To venture back into vinyl or not,...that is the question.

I go for direct drive, quartz lock. turn it on, instant accurate speed, stays there warm or cold.

If not quartz lock, you typically need to wait for it to warm up, then refine speed, then check it again later, as I needed to do with my Thorens TD124, currently do with my Mitsubishi LT5V. My JVC quartz TT81, on, play, off.

here's hifishark.com, used quartz direct drive sorted high to low

https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=direct+drive+quartz+turntable

this $250. direct drive is a darn good start in your budget, I used mine for many years

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120XUSB-Direct-Drive-Hi-Fidelity-Anti-Skate/dp/B07N3S4X3P...=

the provided cartridge is nothing special, I would change it, use it for spare and it's eliptical stylus is better than microline for mono lp's groove size (get a true mono cartridge eventually if into mono lps).

provided

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at-vm95e

I suggest, to stay in your budget, their lowest cost microline stylus. advanced stylus shapes get further down in the grooves, much more contact surface to the groove sides, and make less wear to the grooves, and less wear to themselves, thus the last a lot longer

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/at-vm95ml

body threads makes it's install much easier

I'd rather see you buy this one, primarily because it has better channel separation, 28db (less costly 95ml is 23db). 

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/vm540ml 

wide channel separation gives better imaging, iindividual instrument isolation and placement. tight channel balance helps produce a tight center image, as center is a phantom created by equal left and right.

................................

How are your cartridge alignment skills? Or, do you have someone near with those skills? Proper alignment of any cartridge affects the sound, done right lp's beat cds, important for elliptical, and even more important for advanced stylus shapes, to get their advantages and to prevent problems if they are misaligned. 

You need Phono Eq to modify the phono signal (boost lows/cut highs)

and the needed signal boost of MM cartridge signal up to line level signal strength.

Some TT's have an option to use it's built in phono preamp, including the AT120 I linked above.

It's good enough to get back into vinyl. I liked it better than my McIntosh SS C28's phono preamp, and like my McIntosh mx110z's Tube Preamp better.

So if you don't have a phono stage now, a TT choice could include that, then try for a better sounding Phono stage later.

I also get a few new LP’s, even 180gm ’special’ that have some noise.

Like my old ones with baby food, cat hair, smoke residue, I clean them, batches of 10, bingo, dead quiet

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GSSQ1MN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I scrub em aggressively with these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005EJ7YH4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I make a more aggressive mix, some provided cleaner, a few drops of dishwasher rinsing agent, mostly alcohol, protect the paper label with plastic lid, scrub, rinse in distilled water.