The MarCum LX-3 has it all for ice fishing. How do I know you might ask? I did a performance test last season and my LX-3 out performed my Vexilar FL-18 in all tests in under 40' of water. Look at the pluses with the LX-3 you get it all without additional add-ons. Here are some comparisons noted from my tests.
This would be the FL-18 Pro Pak versus the MarCum LX-3 ice fishing system.
Target Separation (non zoom)
MarCum 2.15" Vexilar 2.65" Advantage MarCum
Target Separation (zoom)
MarCum 1" Vexilar .5" not true it's more like 1"
Zoom
Advantage MarCum. The adjustable zoom on the MarCum LX-3 blows the FL-18 away. You can put a multiple zoom window anywhere you want in the water column to amplify your target area. In the 20 or 40' setting on the LX-3 you can have a 5' or 10' zoom window that can be placed anywhere in the water column. This feature amplifies your target area and reduces your target separation which cleanly captures images in the target area, awesome feature. The FL-18 only gives you 6' off the bottom that's it.
Here's and example of where the zoom window on the MarCum out performs the Vexilar. I fish perch on a lake close to home. Most of these fish run anywhere from the bottom to 2' off bottom. This scenario is 90% of the time on this lake these fish will chase 7 to 9' off the bottom to take your spoon. These fish are outside the zoom parameters of the FL-18 as they only give you the bottom 6' the MarCum LX-3 with the zoom positioned to show the bottom 10' allows yout to use that feature in the target area. That's amazing. On my vex I have to switch the zoom off because it was outside it's zoom parameters.
Another example is when your fishing suspended fish such as crappie having the ability to position the LX-3's zoom anywhere in the water column allows tou to see in detail what you'll be missing on your Vex. Fishing 27' of water I have caught crappies in 17' having the LX-3's multiple positioned zoom window allows me to blow up the target area in great detail and catch the larger fish and eliminate the smaller ones.
Another deficiency in the FL-18 is while in zoom mode while fishing flats if you hole hop every time you switch holes you have to reset the zoom. The MarCum you set the zoom on the first hole you fish and you need not to readjust. That feature allows for more time fishing than constant adjusting. The Marcum stays locked in and is extremely essential when fishing fast and wanting to stay in zoom.
Display Crispness
No Brainer MarCum - I have never seen a unit that could crisply and cleanly amplify the target area and aid you in extracting the larger fish, seeings believing.
Display Colors
No Brainer Vexilar - There colors are great compared to MarCum but the display is blobby compared to the LX-3's but no doubt I like Vexilar's colors better
Soft Pack
MarCum has one vex doesn't, It's functional and has storage compartments on the sides heavy duty construction not like the vex bag.
Battery Charger
MarCum has the DCS which is revolutionary. No more clips and leads. The battery has a digital read out that gives you constant status without pushing a button and the auto shutoff charger is piece of mind
Transducers
Vexilar has 3 available 9, 12 and 19. The FL-18 was designed with the use of the 12 deg. transducer in mind as they recommend this cone with the FL-18 and sell them with the 12 deg. mostly. The 19 deg. ducer is an option and so isn't the 9. I have heard of sporadic quality issues with 19 deg. ducers.
The MarCum LX-3 although a 20 deg. transducer is designed with Marcum's highly adjustable gain/sensitivity enables you to fish multi species with great versatility. MarCum's 1500 watts allows you to fish bluegills in 10' or less and lake trout up to 160' truly amazing. The FL-18 is designed predominantly for perch and walleye ice anglers in mind.
Versatitility
Either one of these units can be fished off a boat during the fishing season. Each company has available transducers for this to be accomplished.
Warranty - Both have two year warrantees and both customer services have been great for me.
This is my second season fishing both these units and for me the clear choice is MarCum. This unit gives you everything for ice fishing at a decent price. The one plus I like with the FL-18 is fishing tight to structure having that 9 deg. cone is great for fishing steep drops and eliminating or minimizing your dead zone. Other than that for value and multi species performance MarCum has it. Vexilar improved there FL-8 with the FL-18 but MarCum has set the bar for Vexilar to catch up.
