to you if you've not had problems but a huge number of people have.

You need an 820.

charlie_potatoes

KingstonGraham wrote:

noodleman wrote:

ZMC888 wrote:

noodleman wrote:

For what it's worth, four of our club members have recently purchased a 520 and none of them are particularly happy with them. Missing rides, auto shut downs, patchy Bluetooth functionality and the usual horrible garmin UI being the main offenders.

Well how dare you, come online telling us this complete nonsense!
Garmin make the best devices since sliced bread, and anyone saying different will be shipped off to be re-educated at Garmin headquarters using an enema and a brick.

How are Garmin supposed to become super wealthy market leaders unless we have 100% agreement that their products the best thing ever? Common sense and any constructive criticism are not permitted!

The fact some people haven't had problems is irrelevant isnt it? I've owned several garmins, only one of them (500) being reliable. My wife has a 520 and has no end of trouble with it and as said, all four recent purchases of the 520 in our club have been met with disappointment and i barely know of anyone in our club not having had garmin issues on a fairly regular basis. Two 800's dying from being ridden in rain, 810's not working with bluetooth, several devices not being recognised when plugged into laptops, devices losing rides and randomly turning off, the tabs on the back of the units breaking.
This is just within a club of 25 or so riders! Garmin connect is crap, Garmin customer service is crap and if any other electronic device, such as a TV started turning itself on and off and not being recognised when plugged into a wall socket there would be a recall and a reliable replacement rolled out. Good luck to you if you've not had problems but a huge number of people have.

You need an 820.

mamba80

noodleman wrote:

ZMC888 wrote:

noodleman wrote:

For what it's worth, four of our club members have recently purchased a 520 and none of them are particularly happy with them. Missing rides, auto shut downs, patchy Bluetooth functionality and the usual horrible garmin UI being the main offenders.

Well how dare you, come online telling us this complete nonsense!
Garmin make the best devices since sliced bread, and anyone saying different will be shipped off to be re-educated at Garmin headquarters using an enema and a brick.

How are Garmin supposed to become super wealthy market leaders unless we have 100% agreement that their products the best thing ever? Common sense and any constructive criticism are not permitted!

The fact some people haven't had problems is irrelevant isnt it? I've owned several garmins, only one of them (500) being reliable. My wife has a 520 and has no end of trouble with it and as said, all four recent purchases of the 520 in our club have been met with disappointment and i barely know of anyone in our club not having had garmin issues on a fairly regular basis. Two 800's dying from being ridden in rain, 810's not working with bluetooth, several devices not being recognised when plugged into laptops, devices losing rides and randomly turning off, the tabs on the back of the units breaking.
This is just within a club of 25 or so riders! Garmin connect is crap, Garmin customer service is crap and if any other electronic device, such as a TV started turning itself on and off and not being recognised when plugged into a wall socket there would be a recall and a reliable replacement rolled out. Good luck to you if you've not had problems but a huge number of people have.

Strange really, if this Q had been asked of the 500, i d would have stay clear and completely agreed with ZMC, it was a terrible bit of kit.
in our team and club, almost all the women had 520's and no one had any issues, that is about 15, i think, its just never been an issue at any cafe stop and it was was on this that i bought 2 initially and then a 3rd for my GF.
i dont say this to belittle ZMC, its just that he cant expect anyone who hasnt had any issues to agree with him and say they are cr@p.....
if you look at the user reviews from wiggle or crc, there arent too many who complain either

dannbodge

So i've just taken delivery of my 520

The question is should I upgraded/update the software/firmware or leave it as is?

bondurant

Generally speaking, if it works, leave well alone!

dannbodge

I haven't actually used it yet, just got it out the box and it's told me to update

griffsters

There doesn't seem many deals on Gamin stuff, usually not included in discount offers etc. Best I could do for the 520 bundle was at Halfords. Ordered online for collection via Topcashback, £235 - 10% BC discount and £9 or so tracked cashback.

So just over £200 all told, £211 if the cashback doesn't materialise.

jgsi

Wiggle's £40 quid off a £200 basket might return... I was happy to get a Goretex Active rain cape for £160 over Xmas.

Garmin 520 firmware... I know the temptation is to leave well alone.. however my 520 is into its second or ias it third year now.. lost count .. but I'm on Software version 10...No issues Using Garmin Express sort of forces your hand.
I've just noticed "Incident Detection" as an option.. whatever that is.. I've left it disabled....

Whenever you do a firmware update.. worth doing some housekeeping in say your Activities folder... this limited space on the 520 can stop an update.. if you have downloaded big areas of the decent mapping from the garmin.nl site then that can eat into data storage.

meanredspider

Garmin is a terrible company. No-one I know has NOT had significant issues with the products and most would give a lot for an alternative. The trouble is that there isn't currently a reasonable alternative. I know of no other company where there is such widespread dissatisfaction except maybe companies like Ryanair - but at least with Ryanair you're trading quality for cost.

jgsi

Has this morphed into the RANT thread ;-)

keith_freel

Just spotted the 520 bundle on amazon.es for €239 so about £205 which is a pretty good deal...

noodleman

meanredspider wrote:

Garmin is a terrible company. No-one I know has NOT had significant issues with the products and most would give a lot for an alternative. The trouble is that there isn't currently a reasonable alternative. I know of no other company where there is such widespread dissatisfaction except maybe companies like Ryanair - but at least with Ryanair you're trading quality for cost.

Then wahoo elemnt is a more than reasonable alternative.

StillGoing

meanredspider wrote:

Garmin is a terrible company. No-one I know has NOT had significant issues with the products and most would give a lot for an alternative. The trouble is that there isn't currently a reasonable alternative. I know of no other company where there is such widespread dissatisfaction except maybe companies like Ryanair - but at least with Ryanair you're trading quality for cost.

I've had issues, but nothing significant. Its the nature of the beast and as you put it, there is nothing out there that does it any better. :roll:

meanredspider

noodleman wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Garmin is a terrible company. No-one I know has NOT had significant issues with the products and most would give a lot for an alternative. The trouble is that there isn't currently a reasonable alternative. I know of no other company where there is such widespread dissatisfaction except maybe companies like Ryanair - but at least with Ryanair you're trading quality for cost.

Then wahoo elemnt is a more than reasonable alternative.

For a 520, perhaps.