I’ve used every detector that has been mentioned so far quite extensively (minus the 9500…still working on getting a demo unit for that, gr!)
v1 and escort 8500 work just as well as each other, except v1 gives you arrows.
The cheaper you go from that the less responsiveness and accuracy you receive. You gotta pay to play, unfortunately. So figure out what your budget is in a year for tickets, and see if you have enough to just pony up and get one of those two (or possibly a 9500, but that’s topping out at about $450 + shipping). If you can’t afford one of those two, get a cheaper one WITH THE KNOWLEDGE that it IS NOT AS GOOD , in my personal experience, than the others and DRIVE ACCORDINGLY.