# Vex or marcum



## slabslammer (Feb 19, 2012)

So obviously vex or marcum? Im going tomorrow to purchase a new unit. Dont really need anything bigger than the fl8. Whats your opinions? Also if i went vex, does the genzpak fit in a soft case? Let me hear what you think


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## lovin life (Jan 2, 2010)

Vex. Proven to work day after day after day. Service dept top notch and quick turn around. Marcum, cross your fingers everything is just perfect or


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

Vex FL8 will do you fine . They have soft cases for the Genz pack too


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## slabslammer (Feb 19, 2012)

I figured, i have a helix 5 i was going to turn into ice fishing rig, but after buying the new transducer, a powercord, a case, why not just go vex. So just a normal vex soft case will fit a genz pak?


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

They have soft cases for the pro pack , and the Genz pack


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

View attachment 251555
VexFL8..., My Choice., Dependable, used mine for years now.


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## slabslammer (Feb 19, 2012)

Ibj, do you use a case on yours?


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## huntindoggie22 (Mar 28, 2008)

Vex fl8 is all you’ll need


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## Decoy hound (Apr 3, 2015)

They make a Genz specific case, it needs to be square. The Genz will not fit in a five gallon bucket, if that’s a concern. They have a few listed on eBay for the the Genz.


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## Decoy hound (Apr 3, 2015)

Also I’ve had my fl8 for at least 12 years and the only thing it’s ever needed was a new battery a few years ago.


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## Evinrude58 (Apr 13, 2011)

Had the Marcum VX-1 pro for 5 years. Even lost it off a sled doing 20 mph on erie. Still working good, did need to replace the battery last year. Comes with a soft case and has a bottom zoom which I believe the fl8 does not.


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

Marcum all the way!! Go and look at the top tournament guys, they all run marcums. Trophys and 1st place finishes says it all. Enough said.


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

Vexilars are nice for beginners


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

I have the hard case holder for my Vex FL8 that fits perfectly into 5 gallon bucket


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

Vex is bulletproof 
Marcums are fragile


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

Your fragile minnowhead!! I bet your best friends with icetester lol


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

Hahahaha Vexilar owners get all the chics...


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)




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## shomethacrappies (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a vex but either one beats not having one can't go wrong


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## backfar (Sep 24, 2014)

The fl8 will do the job... i suggest lookin at the fl18, it has low power setting for water depth under 20ft so you dont need the splitter cable and it has a zoom...its obvious the durability of the vex units..but the marcum units work good if they're not broken..


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## Spike Dog (Mar 13, 2015)

backfar said:


> The fl8 will do the job... i suggest lookin at the fl18, it has low power setting for water depth under 20ft so you dont need the splitter cable and it has a zoom...its obvious the durability of the vex units..but the marcum units work good if they're not broken..


X2 on the fl18. It is way better then the fl8.


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## backfar (Sep 24, 2014)

Not sure what the battery life is like with the marcum units? With the vexilars the battery seems to last forever...ive used mine for several trips without charging, and the lowest it's ever been is 80%.


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

Vex units only put 400 watts of power peak to peak. Marcum will put out 2500 so I think it will use more battery.


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## Beegle1 (May 12, 2013)

Ive got them both and they work fine. Guys that see my Marcum in action say "Wow". Cost no object, Marcum.


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## 25asnyder (Dec 10, 2016)

Vexilar FOr LIfE lol dads had an fl 18 for thirty years and he still fills the bucket with it


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## ditchdigger (Feb 22, 2012)

Used my fl18 for 10 plus years with the original battery. Whatever you buy just charge it up a couple times during the summer!


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## Decoy hound (Apr 3, 2015)

Beegle1 said:


> Ive got them both and they work fine. Guys that see my Marcum in action say "Wow". Cost no object, Marcum.


If money’s no object you can’t beat the Garmin Panoptix!


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

I agree with going fl18 the zoom and shallow water low power feature are great additions I especially like the zoom feature


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## closing time (Jul 2, 2007)

Marcum because it’s nice to have a coversation in the shanty... every FL8 I’ve seen has been noisy


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Vexilars are noisy


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

Love that Vex sound! Like an old Coleman lantern on the ice! Marcum doesn’t make a sound because they seldom work


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

I also like the hum of my vex but it is fricken noisy. For instance, two weeks ago Brad was talking to me from outside the shanty and I could barely hear him because we had two vexilars running.


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## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

Marcum LX7... vexes are outdated. You don't have to keep buying the "lastest greatest" Vex. All ya need to do is plug into your laptop and upgrade/update your marcum. Wonder when the Vex 30 is coming out.... 31... 41.. 101... haha!


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## slabslammer (Feb 19, 2012)

Well thanks for all the responses, I purchased the fl8 genz pack. Best bang for my buck. I fish shallower waters so I went ahead and got the suppression cable, the mag shield and the soft pack to cover the genz pack. For under 400 I couldnt pass it up.


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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

slabslammer said:


> Well thanks for all the responses, I purchased the fl8 genz pack. Best bang for my buck. I fish shallower waters so I went ahead and got the suppression cable, the mag shield and the soft pack to cover the genz pack. For under 400 I couldnt pass it up.


No you could of passed that up! Follow sir brad to hall of misery


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## slabslammer (Feb 19, 2012)

You must be one of those marcum guys?


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