Lowrance ice machine x-67c ?s

[Boar]

I'll be purchasing a new sonar this winter an already have a vex 8se an have read all the pros an cons hear about marcum an vex. but am curious about the lowrance modles, I'm sure I've missed the debate on this one, what might be some issues with, dose anyone have one? why an why not? Later boar

[Todd_J]

I bought a M68c (X67 with GPS)three seasons ago and have not regretted going with a graph once. I have used flashers in the past with good success, but I find the graph much more flexible. For instance there is a history of what is going on below me, I can zoom in up to 4x anywhere in the water column, and the sensitivity is fantastic. It is an excellent ice fishing tool.

More than likely, people will post alleged "issues" related to LCD's and lag in processing, LCD's and freezing... Rubbish. I can tell you I have had ZERO issues with lag, freezing, or poor cold weather functioning.

What the flasher-style models DO excel at is durability and one-who-thinks-I-am-silly proofness. I am far more careful with my Lowrance than with a Vex. The Lowrance has far more computer gadgetery inside and needs a certain level of care... I don't leave it outside in the garage when I'm not using it. I don't kick it out of the ice-hole when icing a big walleye. Also, there is more options, menus, and do-dads that can be altered. If you can negotiate and tweak Windows on your home computer or the Lowrance on your boat, you will be able to set/tweak the X67 for ice fishing. There is a learning curve.

If I were to do it again, Id get the X67 and skip the GPS option. I have the M68c and find the GPS/Sonar combo a pain. It is cumbersome, heavy and somewhat useless to use when on the move.. Whether I am on foot, on a 4 wheeler, or in my car, the thing is just a pain when you need to be constantly referring to it to get the spot-on-spot directions. Plus you cannot use SD lakemap chips.

In retrospect, I think a X-67C and a IFinder H2O would have made much more sense. That way I have solid directions (and lake contours) that are easily read from a small pocket-sized GPS while I am on the move. Then when I am fishing, I can use the vastly superior X-67c to hone in on the fishes. get my drift?

Sure you could pop $700 for a 334c or even $500 for a 520c and get Lakemap chip capability, but I really believe that for ICE fishing, the sonar and GPS are much more effective when separated.

[redbandit]

Well said Todd J. I've used the X67c For the last three seasons aswell and have the H2Oc for the gps. I go out every week from ealy to late ice, nothing but great reports from both.

On the X67c I ditched the original transducer holder and added the float system that Vex has. You can pick them up at Fleet Farm.

One other thing, you might get some interference (little black verticle lines traveling up the screen) when fishing to close to another locator. I asked a Lowrance rep about this and he said that it's because the locator that's giving the interference is using the same frequencey. He also said that each Lowrance unit varies slightly from one unit to another on the frequencey. So, one unit may have problems and a different one may not.

There are ways to help the problem. You can turn the X67 on and off or use your budies interference rejector button. The problem comes from the X67 picking up the ping from the other locator so your just trying to time the two pings by using the two methods above.

[Todd_J]

I have had a interference problems on a few occasions... generally this happens when my friend (with a Vex18) and I fish within 15 yards of each other. Further than 15 yards and interference is not a problem. It also happened this last weekend when we were fishing a very hot spot that was very thickly populated with 15 boats in the area of a third of a football field. Lots of electronic noise being generated!

Interference while ice fishing is generally minor, but can be reduced 1) by increasing the Surface Clarity and Noise Rejection settings in the Sonar Features menu, 2)Altering the ping speed of the Lowrance, and 3) coordinating efforts with the other person suspected of being party to the interference (e.g. fiddling with the Interference Rejection settings on the Vex/Marc).

My unit was not the "Ice Machine" package, so I bought my ice-ducer from an outfit in Mpls. I too use a Vex-type float. I have the whole works (unit and battery) mounted on a 1/8 think, 10 inch diameter plywood base and placed in a soft-sided blue Vex bag. (I have painstakingly removed the Vexlar stitching as not to give people the wrong impression.)

