Vexilar VS Marcum?

[icefishingct98]

Just wondering which flasher i should get, I dont want to get hummingbird because i heard they are a pain to set up so these are my four choices which one should i get? I fish for crappies,bluegills,trout,bass,and perch and the lakes i fish are like 6-40 feet of water.

[udflyer]

All you need is a FL12 and those work well!

[DR.SPECKLER]

the flat screen of the fl12 is nice but has no zoom.i would go with a fl18 out of those choices.i had a vx1 and thought it was cheaply made and sold it.i have a marcum lx3tc decent unit but the vexilars are built to last.im not brand loyal either I have Marcum and vexs.well maybe im brand loyal when it come to augers..jiffy always.haha

[hardwater diehard]

FL-18 ....low power and zoom are great to have in shallow or deep lakes  best of both worlds .....I have a 12 deg transducer but other options may be better for you .

[icefishingct98]

the only reason i'm skeptical about getting the fl-18 is because the screen i like the idea of the flat screen like the fl-12 but i dont know if i should need the zoom feature for fishing in 6-40 feet of water

[hardwater diehard]

I've noticed the flat screen is tough to read in direct sunlight .....the low power mode (FL-18) really cuts out the clutter in water less than 15 ft my .02

[mr tip up]

I have a fl-18 and love it

[icefishingct98]

i am going with the fl-12 found a great deal on it 349.99 and it has low power mode which i will need when i am fishing for bass in shallow water 6-10 feet with heavy grass

[diabetik11]

Go with the vx1 and save ur self $50 an get zoom mode included

[hnd]

no need for low power mode in the marcums as their gain is set up tremendously better than the vexilars. 

i'd rank them in this order

lx3
fl18
vx1
fl12

[hamms]

I hated the glare from the fl20 I had...the fl18 was better unit for me. I have not used lx3 but like the display better. Crisp. I would look at those 2  unis out of the ones you listed. The birds are in no way a pain to set up. In fact most who have then love that you just drop the ducer in and go.

[filetandrelease]

vex has reconditioned fl18's in a genz box for 349.00

[jumbo chaser]

x2 get the 18

[Knoodles]

Just wondering which flasher i should get, I dont want to get hummingbird because i heard they are a pain to set up so these are my four choices which one should i get? I fish for crappies,bluegills,trout,bass,and perch and the lakes i fish are like 6-40 feet of water.

I am just curious as to what you mean by hummingbird being hard to set up?  I have owned the 55 for a few years and they had some issues off the production line but set up is no different than any other unit.  unless I am misunderstanding what you mean by set up?

[icefishingct98]

Oh about the humminbirds i have read some bad reviews on how hard they are to set up idk its just what i heard, also i would go with the lx3tc but it is on the pricey side the fl-12 seemed like the best because i am a big fan of low power mode because honestly i will fish occasionally shallow but now that you guys keep talking about the fl-18 i will look more into that!

[esox_magnum]

With the Marcums you dont need the low power mode and you get more features with the 3 than the 12 or 18....I have fished next to a 12 and honestly bigges POS we have ever used, owned 3 18's and sold them the week after seeing the LX-5.... I now run the LX-7 and use it from 6-50' without ever making an adjustment....

[jumbo chaser]

I I must have missed something didn't see the H bird being listed

[Skipper]

If you can make toast or boil water, you can set up an H-bird.

The flasher market is so loaded with hype and misinformation, those who propagate it should be ashamed.

All flashers on the market work just fine, are made well, and will last a very long time. I feel this is a fact and I will stick with it.

They all have very good customer service. Vexilar has been consistent while others companies had growing pains, that is true though. Flashers are pretty reliable, its not like you will need much support.

You will eventually want zoom. Scratch anything off your list without it, and put a star next to anything that has adjustable zoom. Zoom is like cruse control in your car. It isnt necessary, but you sure miss it when it isnt there. Even if you only fish shallower water, you will have fun playing with it and will never want to be without it again.

Low power mode feature is irrelevant. Vexilar competitors dont have it because they don't need it. You will never miss it unless you buy an FL-8 and have to mess with an S-Cable. You can fish extremely shallow water without cutting the power down if you have a Marcum or a Bird.

Big flat screens are nice. You don't have to be looking straight at them and they are easier on your eyes.

I've owned and fished with all three brands. Vexilar power management sucks, Marcum has little screens on flashers, H-bird has a really hard time canceling interference from other H birds in the same shack. Other than that, they all have a very long list of reasons you would want one.

 

[icefishingct98]

Based on what you guys said I am looking more into the fl18 because of its zoom feature and how clear it is to read but what do you guys think about h birds ice 35 and 45?

[ducati]

Go with the vx1 and save ur self $50 an get zoom mode included

X2, does what an FL18 does for alot less dinero.

[carcus1]

I have 2 lx3tc's and a fl20, all good, fl20 was overpriced and is only good in a shelter, a lot of buddies have humminbirds ice35's this flasher is by far the best bang for your buck, $300, and they work ok outside the tent

[DR.SPECKLER]

the comment about a fl20 only being good in a shelter has got me wondering..i use mine 99 percent of the time outside.maybe a little overpriced though.

[jumbo chaser]

X2 the 35 is the best for the price but if you go to vex recondition site you can get a fl18 tri beam for I think $350 same warranty and basicly a new unit

[filetandrelease]

tri beam is 419, genz pack is 350 with 12 degree ducer

[JimQ]

I have 2 lx3tc's and a fl20, all good, fl20 was overpriced and is only good in a shelter, a lot of buddies have humminbirds ice35's this flasher is by far the best bang for your buck, $300, and they work ok outside the tent

Just out of curiosity, why doesn't your FL-20 work well outside?  Is the display difficult for you to see?

Q

[hnd]

the difference between the vex's and the marcums are pretty clear to me.  each have advantages that affect different people.  an old guy i fish with used to use the marcums but switched back the vexilars.  not because of the screen size necessarily but because of the blending the vex's do.  we all call it the vexilar blob. but for him the blink of the marcum was driving him nuts.  totally understandable. some people prefer that to the slight blink of the marcums.  the advantage in the blink is picking out fish out of structure.  it also seems to product a crisper, clearer picture.   like i said, its just a matter of preference....there is a difference. 

i've seen a 45 in action but have used a 35 a few times. i'd never recommend it unless we are talking about it vs an fl8.  it just seemed like it was in constant zoom mode.  just wasn't sharp to me having used other brands.  the 45 seemed to be a bit sharper. 

[jumbo chaser]

my fl 20 works great outside I fish outside most of the time

[JimQ]

I've used the FL-22 the last 2 seasons and have noticed that at times the display can be somewhat difficult to see in bright sunlight.

I notice they have brought back the ring around the display on the FLX-28.  Not as pronounced as the FL-8 / FL-18 but it's there.

Q

[icefishingct98]

Ok im down to 2  the marcum lx-3tc or the vexilar fl-18 everybody just tell me one or the other please now!

[Skipper]

The LX-3 is gonna have way sharper marks. Go to the store and play with them side by side, you'll see what I mean. FL-18 is a great unit and I've owned a couple, but the throbby globby marks drove me nuts. Marcum has solid marks that don't move. It comes in really handy if you fish walleyes in mud like I do. When the bottom mark starts twitching with an LX-3, its likely something alive down there. When the bottom line twitches on an FL-18, well, they do that all the time for no good reason.