Technics Turntables...really???

It looks like the VPI doesn't handle 78 RPM. Seems like the Sota does. I hadn't seen that when shopping a few years ago. I guess one of the top-of-the line Sotas might be in the same general league, then, as a SP-10R and what's better is probably a matter of subjectivity. I'm not immediately finding much hard data on Sota measurements. I think personally I tend to prefer direct drive, but I've seen a few belt-drive arguments that are somewhat compelling. As the owner of a SP-10R and highly customized plinth and set of tonearms, I'm not terribly inclined to dig further. The Sota factory is not far from me and seems to have a very good reputation, so I could see them being a good option for a lot of people.

Own 2 sl1200’s w couple tweaks, and the mid 90’s 1210 black version.

old ones are oiled, cleaned, kept unplugged, then warmed up before use. 
 35+ years old on silver o.nes.

20-25 years on black.  Never any issue, ALWAYS START AND STOP. 

I will be handing these down to family someday, I know they will work, I take,care of my stuff

I just took my 1983 original owner 1200 mkii out of mothballs, which has the GAE arm on it. The AT 159 mlx on the setup ''shines'' in my other system, (Fisher 800C pushing modded 84 Klipsch Corwalls). Going to be a family heirloom one day, their just that good!

I don’t have very much skill or patience, so my 1200 mk2 is a good fit for me. I’m sure there are other brands that can offer the same, but as long as it keeps going, I’m staying put.

Six years since I was in this discussion, we’ve all seen some changes since then.

Best-