This is the first GPS i've owned-that being said i was able to demo several units(mag. 315 & gar. 12) from rei before buying. I'd really encourge anyone to do that bofore laying down $200 plus. Anyway the unit is easy to use- a basic once over on the manual and you're ready to go. It acquires quickly, batteries last over 15 hours (in the batt. saver mode) and has some nice if not unnecessary features.
I'd probably tell people to go with the more basic venture($170) or even the regular etrex($110). If you need the base map-which is really nice on road trips, or are going to download topos then stick with the legend. if at all possible wait for it to go on sale it is pricey!

Customer Service

no expirence

Similar Products Used:

-garmin gps12 -magellan 315
STICK WITH GARMIN!!

Save your money and get the standard Garmin eTrex or eTrex Summit or a 12CX or III+. I have heard from to six Garmin owners who had the 'click stick' function break on their Vista, Venture or Legend. Either the rubber boot tears, rendering the receiver open to water, (goodbye Garmin waterproof advantage), or the mechanism breaks, and this on fairly new units. Until Garmin redesigns this thing I wouldn't recommend these.

Similar Products Used:

Garmin III+
eTrex
Garmin 12

The Garmin Etrex Legend is a little bit expensive for my taste, but I love it! Easy one hand operation, fast signal lock ons and it comes with more goodies (wrist strap and computer cable and built in maps) than my Magellan 315 did. Plus it's not as big and bulky as my Magellan 315 (which admittedly is 3 years old).

Customer Service

No problems so far

Similar Products Used:

Magellan 315

The eTrex Legend is an excellent product. It is extremely useful, both as an outdoor and a driving tool. We use the Legend to get us to trailheads and for hiking. In addition, I also use the Legend when I run to get an exact reading for the distance, time and route.
This GPS is even more powerful when used in conjunction with Delorme's Street Atlas 8.0. Information is interchangeable between a computer and the GPS. Hence, I would usually research the destinations with Street Atlas and subsequently download the route to the Legend. When I return from a trip or a hike, I upload the route taken for the trip from the GPS to Street Atlas for storage and future reference.
One concern mentioned by another reviewer about the click stick is, unfortunately true. The rubber cover broke after only two weeks of use. Garmin didn't even acknowledge the fact and refused to honor their warranty.
The conclusion, the product is great but the company should at least accept the click stick design flaw.

First, I would like to mention that I am a hunter and a fisher, but the choices above did not offer this. I purchased the Legend two days ago and am using it to mark and navigate to prime game areas that I find when I am either hiking or scouting. I have to give the Legend high marks in just about everything. It is easy to use with either hand, it is easy to read and updates quickly so actual navigation with the unit is simple. I feel that the TracBack feature is a great feature to anyone who is outdoors for any length of time. The Legend makes it easy to mark waypoints and easy to create routes with the waypoints. When navigating, I love the feature that tells you that you are approaching a turn in your route or track, a very handy feature when hiking and there are several trails that branch off from the main trail. I was also pleasantly surprised with the Basemap that come included with the Legend. I used it on a recent 8 hour trip and was able to tell when I was coming close to an exit, and even which services (ie. restaurants, gas stations, hospitals, airports etc) were accessible from any particular exit. I am recommending the Etrex Legend to anyone who desires a very powerful, very portable GPS personal navigation unit.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Garmin Etrex Camo
Garmin Emap
Magellan