MoFi Turntables

Bruce at Stereo Unlimited in San Diego has both VPI and MO-Fi
Robert is the turntable setup guru a quick call for his opinion might be worth the long distance nickel....
They are open Tuesday for reference they carry Rega, Music Hall, VPI, MoFi, Musical Surroundings Clearaudio, Dr Feikart and Brinkman...in essence a bunch of analog nuts...
no dog in fight, my instinct would be VPI unless you value the hinged dustcover, which many many do

What slaw said +2. I researched TTs for 5 years. Auditioned as many as I could. At 2016 Axpona, I heard a Technics SL1200G. I knew within minutes, that I wanted this TT with a better than stock arm. ( the stock arm is Good! ) I wanted better. Which would elevate the TT, arm,cartridge pkg as a whole. I bought a Kuzma TT and arm. Had my 1988 vintage LP12 totally gone over by Tom O' Keefe of Ovature Audio in Ann Arbor, MI. ( Tom is one, if not the best, Linn techs in the country.) It now sounds as good as New when purchased in 1988.

There are currently A Lot of new, used, used vintage TTs on the market. If you decide on used, you will get more for your money. The MoFi TTs will be new. ( If You, need brand new ) Most important is to have Expert setup!

Sounds like you have a budget. There are plenty of great TTs available in whatever that budget is. Again, Expert setup is a must with vinyl rigs to get the most out of it.

If you are new to vinyl and cartridge setup: Do you have a friend or dealer that can help or guide you?

Personally; I am a Technics DD convert. A SL1200GR is a bargain / value. And Easy to setup. HiFi Heaven in Green Bay, WI. is where I bought my 1200G. Free Shipping. Good People.

Had my 1200G modded with a Triplanar tonearm and a Lyra Kleos mounted. This, along with the Kuzma will be my final rigs.

Hope that I have provided some useful things to consider.

Best on your Journey

gbryant, I've been looking at turntables for quite a while, and was considering something similar from VPI as well. Ultimately, I was put off by their business model, I never have been a fan of companies that tweak their product line so that they always have something slightly different to offer. The UltraDeck came completely set up, or nearly so, and the packaging was stupendous. I was up & running in 20 minutes. Zero regrets on the purchase, for me.
http://www.tonepublications.com/analogaholic/mofis-ultra-deck-m/

That's Harry Weisfeld for you.   He's a born tinkerer, and would offer a new model of turntable every month if Matt didn't hold him back.