Marcum Power vs Vexilars "HD"

[griff321]

Typical Ford vs Chevy debate. Mine is better than yours.

I WISH this was a Ford vs Chevy debate. Then I could head over to consumer reports and compare the controlled testing data for myself. This doesn't even come close to that. We allow the conversation regarding outdoor products to be dominated by marketing jargon and fanboy testimonials.

Give me some hard data to compare in a controlled testing environment things like real world applications of features or typical failure rates and the cost involved in fixing said failure. Manuals are all marketing jargon and they obviously highlight what they do well and not what they don't. No company is going to say for example that "we increase power knowing that the consumer will not expect massive diminishing returns over our previous model for a hefty hunk of cash" or " we say the competition burns through crystals because of too much power, but in reality their rate of failure is only 3% more".

People just seem resigned to be like, "buy a Z71 or a Ranger, a truck is a truck. You'll be happy with either"

-Time to get out from behind the monitor and get on some hard water. Good luck for anyone else headed out and stay safe. See ya on Spring

[leech~~]

Wait just a minute! What about Dodge!!

[fisherman-andy]

About the deep water and power....

You can have all the power you want, but if you scale doesn't go that high, you are out of the game. This is something I never thought about, and I didn't think I'd ever find an occasion in which I couldn't use my LX5, but that such occasion happened a couple of years ago when I was fishing with Jim Hudson out on Superior one weekend.

We were out in something like 200fow and I went to scale up my flasher and it didn't go any higher. I was like "what the heck?". I looked over and the guys with Birds had no problem, and then I said something to Jim and he says, "now you know why I use Vex "

Sorry, I know this really has nothing to do with the original question and not many people fish in 200fow, but it is something to keep in mind related to this discussion.

The VX1, LX3TC, LX5 all scale to 160ft. Most the Vex models do 200ft except FL8 120ft, the FL20 does 300ft, the FL22 does 60ft max.

Considering the features of the Marcums I will gladly take that over 40ft cause again most dont ever fish at that depth. I cant even remember when I fished over 70ft. So its not a great feature or selling point. If depth is a concern then look into a Marcum Showdown 240ft, or the new LX7 which does 300ft. Equip yourself for the situation if your gonna be doing angling at those depths. Nuff said.

Pull out the LX7 and smile at the guy and say "now you know why I dont use Vex".

[fishwater]

Pull out the LX7 and smile at the guy and say "now you know why I dont use Vex".

That, AND trapped in a smurf suit. Some folks have all the luck.

I got a showdown after I used a deep water fl-18 for a bit. The showdown smacks the FL-18 silly in deep water IMO. If Chequamegon ever freezes good, the Lx-7 will be amazing.

[hamms-scooter]

All vexs do not go to 200ft. the fl-8 goes to 120.

[gixxer01]

I don't understand why you are ragging on people for not giving you the information you are looking for, when you yourself cannot find it. Apparently, the only form of statistical data you will find is owner opinion. I suggest you go to the flasher GTG and check them out for yourself.

[dougger222]

Both are fine units and both if used correctly will help you ice fish. I've met quite a few fisherman who have both Marcum and Vex who don't know how to use them. An FL8 in the right hands will outfish a LX7 in the wrong hands, same is true of an base unit Marcum and a 22HD.

Yes, the made in debate Marcum=USA, Vexilar=Japan.

I'm a big buy USA guy but I really hate to say it but Japan knows how to make a few things. My nail guns which are touted as the bust in the business are made in Japan. The high end SLR camera I bought my wife for Chirstmas is made in Japan. The motors that power my air compressors are made in Japan, again best in the business. I'm no pro made in Japan guy if they could make things better here in the states I'd buy them for sure! Sad truth is there's some things Japan makes better than the USA.

Marcum has also had some issues with being bought by various companies some of which have filed bankruptcy. Years ago had a Color Point and in the first couple weeks using it the plastic on both knobs busted off, my cousin had the same thing happen to his. This is of course 12+ years ago...

Too bad you couldn't rent a 20 or 22 and an LX5 or 7 to try for a day. Unlike buying a new vehicle you don't get a test run with a flasher!

BTW,

Been tempted to go out and buy an LX7 but hearing mixed reviews most common not worth the $700 price tag. My thoughts are you'll see improvements on the LX7 in the next year or two and don't be shocked to see another model soon from the Vexilar camp.

My fear is we're headed to price tags that rival the high end boat sonars...

[maxpower17]

Look what I started!!!

[fisherman-andy]

All vexs do not go to 200ft. the fl-8 goes to 120.

Corrected, missed that one. FL8 is dinosaur to me and I dont even consider it a good buy at its going retail price. Either way im just gonna come out and say it. Get the LX5 or LX7. I think there have been more than enough reviews and comments on features for pros and cons. If you end up dissapointed with the LX 5 fishing in shallow waters I will be very surprised.

[CaptainMusky]

My fear is we're headed to price tags that rival the high end boat sonars...

Ummm, They already do. YOu can get a HDS 5 for under $700 or many Humminbird models too.

With those units you have GPS.

This is my complaint about the LX7. At that price, it better include a dang GPS. Otherwise it isnt worth it in my mind. I could care less about what the footprint of the bottom I see or need a nice little doohicky to show me on a screen. Its fairly easy to know that in 20 feet of water Im seeing about 3 feet of the bottom. In less that than its really irrelavent.

[J2M]

I just wish they would make a Marcum with the screen size of a Humminbird.

[DTro]

or you could just buy a 'bird.

I've been very pleased with mine.

[Dark Cloud]

Or just buy a Marcum.

