Yaesu FT-60R vs Yaesu FT-65R - Which One is Better in 2025?

Without a doubt, the Yaesu FT-60R is one of the best built, best performing, most fun to use radios ever made. Unless you need a handheld radio with a digital mode, there is no better choice than this radio. Yes, it is expensive compared to pretty much everything out there, but once you have used one, that won’t matter anymore.

I really enjoy using my Zastone m7 as a dual-band analog radio, but there is no doubt that other than the screen and menu system on the Zastone, this Yaesu FT-60R outperforms the Zastone in every possible way. If you can afford a $200 dual-band analog radio, then you will love this one. The only people who don’t like the Yaesu FT-60R are the people who dropped one on their foot.

The Yaesu FT-65R is kind of an odd bird, blending some of the inexpensive Chinese radios with the high-end of the Japanese radios. As hard as it is, the radio needs to be judged on its own. Sure, comparing the Yaesu FT-60R vs FT-65R shows that the 65R is far less of a radio, but it is far more of a radio than radios like the Baofengs. That really only matters when talking about where it fits in price-wise.

On its own, the Yaesu FT-65R is a good radio at its price point. If you want something a lot nicer than the cheap Chinese radios but really don’t want to spend over $150 on a handheld radio, and don’t need digital modes, this might be the perfect radio for you. On the other hand, for $50 more you could get the Yaesu FT-70DR or the FT-60R, both of which are superior radios in virtually every way, particularly in audio quality.

If you think this radio is interesting, you might also check out my Yaesu FT-65R vs FT-4XR article.