Marcum vs. Vexilar flashers

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Hey guys I was curious what the pros and cons of each unit are. I was looking into the the fl-8 unit and I believe the marcum lx-1. Both would be used for ice fishing. I Would only be paying roughly $220 for the lx1 and $240 for the fl8 if that makes a difference at all.

[CrappieJohn]

Go into the ice fishing forum and then run a search on each.....lots of arguements in that forum pro/com either unit.

[Captain B.R.K]

Vexilar......Vexilar......Vexilar

Definately take a look at the ice fishing forum and do a search on this. Each year since Marcum hit the market there has been the debate on which unit was better Marcum or Vexilar.

I started with a Vexilar FL-8 and now have the FL-18. If I had to do it all over again, I'm pretty sure I'd lean towards the Vexilar.

[caseymcq]

Vexilar all the way. I have a FL8-SLT. Is is bright, easy to read. Works great. There are a ton of accessories and four different ice fishing configurations you can buy it in.

[Gissert]

It really is a Ford/Chevy kind of thing.

The Marcum is an excellent unit, and I would be very happy with one. Many staffers here run them, and that is a great testament to their effectivness.

I already have my Vexilars (FL8 and FL18) and have been very happy with them also.

Target separation on the Marcum is a bit better than the Vex. The Vex has an optional 9/19 degree transducer, which I really like.

Like the others suggested, read the old threads on the ice fishing forum. Lots of information there.

Really, you will be smiling with either choice.

[Neiko]

Opening this can worm's early aren't we?LOL My buddy has a Vex and I just bought my Marcum last year. My buddy was wishing he had bought the Marcum.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Post deleted by Mr.Seaguar

[Guest]

Love my VEX,but have not tried the other

[Captain B.R.K]

Not to early at all. Ice-fishing season is just right around the corner

[jerkin'm]

I have the LX3 Marcum, Vex Fl-8, Fl-18, will be selling the vexilars soon-does this answer the question? The Marcum shines in the deep stuff so for me, that is the difference. In the under 20ft depths both are very similar, once you get into the 40 foot range and deeper the Marcum makes a big difference with the extra power. Jigging deep for lakers in mid-summer you can actually see fish in 100+ feet of water come up and smack your bait. Nothing cooler than that....

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Im not trying to make an argument, just trying to see what is which model would suit me better. I have used a vexilar before, but havnt had a chance to see a marcum in action.

I searched through other posts and from the sound of it they are both pretty even. I think Im going to go with the marcum unit though.

*EDIT* I just got home with the lx-1. Does anyone know if they have ice up north yet? Cant wait to try it out.

[ChuckN]

Turnupthefishing,

Put that Marcum in the boat for summer use so you don't have to wait for ice. I put my LX-3 on the bow of my boat and it works excellent.

Like jerkn'm said, I love the LX-3 for icing fish in deep water too. The zoom is my favorite to key into those bottom hugging walleyes. It's an excellent feature.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Yeah, I think Im going to have to pick up one of the puck transducers.

[Tom Linderholm]

I just set my LX-3 up on my bow and was out jig fishing last night in 20 FOW, man how it got the itch going for the ice again. See fish, jig fish, catch fish.

[gspman]

Whap! Whap! Whap! The sound you hear is a dead horse being beaten. I have a Marcum LX3 because I think it's the best flasher. However, if you handed me a Vex FL18 I'd be happy to fish with it and I'd catch fish with it. Either way you'll catch fish and have a very nice ice fishing flasher. Just pick the one you like and go with it. Everything you need to know about this subject has already been posted. Just search on Vexilar and Marcum in the ice fishing forum and you'll have enough info to last a lifetime.

gspman

[Captain B.R.K]

This use to be a bigger topic than it is now. Back in the day Vexilar use to be the #1 unit on the market because nothing else was quite like it. Zercom made a flasher called the Color Point but with all the tech. errors/problems it never did well. Now that Marcum has a good product on the market, it makes for some stiff competition w/ flashers.

Regardless of which one you buy, either unit will bring a smile to your face.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

As stated before I was not trying to make a big debate I just wanted the facts on each model so I could make a better decision. Even though I did go with the Marcum, it doesnt mean I dont like Vexilar. From the sound of it both models are very similiar. The things that sold me was the price I got it for, the power and seperation (which at this point Im just basing it on what others said), and lastly the fact that I dont need to worry much about interferance from other machines.

