E collar opinions

[bman]

In the market for a new E collar for my GSP pup. What do you like/dont like in the way of upland training collars for the foot hunter?
Thnx bman

[kninebirddog]

After trying different brand I always end up going back to what I call my GO TO collar and that is the Tri Tronics

They are american Made..Literally..Got the tour last week was pretty neat

Anyway for average The Classic 70 is a good collar for all around
the G3 is for close working dogs and was built to be in the over seas collar market...it is a decent collar but I reccomend the Classic 70 for the extra reach out it has

Should you go with the TT's Get the EXP version it is only about 20 bucks more then the single dog but just incase you run 2 dogs it is cheaper to buy another reciever then a whole new unit

if your interested in getting the TT here is a link to get 10% off The MFSR
http://kninebirddog.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=1389#1389

[gonehuntin']

I've tried different brands, but not recently. I've used Tri Tronics collars since the 70's, they've been trouble free, so I stick with them. I like the pro 200 or 500. Don't go with Innotek.

[gr_elliott]

I have a SportDog and at the time I got it, it seemed to be a perfect fit. It had all the features and range that I needed and it was a good price compared to other brands. I had a problem with it once (more of an operator error) and the customer service dept would call me every day until I called them back to help fix the problem and then called back to make sure things were in working order. Their customer service is defiantly good.

One thing I have noticed about the collar, and as I talk to others they say the same thing, there is a big jump in zapping power on the different levels. On my level 1 & 2 are very low, then level 3 is a lot higher, to high for my dog, but level 2 was too low.

You can reprogram the collar to work in ½ level increments, which I wish was set up different also. I have mine set up this way now, when the dial is on level 3 the bottom button is 2 ½ and the top is 3 1/2. I wish the top would be just 3 instead of adding the half, once again, too much of a jump.

Bottom line is that I wish I just spent the extra money and got the Tri-Tronics

Wow, this was kinda long, so what was the question again?

[kninebirddog]

The differences between the TT Pro series

Pro 100 18 levels of continuous and 6 momentary if you just depress the button it is just the same as having 18 levels of momentary I haven't used the momentary button I use the same buttons

Pro 200 has 18 levels of momentary and 6 continuous ..this why I prefer the 100 as I can use the same buttons to do what ever i need at the time of infraction with out having to search change button os in the case of the

Pro 500 you have 18 of both by flipping a toggle switch flip a switch

I use a strong Base of Rick Smtih method were I use momentary for movement commands and constant until stopped for stand still type commands


Also the G3 and the PRo series have less stimulation level then the sportdog I have the sport dog I no longer use it other then to do some side by side tests with the G3

WHich The G3 I am going to give the edge to as for reliabliity hands down and Yes I have been testing them side by side



AS for other collars....Dt 500 series are OK their jump and rise ..is a waste sounds great but in truth it is out of context for true training

and I dislike how their beepers a fixed to the collar as i see all to many dogs where the beeper and the receiver are actually to far apart and since it is fixed that also prevent the e collar from being prooerly fitted on the dogs neck

[mtlee]

Tri-tronics for me

[bean1031]

Ive got a dt 1200 and like it so far also this sounds alittle silly but are dt and dogtra

[kninebirddog]

Ive got a dt 1200 and like it so far also this sounds alittle silly but are dt and dogtra

Dt SYstems and DogTra are basically the same collars ..they are owned by brothers
there is alot of similarities between the two but the dog tra has a little longer contacts and DT systems tries to combine wires in stead of running seperatly and both made over seas

that is why they are so closely named

[SwitchGrassWPG]

I like the Dogtra line due to the vibrate function.

Jay

[bman]

Thanks for the input guys. I was a little quick on the post as after I submitted I found a good thread in the reviews forum. None the less I went ahead and ordered a TT G3 sport pack and dummy collar today. I was a little reluctant about the TT stuff as a buddy of mine had an older collar and seperate beeper collar that gave him trouble, especially the beeper. Any how the majority of opinions seem to favor TT so I gave them the nod. I just hope for trouble free operation as I hate getting stuff that falls apart and/or breaks down.
Bman

[lvrgsp]

I have a tritronics and a dogtra. Like them both, however I did not know dogtra was made overseas, I'll be selling it.

Chip

[kninebirddog]

Tri Tronics is the only American Made collar

[lvrgsp]

Well I will post it later....but a dogtra 1800 1 dog unit 1 year old in excellent condition for sale. e-mail for price.

Chip

[Greg Jennings]

I have an older TT G1 Pro 200. I like it A LOT. It's bullet proof. The ergonomics can't be beat.

And, when someone tries to mug you while out hunting, that G1 transmitter makes a heck of a club. .


Best, Greg J.

[Windyhills]

DT and Dogtra are not the same and are not comparable, in my view. Long story but I advise against DT. Dogtra has been great for me. Get a collar with more stated range than you think you might need.

[WVGSP]

I have a Sportdog and have been happy with it so far. From what I hear TT has good customer service also don't know personally but have friends who have delt with them and said they were helpful (just in case).

[nitrex]

The DT collars are great!! I like the Super Pro Trainer series. I just bought a SPT 2400 series 2 dog unit. It has 50 levels which I like as I train with very low levels. I've never needed the high levels, but I like the fact that I have so many low levels to choose from with different dogs. Their reliability has been great and they have stood behind their product. I don't know too much about the other models but have heard some good things about the H2O series!

