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That's a good analogy. Pull the Atari out of the attic after 40 years and it still works. Xbox 360 after six months, red ring of death.
Sorry you had so much trouble with Marcum. I have been running a LX-5 for years now and bought a LX-7 and have had 0 issues. You must have bought a unit that was built on a Friday or Monday........
I was just at Marcum HQ There was a stack of boxes of units 2 feet high right there in the lobby that had been sent in for service, software upgrades, etc, etc when I got there. I don't ever see anything like that with Vex. ... This was 2 weeks ago and each one of those boxes represents a guy without electronics right at the start of ice season.
5 seasons with Marcum (2 w/VX-1 and 3 w/LX-6) not a single problem! I've seen Vex's, Hummingbirds and Marcums broken...maybe it's the user not taking care of their gear and not the manufacturer?
I was just at Marcum HQ There was a stack of boxes of units 2 feet high right there in the lobby that had been sent in for service, software upgrades, etc, etc when I got there. I don't ever see anything like that with Vex
you missed this part My buddy babied his LX-7 like a computer. I was there when it stopped working. It. Just. Stopped. working. I'm rooting for Marcum, I'm ready for new (reliable) technology, my fl-18 is getting old...
All companies are different, maybe they don't leave out returns for everyone to see.
I own a Marcum VX-1 (my extra unit for when I take someone along) and a 28. I really like both of these units and have had 0 problems with either one. So for me, this isn't a "Marcum vs. Vex" comment. When I look at the upper end Marcums, I really like all the features they offer, but it just seems to me you are basically hauling a laptop computer out on the ice. I think about the conditions on the ice. You have ice, water, cold, snow. Stuff can easily get banged around, stuff set on it, dropped on it while it is in the sled. I look at the "monitor" screen on the high end Marcum units and I think about the circuitry that must be inside there to make the thing work and I immediately get worried about durability. I was just reading a posting that someone started about having some issues with his LX-7 "hesitating". Some sort of "hard to replicate" "every once in a while" type issue. Sort of like what you would see with your laptop. After the post was started, about 8 guys added a "me too" for problems with theirs. Yikes. Marcum HQ is 20 minutes from my house and Vex HQ is 10 minutes away. I have been to both. I was just at Marcum HQ 2 weeks ago to pick up a soft case for the VX-1. There was a stack of boxes of units 2 feet high right there in the lobby that had been sent in for service, software upgrades, etc, etc when I got there. I don't ever see anything like that with Vex. I'm not questioning the build quality of Marcum, all I'm saying is that when you build something this complex and put it into a harsh environment, it seems to me that problems are inevitable. This was 2 weeks ago and each one of those boxes represents a guy without electronics right at the start of ice season. Seeing that post about LX-7 problems just a few minutes ago sums it up for me. Again, I don't care who manufactures it, my concern is the design. If Vex built a "laptop" type unit, I wouldn't buy that one either. I don't know. Maybe I'm ignorant on the build of these units, but it just seems to me like you are asking for issues when you haul something that complicated out in the conditions we fish in. Maybe if you fish exclusively out of a wheel house, I could see it. The unit rides to the lake in the warm truck and goes into the warm fish house but for a guy who pulls his shack out with an ATV or snow machine with stuff bouncing around in a sled and sets up in a cold, wicked environment, I think I'll leave the laptop at home.
I don't know why someone would choose to listen to a spinning motor while watching an inferior display when they could go with the dead silence of digital & a huge, accurate display! I've never had a problem with any Marcum product I've owned (knock on wood), and I bet there are thousands of other happy customers as well. You'll only hear from the ones who have had troubles on the internet, and there are plenty who have had problems with their Vex's as well.
X2! After 8 total failures 3 showdowns and 5 lx3's you couldn't give me a marcum product, for you guys that are running marcums fill out your warranty cards, once warranty has expired, sell, to someone you don't know or like!
Man oh man with that kind of luck you certainly don't belong anywhere near the ice or near anyone in case your bad luck rubs off . You need to be in a bubble guarded by the US marines TD
I doubt its luck, I would like to see you find someone that has had their showdown for at least a year and hasn't had it fail at least once on them...
congrats you just found him no issues whatsoever
I would give vex a try if they get rid of that blob of a mark I simply can't stand it but atleast it has a beverage holder lol
beverage holder? Seems pretty deluxe if you ask me
sorry I had a mind melt I was thinking of the fl20 sitting on my buddies basement shelf covered in dust lol
Yea this weather is ridiculous already gonna do a road trip soon
I would like to see you find someone that has had their showdown for at least a year and hasn't had it fail at least once on them...