Suunto Core, Experiences

[son of a vette]

I've been thinking of getting one of these for a bit now, and looking over the reviews and general chat on the web, so I wondered if the PH group has any experiences?

I quite fancy it for skiing, hill walking, MTB'ing and because I'm partial to a gadget or too

Generally it from other web reports to be a good little tool, but there does seem to be some issues with reliability, but from what I have read Suunto's customer service is superb, and if it breaks they are quick to sort it out (no use when your out on the hill though), or was this with the early versions?

Anyone got any thoughts, or are there others I should be looking at before parting with my £200 ish for a light black model?

[andy_s]

It was a big batch of early watches that had problems with battery life in particular; Suunto have been very good about taking them back and replacing them (sometimes with older models that have been repaired) though. A new one should be as trouble free as the rest of the range. I believe its a glass crystal on the Core which makes it a bit harder to sort out if you give it a good bash, the Vector was a plastic crystal that scratched easier but you were able to polish scratches out.
Their functionality seems OK though, it was just the power drain that was the problem.

[Frederick]

I bought mine in March 2009, within six months it had munched its first battery, three months later it had got through two others so I pretty much forgot about it. Last month I sent it back to Finland under warranty, and two weeks later I got a refurb back (was made a month earlier than the one I sent in.)

This one lasted a week before exhibiting the same problems as my original one (blank display, no life) so it's currently back in Finland again.

I've heard good things about the late 9xxx serials, and the 0x serials, so check before you buy - if it's a 7xxx or 8xxx serial number, even an early 9xxx (try to buy later than 930x) then walk away.

Serials are Year, Week, 5 digit serial - a eg 949xxxxx is week 49, 2009.

[son of a vette]

Thanks guys, great tips on the serial numbers, I'll email the shop before I order and ask them to check.

Do they work well when they are going? Currently using a swatch ski-pass with an altimeter when skiing, I'm hoping one of these will be a good step up, especially for the barometer functions.

Cheers

[Frederick]

They do work pretty well, the storm alarm is a good feature (but irritating when it wakes you up in the middle of the night as the pressure has dropped like a stone!).

The barometer is good, but you need to make sure you set the reference height correctly or it's not much use, as is the compass (make sure you calculate the correct declination value and input it into the watch if you're going to rely on it). The altimeter uses changes in barometric pressure to gauge how high or low you are, so is a bit useless in planes etc (as it reads 8000ft-ish irrespective of actual height, due to cabin pressurisation) but it is handy if you're halfway up a mountain etc!

In use they're fine - I took mine skiing and it performed as well as could be expected, but the niggles with the older serial numbers are something to watch out for. Suunto service is pretty good though, albeit my second watch only lasting a week. Two year warranty from Suunto too, which helps allay some reliability fears

[MrTom]

On my second here, first one the display broke. The current one, the top right button doesn't work and battery life is 3 months. It will be going back for a replacement and then sold on ebay.
It's a shame because when it's not broken it is much better than anything else. Ill probably replace it with a g shock

[Uriel]

I've had mine for a couple of years now and it's taken some abuse, but has been faultless, touch wood.

Currently on it's second battery. I was a bit concerned since I bought mine and only while impatiently waiting for delivery Googled and found all of the horror stories, but I have to say, it's been great.

The strap is really cheap and nasty though. And the moving lugs make a regular NATO not an option. I've been meaning to get a 2 piece NATO style one or one of those Hirsch Emergency rubber jobbies.

[Frederick]

Uriel, you can buy a standard strap with lugs, and then put a decent strap on it - it's not cheap though. About £30-40 for the strap and lugs, which isn't cheap when most people ditch the strap!

The thing is, the lugs aren't anything to write home about - if someone commissioned an engineering shop to make up a load of lugs, they'd probably make an utter killing selling them on, it's literally a small slug of ally, turned corners with two holes drilled in it. Sell sets of four on ebay for £9.99, return on investment would be huge.

Only reason I haven't done it is cos I can't be bothered!!

Here's one of them - £42.09 for a strap with lugs... insane

[Uriel]

I don't mind the lugs so much. The problem I had is that I already had a NATO strap, but because the moving lugs pivot, it causes this problem:



I'd be happy enough to get a normal 2 piece strap and use the stock lugs. I was wrong earlier, it was the Extreme, not Emergency that I'd like.

. They're about £60 though.

[son of a vette]

Is it worthwhile going for one of the alloy boddied ones with the leather strap then, they are a good chunk more expensive when compared to the plastic bodied versions.

Thanks for the good report Uriel, I really wanted one, but was worried about the bad reports, glad it sounds like a bad batch, and really glad that Suunto seem to have a good rep with sorting them out.