Well, the TD309 is off the list since I spent too much time reading all the reviews and waited too long to pull the trigger. AudioAdvisor was clearing them out at $999 but they are now gone.
Then I was perusing my local Craigslist and came across a TD-160 in what looked to great condition within a couple miles of my house. Drove over, checked it out and came home with a new toy at a fraction of the cost of what I was considering, probably a better course of action since I've never had a suspended table and this may not work out in the end. I've got wood floors of questionable stability and no wall mount capability at the moment. I've read about the issues with floor vibrations but figured how bad could footfalls be, but I can't walk across the room without skipping.
At $300 I probably spent a bit too much for it, but it was local and I could check it out in person. Owned by the guy's father and still had the original sticker from a local audio store on the back (same place I bought my first high-end system). It's a later TD-160 with the motor guard post under the platter and has the ground-wire mod (originally these were grounded through the right RCA). Everything is in great condition, runs well, no runout or noise on the motor, and even the original dust cover is in good condition with some scratches on the top but no stress fractures anywhere. Came with an Ortofon OM cartridge but no stylus (slapped an old AT100E on it to give it a test run).
May consider upgrading the arm at some point but not until I solve the footfall issues.
