I have been very pleased with my used turntables I have purchased off of Craigslist.

Right now I have a pioneer pl 540 which was cheaper than new entry level turntables and has not given me one trouble.

I recommend used technics or pioneer direct drives.

Also,
Duals seem to have a large fan base of devoted users and they are easily service by know vendors such as 'fix my dual'
 
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I agree with the previous poster, find a used Technics SL series, or even a vintage Pioneer and be done with it. Many other brands also.

Can't touch the quality of these classics with anything new unless you spend much much more. Belt drives may need a belt, but it takes less than 30 seconds to change and belts run $10-$20. Direct drives don't have that problem. I fix a lot of audio gear. Classic Technics turntables are practically bulletproof. I have about a five year old Thorens TD 170 that looks like a toy underneath compared to a seventies or even eighties turntable and it doesn't work correctly either. It was almost $700 new.
 
Project and other mfgs consistently offer very nice well performing tables once you hit a higher price point, the entry level is at best a roll of the dice and expectations are best to be kept low as seen with the entry level Projects and other brands. Trinhsman you weren't specific as to which Project you purchased.
I bought th Debut III, then nodded it quite heavily. It is going up for sale shortly sine I bought an AR XA turnatable and got the full Marc Morin Monty done on it. No sense having three turntables .
 
Wow guys, thanks for the replies, seriously. So I'm gonna try to do some searching on CL for a bit to find a nice used table. I don't wanna jump the gun and get something I'll hate so I'll have to be patient. Thanks again, this forum is awesome.
 
Do not buy a Fluance RT-81.....I bought one because it's a beautiful table and even gave a glowing review. That is until I listened to it for several hours. It couldn't hold a candle to digital sound comin from my iPhone. I sold it and bought a Vintage Pioneer and the sound is night and day difference. The Pioneer just has more "umph" behind it. I can't explain it. It's def better built than the new crap entry tables.
 
do some searching on CL for a bit to find a nice used table. I don't wanna jump the gun

For this route, used Japanese tables are your best bet. Feel free to write back regarding the candidates.

And sometimes it's best to jump the gun. :)
 
OP good to hear you are going to check your CL, as mentioned let us know your city/town/state/province, also another AK member with a nice spare table could be around the corner. Being patient and holding out for the right table is a smart move but as Illinni said if something special pops up for short money don't hesitate, drop everything and run with cash in hand or you could lose it. Check back in if you see something and you should get advice quickly.
 
I would think your dad would be a great resource with his experience, etc. Who knows, maybe he has an old table that you could use.
 
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