Christie AW3
Strong/Potts
Speco LP-270
Kinoton

I've seen, but not used and don't like:

Big Sky
Neumade

I've heard about and dread:

I've seen and think I would like:
Kinoton (current model)

I've seen, have not used and have not made up my mind yet because these could be very good platters, but I see minor design flaws:
Cinemecannica (current model)
Xetron/Neumade (current model)

I've seen and am pretty sure I would not like due to inexcusable design flaws:
Big Sky
Christie AW1

I've not seen, but just KNOW that I would hate:
Simplex "air platter"

I've worked with and hate very, very much:
Strong (microswitch style)***
Potts (all models)
CFS (all models)
ORC (all models)
Teco (was there more than one?)
Christie AW2 (junk)
Kinoton (older dual microswitch style)

***Disclaimer: I wasn't sure which category to put this in. The current non-microswitch (don't remember the model number) Strongs could be made to be very good platters, but will require some design changes by Strong. Until such time, they stay in my "hated" file.

I've seen and think I would like:
Kinoton (current model)
SPECO

I've not seen (other than pictures), but just KNOW that I would hate:
Simplex "air platter"
Any endless-loop system

I've worked with and hate very, very much:

CFS (all models, including the ORC version of the Super Platter)*
ORC 'fat tree'
Christie AW1
Christie AW2
Christie MW3 (early SINGLE-BOARD version)
Early Potts w/ microswitch brains

*NOTE I have had to deal with so many CFS platters that I have taken a masochistic liking to them only when they work properly. Otherwise I can't get rid of them fast enough!

-Aaron

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"The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just love and be loved in return."

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Adam Fraser www.pinestheatre.com

Then I moved and the booth was all ORC stuff. This was not an AMC booth, BTW. Oh, I can't tell you how much I hate, hate, hate ORC equipment. Evil platters: noisy, clunky and hard to repair. The payouts are waaay too delicate and the makeup table sucks, sucks, SUCKS!!!

And, now, there is Christie and it's all I use. The Christie AW3/AW3R is very nice. It's quiet and easy to maintain/repair ( a very modular design approach). The payout heads are great. I like the Christie MUT a lot.

BTW, Brad...I got a tachometer. I will take a pic of mine - I wonder if it's the same as yours (you recommended this a while back). The RPM scale doesn't seem to bear any relation to what the actual platter is doing. I think I will have to put stickers on it to denote target platter speeds.

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Platters that I have not worked with but think I would enjoy:
Kinoton (current model)
Speco (newer model, but with the Film-Tech modifications--see review on this site)

Platters that I have worked with and am OK with but still would recommend a few design improvements:
Strong phase control (with auto-sensing takeup switch, not the 4 position Payout/Rewind/Make Up/Off switch)*
Strong digital control*

*I am not a fan of any platter that uses vacuum cleaner motors or a variac that controls both payout and takeup at the same time, but these seem to do OK. Now if they could just make one simple change to the brain and threading would be much easier.

Platters that I have worked with and cannot stand:
Anything with "ORC" on it
Strong/Potts microswitch
Strong phase control with the 4 position Make Up/Payout/Rewind/Off switch
Christie AW3R with "auto-timing" (though you CAN put the visible LEDs in and they will work great)

Platters that I have not used but am pretty sure I would not enjoy due to obvious design flaws that I can easily see in pictures and reports from users:
Big Sky
Eprad
Simplex Air Platter
Any endless loop system