# Garmin/ TriTronics 550 Reviews?



## RCO (Feb 13, 2010)

OK folks, anyone have comments on these units so far??

Thanks!


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## Rnd (Jan 21, 2012)

I've had mine for a week or two.. Overall I like it.

lighter and smaller (collar) built in light is nice. However it is extremely bright. Like a flood light.

my only complaint is that there is no "D" ring on the collar.. So it's very difficult to clip a tab to it...

I also think they could of simplified the charging system.

Randy


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## robertnla (Oct 16, 2008)

Got mine a few days ago. Pretty nice after I got used to the button arrangement vs Dogtra. Very nice unit. Note: There is a place to put a lanyard on the base. You just don't get one with it. Shame on Garmin for saving themselves .10 cents on the rope on a $400 dollar collar. 
CONS: IMO " I didn't like the ton of connections for charging. Reminded me of putting up Christmas Tree lighting. Could have done away with some of the connectors that are prong to going bad."


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## jd6400 (Feb 23, 2009)

Rnd said:


> I've had mine for a week or two.. Overall I like it.
> 
> lighter and smaller (collar) built in light is nice. However it is extremely bright. Like a flood light.
> 
> ...


Randy,will the older collar strap fit on the receiver?Just thinking? Jim


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## Rnd (Jan 21, 2012)

Jim, No. The collar strap is 3/4 inch the older strap is 1.0 inch. I like the collar but that is a weak link..

i need to make arrangements to get your 100 back to you.. 

I'm going to Ottawa for a triple a amateur this week , maybe get over your way after that.... Still trying to qualify for the national .....


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## RetrieversONLINE (Nov 24, 2005)

First impressions. A winner!

All the good features of the Pro 500 plus options. The TT engineers did the electronics and design. Appears well built. Assembled USA BUT components Taiwan. For electronics that's Ok. Receiver a little smaller, lighter, narrower strap. Great cylinder transmitter retained. 3 dogs. Night light option. Bark collar built in. Extra intensity(needed?). 

i will do a thorough review in Retrievers ONLINE after a few months of field testing but so far I would say this is a first choice. Cheaper too!


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## RetrieversONLINE (Nov 24, 2005)

PS. 

I should have said my reply is as a user not as a POTUS comment. That's a different thread!


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## RCO (Feb 13, 2010)

Thanks, Y'all!


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## robertnla (Oct 16, 2008)

Came across other problem. Collar will not double into the D-ring that came with it. I didn't want to trim the strap so I called them. They are aware of this and are sending me a new strap that has larger d-ring. Hassle free great customer service.


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## blinddogmaddie (Mar 7, 2008)

I like everything about mine except the 3/4" collar. The D ring is too small and the square tab is different. My dog can shake its head and the collar will at times fall off tbe dog. They need a better collar.


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## jwcbf (Jan 14, 2009)

Here is what has me concerned about the new design.

According to the specs on the Garmin website… for the Dog collar under unsuitable activities includes… 

*“Showering, swimming and water-related activities”.*

The transmitter is less water resistant.

Thoughts?

JW


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## Bridget Bodine (Mar 4, 2008)

jwcbf said:


> Here is what has me concerned about the new design.
> 
> According to the specs on the Garmin website… for the Dog collar under unsuitable activities includes…
> 
> ...


REALLY?? come on ....


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## DoubleHaul (Jul 22, 2008)

jwcbf said:


> Here is what has me concerned about the new design.
> 
> According to the specs on the Garmin website… for the Dog collar under unsuitable activities includes…
> 
> ...


I would not worry about it. The collar has a 1 ATM rating. That means it can withstand water pressure to a depth of 10 meters. That is static and movement would increase pressure but unless the dog swims under the water at depth, you should be fine. The no swimming is CYA margin in the standard. The IPX7 rating on the new transmitter means that you can drop it in the water if it is not too deep and it should be fine (especially since it is supposed to float). It is an improvement over the TT transmitter.


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## Goosey (Jun 6, 2014)

Can you just buy any standard 1" collar to work with this if you have problems or does it have to be Garmin brand?


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## Mike Perry (Jun 26, 2003)

Goosey said:


> Can you just buy any standard 1" collar to work with this if you have problems or does it have to be Garmin brand?


The new receivers have 4 loops that hold the receiver, the old ones had only 3. The 4 loops are much more stable and thus the 3/4" collar strap. A 1" strap will not fit.


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## Goosey (Jun 6, 2014)

Mike Perry said:


> The new receivers have 4 loops that hold the receiver, the old ones had only 3. The 4 loops are much more stable and thus the 3/4" collar strap. A 1" strap will not fit.


