Choosing a flasher...

[Jeffress77]

So I have decided I want a flasher fish finder.  I ice fished when I was kid and goofed around a few times in the past 10-15 years.  A buddy of mine had a Vexilar.. don't know the model, that was about 10 years ago.  I liked using it and I want one myself.  Went to Cablea's and looked at a few MarCum, Lowarance, Humminbird, and Vexilar systems...  I kind of liked the Humminbird model the best. It was Ice55.  I see they offer Ice 35, Ice 45, and Ice 55....  I would like to stay in $300 range... which restricts me to Ice 35 unless I buy used.

Help me decide!  Good bad and the ugly!

[3300]

welcome to the ice shanty!

i had a hb ice55 that was a bad buy for me. it was expensive up front and to get it going again it was expensive also. they refuse to fix things on it they claim they would and no one else can fix it, so you get stuck holding the bag.

look into digital sonar first is my suggestion. like a marcum showdown. if you go to marcums web page they offer 10% off when you sign up for emails.

[Jeffress77]

Thanks for the recommendation 3300.  Why do you recommend the digital sonar over the other flasher types? Mainly price?

ALSO - user "Gills-only"  I am unable to send private messages  I think because I am so new here.   They will not let me respond to your message. I did not read the rules about posting private messages, but I assume it's because my post count is so low.    My email address should be viewable in my account  if you would like to communicate via email.    At this time I will probably be using store gift cards to purchase the unit, because I have some of them from Christmas. 

[rpeterson]

I got a flx28 love it had an lx7 i liked it but it failed to hold up got really cold stopped working returned it. Got the vexilar and have had zero problems with it in two years batterie lasts for two trips and is still at 55%. But its like ford chevy you like what you like its your choice. Choose wisely. And hope for bent rods

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Thanks for the recommendation 3300.  Why do you recommend the digital sonar over the other flasher types? Mainly price?

ALSO - user "Gills-only"  I am unable to send private messages  I think because I am so new here.   They will not let me respond to your message. I did not read the rules about posting private messages, but I assume it's because my post count is so low.    My email address should be viewable in my account  if you would like to communicate via email.    At this time I will probably be using store gift cards to purchase the unit, because I have some of them from Christmas.

Dont get a showdown. After owning one and dealing with it they are an expensive POS.Its the worst fishing sonar I have owned or used. In ice fishing keep it simple a normal mechanical flasher is hands down hard to beat and about bullet proof. A vex fl 18 has the standard features you'll want. plus they resale extremely well.

[river rat78]

Best thing to do is play around with each one in the store. With all the different choices out there not everyone is going to like the same thing. I personally went with the lowrance cause it is a graph style. Plus if I ever get a kayak like I want I can use it for open water too. I wasn't interested in a vexilar because for me looking at a bunch of flashing lights in a circle would give me a headache after a few hours.

[eriksat1]

Seriously if you want a good flasher you are looking at the $400 range for a new one.

[Bartb]

I used an ice55 for years, since they first came out.  My wife got a flx 28 and outfished me every time.  My buddies fl8 outfised me every time for years.

I switched to a flx28 this year and love it.

Careful with a marcum because you will create so much interference on vexilars and hummingbirds you'll get kicked out of the area/house.

[gil_lunkage]

I have had a Lowrance x67 for at least 10 years maybe 12. 
I have never had an issue with it.
I just bought my first new battery for $20.
This unit is under $300 now

[Outasync]

With today's technology any flasher will greatly improve your catch. Go with whatever has the best sale at the time!

[Big Dude]

I bought my ICE35 at L&M last year for $249. It does basically everything an FL20 will do and is half the price. It may not last me as long but then again a coworker has had 2 FL28s go bad on him. Just like a car, you can get a lemon in any brand and model.

[Chute82]

My vex fl8 is 15+ years old, solid unit, besides replacing the battery never had a problem..fish it from 100 foot to 10 ft of water and never has let me down.would love to up grade to fl-28 but hard to justify the price on how bad the Ice season has been in PA for the last 2 years. 

[metalbender]

Have a Troller 2.0 with the case and 12 volt batt and like it. The vertical graph is easy to comprehend.  Had a flasher type years ago on my boat, looking at the bottom and fish at the 9'oclock position wasn't for me. At that time I upgraded to an Eagle Z6000 and used it for a lot of years. Of course technology has come a long way. Now have a Humminbird 898 on the boat. Back to the Troller, it's simple, easy to read and will show the swivel on a leader above the lure.  Zoom feature is great, shows bottom and fish, auto or manual settings and a reasonable price.

[bobberbill]

Most graph type sonar also has a flasher mode. You get the new graph technology, and also the outdated flasher technology if you would ever want to use it.

[Jeffress77]

Wow, lots of responses! Great advice from many of you!

[Bartb]

A very real thing to consider is the quality and function of the transducers.  The head units can be fancy and flashy, but they are only 50% of the equation.  They simply decode what the transducer transmits and receives back.

Some companies need super high wattages because their transducers are so poorly manufactured and engineered they are almost blind.  Some companies have units capable of low power modes because their transducers are so well manufactured they are extreme sensitive.


