Garmin Montana 680 vs Oregon 650

[+maaacus]

Hi!

 

I've been using GPSMAP 64st for about a year now, with varied experiences (mostly good). I'm now looking for a new GPS with touchscreen (a bit tired of the buttons on the GPSMAP) for mostly geocaching and hiking. Both Montana 680 and Oregon 650 seems to be good alternatives, however I would like your experiences about the devices. I have a few questions that I couldn't find any answers to using the search function (or only old reviews from 2014 or so).

 

1. Is the Montana device too big for hiking and geocaching? Is Oregon too small?

2. I LOVE the belt clip that I use on the GPSMAP, is there any similar alternative for Montana?

3. I've heard a lot of complaints about the Oregon 650 with bugs (battery, freezing, compass problems, bad accuracy), do you guys have any experiences about this?

 

What do you think, Montana or Oregon?

 

Best regards,

Edited March 10, 2016 by maaacus

[capt caper]

I've owned 2 Montana's...loved them..and have the Montana 610 now because of Glonass. Never used a Oregon. I Have owned many gpsr's over the years.. including a 60cx type. What is big? The Montana weigh's just a few onces more..I just like the larger screen. Easy to see and use. I keep it in a pouch from Garmin on my day pack with an external antenna.. stays safe and will keep recording and maintaining a fix. You can get holders like the one from Ram as well or clips for it or use the lanyard system from Garmin. I use it in my snowmachine as well as hiking,etc.

[+maaacus]

I've owned 2 Montana's...loved them..and have the Montana 610 now because of Glonass. Never used a Oregon. I Have owned many gpsr's over the years.. including a 60cx type. What is big? The Montana weigh's just a few onces more..I just like the larger screen. Easy to see and use. I keep it in a pouch from Garmin on my day pack with an external antenna.. stays safe and will keep recording and maintaining a fix. You can get holders like the one from Ram as well or clips for it or use the lanyard system from Garmin. I use it in my snowmachine as well as hiking,etc.

 

Thx for reply!

 

I'm thinking if its getting bulky or hard to use because of the size, but this does't seems to bother you which sounds great. Just by curiosity, does the Montana lack accuracy without an external antenna? I'm very interested in the device, and the Montana seems better in some aspects, but the lack of an proper belt clip does bother me.

 

M

[+BAMBOOZLE]

A couple of years ago I used a Montana for caching for about 2 eight hour days including walking in the woods etc. IMO its too large to walk around with....you can do the size and oz comparisons all you want but its a brick. Its a great unit otherwise and good for use while in a car but its size makes one handed map panning hard.

I've used the Oregon 600 series a bit and was impressed with the screen and speed....I think the size is perfect for hiking.

Maybe others can comment on the Oregon bugs and if they have been fixed.

[+maaacus]

A couple of years ago I used a Montana for caching for about 2 eight hour days including walking in the woods etc. IMO its too large to walk around with....you can do the size and oz comparisons all you want but its a brick. Its a great unit otherwise and good for use while in a car but its size makes one handed map panning hard.

I've used the Oregon 600 series a bit and was impressed with the screen and speed....I think the size is perfect for hiking.

Maybe others can comment on the Oregon bugs and if they have been fixed.

 

Wonderful, thank you for that information. That's pretty much what I expected to hear about the Montana. So you haven't notice any bugs with your Oregon so far? No freezing or failing batteries? I honestly believe that Oregon is the better choice for me, but I'll give them a size comparison in a store this weekend.

[+on4bam]

So you haven't notice any bugs with your Oregon so far? No freezing or failing batteries?

 

I'm still running FW 4.40 and it's been a long time since my 600 crashed (froze). Since I have it, it crashed on me twice BIG TIME. It wouldn't boot up again after crashing and I had to connect it several times to my tablet to try and cycle through normal use and mass storage. Eventually it restarted again. Since I had no issues with FW 4.40 I stayed with that since then and so far all is OK. I have OSM maps on it and use GSAK + macro's to load caches (GGZ files) and cache images.

[+JohnCNA]

 

2. I LOVE the belt clip that I use on the GPSMAP, is there any similar alternative for Montana?

 

 

Maaacus, the belt clip (as well as other solutions) are universal to all current Garmins. I had the small eTrex 30 before I upgraded to the 64s, and the clips/attachments I had for the eTrex 30 fit the 64s, too.

[+maaacus]

So you haven't notice any bugs with your Oregon so far? No freezing or failing batteries?