Sorry 3/4" is what I meant. For the people having trouble with theirs can you just buy a different 3/4" collar that has the d loop and put the receiver on the new collar?


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## robertnla (Oct 16, 2008)

Goosey said:


> Sorry 3/4" is what I meant. For the people having trouble with theirs can you just buy a different 3/4" collar that has the d loop and put the receiver on the new collar?


Yes you can .


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## younggun86 (May 2, 2013)

my training partner just bought the 550, hes not happy with it. The straps for the collars are small and cheap. As far as the electronics he thinks they will be fine but he notices the quality difference from the garmin to the tt. I bought the tt even though im sure they will be phased out.


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## Rig (Mar 1, 2005)

Dogtra straps for their pet line collars are 3/4 inch and might work on the Garmin 550. The Dogtra straps have D rings and the more convenient roller buckle. Come in a lotof different colors too. Whether they fit depends on the thinness (gage) needed to fit under the receiver's 4 loops. 

Also if you can find "Sport Junior" straps at a dealer that has old stock, they had a D ring and the roller buckle. Easy to use. 

The main difference between all e-collar straps and other dog collar straps is the e-collar straps have more holes for better adjustment of tightness.


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## Tony Marshall (May 15, 2013)

The collar appears to be the same collar used on the bark limiter. I just don't see how one can be shaken off a dog. Furthermore now that TT is gone I believe that 3/4" is pretty much the standard across the board. The most expensive replacement is a hair under $10 and has a roller buckle, which is what I prefer. I have never had a problem with a 3/4" strap and if that is the biggest gripe then I'd say we're doing pretty good.

As far as the electronics, I doubt that Garmin just magically came up with all new electronics over that short a timeframe. After paying money for patents and everything else that wouldn't make much sense either. So, the electronics are most likely the same with a few modifications. Garmin is not some fly by night operation that just popped up overnight. They have been making electronics for a long time and most people are pretty happy with their products.


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## jwcbf (Jan 14, 2009)

DoubleHaul said:


> I would not worry about it. The collar has a 1 ATM rating. That means it can withstand water pressure to a depth of 10 meters. That is static and movement would increase pressure but unless the dog swims under the water at depth, you should be fine. The no swimming is CYA margin in the standard. The IPX7 rating on the new transmitter means that you can drop it in the water if it is not too deep and it should be fine (especially since it is supposed to float). *It is an improvement over the TT transmitter.*


Are you saying the the 1 ATM rating is superior to that of the Pro 500? - EDIT: You referenced the Transmitter in the bold... how about the receiver?

I get what you are saying above but the "movement" of a water entry and the effects to the receiver most definitely have me concerned. 

JW


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## Bayou Magic (Feb 7, 2004)

younggun86 said:


> my training partner just bought the 550, hes not happy with it. *The straps for the collars are small and cheap.* As far as the electronics he thinks they will be fine but he notices the quality difference from the garmin to the tt. I bought the tt even though im sure they will be phased out.


Agree completely. I'm very disappointed in the 3/4" collars vs a 1" collar. This puts much more pressure on the dog's neck when tightening the collar sufficiently to get good point contact on the dog because of the reduced surface area of the collar. Think of it as a piano wire vs a 2" belt. Big thumbs down on the 3/4" collar. 

I like the overall operation of the 550, and especially like the additional bark collar feature. The down side of the bark collar is that it can only be activated at the collar - not the transmitter.

Rates a 7 out of 10 due to the skinny collar. Did I say I don't like the skinny collar?

fp


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## jwcbf (Jan 14, 2009)

Certainly a lot of talk about collar width (or lack thereof)…

I was wondering if the ¾ inch might actually fit better in the “notch” (between the head and neck) on an average sized water dog possibly resulting in the same or less pressure to keep in the “right place” …. especially with a smaller and lighter receiver.

550 owners????

JW


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## DoubleHaul (Jul 22, 2008)

jwcbf said:


> Are you saying the the 1 ATM rating is superior to that of the Pro 500? - EDIT: You referenced the Transmitter in the bold... how about the receiver?
> 
> I get what you are saying above but the "movement" of a water entry and the effects to the receiver most definitely have me concerned.
> 
> JW


As I said, movement changes things. I don't know your dog's water entry, but you could figure it out and do some rough math to see if it is a big deal. Frankly, I doubt the water resistance is different than on the old collar. More likely Garmin is now following the ISO standard which it applies to all its products where TT didn't and just said "waterproof" or "water resistant". I could be wrong


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## fuchsr (Aug 10, 2008)

By and large I like the new system but miss the D ring on the collar. I had nothing but problems with the old tracer lights, the inbuilt ones in the new systems work flawlessly.

