Differences between Vexilar FL8 and FL18

[bigjohn58]

What is the difference between the Vexilar FL8 and FL18? I see the degrees of the transducer are different but what does that actually mean? Which would better fit my ice fishing needs? The lakes I fish are generally 20 feet or shallower.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

The FL8 is your basic entry model, with very few features,  just the meat and potatoes, if you will.  I believe the FL18 has a zoom feature that will help you zone in on a certain portion of the water column.  It also has some interference rejection to help it from going haywire when another flasher is nearby.   There may be more things that set them apart,  but I myself have a FL8,  so I don't know all the features of the 18.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

Oh, and about the degrees of the transducer:  As the degrees increase,  a bigger swath of water is covered by the transducer.  So,  9 degree shows the least amount of bottom area, 12 is a happy medium,  and 19 shows the most area of bottom.  Hope that makes sense.

[Jiveturkey3]

As a general rule, you want a narrower cone the deeper the water, and reverse for shallow. The zoom on a FL-18 (possibly all vex not sure) isn't a real zoom. It just "expands" the selected area, like zooming in on a picture. If you fish where there are lots of people close or if you fish with someone that has a flasher the interference rejection is very handy.

[WET-KNOTS II]

fl 18 has low power setting good for shallow water and the auto zoom. this allows you to zoom in on the bottom six ft of the water column. good for bottom huggin fish.

[GWK]

I have both fl-8slt and fl-18 among the comments above one  thing that you might not notice is the fl-18 has brighter led lights.then the fl-8slt. you can also purchase a 's' cable for the fl-8slt to get the low power feature,just have to unhook the transducer and install the s cable in line at the back of the unit. the fl-18 also has bottom lock for open water [boat use]. I am not sure how old my fl-8slt is If I had to guess early 2000. my fl-18 is from 2005. both units work great and never had a issue with both. with a 9 tranducer on the fl-8slt I can see gills going after my ice jigs in 25-30 foot of water. I prefer the 12 degree transducer over the 19 for shallow water . both of  mine have interference rejection also. I believe the real early fl-8 did not .   

[hamms]

The fl8se has the same led bulbs. The 8 usually comes with a 19 degree. I personally think the 12 degree is best transducer they have for all fishing I do. In shallow water the 19 shows a lot more weeds. Can usually see fish in the weeds though. 18 has bottom lock for open water use where the bottom 6 ft of water column is on left side of your screen but when hitting waves with boat it doesn't jump on screen. You will be fine with either unit but if u just get the 18 you have the best unit they offer in my opinion.

[cyclones30]

Get the 18, bottom zoom is worth it among other things.

[hnd]

the zoom on the 18 is ok. the real advantage to the 18 over the 8 or any flasher over the 8 is not having to use the suppression cable.  its pretty much a pain in the neck especially if you hop around.   without the suppression cable, the 8 is one of the most clutter filled units in less than 10' of water.   your small fiskas will show up as a quarter inch mark on the flasher. 

the first year i moved away from the 8 my buddy still had one.  we were on a weedy pond and i popped a hole and my flasher went in and i was like, there are fish on the bottom and started catching.  buddy popped a hole a few feet from me and he was catching them so much slower than i.  we are like 5 ft from each other and i know there is no difference in where he was to where i was.  he's like what on earth.  i'm like stay onthe bottom and he's like, i am!  i go over and go why does it only show 5' of water?  his gain was all the way ddown.  i pulled his flasher and put mine in.  showed 9' of water and 7-8' was full of fish.  that was the last day he used his 8.

we loved our 8's.  still a rock solid machine for most of your fishing situations.  but leaves alot to be desired in those other instances.  Save your pennies and go with an 18.