[katoguy]

Quote:

---

Back in the day Vexilar use to be the #1 unit on the market

---

Use to be? Or still is? (based on numbers sold)

You should be happy with either. I only know 1 person with a Marcum, but he is content. His fishing partner has the FL-18. They argue like a married couple, but it doesn't matter who's boat they are fishing out of - they still catch bass!

[Hoyter]

My only comment on the Marcum is if you are going to go to URL in February and fish out of a hard sided house, make sure you've purchased a transducer cable extension. The only opportunity I've had to see a Marcum in action was a friend I took up there who had a LX-1. Unfortunately his transducer wouldn't reach the bottom of the hole so al he could see was clutter. He ended up having to borrow one of my Vex's that weekend. It worked great for him.

[BIG DS]

I don't know if this will help at all, but if you came into my store to buy one and asked me the same question, this is what I would tell you....

The Marcum has 180 watts rms and 1500 peak to peak. The Vexilar has 50 rms and 400 peak to peak. The Marcum will give you better target seperation, a sharper "image" of what is down there, and pick out the bait fish from the game fish better. The Vexilar tends to show the bait fish as a blob. The Vexilar will work better in shallow water conditions since the power is lower. The colors on the Vexilar are more defined (green, yellow, and red) than the Marcum (red, orange, and yellow). The Marcum is a bit easier to see in direct sunlight. Vexilar has a history of being a rugged, dependable unit. Marcum has not been around long enough for that. The zoom feature on the LX3 cam be adjusted any where in the water column and the Vexilar will only show you the bottom 6 feet. Marcum works well with multiple units in the house and works good with Vexilar. Vexilar works well with multiple units as long as they are Vexilar. They don't like to be around Marcum. The IR will not filter out the interference real good. Vexilar offers a dual beam in the FL8 and the FL18, Utra Pack in both units and Pro Pack in both units. Vexilar offers a basic charger, Marcum offers a DCS (digital charging system) for the LX1 and it comes with the LX3. The DCS puts in a fast charge at first and as the battery nears full it switches to a trickle for better saturation and longer battery life. The DCS can be left hooked up and plugged in to maintain the battery without damaging it. Vexilar uses a float on the transducer cable and Marcum uses a arm. The FL8 pro-pack will fit in a 5 gallon bucket, the LX1 does not. One brand not mentioned here is the Lowrance 67c and the 68c ice systems. The Lowrance unit offers 256 color real-time flasher. The Lowrance flasher is all digital electronics and is quicker than Vexilar and Marcum, not that anyone could notice it. The 68c adds GPS. The Lowrance will show actual bottom no matter if there is weeds or mud down there. There will be a black barbell marking the bottom. The 256 color system will give you a more accurate indication of size of the target. The screen is visible no matter what the light situation is. Contrary to popular belief, the screen does not get "lazy" or slow down in the cold weather. It has been built for that type of use. The Lowrance unit has comparable power to the Marcum. There you have it. Good luck in choosing one.

[FISHER ED]

I just picked up a Marcum LX3 after selling my FL8. I liked the sounds of the adjustable zoom as fish are not always within the bottom few feet of water. Not a huge fan of the transducer arm so I'm buying a Vex float so she can bob away in the hole. The soft case is nice but it won't fit into a 5 gallon bucket.

No matter which way you go, you have a great unit. Like everything else out there, they both have their pros & cons. It all comes down to which features you like best. You are the one fishing with it, not anyone else right?

Bring on the ice!!!

[BIG DS]

The Vexilar float on the Marcum ducer has become a popular conversion. I however like being able to push the ducer to side of the hole and have it stay there while pulling in the big ones. I switched from the FL8slt to the LX3 last winter and love the Marcum. I like the Vexilar also and I intend to buy a used one as a back-up as soon as we get a few trade-ins. See ya on the ice!

[TonkaBass]

aww man, it's still summer!

[irvingdog]

Cheer up, Adam.

[Chris-Neises]

If you have a universal sonar system on a Minnkota trolling motor, I believe Vex is your only option. I loved my fl-18 on the front of my boat, but I'm starting to enjoy the FL-10 on my dash as much.