My major complaint is the fact that the new units have seven stimulation levels. I don't think level 7 is more intense than level 6 on older systems, at least in my hands and based on my dogs' responses. I had to spend time readjusting; my normal setting used to be medium 2, not it seems I need to go to low/medium 3. Feels like the guitar amp in "Spinal Tap" which goes to 11! 

Like the new charging system which is a standard micro-USB.


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## labraiser (Feb 5, 2004)

fuchsr said:


> By and large I like the new system but miss the D ring on the collar. I had nothing but problems with the old tracer lights, the inbuilt ones in the new systems work flawlessly.
> 
> My major complaint is the fact that the new units have seven stimulation levels. I don't think level 7 is more intense than level 6 on older systems, at least in my hands and based on my dogs' responses. I had to spend time readjusting; my normal setting used to be medium 2, not it seems I need to go to low/medium 3. Feels like the guitar amp in "Spinal Tap" which goes to 11!
> 
> Like the new charging system which is a standard micro-USB.


I like the 550. works fine for me. I replaced the collar with one 3/4 from cabelas. It has a d ring that works fine. I think it was 11.00 for a replacement collar. The have a lot of colors, but bought blk, red, blue which matches my 3 dog system.


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## Greg Lee - Timberpond Retrievers (Mar 11, 2009)

*Garmin/Tritronics 100 & 200*

Good reviews of 500. Does all this discussion equally apply to the 100 & 300 series collars?

Appreciate any input before I commit.

Greg Lee
Timberpond Retrievers


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

Hmmm....sounds like it's about time for me to talk with our sponsor for a Sweepstakes Enter to Win item....


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## CLindsay (Jan 5, 2010)

I bought the 3/4" replacement collar from Cabela's with the d ring and brass name plate in the three colors.


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## jbean74 (Apr 30, 2014)

i sure hope its as good as my 500 has been


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## BAYDOG (May 30, 2009)

Chris Atkinson said:


> Hmmm....sounds like it's about time for me to talk with our sponsor for a Sweepstakes Enter to Win item....


LOL, sounds good!!


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## Sabireley (Feb 2, 2005)

I just got a 550 to replace two 500XLS collars. The 550 seems to operate fine and the levels seem similar to my previous collars. I like all of the features and they seem to work well. also like the position of the buttons and the toggle switches feel good. I like that it charges using a mini USB plug, but I don't like the clip on charging cradle for the collar. That will get lost. I don't like the 3/4 inch collar. It seems chintzy and does not have a quality feel to it. It does not feel as secure as the older 1 inch collars. The transmitter and receiver also feel kind of light and cheap compared to previous versions. Maybe they are better engineered and don't need as much bulk to be durable and reliable. Time will tell. I got 10 years out of one collar and 7 out of the other collar I just replaced. If the new one lasts that long I will be happy.


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## teacher504 (Nov 28, 2012)

A good friend and pro-trainer got a three dog TT 550 and she loves them. Like most folks, she did not like the collars so she replaced them. Other than that she is very happy with the product. She loves the light features and the built in bark collar. She called TT to comment on the collars, especially the lack of a D-ring. They responded by trying to tell her that training retrievers doesn't require using a lead or tab on a collar. We got a good laugh at that and it just goes to show that the folks making/designing the product may not be as in touch with how their product is actually used in the field as one may hope. They have apparently never trained a young dog.


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## DoubleHaul (Jul 22, 2008)

teacher504 said:


> She called TT to comment on the collars, especially the lack of a D-ring.


This is the one thing I would like answered: does it have a d-ring or not. I have heard several folks say there is not a d-ring, a couple say it was too small and even one say it was too small but Garmin offered to replace.

The picture of it clearly shows a d-ring:








So what is the real deal?


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## jwcbf (Jan 14, 2009)

I got to play with one at the Oregon Waterfowl Festival last weekend...

I did like the feel of it. I did not like how the light is activated... by using one of the shock buttons...

I see a lot of unnecessary correction coming.

JW


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## PAfowler (Jun 25, 2014)

What replacement collar is everyone using to replace the factory one?


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## jd6400 (Feb 23, 2009)

DoubleHaul said:


> This is the one thing I would like answered: does it have a d-ring or not. I have heard several folks say there is not a d-ring, a couple say it was too small and even one say it was too small but Garmin offered to replace.
> 
> The picture of it clearly shows a d-ring:
> View attachment 19172
> ...


That is not a D ring.It holds the collar strap down and has no room for a snap.I dI got one a couple weeks ago.It cost me .75 cents and 2 minutes to take a rivet out put a D ring in and new rivet.


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