01-11-2010, 05:00 AM
I haven't used them myself much, but after doing quite a bit of research on the Marcum LX-3 vs the Vexilar fl-18 I ordered the Marcum. I couldn't tell enough worthwhile difference from these to the next step up to justify the extra cost. However the Marcum does have the adjustable zoom so you can zoom anywhere in the water collum. The Vex only does the bottom 6-10 feet. The marcum also came w/ the battery charge indicator which you had to upgrade to the ultra pack on the vex for, it comes in a soft pack for transport plus it has extra power, which from many of the reviews seems to help it cut out interference. Overall the big difference is that to get the same package and option on the vexilar as what was standard on the marcum i would have to pay over $100 more. Basically the bang for your buck. One thing I found over and over on all the forums and research articles was the w/ either one you aren't likely to go wrong. One think I did find though was that there are almost no marcum's left available online at the moment. You might try Reeds sports in Minnesota. I heard they were getting some in soon. Also check out the ice fishing championship on the home page of the BFT page. It had some insite on the vex vs the marcum as well.
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