[Esox_Magnum]

I WISH this was a Ford vs Chevy debate. Then I could head over to consumer reports and compare the controlled testing data for myself. This doesn't even come close to that. We allow the conversation regarding outdoor products to be dominated by marketing jargon and fanboy testimonials.

Give me some hard data to compare in a controlled testing environment things like real world applications of features or typical failure rates and the cost involved in fixing said failure. Manuals are all marketing jargon and they obviously highlight what they do well and not what they don't. No company is going to say for example that "we increase power knowing that the consumer will not expect massive diminishing returns over our previous model for a hefty hunk of cash" or " we say the competition burns through crystals because of too much power, but in reality their rate of failure is only 3% more".

People just seem resigned to be like, "buy a Z71 or a Ranger, a truck is a truck. You'll be happy with either"

-Time to get out from behind the monitor and get on some hard water. Good luck for anyone else headed out and stay safe. See ya on Spring

My real world results after 3 years of running the LX-5 next to a FL-20, LX will mark bottom huggers better, has sharper chrisper cleaner lines, in schools of fish the LX allows you to see multiple targets instead of the fish showing up as 1 big mark, 20 has a night mode thats neat, 20 allows only bottom zoom, in shallow weeds the LX is a better unit with the SFL and narrow beam.

Testing waters are the gin clear Iowa Great Lakes, West Okoboji specificly. Units were used side by side in sight fishing conditions and with aid of a camera to see how far jigs were off bottom before they registered and also with sight fishing we knew for a fact what swam by and what showed up on what flasher and what did not... LX-5 came out on top 99% of the time....Hence why I no longer own Vexilars and will own only Marcums untill someone makes a better unit...

[hnd]

in shallow water, all the vex's i've used show my 3mm jig as the size of a muskie. even low power mode it still a big red bar with the gain almost to 0. i'm talking in 10 ft or less.

[hamms-scooter]

or you could just buy a 'bird.

I've been very pleased with mine.

Isn't the target separation on them more like the vex? 2.5 " or so?

[magicstix]

I've tried them out. And everybody has a opinion.

My advise is to find some people that have these units and try them side by side so you can see first hand what you like about a paticular flasher. This is what I did. I wasn't going slap down $500 on a flasher and then wished I'd bought another brand. I wasn't going to buy one because the salesman, friends, buddies, bait shop talk or the internet forums said there are the best. I did my own research, it took me a ice season but got my answer.

I ended up buying the 20. 22 wasn't out yet but came out the next fall and I got that too because 10ft scales work for most of my fishing. It was a tough call,60' or 200' ended up with both in the end. Was it because I had a vex before? I don't know. I just can say thats what appealled to me. I didn't care what the specs. were on all the brands.

Have fun with whatever you get!!!

[griff321]

I don't understand why you are ragging on people for not giving you the information you are looking for, when you yourself cannot find it. Apparently, the only form of statistical data you will find is owner opinion. I suggest you go to the flasher GTG and check them out for yourself.

If guys felt that I was ragging on them for not handing me information, because I'm too lazy to do the legwork then I apologize. I guess I'm just not that good at conveying emotions through type. :shrug: It's the internet and it happens.

It was more of a request for information that is possibly buried on the net and a lamentation regarding the state of the argument regarding what is best. I've waded through many flasher threads and articles and the conversation is rarely dominated by facts. If it is then it's one sided or incomplete. I expected it to be much easier to find a fact based consumer report style testing with all of the outdoor news media we have. I'm about to drop a lot of money for me and I just wanted to make the most informed decision possible.

Thanks guys for side-by-side reports and the tip about the flasher GTG. I work, but I'm sure a fairly informative report should arise as a result, so I'm mashing F5 in anticipation

[leech~~]

My advise is to find some people that have these units and try them side by side so you can see first hand what you like about a paticular flasher.

Uuuum? That's a really good idea! I heard that there was some guy trying to set up just an event to do that?

[harvey lee]

90% of my days on the ice are with my Ice55. But, there are days and some situations where I want my LX5 along as it can do a bit better job while using the super fine line and the target seperation is that good. I typically use my LX5 for fishing schools of panfish and my Ice55 is for the eyes and pike.

[DRH1175]

I have been using my LX5 since it came out and I love it. I have fished with many that have the fl20 and I can tell you that the fl20 are great units. But the LX5 are a step ahead. I see nothing different on the fl22 other than the tri beam transducer and a HD sticker and price. Why would anyone spend $580 on a FL22 when you can have a better unit for $80 less in the LX5. I know a couple people who have asked me what to buy. I told them Lx5 but they bought the fl20 becuase advertising said to. Then when they fished with me they admitted that the lx5 was clearer, the IR was suppierior, and they liked the soft case. To each his own I guess. I fish with Marcums. Because I feel they are a better product. Marcums use higher power for a reason. More power gives you more detail plain and simple!

[hamms-scooter]

When you hole hop with a lx-5 do you have to reset your zoom or is everything the same and ready to go?

[MN Mike]

If the LX5 has been shut off, you will have to reset the zoom, usually takes about 5 seconds or so to do.

Mike

[bdafisher]

I have a marcum lx-5 and humminbird ice-55. 90% of the time my go to is the Marcum. IMO better target separation, and WAY better on the bottom. My backup gets a ton of use by buddies and the wife, and they think its great because of the auto zoom and LCD features. And to me that is the difference too, it looks cool, its big and flashy. But I am out there to catch more fish, so marcum it is.

[hamms-scooter]

Thought it was odd to hear of someone on here who liked the bird more for eyes and the marcum more for panfish. I would think the lx-5 would shine for fishing the walleyes.