scubapro50:
Other names you should avoid are Voit, Swimaster, Sportsways, White Stag, Nemrod and Seamless because these companies are out of business and there are no new replacement parts available.
If you added Healthways and Aqua Lung to that list, you just basically listed out the specific names I look for on ebay
My current project is improving the breathability of a single stage(yeah, you read that right) Healthways double hose with the addition of a venturi plate. I guess priorities differ here. I find it positively fun to strip down a reg, clean it up, and rebuild it. I've got a Conshelf XIV that needs a rebuild after that, then it's on to a Sportsways set(unless, of course, fate intervenes and I pick up a new double hose to rebuild first). Hell, I even started metal casting(along with a small metal shop in the garage) so that I can fabricate new parts from raw brass and aluminum.
What it all boils down to is desire and ability. If you're a new diver(or mechanically disinclined), stick with an LDS or Scubatoys for your stuff. If you have different priorities or abilities, the old standards like Conshelfs are perfectly servicable. If you're crazy, you might try some of the stuff I do.
Note: Kids, don't try fabricating scuba parts at home. Only insane people do that. And when you disregard this advice, and die, have the good grace to not have family suing me because you got a crazy idea from my posts.