As far as a pure "bit bucket", the MT 24/96 is the cheapest by far, will get the job done, seems to be pretty stable now, and the only somwhat significant "drawback" is having to manually split the files at 2Gb mark. The other cheaper decks, like the R-09 won't take the digi in, and just about everything else that has been discussed is really a standalone deck, rather than just a "bit bucket." I have long wondered why a lot of people, including me sometimes, buy much more expensive machines, just for bucket purposes. But other times, I just run the mics>deck, and that obviously makes the difference. If you are only using it as a bucket, I would try the MT first, because even if you decide for some reason that you don't like it, you have not invested a lot, can get most/all of your money back by reselling it, and in the meantime, it is super small, easily stealthable, and very reasonably priced, especially if you pick up a used one in the Yard Sale.