I'm sorry I don't have any specific recommendations, but you might want to consider buying a used turntable, hopefully getting more for your money. I'd stick with something found on Audiogon (rather than eBay or other) because the chances are better that you'll be getting something from someone who knows turntables and how to take care of them.
You can search Audiogon by price range. From the home page, click on "Search" then plug in $0 to $300 in the price range and narrow your search to "turntables" from the drop-down menu. There are many listed now in your price range, some with cartridges.
Some of the older Denon, Pioneer, Kenwood, Luxman and other tables were built pretty solidly, and you may be able to find a great deal among those and their ilk. You can get a pretty good idea of the condition from the photos and from the descriptions given.
Try to avoid "tweeky" tables that take a lot of setup, etc. Check back here if you find something that looks good but want to know how much fiddling it will require.
I hope others will be able to give you more specific guidance, but best of luck.
-Bob
You can search Audiogon by price range. From the home page, click on "Search" then plug in $0 to $300 in the price range and narrow your search to "turntables" from the drop-down menu. There are many listed now in your price range, some with cartridges.
Some of the older Denon, Pioneer, Kenwood, Luxman and other tables were built pretty solidly, and you may be able to find a great deal among those and their ilk. You can get a pretty good idea of the condition from the photos and from the descriptions given.
Try to avoid "tweeky" tables that take a lot of setup, etc. Check back here if you find something that looks good but want to know how much fiddling it will require.
I hope others will be able to give you more specific guidance, but best of luck.
-Bob