If you're shopping for marine electronics sonar navigation on a tight budget, a chartplotter listed "for parts or not working" is a crossroads: do you gamble on a repair project, or keep looking for a ready-to-run unit? The Garmin GPSMAP 740s chartplotter at $150 sits squarely in that gray zone.
Garmin GPSMAP 740s Chartplotter Marine GPS
The quick verdict: this is a repair/donor unit, not a daily chartplotter. The listing says it turns on and functions, but the screen has sun damage and the condition is for parts. If you have the ability to source a replacement screen and are comfortable opening up a chartplotter, the $150 price could make sense. If you're looking for something to mount and use immediately, this isn't the one.
Who it suits: Electronics hobbyists, boaters with another Garmin GPSMAP 740s that needs spare parts, or anyone who can source a replacement screen. The included sun cover and the tested power-on are useful starting points, but the cut cable and damaged screen mean you're signing up for hands-on work.
What stands out: The Garmin GPSMAP 740s is a marine chartplotter with a custom bundle that includes a sun cover and power cable. It's listed as tested and the unit turns on, which at least means it's not a completely dead unit. It comes from the United States and has no warranty. The key catch is right there: the screen has sun damage, and the condition is marked "For parts or not working." Even with the sun cover, the current screen is a dealbreaker for normal use.
The meaningful trade-offs are straightforward. For $150 you're getting a Garmin brand chartplotter unit, a sun cover, and a cut power cable. The cut cable may need to be spliced or replaced. The sun cover protects the unit going forward but doesn't undo the existing screen damage. And because there's no warranty, you're absorbing the risk that a screen replacement doesn't restore the unit. This isn't a low-risk purchase; it's a calculated project.
Bottom line: Choose this Garmin GPSMAP 740s if you're ready to treat it as a repair project and you have a line on a replacement screen. The $150 price reflects the for-parts condition. Skip it if you need a dependable chartplotter right away.
