01-13-2012, 12:29 AM
Mr Rogers,
It's painful to shell out the big bucks isn't it!? It seems like the base model flashers for Marcum, Vexilar, and Hummingbird are all around $300.
My thoughts:
PiranhaMAX - haven't seen or used
Lowrance - haven't seen or used
Garmin - haven't seen or used
Showdown Ice Troller - my friend has one. I think they run about $200. Works fine. I like the vertical display. Don't care for LCD, lack of color, prone to interference from other nearby flashers etc.
Vexilar - I think I have the FL8. It's old! Like 8 or 9 years old. Works fine still. Prone to interference.
Hummingbird ICE 35 - My newest toy. I like better than the Vexilar. Dual beam. Flat face doesn't accumulate snow. Less prone to interference. Has zoom feature..I think...I don't use that feature, tho. Good bang for buck at $300.
Marcums - My buddy has one. (LX3?) Very similar to Vexilar, but he claims it's more powerful, accurate, sharper, and less prone to interference, etc. He prefers it over his Vexliar and Hummingbird ICE 35. Probably the most expensive, too.
If you can stomach the $300, I'd recommend the ICE35. The Showdown is solid for $200 - I've seen it in action. I'm not sure how the Showdown compares to the other 3 brands you asked about...but I think they are all LCD style which I'm not a big fan of.
Good luck picking one. Let us know which you decide to get!! =) It makes ice fishing more fun, that's for sure!
[signature]
It's painful to shell out the big bucks isn't it!? It seems like the base model flashers for Marcum, Vexilar, and Hummingbird are all around $300.
My thoughts:
PiranhaMAX - haven't seen or used
Lowrance - haven't seen or used
Garmin - haven't seen or used
Showdown Ice Troller - my friend has one. I think they run about $200. Works fine. I like the vertical display. Don't care for LCD, lack of color, prone to interference from other nearby flashers etc.
Vexilar - I think I have the FL8. It's old! Like 8 or 9 years old. Works fine still. Prone to interference.
Hummingbird ICE 35 - My newest toy. I like better than the Vexilar. Dual beam. Flat face doesn't accumulate snow. Less prone to interference. Has zoom feature..I think...I don't use that feature, tho. Good bang for buck at $300.
Marcums - My buddy has one. (LX3?) Very similar to Vexilar, but he claims it's more powerful, accurate, sharper, and less prone to interference, etc. He prefers it over his Vexliar and Hummingbird ICE 35. Probably the most expensive, too.
If you can stomach the $300, I'd recommend the ICE35. The Showdown is solid for $200 - I've seen it in action. I'm not sure how the Showdown compares to the other 3 brands you asked about...but I think they are all LCD style which I'm not a big fan of.
Good luck picking one. Let us know which you decide to get!! =) It makes ice fishing more fun, that's for sure!
[signature]