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Advice on purchasing. Does it worth the price?

pmozzati
over 3 years ago

Hi to all.
Just wondering your opinion on this. Since my FR 235 just abandoned me I decided to buy a new watch. Here in Italy you can find a used Fenix 6 sapphire for about 350€, while a FR 245 for 120€.

Honestly, I'm not a great athlete. I use my watch mainly for daily life, wearing it 24/7. Just go out for some short running training. What I appreciate from Garmin sport series are the robust construction, reliability and transleflective display (that is my favorite by far).  

I'm looking for something that would last for at least five years or so. Would you recommend the Fenix over the Forerunner?

Thanks in advance
Paolo

  • 0 over 3 years ago
    pmozzati said:
    Would you recommend the Fenix over the Forerunner?

    Not from what you have told us. " Just go out for some short running training."

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Yes.

    Just the construction quality worth the price difference. This is based on the 24/7 wear.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I've owned a 6X Pro Solar for 2.5 years, with a warranty replacement 14 months ago. For me the watch works well and battery life is good. If you read these forums you will see that many people are not so fortunate.

    In your situation I would be cautious when buying a second hand watch without warranty and then expecting a further five years of service from it. You might be lucky. You might not. A Forerunner should meet your training needs. But it's your money.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to eezytiger

    I think that is sensible advice

    I know the poster is in Italy but I've seen the Forerunner 245 as low as £120 on Amazon UK and Amazon ships worldwide so even if Amazon IT is not so cheap there are better options than buying used.

    Now is going to be a perfect time to buy a new F245 with a two year EU warranty with the 255 out this week (alledgedly)

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I think for your activities a F6 is overkill. FR would be more appropriate, plus you'd save money.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Thanks to all. Both FR and Fenix overcome my training needs. I was looking for a watch that could last for some years. I thought that better construction meant more years of service.
    As I understand from your advice, it is better to get something new (with warranty) since electronic devices are always electronic (even if well-built).   

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to pmozzati

    I allway buy new and on a physical store. Lot of stories about buttons, blueish screen.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to pmozzati

    The Fenix range undeniably improves on the external robustness, but you still have a regular battery, electronics and software inside. With a second hand purchase you may not know how kindly the battery has been treated with charging cycles.

    You will also note numerous complaints about declining battery life over multiple firmware releases in these forums for some users. This seems a problem that Garmin cannot fix, but at least warranty exchange is an option if you have warranty. If you have no warranty and suddenly the worst happens you are stuck.

    To buy second hand, say 2-3 years old, with the expectation of a further five years service is taking a bit of a gamble. If the reputation was not so tarnished in these forums with reports of battery problems and bricked watches you might afford to be more relaxed. Personally, I would not take the chance.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Having owned a several Fenix watches and had one new replacement and a few refurbs over the past 5 years I would advise against buying a used Fenix.

    However given that Garmin will do an out of warranty swap for a refurb for £70 you could factor that as a potential backup plan, but given my experience with the quality of refurbs i would also advise against this.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    you might have more fun with a Venu 2.  will still do way more than you need or want, has a much prettier display, nice compact packaging.