Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder Review
Updated 02-11-2012
“Bushnell Hybrid”
It was no surprise that our Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder Review Summary revealed that the best thing about the Bushnell Hybrid is the fact that you get a GPS and a laser rangefinder both in the same device. More people mentioned that about the unit than anything else in the nearly 50 reviews I read. Laser gives extremely accurate yardages to any target that you can get in its sights. The GPS gives distances to the front, middle and back of the green, as well as various hazards and layup positions. Those types of targets are difficult, if not impossible to get with a laser. That’s why we believed the Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder would be the best overall rangefinder on the market, at least until it had some competition in the hybrid market. HOWEVER, there was a surprise in the my analysis of the results that causes me to qualify that opinion in a big way.
Here it is… The Bushnell Hybrid Golf Rangefinder IS the best overall rangefinder (GPS & laser) for SOME users. If you’re the kind of person who is going to remember to regularly charge your rangefinder, then this is an excellent choice for you. What could really be better than having GPS and laser in the same device? But if you’re like me and just want to leave your rangefinder in your golf bag and have it ready to play at a moment’s notice, this may not be for you. In fact, you might want to head right on over to our Best Rangefinder 2012 post.
My expectation before reading the reviews was that the laser and GPS battery would be separate, thus even if the GPS was dead, you could still use your laser. That’s not the case – the Bushnell Hybrid uses a single rechargeable battery and if it’s dead, neither the laser or the GPS will function. I’ve been using a laser for a long time and I carry an extra 9-volt battery in my bag, for the once a year when it dies. Considering how random my golf schedule is, I can’t imagine that I would be able to have my Bushnell Hybrid charged up for every round. For me, that is a deal breaker. But I know plenty of people who use GPS and remember to charge it up regularly. Their the ones I think would do well to make this purchase.
That said, I’m still impressed with the GRS Score this device received. In GPS, it ranks very close to the top of models with similar GPS features. In Laser, it’s ranking isn’t at the top, but we believe that is largely because units with GPS rarely rank as high as laser.
Bushnell Hybrid GRS Score: 8.42 out of 10 (47 reviews)
Most Mentioned Pros (in order from most mentions to least):
- Having GPS and laser in the same device.
- Easy to use
- Accuracy of laser
- Worth the money
- Accuracy of GPS
- Improves scoring ability
- Good battery life
- No fees
- Size and weight
- Shot distance measuring feature
- Pinseeker makes getting yardage to the flag fast and easy
- Lots of golf courses
- Preloaded
Most Mentioned Cons (in order from most mentions to least):
- Having to manually find the course. (Note: Auto course recognition is a feature of this the Bushnell Hybrid rangefinder. One user mentioned that after updating courses online, the problem with auto recognition disappeared.
- Battery life too short
- Accuracy of GPS
- Not worth the money (the price has dropped dramatically on this, so it may depend upon how much you paid)
- On long distances, it requires steadiness
- GPS features are basic
Bushnell Hybrid Rangefinder Features and Specifications
Model Bushnell Hybrid Type Hybrid Height 2.1 in. Width 2.6 in. Depth 4.3 in. Screen Size N/A Resolution N/A Display Type LCD Weight 8 oz. Battery Li-ion recharge Battery Life 14-16 hrs/12 mos. Rainproof N/A High Sensitivity Receiver N/A Pre-loaded with Courses 16,000+ Course Capacity N/A Touch Screen No Touch Targeting No Manual Pin Positioning Y* Stat Tracker No Digital Scorecard No Computer Analysis Tools No USGA Compliant (local rule) Yes Ground Verified No Alternate Targets Yes Aerial Hole View No Green Rotates to your shot angle N/A Measure Shot Distance Yes Maximum Range 1000 Minimum Range 10 Magnification 5x Slope No # of Available Courses 16,000+ Add Courses Manually Yes Compatibility Windows/Mac* Course Download Fees No We work very hard to obtain the correct information about product features, but cannot make any guarantees about the accuracy. Please double check with the merchant or manufacturer before making a purchase.
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