Upgrading to Raymarine, Garmin or Simrad?

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Looking for advice on upgrading Nav equipment on Sunseeker Manhattan 50, currently have Raymarine twin E120 mfd's & all the other associated kit vhf, depth etc. Have had quite a few problems with the existing equipment & now a course computer that cannot be repaired, so rather than plod on trying to keep repairing/replacing, we are considering replacement with new digital.
Advice on best specification, reliability & serviceability etc would be welcome, the glass bridge stuff looks great, we can also consider adapting helm panels to accept new equipment.
Thanks..
 
I had Raymarine (C120W) which was fine. Now have Garmin 7012.

Garmin is touch screen, generally simpler to use. The default screens can be customised but I use them out of the box as they do all i want ( I spent ages playing with the Raymarine).

There is not that much in it in my view. Garmin - bit better - but see if you can get a deal and then decide. I got my C120W off eBay, new in box, full warranty for 50% of list.

The Raymarine did go wrong and was fixed ASAP by Raymarine, so the service is OK - but it did go wrong in the first place! According to Essex Raymarine was unreliable which is why Fairline switched to Garmin. My own experience probably backs that up. In balance the auto helm hydraulic pump on my new boat packed up so who knows!

Touch screen is generally good - when it is rough it is a bit tricky to use but not so bad that I would not buy it. New stuff has pinch to zoom ( 8000 series?) which mine does not.

The GMI10s are great ( now GMI20s but 10s still on eBay).

On balance - unless price is materially different Garmin. Garmin have also yet to go bust, but Raymarine have gone bust / been sold / renamed many times - the impression i get is Garmin spend more on R and D.
 
Though I'm a raggie, I'm swapping from Raymarine to Garmin next year. The garmin stuff just appears to work better and the customer service I've had from them has been first rate. I also like the fact thatb they have a single instrument which can be configured to any display for any input so making it totally customisable.
 
It's a fine call because all of this equipment is good. There isn't therefore a "wrong" answer. I would (and did twice, with no regrets) now choose Garmin. I've had Ray RL80CRC, Ray E120 Classic, Ray E140W touchscreen plus Ray analogue and digi radar, then Garmin 7000 and now 8000 series, and I prefer Garmin.

Garmin's menu structure is absolutely brilliant; you never have to read the manual. It is the clear leader in intuitiveness. Their N2K cabling uses the industry standard generic connectors, whereas Ray use their unique "STNG" connectors which makes integrating with other brands (Maretron is a likely one) a PITA. That point alone is enough to turn me off Raymarine because in any high end installation you are going to want some Maretron gear.

Garmin's 10Hz GPS is great for moving displays, but maybe others are offering that now - I'm not sure

OTOH, Garmin's failure to have a "reset XTE" function is a small PITA that you do not suffer with Raymarine

In terms of overall dashboard beauty, Garmin wins in my book especially if you back mount the instruments as in the pic below, but even with surface mount they look good. At night you can select red or green backlighting, but I guess everyone offers that these days
IMG_4453.jpg
 
Thanks all, the N2K cabling is quite important, it frustrates me when electronic manufacturers restrict the inter-connectivity, starting to look like Garmin, unless……..
 
I'm a bit busy so can't post a huge reply, but I'd go Garmin. In fact, I did. We used to be a Raymarine dealer but I didn't like the products, way too fiddly and complicated to use and install, so I switched to Garmin. Garmin is much easier to use, install and to spec. Uses industry standard NMEA2k and it all just works. Rarely see problems with them (not never, but very rarely). Plus they're in Southampton, so nice and local. The tech guys in Southampton are great, very knowledgeable and turn things around very quickly.
 
I have just fitted a Garmin network (again). Kit is great, easy to use, works, plug together, is reliable, and on the rare occasions I have used support they were brilliant, even loaning me some kit at no charge once. I am a Garmin fan.
 
I just upgraded my Garmin kit to the latest 8000 series (3 x 8015 and 1 x 8012) and it is truly excellent kit. The touch screen action is very easy to use. The main reason I went Garmin is their technical support where nothing is too much trouble.

You are very welcome to come onboard and have a play.
 
Seems that there are a lot of Garmin fans out there, I have to say from replies, the ease of use is attractive, with the Raymarine I find myself having to refer to the manuals too often, which is a PITA when it's a bit choppy. Like what I am hearing about service, haven't found Raymarine great in that dept. Waiting for some prices at the moment. This forum is great for experienced & well informed advice, thanks.
 
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