Any thoughts on older Dual/Denon tables?

Not just the Duals & Denons that sound, work great & ARE reliable - also look at some REK-O-KUT tables.- very nice!
If you don't care about automatic functions working , get a Garrard A type. Better yet get a few of them for around $25 a piece and run them onto the ground, then get another one etc etc. I have two lying around here that I crank up now & then. Belts are nice ( a little pricy to replace).Don't pass up on the idler drive Duals and Garrards. Love to have a REk-o_kut again though. Only problem with those vintage tables is that they'll make you kick yourself for investing $1-2K in those "high end" analog rigs...
PS get a good cartridge too....

Well, even though it aint belt drive, the DP1200 is the bees knees. Tune up a DL103D, and you probably have the best analogue system under 1k. Yeah, you could go rega or something really nice but your wallet would be a lot thinner. Arguably one of the best turntables ever made and they last forever.

I think the Dual 12xx's are overrated. I have a 1229 since 73 and still use it now and again for archival recordings. It has a pleasant warm sound and is easy on my records, but that's about it. Dynamics, transparency, detail retrieval, noise floor, just didn't cut it for me.

Another options would be a used revolver rebel, or NAD table .. both rega knockoffs. I used to own a dual, then went to a Rega planar 3 and it was quite an improvement.