Discovery Telescopes 12.5" TD

4.0 Discovery 12.5" Truss Dob

--Superb optics
--Excellent stiffness (1.25" truss tubes!)
--Good focuser
--Good options package(s)

--UTA is a little undersized (like Obsession)
--Sonotube UTA
--Poor quality shroud
--Decent but not perfect orthogonality (DSCs)

Basically, this differs from the premium scopes costing $600 to $4000 more only in a couple parameters: the woodworking (which is adequate and decently finished, but more basic than some higher-priced scopes), and the sonotube UTA (which is a little cheap for a high-end scope, though perfectly functional).

The mirrors have excellent optical figures, the coatings are superb, the scope moves very smoothly in both axes. Like all dobs, a counterweight system will be necessary with altitude change or heavier eyepieces.

Options packages include useful items like wheelbarrow handles, shrouds, eyepieces, fan, etc.
As dobs go, this is obviously better than the economy dobs from China, representing the "bottom end of the high end". And in terms of use in the field, it is second to none at this size.