Im just now getting involved in this thread.... So here is my two cents.
I started gyro flying with a totally homemade, Drop keel Bensen with a direct drive subaru EA81. The gyro was kind of junky, was nothing to look at, it was marginally powered, and was great at nothing. It was also cheap though... Paid like 4 grand for the gyro, and just had to purchase blades ( it didn't come with blades ) so I was into the gyro for about $5500 by the time I got it airworthy.
That gyro was GREAT for my first gyro. Didn't have too much power for me to get in trouble with, and it taught me a lot about managing energy. I enjoyed every minute of flight in that gyro. I have ZERO regrets of that being my first gyro.
I replaced that gyro with a Dominator single place powered by a Rotax 582 after about a year and half later, and yeah..... The Dominator was like going from owning and driving a crappy economy car to now owning and driving sports car. It was worlds better in performance, speed, comfort, and sportiness. And it was a gyro I was proud to own.
Do I have regrets that I didn't just pony up the money ( I think I paid like 10 grand, maybe 12? ) for that Dominator in the beginning versus the 55 hundred dollar junker I started with???? Absolutely not.
And since that time ( got started in gyros in 2001 ).... I have flown just about everything there is out there.... Gyrobees, Bensen's, Dominators, Aircommands, Sportcopters, Little wing, etc... etc... etc... And what I can tell you is this, They all fly the same! Some have better tails than others, some have better suspension than others, some have better control authority than others, and so on, but they ALL FLY THE SAME!
To narrow it down and say a Sportcopter is better than this or that is FALSE. Same for saying a Gyro Technic or Dominator or Aircommand or whatever else is the best thing out there, that would be FALSE! Every gyro has its merits.
Me personally I do think Dominators offer the most for the money... But a dominator isn't " BETTER " than a Sportcopter or Gyrotechnic or many other brands if price is not a factor. Same goes for any argument that for example a Sportcopter is the best and so on.
I would just decide what your comfortable spending, and then keep a eye out for what that amount will buy and get the best machine you can find in that price point. If your not going to build a kit yourself, then your location and how far your willing to drive will be a factor too, because you might find a killer deal on a gyro listed in Maine, but might not want to drive to Maine to get it, where you might find a decent gyro in Texas or Kansas that isn't quite as good of a deal as the one in Maine but its within your budget and within a reasonable drive to fetch it.
Just post it here, or PM a few people here that you feel like you can trust for input that can help you know what your looking at when you find a used bird. I have had people send me pictures of gyros they wanted to buy and looking at pictures I could see stuff that sent up Red Flags, things the potential buyer had no idea was a potential problem. I have also had people send me pictures of stuff for sale and I told them to JUMP on it, cause it was a killer deal and they better not let someone else buy it out from under them. You just want to make sure whatever you pick out is in good shape, doesn't have any funny business going on, and is priced appropriately ( which is important so you can resell it without much loss if you decide later you want a different gyro )
This hobby is like any other Hobby. Your first gyro, your first mountain bike, your first Rifle, your first airplane, your first boat, your first motorcycle.... Almost ALWAYS is not going to be your last. Don't overthink it.
Your better off not spending a ton on your first gyro anyways, cause you might not even end up liking gyros... and you will also likely NOT carry insurance on a gyro and being a new gyro pilot there is possibility of a screw up and a tip over or hard landing and damaging the gyro, and with no insurance do you want to total out a 8 thousand dollar gyro or a 48 thousand dollar gyro? ............... Do you have kids that drive? Did you buy them a super nice fancy car when they turned 16 or did you buy them something with a few scrapes bumps and bruises already cause you expect they will probably have some minor fender benders? It's kind of the same mentality.
I don't know you though. You could be loaded, and to spend 40 grand on a gyro is nothing. If that's the case, go for it.
