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Which watch

Hooker308

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 26, 2011
103
0
50
Nixa, Mo USA
I am looking for a watch to keep track of conditions while shooting. Which one between the Casio Pathfinder and the Suunto Core. Opinions greatly appreciated. I know a Kestrel and GPS would be the better option but that is in the future.
 
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I wear a Suunto Observer and love it, its tough as nails and has served me very well.
 
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I love my Suunto Core. Very user friendly and looks good too. Only issue would be a rather short (compared to my last gshock) battery life.
 
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suunto's suck they flood out like crazy. trust me i've seen hundreds of em. and suunto doesn't warranty anything.
 
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Solar, atomic, baro, compass, alti, temp, etc. titanium band. Crazy good watch:

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http://www.amazon.com/Casio-PAW1100T-7V-Pathfinder-Altimeter-Barometer/dp/B00134QM9K
 
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shankster</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Solar, atomic, baro, compass, alti, temp, etc. titanium band. Crazy good watch:

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-PAW1100T-7V-Pathfinder-Altimeter-Barometer/dp/B00134QM9K</div></div> I've had mine for the last 3+ years, very accurate altimeter (tested up to 22k ft in unpressurized flight), barometer is dead on, all else is great. It's very durable too, hardly a scratch on the crystal and I'm very hard on watches. One note is for the thermometer to be accurate on any watch, they have to be off your wrist for enough time to register true temp, not body heat affected.

Seen many Suunto watches go down too, be it bands or batteries.

Go Casio, you won't regret it. I certainly haven't.
 
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Pathfinders are great watches, I've worn them for years. I picked up my last one at Academy Sports for $99. The only downside I can think of is that the battery operated models like mine take 4 batteries. Kind of an expensive change when it comes time.

I have no first hand experience with Suunto watches but have heard several stories like those above regarding durability issues.
 
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I have 2 Pathfinders and a Suunto Core; I find the Suunto Core to be more accurate with the readings.

Regarding Suunto's warranty/customer service previously eluded to, I scratched (several deep digs all the way around) the bezel on mine during a hiking trip. I let it go for awhile but then it started to bother me. As no one sells replacement parts I contacted their customer service about a repair. They sent me a fed ex slip without a mention of repair cost. I figured they would send me an estimate after they got the watch. Within a week they sent me a brand new watch no charge. I think that is pretty decent warranty/CS.
 
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I have decided on either the pathfinder or the one high ground shows in his post, yeah boyyyy!
 
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My Sunnto watch went through batteries all the time and had display issues. There dive computers are solid but there watches can be flaky.
 
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I got a Suunto Core last year. So far, pretty under-whelmed. It will probably end up on the PX here sooner or later.

It has some neat features and I like the design. But the display is incredibly difficult to read. The controls are not intuitive, at least to me. And the 'altimeter'... has no clue where it is. Last, the big lens is like a mirror...

Don't get me wrong, it's a neat watch. Love the look of it. But I can barely read it, so it's just not for me.

I'll stick with a Sandy. Rugged, light, great face.
My old one died last fall after 15 years... which was why I got the Suunto. But I found a new Sandy for a reasonable price (damn they have gotten pricey) and am happy again.

Cheers, Sirhr
 
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I haven't had a lick of problems with my Suunto core. Was very accurate going up Mt. Washington last year. I set reference altitude when I started and once at Lake of the Clouds (3/4 of the way up). If you don't set a reference altitude it will never be right.
 
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Or you could just buy this one.

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I have the Suunto Vector, and it has been bulletproof. I read the stories here and other places about the horror stories. But I figured what the hell, I am a gamblin man. I have nothing but good things to say about the watch.

With the black face, it works flawlessly. The backlight works excellent, and time staying accurate is spectacular. As far as atmospherics, my altitude and barometer have been spot on with a kestrel 4000 over and over again. You do have to set a reference prior to them being accurate. I am a welder by trade, so I am rough on shit to say the least, and mine has survived, including high frequency enviroments when GTAW welding aluminum. I have seen numerous radios, computers, cell phones, etc die to the HF GTAW, but the watch has survived.

I to plan on upgrading to the Core in the next couple days, and I will make the purchase with confidence.
 
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Suunto has great customer service. Not sure where their bad rep comes from? It is a huge company so most of it is run through email instead of a friendly voice but you have to expect that with a company that large.
 
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I have the pathfinder. Have never used a suunto but I have nothing but great things to say about the pathfinder. Very accurate readings, have checked them with gps and other devices and has been very accurate wherever i have taken it. Would highly recommend it.
 
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I've got great feedback guys. Keep it coming, I am still on the fence. Any others that I am missing?
 
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I had one of the original pathfinders and it was pehenominal, It really did save my ass once and I gifted it to a friend before coming back stateside. I tried the suunto vector and really was not impressed by the battery life or the durability(leaked water). I picked up a suunto core because it was supposedly better and noticed it was no longer made in finland but in china,I returned it next day. Ill stick to the pathfinders.
 
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I've had my Casio Pathfinder since 2004 and haven't had a single problem with it. One battery change, that is all...
 
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+1 on the Casio Pathfinder. Mine is the solar/atomic/thermo/baro/alti and I love it. I have had it for two years and I wouldn't trade it.
 
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I have a Suunto X-Lander Military and it's held up great. I think the sensor readings on the Suunto's are better than the casio's. If you go Suunto, stick with with the x-lander or vector.
 
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hooker308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I ended up buying the Casio PAW 5000-1. Thanks for the input.</div></div>

Nice. I didn't realize there was a version with hands.
 
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That PAW 5000-1 is a nice looking piece and I also prefer a watch with hand movement over full digital. I was in the market a few weeks ago & decided on this Casio Pro Trek 5100G-4.
Just looked for the link on Amazon & noticed the price has since increased ~$100 from what I paid for it! Guess I got lucky!
 
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I also have the Sunto Core Military. Replaced the battery once in two years. Super easy to change the battery. I'll agree with another post, it has the negative display and it's not the brightest. However there is a way to change the brightness and contrast of the display.
 
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So which pathfinder watch is the best? Do they all have the same functions and just look different? There are a lot of different models out there and I dont want to spend the money and not have the right watch.
 
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There's a lot of different Pathfinder models out there with a lot of different features. Here's what I personally look for: Barometer, altimeter and thermometer for weather data. Compass and atomic timekeeping is a great bonus too. Must have dual time zones, solar power and be one of the "slim" models. I prefer the titanium bands for durability.

PAW-1300T is the model on my wrist right now and is a great watch that does all of the above.
 
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I have had 3 Suunto's and never had a problem with any of them. I am wearing the X-Lander Military now and use it hard and its good to go. I will get a little condensation inside the crystal if the temp change is extreme and fast but it clears quickly and dosent seem to bother the function of the watch. But I have also seen guys abuse the Pathfinder and they hold up. I dont think you can go wrong eighter way.
 
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suunto core military,its been scraped and knocked,temps from 40 degrees celsius to -10, hasnt let me down yet.
 
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I have a casio pathfinder solar....it's withstood everything I've ever thrown at it and kept on going. I'm rather notorious for destroying watches and this one has lasted me over a year and almost looks new even. It definitely gets my vote.