 

I'm still running FW 4.40 and it's been a long time since my 600 crashed (froze). Since I have it, it crashed on me twice BIG TIME. It wouldn't boot up again after crashing and I had to connect it several times to my tablet to try and cycle through normal use and mass storage. Eventually it restarted again. Since I had no issues with FW 4.40 I stayed with that since then and so far all is OK. I have OSM maps on it and use GSAK + macro's to load caches (GGZ files) and cache images.

 

Thanks for that information, one single freeze sound quite OK!

 

 

2. I LOVE the belt clip that I use on the GPSMAP, is there any similar alternative for Montana?

 

 

Maaacus, the belt clip (as well as other solutions) are universal to all current Garmins. I had the small eTrex 30 before I upgraded to the 64s, and the clips/attachments I had for the eTrex 30 fit the 64s, too.

 

As far as I know it's not universal to all Garmin devices. The eTrex and GPSMAP uses the same back and are therefore compatible with the belt clip (this includes Oregon as well). Montana however has a different back and doesn't seem to support the clip. I might be wrong though.

Edited March 10, 2016 by maaacus

[+MaliBooBoo]

I have owned/used both the Oregon and the Montana and prefer the Montana. It is less buggy. As you note, it does not allow for the belt clip to be attached. It is also great to be able to pop in a car mount and use for auto navigation.

[+fbingha]

I have used an Oregon 550 for my 439 cache finds over the past 8 years. I don't recall ever having a problem with it or seeing something I would classify as a bug. It has never frozen and has been extremely accurate for me.

[+maaacus]

I have owned/used both the Oregon and the Montana and prefer the Montana. It is less buggy. As you note, it does not allow for the belt clip to be attached. It is also great to be able to pop in a car mount and use for auto navigation.

 

Yeah the mountable car rack makes Montana quite attracting to me. I've to choose whether its worth the extra size or not compared with the Oregon. Many users also say the battery life is way better on the Montana compared with Oregon, which also affect my choice.

 

I have used an Oregon 550 for my 439 cache finds over the past 8 years. I don't recall ever having a problem with it or seeing something I would classify as a bug. It has never frozen and has been extremely accurate for me.

 

Thanks for your input! I've heard only good reviews about the Oregon 550. The bugs seems to come with the 6xx series (which is quite strange). BUT, all negative comments I've heard about 6xx are like 2 years old, so hopefully there has been some software updates done since then that fixed that bugs.

Edited March 10, 2016 by maaacus

[+LadyBee4T]

I have had a Montana 600 for several years pretty much since it came out and have found probably 3000 caches with it. I have gone out from early morning to sundown and have never had the battery run down on me. At first I would take 3 AA batteries with me just in case but I no longer bother with that. I just make sure it is fully charged in the morning and I am good to go.

 

Yes it is large but I love the large screen and don't think I could go back to a small screen gps. I have small hands and don't have a problem hiking or geocaching with it because of it's size. I think that is really personal preference. I like that I can use it as an auto navigation system with the speaker mount so I don't need to use my nuvi.

 

I have a friend with a new oregon and is having problems with it. I think she has gone through 2 or 3 units since I got my montana. That's only one person as I don't know anyone else with one of the new oregons but when comparing hers with mine when this one dies I will look at the newest montana first.

 

You need to see them in person and get a feel for each unit and consider what features are most important to you. For me it was the large screen (and also price since I got an extraordinary deal on it)

[MtnHermit]

Yeah the mountable car rack makes Montana quite attracting to me. I've to choose whether its worth the extra size or not compared with the Oregon. Many users also say the battery life is way better on the Montana compared with Oregon, which also affect my choice.

FWIW, A year ago I got a refurb Nuvi 2757 with a 7" display for $100, I use a OR 450 for hiking. What a great combination! Some reasons to consider a Nuvi vs a MT in the vehicle:

• Comes preloaded with City Navigator
  
• CN cost ~$100 for the MT
  
• A 4.3" Nuvi is huge compared to a MT and a 4.3 is tiny compared to a 7"
  
• Once you've mounted a 7" to your dash, you'll never go back to anything smaller
  
• The Nuvi 2757 loads all my topo maps (Garmin & Above the Timber) prefer AtT.
  
• The 2757 mounts to a "permanent" block which has the power cord, so no de/attach power cord hassle.
  
• I remove the 2757 from the dash (leave the block) and put it into a slip case when I'm concerned about theft.
  
• I'll never go back to a smaller display in the vehicle.
  

[+Mineral2]

I've yet to have any accuracy issues with my Oregon 600. Sure it wanders a bit in canyons or next to steep mountain slopes under thick forest, but that's to be expected with any GPS unit. The freezing bug still persists, but it's not a dealbreaker. Size is great for hiking - screen size is sufficient, and yet the whole unit isn't too bulky when attached to my belt loop or shoulder harness strap on my pack. But the best part about the Oregon are the custom buttons, which I don't think the Montana has. And that feature alone helps make any bugs liveable.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Yeah the mountable car rack makes Montana quite attracting to me. I've to choose whether its worth the extra size or not compared with the Oregon. Many users also say the battery life is way better on the Montana compared with Oregon, which also affect my choice.

