looking to by my first fish finder. narrowed it down to two. I think these are the top two. can someone please let me know which one is better out of the two, and which is a better user-friendly out of the two. I would greatly appreciate any help I can get.
I run a FLX-28. Vexilar is about as reliable and user friendly as they come. Drawbacks are it is only a flasher, where with the LX7 you can do multiple views at once with movable zoom zones. A lot of guys are going Helix now for the fact that you get GPS plus all the different views. It also can be used in open water as well.
hoodski –
Welcome aboard, X2 on what wichman said.
I’d look into a helix, but just remember you’ll need to buy a lakemaster chip for $100
Thanks for the reply. I’m gonna look into the helix.and the garmin to. Happy new year guys.
Lx7. Helix only if you need maps…. Does know good for me since I have phone and handheld GPS and am a walker too.
Garmin Echomap 73cv is the best bang for the buck. The FLX 28 is priced the same as a 73cv with ice bundle (no panoptix). Marcums are just unreliable.
I have had both. I liked my marcum LX7, but it failed me a few times and I would always get interference when fishing next to someone that had one too. I could get most of it to disappear, but you had to mess around with the setting. Had a transducer fail me on a trip to devils lake and had a hard time finding a new one in town. Also you have to turn the back light down so far it was hard to see on bright sunny days when not in the house. On those nice days I hated setting up the house, because it was just to nice to be in the house. I also bought the lithium shuttle to help with the battery life and it failed 1 month after the warrenty ran out. i contacted marcum. they would replace the battery, but at a cost I thought was to much. I then sold it and got a FLX 28 and never looked back. I can use it in all sun conditions and it just plain works. I don’t need charts as I have a Lawrence HDS gen3 on my ATV that I use for charts. People say that Vexilar are out dated, but they do what I need them to do and mine have always worked.
I have the lx6 love it, but I Lake trout fished with a guy with a vex 28,i liked it alot,the28 is on my bucket list.
You get a dual beam transducer with the Marcum and a not so well liked preview on the Vexilar. Watch videos on utube of all the ones you think you are interested in. Dedicated ice units have buttons and knobs right up front to make needed adjustments. Boat or so called universal units will require digging into sub menus for things like gain / contrast/ IR / back light and such. This can be very frustrating. I use a LX7 and a LX5 that I bought used many years ago and have not had a problem with either one. I use them on the ice and dock fishing.
I currently own both units, if I had to pick only one it would be the flx-28
mainly because its fast easy and the target separation is the best, the
lx7 was my go to for the last several years and its great in deep water for eyes but sucks shallow for panfish.. had lots of issues with the 7 lots of adjustment issues and interference and I’m on my fourth transducer they are fragile and marcums systems for carrying the units suck
Vexilar, Where will be marcum be in 10 years if you need support?
Vexilar, Where will be marcum be in 10 years if you need support?
I highly doubt Marcum is going anywhere.
Totally agree, they are going nowhere, fast. 
If you are content with an old style dial flasher, hard to be the 28. If you want a unit thats you can customize and set up just the way you want it, go with the LX7. I got an LX7 used this season and have loved it. I do not even use the flasher mode any more and have gone to just using the graph and vertical zoom. All abot how you want to use the unit. Should be happy with either option IMO.
Lx7 in my opinion. I really like using the graph mode in the winter time. I don’t have to stare at my screen. On a shuttle it is has been stellar in the winter. I am going on my second season on a shuttle and 5th on a Lx7.
I love my unit and really like the zoom features and 2 cone angles which helps a ton with units close by.
John
Vexilar, Where will be marcum be in 10 years if you need support?
When is the last time you were able to update a Vexilar to add new features with an easy download off the internet like you can with Marcum? When was the last time Vexilar put out a new unit…do they even have a true all Digital product? I’ve never had any issue with my LX7 and I am on my 5th year…I did upgrade to the Lithium Shuttle Case (another great Marcum product) and it made the good LX7 great…so light, rod holders, USB Port, light built in. Over the years my friends have moved to Marcum as well. My guess is my next move will be to the Panoptix which from a Digital standpoint is a big step up from the Marcum Digital Units but quite spendy. With the ice conditions around the state…the snow issues…not many people out ice fishing.. I don’t think any of these Vendors are selling much product unfortunately.
last time Vexilar put out a new unit…do they even have a true all Digital product? I’ve never had any issue with my LX7 and I am on my 5th year…I did upgrade to the Lithium Shuttle Case (another great Marcum product) and it made the good LX7 great…so light, rod holders, USB Port, light built in. Over the years my friends have moved to Marcum as well. My guess is my next move will be to the Panoptix which from a Digital standpoint is a big step up from the Marcum Digital Units but quite spendy. With the ice conditions around the state…the snow issues…not many people out ice fishing.. I don’t think any of these Vendors are selling much product unfortunately.
Here we go, lol.
All I am saying, between some grumbling online with update issues and warranty issue with the marcum, I have been hearing. Big thing is uncertainty of a company. You don’t hear of too many issue with a vexilar those damn things are tanks and work, yes they don’t have a flashy LCD screen and yes I know some people like flashy poop. Its nice to have the old standby flasher you can count on and going to last another 20 years vs a LCD display.
BTW Panoptix is the poop, kicks both units butt!
I heard Jon Marshall is back leading the show again at Marcum, so there’s that.
I heard Jon Marshall is back leading the show again at Marcum, so there’s that.
Oh that would be sweet!
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