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What is your go to tuning machines for a mid priced guitar? I'm working on number 6 (built 170 dulcimers), don't think I'm ready for $100 sets, but my work is better than the >$10 on ebay/amazon.

For a budget minded set I go with Gotoh 510 minis in a chrome finish. They are not very traditional looking which turns some folks off but they are very smooth and accurate. I think they go for around $60 a set...

M

I like Gotohs too for both cost and functionality. I've been using the M6-style ones which are more traditional style.

Grover Rotomatics sell in a similar price range as the Gotoh M6s. I prefer the Gotohs but the Grovers are ok. I used a Grover set on one guitar where I wanted to have tortoise shell buttons to match the binding and there was a wider range of materials available for tuner buttons for the Grovers. You can tune accurately with them and they stay tuned, but they have some slop in the mechanism compared to the Gotohs.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Grover Sta-Tites.

It depends totally on the style of guitar - I build mostly vintage inspired so I gravitate to Gotoh and Waverly open gears, StewMac's Golden Era and the boxy Grovers that look like old Gibson tuners. If I built modern style guitars I would probably choose Grovers or something but they look wrong on what I'm building.

For traditional looking work I use Grover sta-tites with the cast base plates. They also make Sta-tites with stamped base plates, but they are not much different than the cheaper alternatives.
Recently someone wanted 510's and for a modern looking closed back tuner they were very nice. Not too heavy and very smooth. I used them on a "snake head" peghead and they looked good.
I've also used Grover "kluson style" closed back with the stamped housing that allow the string ends to be captured in the post. I wish they had that in an open back tuner but I've never seen them offered that way.
What did you use on your dulcimers?

I use the Gotoh from lmi. Not the 510s but the enclosed one that are about $45-50. Work just fine. I don’t build to sell either though.

My dulcimers have either hand carved violin style pegs or 5-star planetary pegs. Looking over the range of guitar pegs, it is hard to "see" the differences between the choices.

Hipshot. Started with them on my bass (naturally). When they came out with the mini, went right to them for my ukulele and of course my current steel string. I like the Schaller replica, but gravitate to the open geared for most, even with the steep 18:1 ratio. The quality and where it’s made does it for me.

Most know Hipshot for bass gear, not many know about their guitar tuning machines. Besides, I like their knobs as well.

Like others, I’ve used Gotohs in the past; still got a couple left, collecting dust.

I've had good experiences with the basic Gotoh 300 series.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Anything Gotoh. Pick a price point. The choices are almost limitless. I've never been disappointed.

I think you can make a couple of divisions. First are the type of bushings - either press in like a Waverly or screw in like a Grover. Press in are a little smaller, maybe a little more difficult to install, unfortunately don't seem to be standardized (you'll need a reamer for the ones you want to use). The screw in type generally have bigger washers and bolt heads on the face of the headstock, are all pretty much the same sized hole. It seems like many of the guitars that come to my shop with screw in bushings they are loose. And of course there is no standardization for the little mounting screws.

Second consideration is whether you want open or enclosed gears. Enclosed in theory should stay cleaner and have a more modern look. Open gears just look "correct" on a vintage style guitar. Three on a plate look good on some older style guitars and certainly on classicals. The little boxy Kluson tuners seem to go with Gibsons, particularly if you put those funky plastic buttons on them.

We should mention different types of peg heads - obviously paddle head and slot head guitar take different style tuners, as do nylon and steel string. Cosmetic touches like plating, tuner buttons, "relicing". Specialized tuners that lock the strings or even lock and cut the string. Some people feel that weight is important but I never understood if you want more or less. Some tuners have different gear ratios, there is even one set that has different ratios for different strings (I think the idea is that the same number of turns would sharpen or flatten different strings the same).

Stew mac has a bunch of tuners they are closing out for 27-35 bucks. Great deal if can find ones you like.....

put on some decent Gotohs 510s, they may cost a bit more, but think of all the hours and great work you have done, would be a shame to fit inferior tuners. I'm sure the money can be recouped in the sale price

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I took aarons advice and got the hipshot. ask for a loofiers discount. I also use grovers, schaller and ping, and some no name chinese brands off ee vil bay.As others mentioned, it all depends on your sense of style and which tuning machine co best matches your tastes, open geared, smooth turning, antique finish etc, and the kind of instruments you build. Experiment to see which ones you like the best.

From what I have seen over the years just about anything in the $50 dollar price range is just as good as just about anything else.