Hehe - I've been familiar with the phrase "When in doubt get the f** out" - can't remember where I picked it up though.
I can definitely attest to the fact that the ceapest route isnt always the best - and you USUALLY get what you pay for. Alas for every rule there's an exception.
I would say that if you're in a position to drop a few hondo it's worth the extra money to go with a reputable name - just because if it doesn't work out you're not out 62 bucks you're out a few hundred. Also if you've already got enough money to buy a cheap one it probably wouldn't be to hard to wait and/or scrape together the extra money to get a reputable one. JMO (just my oppinion)