As a fan of vintage equipment, I echo the above. If you're into DIY and repairs, and you know your way round electromechanical items, then fine, otherwise I'd keep away. One exception I think, is purely mechanical vintage items like the Swiss Lenco turntables which have very little to go wrong, and even then, parts are readily available. I'd avoid the Garrard 301 and 401, not because there's anything wrong with those, but prices have got silly these days, whilst the Lenco L75 is still sensibly priced. I bought an almost immaculate one for a very acceptable price last year, and all it needed was the rubber vertical arm bearings replacing, available for a few pounds and taking 10 minutes to fit. There are lots of similar idler drive turntables from the 1960s and 70s, which if in decent cosmetic condition, would be easy to get working properly again.
I have two other turntables from the 1980s, both professional Broadcast units, and I dread anything breaking on those, as they're both pretty rare, one especially so.
S.
I haven't gone further here but have to comment from first hand professional experience here (still ongoing in a small way)...
Lenco 75's, 70's and even older ones can be a good buy but as with ALL old turntables, they need work and the main bearing shouldn't be ignored as many were supplied new with basically dry bearings, using just the initial oil charge in the oilite bearing sleeves with the result today of bearing 'slop.' Adding some oilite-safe slideway oil helps no end here (I also add a drop of grease to the bottom as recommended in the 1969 HFN review available online and as supplied in older models). Tonearms are absolutely fine for modern mid priced cartridges - I'd suggest Sumiko Pearl for a beefy vintage tone and AT500 series (any of them frankly) for more neutral 'honest' reproduction. None of these have naSSSty sibilant spikes so shouldn't challenge a lower cost phono stage overmuch and both cartridge types track at a safe 1.75 to 2g downforce.
Thorens decks often have knackered main bearing thrust plates as my well played TD160mk2 has and a 150 I set up a few months ago was equally worn out. I know an enterprising soul who cut me a 1mm thick ptfe disc to slip down into the bearing and this bodge restored full free-spinning functionality (I don't have the means to tap out the original thrust plate disc. I convinced myself it 'sounds' better for having a properly free spinning main bearing
and so it should with reduced noise.
I'd avoid the better auto decks at this point as ALL OF THEM need work -I don't know the Elac models at all I'm afraid - I'm thinking Dual/PE (PE and some top idler driven Duals are awful now if you don't know what you're doing but sing so sweetly when fettled), Garrard larger format models (all need almost totally stripping out underneath to clean off grease now turned to araldite - Frank Dernie here has been an education as to why these Garrards were the way they were and with suitable modern cartridges, the frail and sometimes flimsy feel can be transcended - 86SB a favourite for low 'rumble' and an arm able to work well with my favourite AT 500 models. (I've a motley collection of Duals and Garrards here - cough - and have practical knowledge of what needs doing...
You know, today and with less 'faff,' can I ask the Op to look at a Technics SL1500C? £899 in the UK, it comes with fitted Ortofon 2M Red and a built in phono stage. I love the current motor design as it's so like my beloved Dual 701 Pabst type of old, it shouldn't need any restoration or maintenance for decades in reality..
If the 1500C is too much, see how much the evergreen SL1200/1210 mk2 onwards models go for on the used market. A good many latterly were used domestically and with AT 540 cartridge fitted (originally, the 440MLa was a good choice), should see most of us out I reckon
I also have an endearing love for the original 1300/1400/1500/1600/1700/1800 ranges, as carefully sited in the case of some of them without suspended inner 'trays,' they can 'sound' very good indeed, needing merely a drop of oil in the main bearing and use with lid removed. I have an original 1500 here with dicky switches which seem to need cleaning every few years. Technics ceased spares for these models decades ago now, so be warned...
There's always
Rega of course, but you buy into a kind of philosophy course with them and away from the UK, prices can be ridiculously ott and aftercare patchy. Still a beloved brand to me though, but I'm UK based and the factory never far away. Project have a deck for all seasons and one or two of them are good. The rest to me are styling/pricing exercises and the cheaper ones can be incredibly bad under the good looks (the once popular Debut II is noisier through the stylus than any Garrard upper model and even the motor moiunting kit they introduced doesn't fully fix it...)
Apologies for the blasted essay here. So much to discuss and so little time. Vinyl should be
FUN, especially with a pile of inherited albums and I believe it can still sound entertaining if you come at it from a point of view of mid to low sonic expectations (it's the MUSIC after all with this format).
Hope it's been of some help. Vinyl Engine has different 'rooms' for different makes which may help...