This would be the FL-18 Pro Pak versus the MarCum LX-3 ice fishing system.
Target Separation (non zoom)
MarCum 2.15" Vexilar 2.65" Advantage MarCum
Target Separation (zoom)
MarCum 1" Vexilar .5" not true it's more like 1"
Zoom
Advantage MarCum. The adjustable zoom on the MarCum LX-3 blows the FL-18 away. You can put a multiple zoom window anywhere you want in the water column to amplify your target area. In the 20 or 40' setting on the LX-3 you can have a 5' or 10' zoom window that can be placed anywhere in the water column. This feature amplifies your target area and reduces your target separation which cleanly captures images in the target area, awesome feature. The FL-18 only gives you 6' off the bottom that's it.
Here's and example of where the zoom window on the MarCum out performs the Vexilar. I fish perch on a lake close to home. Most of these fish run anywhere from the bottom to 2' off bottom. This scenario is 90% of the time on this lake these fish will chase 7 to 9' off the bottom to take your spoon. These fish are outside the zoom parameters of the FL-18 as they only give you the bottom 6' the MarCum LX-3 with the zoom positioned to show the bottom 10' allows yout to use that feature in the target area. That's amazing. On my vex I have to switch the zoom off because it was outside it's zoom parameters.
Another example is when your fishing suspended fish such as crappie having the ability to position the LX-3's zoom anywhere in the water column allows tou to see in detail what you'll be missing on your Vex. Fishing 27' of water I have caught crappies in 17' having the LX-3's multiple positioned zoom window allows me to blow up the target area in great detail and catch the larger fish and eliminate the smaller ones.
Another deficiency in the FL-18 is while in zoom mode while fishing flats if you hole hop every time you switch holes you have to reset the zoom. The MarCum you set the zoom on the first hole you fish and you need not to readjust. That feature allows for more time fishing than constant adjusting. The Marcum stays locked in and is extremely essential when fishing fast and wanting to stay in zoom.
Display Crispness
No Brainer MarCum - I have never seen a unit that could crisply and cleanly amplify the target area and aid you in extracting the larger fish, seeings believing.
Display Colors
No Brainer Vexilar - There colors are great compared to MarCum but the display is blobby compared to the LX-3's but no doubt I like Vexilar's colors better
Soft Pack
MarCum has one vex doesn't, It's functional and has storage compartments on the sides heavy duty construction not like the vex bag.
Battery Charger
MarCum has the DCS which is revolutionary. No more clips and leads. The battery has a digital read out that gives you constant status without pushing a button and the auto shutoff charger is piece of mind
Transducers
Vexilar has 3 available 9, 12 and 19. The FL-18 was designed with the use of the 12 deg. transducer in mind as they recommend this cone with the FL-18 and sell them with the 12 deg. mostly. The 19 deg. ducer is an option and so isn't the 9. I have heard of sporadic quality issues with 19 deg. ducers.
The MarCum LX-3 although a 20 deg. transducer is designed with Marcum's highly adjustable gain/sensitivity enables you to fish multi species with great versatility. MarCum's 1500 watts allows you to fish bluegills in 10' or less and lake trout up to 160' truly amazing. The FL-18 is designed predominantly for perch and walleye ice anglers in mind.
Versatitility
Either one of these units can be fished off a boat during the fishing season. Each company has available transducers for this to be accomplished.
Warranty - Both have two year warrantees and both customer services have been great for me.
This is my second season fishing both these units and for me the clear choice is MarCum. This unit gives you everything for ice fishing at a decent price. The one plus I like with the FL-18 is fishing tight to structure having that 9 deg. cone is great for fishing steep drops and eliminating or minimizing your dead zone. Other than that for value and multi species performance MarCum has it. Vexilar improved there FL-8 with the FL-18 but MarCum has set the bar for Vexilar to catch up.