Nitrex

[Goosehunterdog]

I sell Tri-Tronics and Dogtra because they are the top two on the market IMO...Tri-Tronics has outstanding customer service!!! I really like the TT pro series..Please contact me if interested in a price quote..

[gwgdog66]

I have a Sportdog and have been happy with it so far. From what I hear TT has good customer service also don't know personally but have friends who have delt with them and said they were helpful (just in case).

I have a SportDog 1200. I'm happy with it. Like a previous post, I don't use it over the #2 setting, There is a big jump there, between #2 and #3.

My cousin's husband has one, and the transmitter battery was defective. H called up the customer service, and they sent him a new transmitter, turn around time was 3 days. They didn't even ask for the defective one to be returned. He sent it back anyway with a nice thank you note.

[Lab Man]

Here is how I rate collar manufactuers

#1 Tri-tronics- American made, great customer service, good quality

#2 Dogtra- Made in China, good customer service, good quality

#3 DT products, decent quality, decent customer service

#4 Sportdog, OK quality, great customer serice

I personally would go with my top 3 suggestions. I offer a member discount if you need any prices e-mail me at mark@coonriverkennels.com

[kninebirddog]

I like that rating though DT and Dogtra..i would have to say are equal pretty much out of the same pea patch so to speak

Ratings

1.) Tri Tronics...Customer service is Great for the very few times I ahve had to speak with them

2.) DT and Dog tra speedy service for the stuff we have had to send back for serivce and repairs o adjustments seeing that their beepers are not adjusted for pointing dogs to have a true proper fit

3.) Sportdog Good customer service...have spoken with them way to many times

My point Customer service is great with all of them...Tri Tronics I only have spoken with them when my collars have gotten old and used and needed new batteries and had one minor thing which they were able to correct over the phone older collar which get deprogrammed from a low battery issue

[nj gsp]

I have the TT G3 sport basic. It is an excellent collar, and unlike ALL the other brands mentioned, it is the only one that both the collar and transmitter are 100% waterproof.

As far as range is concerned, the G3 has 1/ 2 mile range, and let's be honest here - if your dog that far or farther away from you, how are you going to give it a command anyway? How will the dog even know where you are?

[Windyhills]

Some misinformation in this thread.

Quite a few manufacturers produce true waterproof collars with transmitters that are also waterproof. Where you see some seperation is when you get in to the entry level, short range collars.

The stated range of e-collars routinely ends up being much less than that in actual use. Those figures are ideal--flat, no obstructions--ratings. Any kind of cover or rolling terrain reduces range. If you work in heavy cover, in the woods, or in very hilly or mountainous terrain, I wouldn't buy less than a 1-mile rated collar.

The dogtra 2000 series beeper unit does have the problem with fit on some dogs--I would guess they don't fit most britts well--but that has been rectified by their new design in the 2500 series, with beeper and shock unit together on the bottom.

And again, Dogtra and DT are not the same--never really were, though there were some similarities in manufacturing sources some years back and there was not a lot of difference for a few years. I forget the specifics, but I have asked both DT and Dogtra factory reps that question. They are not the same.

The collar that DT proudly displays on the main page of it's website is the same one I used to own. Didn't work right, out of the box. At a critical time--I needed that collar as I was into a training regimen with it at the time. Had to squabble with the seller and DT to get them to deal with that. They did after some weeks--then a bit more than a year later one of the buttons completely failed. In the fall, early part of hunting season. Just before it did that, it was intermittent--a very bad situation to have on an e-collar--would work sometimes, not at others.

The worst part of the whole thing--That button failure was a known problem with that model of collar. Despite that, neither DT nor the seller--a popular one with many--would provide any relief.

Finally, I've always had good service from Dogtra, but there were just a few people at their call center who were very good, and you couldn't always get ahold of them. They have added a number of new staff at their call center so that problem should be eased, but I found out that some of them are a bit green yet. If you have a tough problem and aren't getting the help you want, I'd ask to talk to Julie. She's been around a while and really knows their units.

[nj gsp]

Some misinformation in this thread.

Quite a few manufacturers produce true waterproof collars with transmitters that are also waterproof. Where you see some seperation is when you get in to the entry level, short range collars.

Yes, you are correct - so let me restate what I said previously: the G3, when compared to similar models from other manufacturers, is the only model that I found with a waterproof transmitter.

When compared to similar brands and similar models, in my opinion, the TT G3 is the most solid feeling and what I personally believe to have the best quality construction.

I would also say that the more expensive models have less disparity in product quality between brands, but had I felt I needed a $400 e-collar, I still would have bought a Tri-Tronics.

[brdhntr]

I own a DT, and it failed on me with in the first few months. When it failed I was on a week long hunt in North Dakota. I figured it out as I watched my dog chase a jack rabbit across 2 sections of land. I now use TT, and have not had one fail on me yet. I have a 2 dog unit, and 2 single dogs as back ups. I also keep a cheap sport dog unit around as a back up to my back ups.

I purchased a DT beeper, and it didn't last 1 day in the field. Dog went out in some brush and came back with an orange collar, and no beeper. 2 DT products, and a 100% failure rate.