IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Ice Fishing With Electronics => Topic started by: 74redone on Mar 12, 2013, 06:56 PM
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Okay I have tried all the other brands of flasher except Humminbird ice line. I have a chance to buy either a new ice 45 for $300 or a two year old ice 55. Which one would you buy and why?
Thanks
Matt
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I love my ICE 55, but in that case I would go for the 45. Buying new for $300 is a very good deal, and if you are buying new you are getting the 2 year warranty. I bought my ICE 55 used for $345, but it had only been used once and was less than a year old. Unless the price on that used 55 is very good, the 45 is a better choice in my opinion. The 45 has most of what the 55 has except the 6 color palette and the target line (I never use this). I do like the 6 colors though as the blue is very easy on the eyes at night. The 55 also comes with the case, but you should be able to find a bird case somewhere for cheap or rig something else up. Both of them are really good units, but there is definitely some value in knowing that that the 45 is brand new and who knows how well the used 55 was cared for.
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Both units are $300 thats why I am torn between the two
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If you know the owner of the used 55 and know that he cared for it well, it might not be a bad option. You never know when a transducer will be out of life though. I would hope it would last years to come... But you never know. I guess my feeling is that you dont lose a lot going from the 55 to the 45. I would probly catch just as many fish with the 45 as the 55, but the color options are nice and the case would be a must have addition if I bought a 45. However, you get a brand new unit going with the 45. Gotta ask what is most important to you? Would the added features be needed for you or is a new unit more appealing? I never like to buy something based only on a warranty... But these two units are so similar I think I would buy new.
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I'm a better safe than sorry kind of guy, so many things can go wrong with a new unit let alone a used one -plus the resale value will be higher on the newer 45 at that price. You'll be able to resell it for what you paid I'd bet. If you do go the 55 route make sure it's not an older production model even though it's only 2 years old, the earlier 55 units the gain adjustment only goes to 25 and they have a really hard time reading small jigs in wide mode in over 15ft of water, the later generations have gain adjustments from 1-50. It's one of the major reasons guys used to complain about them when fishing next to a buddy with a vex or Marcum as those units would show things the birds couldn't at certain depths in wide mode.
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LOL, Matt I am wondering how many flashers you own. I have seen a lot of posts from you regarding buying and selling flashers. You may have a flasher addiction ;D.
If I were buying HB I would go new. I had a ducer go out just over two years. Here is a brand new unit for 420 bucks. I may go with this option.
http://www.marinescreens.com/Humminbird-ICE-55-Ice-Fishing-Flasher.html?utm_source=google-shopping&utm_medium=organic#.UUB2nUko73g
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Okay so maybe a little bit of an addiction ;D I had an lx7 which almost everyone likes but I had troubles with mine so I sold it. I had an fl 22 and really liked it but thought I would try the lx7 and in hind sight I probably should have kept the 22. So in my two years back into ice fishing I have had a hb 345c,fl22, 2 fl20's, lx7,lx5,troller which I still have. That's only 7 well soon to be 8 ;) Okay so maybe I am addicted! Just don't tell my wife! LOL
Matt
LOL, Matt I am wondering how many flashers you own. I have seen a lot of posts from you regarding buying and selling flashers. You may have a flasher addiction ;D.
If I were buying HB I would go new. I had a ducer go out just over two years. Here is a brand new unit for 420 bucks. I may go with this option.
http://www.marinescreens.com/Humminbird-ICE-55-Ice-Fishing-Flasher.html?utm_source=google-shopping&utm_medium=organic#.UUB2nUko73g
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Go back to the lx7 with v3.17 and don't look back ;) .
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I have the 45 my buddy has the 55. The 55 let u mark a spot on flasher for a depth, 45 doesn't and 45 has less colors I've used both and the 45 has less colors (3). Too me the 45 is less confusing as far as functionabilty they are the same ... And I like the 45 better. But if I could do it again. I would buy the vexilars vl20 and spend the extra 120 bucks.
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I have had two FL 20's and they r nice units but I still would prefer the FL 22 HD if I went with Vexilar line.
I have the 45 my buddy has the 55. The 55 let u mark a spot on flasher for a depth, 45 doesn't and 45 has less colors I've used both and the 45 has less colors (3). Too me the 45 is less confusing as far as functionabilty they are the same ... And I like the 45 better. But if I could do it again. I would buy the vexilars vl20 and spend the extra 120 bucks.