[Ralph Wiggum]

X67c w/ H2Oc. I echo what the others have said. I love it.

[stymie]

For those of you that are using the X67c ice fishing, do you utilize it on the graph mode or the flasher mode - and reason for why you use it which way.

Much appreciated!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Graph.

It's nice to have a brief history. You can see if you miss a fish whne you glance away. And I just don't think flahser mode is that great. Also, it is tougher to deal with interference in the flasher mode.

[Chode2235]

I have the 334 which is the bigger cousin of the 67, and I love it to death.

I typically use it in graph mode, as I like the history and the graph reads more like a book. I do use the flasher mode though, like when I am hole hopping a looking for the right depth.

The downfalls that I find with my ice machine, is that it takes a little longer for the auto settings to kick in when you drop it down the hole. So turn those off, and it takes a minute for the graph to 'display' the digital depth. But if the scale is set right you can see the bottom right away.

I really like the graph mode, and I really like the zoom features, I love the versatility and options. I like using the sonar on my boat in the summer.

I like looking at this:

over this:

But yes, I really love my Lowrance ice machine, and would pick up another in a second if something happened to it.

[Neighbor_guy]

Having used my x67c for its first full season last year, I can honestly say I would not fish with anything else. I had planed on getting a vex but after using both, the x67c was the one I chose.

It takes a little more time to get it set up, but once it is in there, it is great. I did talk to the Lorance guy's at the Ice fishing show and they took care of me well.

I use it more in Graph mode, but find that when there are other units, vex's or marcum's the flasher mode shows less of the interference.

I picked up an H20 so now I am all set, just need a RAM mount for the snowmobile and I am all set.

[Todd_J]

Great Graphic Chode! This illustrates one major reason I prefer the Graph over the Flasher display (you can be half-in-the-bag, lighting a smoke, and/or fiddling with other stuff in the porty and still have an idea of what is going on beneath you).

It really does come down to preference, though. I know guys that wont look at anything but a flasher; it is how they know, understand, and interpret the icy depths. They are far more skilled using the flasher as tool than I. I bit on the Lowrance package, used the graph extensively, and have built my skill base from there. For me, the graph makes more sense and provides more information about the underwater world...

Comparing apples to apples, however, I'd say that a the flasher display on the Lowrance is not as 'clean' and easily readable as mechanical flashers. It all comes down to the user, I suppose. If you prefer a flasher display, get a true flasher. If you like a graph well then.....

[McGurk]

I bought my old man an X67 Ice Machine, and he is still getting used to all of the different stuff that can be done on it. He also rigged it up to mount on the bow of his boat and used a couple of hose clamps to attach to the trolling motor (one around the transducer, and one around the trolling motor and through the other hose clamp). It worked excellent as a quick and dirty trolling motor depth finder, and only cost a few bucks for hose clamps and zip ties for the tranducer wire. As far as winter use goes, we are still getting used to it and all of it's adjustments. It's a shame that we haven't yet found a way to get it to work side-by-side with my lx3. Any thoughts?

[Todd_J]

Side-by-side might be difficult. You might want to jack up the Noise Rejection on the Lowrance and reduce the Ping-Speed a few clicks. Does fiddling with the LX3 noise rejection feature help at all?

[McGurk]

Tried everything on my end on the LX3, and tried a few things on the X67. I was only a problem once when it was pretty nasty outside, and we had a camera down too so we were able to compromise. I did try to take the Sens down, and tried adjusting the ping speed. We maybe gave up too quickly, but we'll try again this winter.

[Chode2235]

My buddy has an LX-3 and we do have some issues. We can get rid of most of it by turning my filtering and noise rejection way up, and he cycles through his IR rejections. You should be able to get it close, but yeah it can be a pain. But so is sitting next to anyone else too.

I completely agree about the flasher too, the 'real' flashers are a better flasher, but the graph is great IMO.