My first game was LAH.... absolutely love it, and will never get rid of it. 7 ball multiball, 3 magnets under the playfield, shaker, crane, smart bomb, the ripper, good call outs - UGLY art package. These days, it's hard to find one under $2k, but great bang for your buck.

I then got an x-files cheap, and traded it after a few months for Getaway. That one had too few shots to keep me interested so I traded it for an HUO T3 which I like better than the other 2. My latest pin is a SST which I got for $2k. also a fun game with lots of shots, but I haven't had it long enough to say how it compares to the other ones I have.

My advice is rather than focus on a single machine, keep your eye out for ones that come on the market and are reasonably priced. If you see one that intrigues you, check the reviews here, and if it's a good price jump on it. After you have it for a few months, you'll know what you like and don't like.

But if you truly want the best bang for your buck, you're probably going to be looking at Data East or Saga... they don't get a lot of love so prices stay down, but are often fun games that can pack alot of features in.