FLIR/Armasight reliability

[DarkNight]

So I've been picking the brains of guys on here in hopes of making a good decision on a thermal. I will be doing coyote hunting in the cold of Illinois for extended periods of time.
Average shots are 80-200 yds. I like the native mag of the Zeus 75 mm 640 but the Pulsar Trail XQ & XP 50s look good.
I'm hearing people saying the FLIR customer service is lacking & some guys have had issues with the Zeus line where the unit needs to be sent in for firmware upgrades.
I realize every scope can have issues & companies can have growing pains/service issues when there is a restructuring of a company but to be honest I'm nervous to buy FLIR.
This post isn't intended to bash a particular company but rather to see what other's thoughts are if they were in my shoes as many of you have already been there.
Should I be that obsessed over needing 3x native mag for the ranges I mentioned?

 

[West D]

If you dont want onboard recording get a Apex XQ 50 , you wont regret it . get a external battery pack and go hunting . save yourself a bunch of money and will have great success using this scope for coyote and pigs .

 

[DarkNight]

If you dont want onboard recording get a Apex XQ 50 , you wont regret it . get a external battery pack and go hunting . save yourself a bunch of money and will have great success using this scope for coyote and pigs .

I wish they made those with 640 cores!

 

[FrankT]

I don't like everything about the pulsars but seems to me their dealers and the company takes better care of their customers than the rest.

 

[DarkNight]

Anyone know if the Apex line comes with the better mount?

 

[West D]

factory mount is just fine , just big and clunky. trails have a little better mount .

 

[Fla_dogman]

I've had good luck with my Apollo 640. I did have a bad experience with the service, had to send it back twice to get it right. It's been running fine for the last 8 months. We hunt at least twice a week for 3-5 hours a night. Thermals have their quirks but they are awesome. I use it as a stand alone scope now, no day optic.