Research will go a long way and help you find a great machine.  Plus playing with them helps

[RyanW]

I bought a MarCum VX-1i last season for $300 new and it works great for a basic setup. With Rapalas 10% sign up discount, at $320 that brings the price under $300. You can usually find it for $299 around the web.

Like previously mentioned, pretty much any budget flasher from the 4 big brands (Vex, MarCum, Lowrance, HummingBird) should work equally as well as the others. Comes down to budget and personal preference mostly.

I got the MarCum due to price and I didn't have to spend $50 on a case. Couldn't be happier.

[1750outfiterss]

Do like I do go online look at all the reviews and make your decision from there ,also go to each company and research the ones you are looking at. Myself after my research I found the Vexilar FL-8se fit my needs and price range best hope this helps 

[Flint]

Do like I do go online look at all the reviews and make your decision from there ,also go to each company and research the ones you are looking at. Myself after my research I found the Vexilar FL-8se fit my needs and price range best hope this helps 

d
That's good advice and is what I done. I ended up with a used LX5. It is a true three color dual beam unit with a super fine line feature and comes in a nice compact balanced case. It does not need a low power mode to function properly. If you can get a HB 35 cheap you may give it a go as it's a dual beam and they perform pretty well. Don't think I would spend the money on the 45 or 55 when you could get a LX5.

[Cal64]

 Bought my first electronics last year. All the research on this sight was invaluable, but confusing. Basically what it boils down to is the big names ( marcum, vex, bird ) all work great! Unless you get a lemon. Same as buying a vehicle. The guys that have almost any electronics would never have anything else! I personally narrowed it down to the ones that would do what I want, then when it came time to buy, I went with the one of these that had the best sale price. My buddy this year did the exact same. I ended up with showdown dual beam, and he has bird 55. We are both very happy. Any electronics will be the best you've ever had.

[hnd]

the worst mechanical flasher isn't THAT far off from the best mechanical flasher.  if that makes sense.  get the best deal you can get.  if you fish less than shallow water, i'd recommend a vex with low power mode, marcum, or humminbird. 

[MeatHunter737]

Lowrance x67c. Period

[hnd]

a buddy of ours had a x67c.  was good for him fishing by himself.  add 1 other flasher into the mix it was unusable. 

[RoeBoat]

Buy an fl8, pretty much the rock solid standard.  Farm Fleet had them for $270.  It's all you need to catch fish and it's sooo reliable it's silly to look at anything else.

[bobberbill]

a buddy of ours had a x67c.  was good for him fishing by himself.  add 1 other flasher into the mix it was unusable.

I run an x-67.. You're right. I can tell when someone turns a vex on halfway across the lake. I have to turn the interference settings to high.

[Bassmaster16]

i have a helix 7 and i love it. i have fished next to guys using marc showdowns and ice 35 and 45's. they are all great units. if you want a gps the helix 5 is awesome for about 150 to 200 dollars more. i use my gps alot where i fish on small little rock piles and humps offshore. for the money the marc showdown is very nice for just a flasher unit. its all just a matter of preference. Watch videos on youtube of all the models and that may show you something to make up your mind easier. thats what i did.

[Hardwater Problem]

Get what you like...  they are all decent.  Although, the showdowns hit the market hard, but I don't know anybody around here still running one.  Don't get your underwear in a wad over price!  I thought I overspent for My FL-20 Ultra Pak.  It was the hot crap item about 10 years ago or so when that new model came out.  I put it on a credit card and slowly paid it off over time.  I finally had to replace the 29.00 internal battery this year!!!  I wish I wouldn't have sweated the price so much at first.  If you get a good one, it will last you forever.  Check your local Craigslist and Facebook Swap groups.  I see them on there occasionally.  I have not abused mine, but it hasn't been babied either.  Good luck!

[PikeChaser198]

I just recently bought a Marcum Vx-1i and all I can say is wow... It is the best piece of fishing equipment I have ever bought. Have had it on the ice twice now and it has significantly increased my catch rate. Very easy unit to use the only down fall is it only locks the bottom 5 ft on zoom. Which I can live with until next season. Madly in love with it.

[Iceballs204]

Ask yourself a couple questions
How deep are you going to fish? 
If you fish deep waters, lean towards the bird with 9* and 19* cone
Are you fishing with friends than have a finder or fish in close distance to other people?
Interferance rejection options  come into play.  Marcums ir is up there

Any fish finder is better than no fish finder

I have the lowrance elite 4 and 3. I started with the 4 about 5 years ago   Didn't know squat about sonars or anything. I was gonna get the marcum lx3 but my wife said your blind enough do you reaaalllly want to look at that for 8-12 hrs a day?  So I went with the 4. I fish for walleye and normally fish in 5-20 ft max of 32 ft. I'm glad my wife talked me out of it  now I use the elite in summer and winter. This past summer used it on the boat for bows and perch.  Took the unit off the boat switch to ice ducer and my 7 yr old fished off the dock. Showing other people how to use it. That was a wicked day of fishing 10 bows and 100+ perch

[Hard_H2O]

My FL8 was bullet proof. I upgraded to the FL28 and I am very pleased. FL8 is a good basic unit. With the other Vex units you gain bottom lock, flat screens, and a few other bells and whistles.

Do not forget to look at the reconditioned units on the Vexilar site.