What are your top 3 favorite turntable companies (manufacturer) and why?

Nice tables if you can afford them. As I'm not the heir to a fortune, my favorites are a bit more plebian:

Technics (Just bought a new SL-100C which I match to a Goldring E4).

Music Hall Stealth and Classic - Have used both and found them musical and reliable.

Dual - starting with a Dual 1212 in 1970 through a Dual 1219, a CS-622 and CS-5000 over 52 years, I think they offered the best bang for the buck. Their new CS-618Q is also quite fine.

Rega - excellent sound for the money at different price points and no cartridge alignment required. Plus a very good warranty.  All other turntables rely on the skill of the person setting up the cartridge.  I own a Planar 10.

Acoustic Research (AR) - Been around forever (1961); simplicity itself.  Belt driven and pretty much bullet proof since there's nothing much to go wrong.  Not going to find a better bang for the buck - I picked my first one up for less than $100.

Classic Denon

Micro Seiki

The Thuono TH400 is hands down my favourite TT.  Super quiet, dynamic and holographic.  Makes every record sound that much better

@mylogic Speaking as an American, I recall what Thomas Jefferson is reported to have said, “I consider a man who knows only one way of spelling a word uneducated,” or something to that effect.
As for turntables, I’m an old boomer who thought that direct drive had solved all previous technologies. I can’t understand the fascination with the technology of my youth, the old flat-spot idler drive or flimsy belts, but I must say, they certainly have worked up some lovely complications on the theme. I’m happy with my Music Hall mmf 5.3 a belt drive. I hope to resurrect an old DJ (British) Numark Pro-TT1. Saving up for . . . one of the tables mentioned in this post, I simply can’t make up my mind between them as the original poster, but my budget is much closer to $5,000 than $10,000 USD.