The Technics SL1210 (and it's nearly identical twin the 1200) has remained the industry standard for DJ's practically since it's release...ongoing demand has meant Technics threaten to stop production every twelve months; when the protests flood in they 'give in gracefully', but justify another price hike by blaming product sourcing or something. But the 1210 is the king of turntables for many reasons, and still holds it's crown with ease.
For a start, just from a hi-fi point of view, the 1210 is a superb piece of kit. I personally do not know the relevent technical figures, but my hi-fi enthusiast friends can quote them with ease, as most of them agree on the superiority of the 1210 and own one themselves. Suffice to say the sound quality is as high as one can realistically expect from a record player, and the pitch control and motor are superbly accurate. The tone arm is sturdy and well balanced, and is less likely to skip (with decent needles)than any turntable I have ever used (and that is, without boasting, a lot).
But furthermore, the 1210 has sturdiness and lasting quality as major features. Unlike today's modern kit with it's built-in redundancy, the 1210 is made to work, and keep working. If well cared for, they can last for decades (oldest seen; 27 years old, 3 years older than me!). An added bonus is their ability to survive when *not* cared for! I've seen 1210s dropped from shoulder height and still work (as long as the tone arm isn't damaged)...they can survive for years installed in the booths of poorly ventilated fleapit clubs, still picking up as quickly as the day they were bought. They work after pints are spilled on them. They work when it's hot and cold, without any problems or pitch change.
As if that was not enough, there are a number of 'tweaks' or conversions that can be performed on a 1210 to change it's performance...for instance, my sound system, TR Systems, uses 1210's adjusted for a maximum pitch increase of +16.(NB these conversions can cause the quartz lock to drift around slightly, but experienced DJ's will not have a problem.)
Not to mention that the 1200 was designed in the golden age of 'silver-dream' hi-fi, and has a beautiful elegance and simplicity of form that works equally as well on the black/gunmetal 1210 (although I personally prefer the brushed-steel 1200...).
To sum up, a superb turntable for the DJ and hi-fi enthusiast alike. Spending vastly more money could possibly improve the sound quality and feature range, but for long lasting bang-to-the-buck, this is the one. The only minor downpoints (from the DJ point of view) are the flying leads (sockets are easier for gigging with) and the sheer fucking weight of the bloody things!