I'm going to buy a squirrel dog in the near future. Everyone I talk to recommends the Alpha 100. I have a hard time spending that much, when I don't even know if the dog will make a good hunter or just a farm dog. Cruising some classifieds, seems to be a lot of the older Garmin Astro lines around.

If you were looking for used tracking gear, what would you want. Had experience with in the past.

Thanks gents,
Lonnie

If you are trying to get by a little cheaper, go with the Astro 320. That's what I use with DC-40 collars. None of this stuff is really cheap.

Buy a good one, because they take serious abuse with a Dog that hunts hard. Banged around, frozen or encased in snow, get dunked more than a few times, in addition to giving you piece of mind of where your Dog is at....

Nor do they give reconditioned ones away...

https://www.collarclinic.com/category/reconditioned.html

My Garmin Astro dog unit has held up fine for many years. It's been used on 4 different Drahthaars and been through snow, mud, ice, water, sand, etc. and the only thing I've had to do is replace one rechargeable battery and an antenna. Both of those parts are available on-line from several vendors and much less $ than buying direct from Garmin.

Evnin chums, here's good hint (don't ask how I know) don't forget to take the magnets out or for the newer ones turn them on!!!!!! Easier on the old nerves. Drathars, wire hair pointers??? How about some picks????? My favourite. Bill out. 👣🐾👣🐾🇨🇦

1+ on Collar Clinic. They have an excellent reputation here locally for selling top notch equipment and then excellent service after the sale; if needed.. Good guys there, they always contribute heartily to our RGS banquets.

If you don't need the shock feature on the Alpha you could use one of the cheaper models. Or go with the dogtra.

Don't need a tracker for sq. dog unless a combo dog you hunt on coon also. If it's ranging out far enough to want GPS, it will tree too far for you to get there before the sq. timbers out and finds a hole to get in. A cur good at winding layups will be 100 yards out one minute, wind one 250 yards out and be gone in a flash. You will be trotting to lots of slick trees that used to have a sq when the dog got there or still have one but it's on the inside where you can't see it. And the dog will be hard to tighten up on tree because you never shoot any sq. out to it. The cur knows there was a sq. there and doesn't learn confidence in you.

You need a shock collar with tone or vibrate to recall the dog. It will learn ranging out too far just means it has to run back further to check in. If you will be the one breaking the dog off trash, you want at least a mile range. Longer range isn't uncalled for. Range is line of sight, not through tree and ridges.

I just got a Dogtra Edge because it takes batteries I won't have trouble finding. Last Tritronics I bought had proprietary battery packs. Garmin declined to make them after they took over. Garmin has a habit of doing that to make people buy the latest thing. I would expect them to stop supporting older GPS stuff because they came out with a new one recently. Garmin does make the best GPS, though. So if you need or want tracking buy the latest thing to get the most life out of the product. $$$$!!!

Several are buying the new Garmin 200. I would think some 100’s would be for sale. I won’t hardly hunt my squirrel dog without a tracking collar. Even if they don’t range over 250 yards, you can let them hunt and know where they are. Safety net I guess. I have the alpha 100 and tt15 mini.

Double U supply is also a great customer service oriented place to buy both new and used equipment

If you just want tracking capability I would vote for the Dogtra Pathfinder TRX. If you want to be able to stim as well I'm not a fan of using my smartphone for that and would go with a garmin product.

lol. no idea what you're talking about

Garmin products. I have the 550 pro. great collar. above your price point. can find a used astro. I had good service with Astros

https://www.gundogsupply.com/garmin-pro-550-plus.html

I won't hunt anymore without a gps. Its hard to find and train a good hunting dog. Worth a few extra hundred dollars for the life and safety of the dog

Mine will not go on ground without tracking collars! Garmin 200