FWIW, A year ago I got a refurb Nuvi 2757 with a 7" display for $100, I use a OR 450 for hiking. What a great combination! Some reasons to consider a Nuvi vs a MT in the vehicle:

• Comes preloaded with City Navigator
  
• CN cost ~$100 for the MT
  
• A 4.3" Nuvi is huge compared to a MT and a 4.3 is tiny compared to a 7"
  
• Once you've mounted a 7" to your dash, you'll never go back to anything smaller
  
• The Nuvi 2757 loads all my topo maps (Garmin & Above the Timber) prefer AtT.
  
• The 2757 mounts to a "permanent" block which has the power cord, so no de/attach power cord hassle.
  
• I remove the 2757 from the dash (leave the block) and put it into a slip case when I'm concerned about theft.
  
• I'll never go back to a smaller display in the vehicle.
  

 

I don't think you can beat driving to a cache location with a Nuvi and walking to GZ with a handheld.

When I'm familiar with the roads I pretty much just use my handheld.

[+Atlas Cached]

I've been using the Montana and Oregon units since their inception. I like them both, but for different reasons. I usually carry one of each on most hiking trips. They are two different animals. Both touch screen, but one is resistive while the other is capacitive. If you use the Oregon 6x0 series for awhile then go to the Montana, you will think 'This thing is huge!'. After awhile with the Montana, if you go back to the Oregon, you will think 'How can I use this tiny thing?'

 

The Oregon 6x0 was my preferred unit for hiking/geocaching primarily due to the superior track logging features and unlimited geocache capacity, as well as GLONASS support. The new Montana 610/680 now include all these features, so it really is a toss up there. THe Oregon 6x0 still has a superior geocaching interface, however.

 

>90% of the freeze-ups encountered are due to corrupted geocache GPX files. Those GPX files will cause problems with any GPS you load them into.

 

The Montana still has two battery options, which might be handy if you find yourself on long excursions without access to charging cables. Also, the Montana can 'act' like a nuvi, but it will never be a nuvi. If you were going to use it on an off road vehicle of some sort frequently, the mOntana would be the hands down winner. But, if you are just a casual urban cacher, the Oregon 6xx will work just fine.

 

Make sure and read all about both units at the Garmin Montana wiki and Garmin Oregon 6xx wiki.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Atlas Cached

[+maaacus]

Thanks for all your inputs and thoughts! I just ordered a Oregon 650 after some considerations. Hopefully I'm not getting too disappointed about my choice. We'll se in a couple of days. Thanks again!

[n2stitch]

I have the Montana 610 and love it. I also still have an Oregon ??? (I forget which) that I just don't like at all. It's too small and the screen is really hard to read - it's an older one. I have a GizzMO vest case for the Montana and it has an awesome belt clip plus long safety tether. I usually am on shorter hikes so strap it to my jeans pocket and tether to a belt loop. Even using hiking poles, it doesn't interfere with my arm movement. I've has it freeze 1 time - said it was loading gpx files.

[clintb]

I have an Oregon 650 on the latest firmware, and while I've barely used it for geocaching, I have used it for quite a bit of hiking and trail running. It's loaded up with 24K Garmin US West maps, OSM OpenCycle, and some other random ones. I'll use it recording tracks of where I've hiked/ran and it's not yet locked up. Great size, great response, battery life is excellent (screen off when not using), and it's comfortable to hold.

[+diggers09]

Hi!

 

I've been using GPSMAP 64st for about a year now, with varied experiences (mostly good). I'm now looking for a new GPS with touchscreen (a bit tired of the buttons on the GPSMAP) for mostly geocaching and hiking. Both Montana 680 and Oregon 650 seems to be good alternatives, however I would like your experiences about the devices. I have a few questions that I couldn't find any answers to using the search function (or only old reviews from 2014 or so).

 

1. Is the Montana device too big for hiking and geocaching? Is Oregon too small?

2. I LOVE the belt clip that I use on the GPSMAP, is there any similar alternative for Montana?

3. I've heard a lot of complaints about the Oregon 650 with bugs (battery, freezing, compass problems, bad accuracy), do you guys have any experiences about this?

 

What do you think, Montana or Oregon?

