REVIEW: Garmin PRO Series Training Collars

Garmin PRO 70, PRO 550, and PRO Trashbreaker

• Best of the Pro/Field line for $100 less
• 3 extra levels of STIM on the top-end
• Vibration mode

• Now double the range at 4 miles
• Now expands up to 9 dogs
• New high-visibility color scheme

• Save ~$20 off the price of the old Classic 70

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT

What's the same?

• Same feel and one-handed operation that the Tri-Tronics Field and Pro units have had for years

• The dial, buttons, and toggle switches have the same feel
• Same placement on the transmitter as previous models
• Quickly select the right dog
• Quickly raise and lower stimulation as needed
• Never take your eyes off your dog to look at the transmitter

NEW FEATURES ACROSS ALL 3 SYSTEMS:

• Built in Bark Collar
• White beacon lights controlled from transmitter
• Lighter, smaller Lithium-Ion batteries
• Slightly smaller collar/receivers w/ 3/4-inch collar straps

REMOTE CONTROL BEACON LIGHTS ON COLLAR

• Turn on the white beacon lights from the transmitter
• Easily locate your dog in the dark
• Great safety feature in case your dog crosses any roads
• Helps oncoming traffic see him in the dark
• Visible up to 100 yards away

• Coon hunters out in the dark
• Duck hunters in the early morning while putting out decoys
• Bird and rabbit hunters at the end of a long day
• Pet owners walking their dog in their neighborhood at night

LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

• Lithium-Ion batteries charge fast and weigh less than the older batteries
• User-replaceable Lithium-Ion batteries
• Both in the transmitter and collar receiver

BUILT-IN BARK LIMITER

All three of the Garmin Pro units have a built-in Bark Limiter. Turn your training collar into a bark collar by making a change at the on/off button on the collar itself. Simply hold down the on/off button. When the collar enters bark collar mode, the light on the collar will turn blue. The collar will then operate just like the Garmin Bark Limiter in the "Autorise" mode. In Autorise mode, the bark collar will correct your dog at the lowest level and then increase the stimulation level until it reaches the correct level to stop the barking. The Autorise stimulation that is used on the Pro units is different from the stimulation that the transmitter sends. The bark collars have 18 levels of stimulation. Your collar starts on the lowest level and increases until the dog stops barking. While a PRO 70 and the PRO Trashbreaker have only 6 levels of correction from the transmitter, the bark collar function has 18 levels. Unfortunately, these bark collars also do not have a direct set level option. To turn the collar receiver back into training mode, simply hold the on / off button down until the light returns to green. The Pro Bark limiter option will not work while your dog training collar receiver is in training mode. Your dogs can not receive bark corrections while the collar is in training mode. You must make a physical change at the collar to switch into bark mode. Unlike the Garmin Delta Sport, you CANNOT change the collar receiver to bark collar mode from the transmitter. If you need a bark collar/remote training collar that allows you to change over from the transmitter, then check out the Garmin Delta Sport.

OTHER FEATURES

New Collar design -- The New PRO collar ( PT 10) is slightly smaller and weighs less than the G3 EXP receiver. The design is similar, but this collar features 4 belt loops instead of 3 to protect the collar strap better. 3/4-inch COLLAR STRAPS -- The PT 10 collar receiver uses the smaller 3/4-inch collar straps in place of the wider 1-inch straps that Tri-Tronics used so it will look smaller on your dog. CHARGER -- Charger differences -- No longer a transmitter cradle. The PRO transmitters no longer need a charging cradle. The units have a charging port on the back of the transmitter that allows you to plug directly into the unit. This port is covered by a rubber flap to keep mud and trash out of the port. LANYARD ATTACHMENT -- The Garmin PRO transmitters have a lanyard attachment point at the base of the unit. This allows you to attach a lanyard to your transmitter to either wear it around your neck or tie it to your hunting vest or jacket. This will make these units easier to carry and less likely to get lost even if you have them in a holster. Not Backward Compatible -- The Garmin PRO systems are not compatible with any previous Tri-Tronics models. Not Cross-Compatible -- The Garmin PRO 70 and the PRO 550 are compatible with each other, but neither works with the PRO Trashbreaker. The 70 and 550 operate on the 27 Megahertz frequency while the Trashbreaker is a MURS-based radio system.