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Sounds like you need to pick top 3 you like and would not mind using and write down, throw in a hat , and pick one. ;D
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Maybe I should just buy all three and do a on the ice compare. Let's see that's $1600 in flashers how can I hide that one from the wife! ;D
quote author=hamms link=topic=258008.msg2652425#msg2652425 date=1363221085]
Sounds like you need to pick top 3 you like and would not mind using and write down, throw in a hat , and pick one. ;D
[/quote]
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Do it! Do it! Do it! ;D
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I will have $1400 in 2 units, but then again have to buy everything in pairs since the wife fishes.... She gets her own LX-7 next year....Or if I want to be single againg I could buy her a Vex ;D
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LMAO ;D
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Hope you don't break it. Hummingbird will not sell you any internal part. I broke the upper control knob. It attaches to a plug and play part that cost $25. It's an easy self-fix, but Hummingbird wanted $91.50 plus shipping to repair it, plus the loss of time with the unit in the middle of the season.
I was able to find a company in Canada that sold me the part and it took two days to get it.
I will NEVER buy another Hummingbird product!
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Well I bought a ice 55 then a good deal came up on a fl22hd so I bought it as well. So the flasher count is now up to nine. I just going to keep the 22 and try to sell the 55. I thought about keeping it as a back up but I already have a trolled 2.0 with a performance pack for that. Maybe I should buy a lx7 just to make it an even 10! LOL
Thanks for all the input!
Matt
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have the 55 and love it, espically for shallow water. Also own the LX7 but dosent play to nice with the fl20 vex next to it, so i use that for mostly deep water or big lakes and i use the chart or graph feature as you can see the fish on the bottom.. yes i know all the flasher can see fish on the bottom; old news. ;D
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Well I bought a ice 55 then a good deal came up on a fl22hd so I bought it as well. So the flasher count is now up to nine. I just going to keep the 22 and try to sell the 55. I thought about keeping it as a back up but I already have a trolled 2.0 with a performance pack for that. Maybe I should buy a lx7 just to make it an even 10! LOL
Thanks for all the input!
Matt
LOL, I told you about your flasher problem in an earlier post. Admitting you have a problem is the first step.....you have taken the first step but not sure if you will take another :). It is easy to get caught up in the new technology and wanting something new, I fall victim to this frequently. The flasher is always greener on the other side.
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I staying with the fl22hd and selling the ice 55. I should have never sold the first 22 I had but as u said the flasher (lx7) I thought was greener but wasn't. Live and learn I guess. Its been a costly lesson that's for sure!
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Hope you don't break it. Hummingbird will not sell you any internal part. I broke the upper control knob. It attaches to a plug and play part that cost $25. It's an easy self-fix, but Hummingbird wanted $91.50 plus shipping to repair it, plus the loss of time with the unit in the middle of the season.
I was able to find a company in Canada that sold me the part and it took two days to get it.
I will NEVER buy another Hummingbird product!
What company did you get this part from? Need to get my buddy's fixed before our Canada trip in 3 weeks.
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thanks for joining us and welcome! great first post btw!!
i sent him a pm asking also for the part info.
my ice55 is junk too and part of the reason is that part. hb refused to replace it on mine after i paid them to fix it.
the costs have gone way up. they now get 180$ plus all the shipping is on you.
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no response after the pm either. he was last active feb. 27th too.
guess we'll never know.
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I have the 55, it's been a solid unit. When you get down past 100 feet it is not as nice as my lx7, that's the only downfall I've had.Like it needs more power. Also I did snap off my knob and got taxed by the factory. However to snap off the knob there had to be some bad stress going on.Have had the 55 since first year available no problems that I didn't cause. And the guy crying about $95 to fix the knob, when's the last time you had any electronics work done. Sounded cheap to me. I know I paid the 180.😫
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it's a 4 year old post. some one brought if from the ashes to ask a question about the power/depth decoder switch.
i need one too and it is not worth another 180$ to try to get them to replace it. i already paid them to replace it and they refused.
this thread maybe the only way to get one for me. i don't use my ice55 either, but it would be great if it at least worked like it should.
the lx9 is so much better in every way.
being a 4 year old thread means hb's flat rate has increased several times.
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Well I bought a ice 55 then a good deal came up on a fl22hd so I bought it as well. So the flasher count is now up to nine. I just going to keep the 22 and try to sell the 55. I thought about keeping it as a back up but I already have a trolled 2.0 with a performance pack for that. Maybe I should buy a lx7 just to make it an even 10! LOL
Thanks for all the input!
Matt
OK, old post but, 9 Flashers, wow. I'm still using a Colorpoint, got to be 25yrs. old and it works great. Liked the Colorpoint so well I picked up a spare.