 

Best regards,

[+lee737]

Thanks for all your inputs and thoughts! I just ordered a Oregon 650 after some considerations. Hopefully I'm not getting too disappointed about my choice. We'll se in a couple of days. Thanks again!

 

When it is working perfectly (most of the time) it is a treasure..... Hopefully you won't be plagued with too many issues! Do yourself a favour and consider upgrading the battery pack - I changed out my supplied pack for a pair of Eneloop Pros - battery life has increased by 2-3x (conservative estimate).

[capt caper]

Thanks for all your inputs and thoughts! I just ordered a Oregon 650 after some considerations. Hopefully I'm not getting too disappointed about my choice. We'll se in a couple of days. Thanks again!

 

When it is working perfectly (most of the time) it is a treasure..... Hopefully you won't be plagued with too many issues! Do yourself a favour and consider upgrading the battery pack - I changed out my supplied pack for a pair of Eneloop Pros - battery life has increased by 2-3x (conservative estimate).

 

I'm curious if the Eneloop's can be charged in the gps...I have a great charger for Eneloops but wonder doing it the other way if needed.

[+lee737]

I 3D printed a little insert to sit under the Eneloops, to depress the button in the battery compartment, this allows the unit to charge the internal Eneloops, which it does very nicely (and quite slowly!)....

[+Kalkendotters]

IF you have a charger that loads individual batteries, it is better than using the builtin loader from the Montana/Oregon:

The Montana/Oregon will always charge the two batteries in series, this means that if one of the batteries is weaker than the other (which will always be the case) the two batteries can not both be charged exactly full.

So charging them in a battery charger that has individual charging circuits will be better for the batteries (especially in the long run)

[+jeepdelfuego]

Thanks for all your inputs and thoughts! I just ordered a Oregon 650 after some considerations. Hopefully I'm not getting too disappointed about my choice. We'll se in a couple of days. Thanks again!

 

When it is working perfectly (most of the time) it is a treasure..... Hopefully you won't be plagued with too many issues! Do yourself a favour and consider upgrading the battery pack - I changed out my supplied pack for a pair of Eneloop Pros - battery life has increased by 2-3x (conservative estimate).

 

I'm curious if the Eneloop's can be charged in the gps...I have a great charger for Eneloops but wonder doing it the other way if needed.

 

I recently got back into geocaching after taking a break for a couple of years. Anyway, I've used the Etrex Vista H (2 - one was stolen), Oregon 200, Oregon 300, Oregon 450, and recently an Oregon 650. I really enjoy using the 650 because the screen is much brighter than on the previous Oregons that I had used. The one UBER feature that I love is being able to load an unlimited amount of geocaches with the help of GSAK. I currently load about 20,000+ geocaches on it. I know that sounds like overkill and I don't plan on finding them all. It just makes my geocaching easier because I am all over the place in Southern California. In any given month, I go to the mountains, desert, or beach and having geocaches loaded for all the areas I travel to makes my geocaching more convenient. I don't have to carry my laptop with me and have to scramble to load geoaches into my GPS because I have them all loaded. This is where people will say that they like using an app on their phone to geocache. But, I have found that my GPS is more accurate when the sky is blocked by trees and or canyons. Plus, my phone battery dies pretty quick when geocaching.

 

As for freezing up or locking up, my 650 has frozen on one occasion. I took out the batteries and restarted it and it had no issues afterwards. I think Garmin has finally ironed out the issues with this model. I also got a good deal through Cabella's and paid $329 about six weeks ago. I almost forgot, I and others have messed with the geocaching filter on the unit and accidently caused geocaches to NOT show up on the map. Learn how to use that menu. So, I have to say that the 650 is great for geocaching and hiking. I even use mine in my Jeep to go off-roading.

Edited April 6, 2016 by jeepdelfuego

[capt caper]

IF you have a charger that loads individual batteries, it is better than using the builtin loader from the Montana/Oregon:

The Montana/Oregon will always charge the two batteries in series, this means that if one of the batteries is weaker than the other (which will always be the case) the two batteries can not both be charged exactly full.

So charging them in a battery charger that has individual charging circuits will be better for the batteries (especially in the long run)

 

great...thanks...never thought of it that way..

[+lee737]

IF you have a charger that loads individual batteries, it is better than using the builtin loader from the Montana/Oregon:

The Montana/Oregon will always charge the two batteries in series, this means that if one of the batteries is weaker than the other (which will always be the case) the two batteries can not both be charged exactly full.

So charging them in a battery charger that has individual charging circuits will be better for the batteries (especially in the long run)

 

100% true - but the batteries are (relatively) cheap, and the convenience of in-unit charging, to me, outweighs the hassle of removing and externally charging them - the batteries in the 650 are a real nuisance to get out.....