Elite 9 Ti2 or HDS Gen 3

Sheels has the Elite at $999 and the HDS at $1299. I do run  a Minn Kota but it is not linkable so that option is not important. I have been looking at Lowrance and Hummingbird asking questions and the more I ask the more perplexed I get on choosing the right one. I have read all the forum threads but still looking for more information to make my decision. One question, is the HDS Gen 3 discontinued? If for what reason? Thanks for any help.

I do have the total scan transducer. Went back to Scheels and the manager in the fishing department said that occasionally they see a bad transducer!!! That makes this Lowrance unit and my last one a LCD 37 c GPS module failure go bad on me. Guess I should have bought the Hummingbird. The bad side is you always end up sending the units back to the manufacturer and waiting and most of the time paying for the repair. But this will not stop me from fishing just have to go back to my old " fishing holes " 

What transducer did you get with the unit? I have two Elite ‘‘tis with the totalscan transducer and haven’t had any issues. 

Well I pulled the trigger on E!it's ti2. After a day of installation and a couple of days later and a 3 1\2 hour drive north  I went out fishing. Turned on unit and everything but the side scan worked. All I have is a vertical line down the center of the screen. Called Lowrance and 58 minutes later and many tests he concluded that the transducer is no good!!! ?? So I am sending the transducer back to Lowrance  for a new one. What upsets me the most is the amount of time to remove and install the new one once it arrives. 

Question I have is has anyone else experienced this problem with a defective transducer?

I am a Bird guy, both the bird and the lowrance have the good and bad.  i used to be a Lowrance guy and switched a few years ago.  I miss some things, but there are others that are sweet.  I believe the Gen3 is the latest and has not been discontinued.