Just a quick few words that go straight to the 3 scopes you mentioned:
1/- Aperture rules!!!
Simply, the bigger diameter "hole" you have at the front of the scope to let light in, the clearer the image you will get. Trust me, as soon as you start trying to look at galaxies, nebulae ... in fact pretty near anything, the bigger your light bucket the better.
2/- The great advise I received from many folks on this site when I was buying my first scope (almost exactly 6 months ago) was clear: it doesn't matter what scope you get, if the mount is wobbly you will NOT have successful viewing. If your viewing is unsuccessful you'll not be inclined to keep trying - eventually you'll end up owning a scope that sits in a corner of the garage unused & unloved. EQ1 type mounts are NOT stable, in fact EQ2's don't seem great either - go for a minimum of an EQ3 or AZ3 scope if you really want a tripod mounted scope. You are going to find it very difficult (nigh impossible) to get a good quality scope on a sturdy mount and have it weigh less than 10kg's.
2/- Avoid "short tube" reflectors, unless they are worth LOTS of money. If you want a reflecter with a focal length of 1000 mm for example buy one that actually has a body 1000mm or so long, not half that with an internal "doubling" lens.
Having said all of that: for stability, cost effectiveness, and to get as much aperture as possible for your money, it is impossible to beat a Dob (ie Newtonian reflector mounted on a Dobsonian base) for power and value for money. I personally ended up buying a 10" Dob and have not regretted that decision for a split second.
Here's a couple of scopes that perhaps are worth looking at:
Skywatcher SW500 150 x 1000P EQ3 $499.00 AUD
Skywatcher SW-600 200 x 1000P EQ5 $799.00 AUD
Skywatcher SW-880 250 x 1250 (Dob base) $699.00 AUD
Guan Sheng GS-880 250 x 1250 Dob Deluxe-Crayford $649.00 AUD
Bintel BT-252 10" Premium Dobsonian Telescope $679.00
(These last 2 are actually the same scope, made by the same manufacturer,ie GSO, packaged slightly differently. The accessories in these 2 packages vary slightly. They are an f5 scope and quite good quality optics at unbelievably affordable prices.)
I hope this helps - as I went through the exact same issues so recently I thought perhaps my perspective may be helpful.
Whatever you do it is still a VERY good idea to try and get along to a club meet, informal gathering, etc of other scope owners - get an idea of how big, how heavy, how expensive the different scopes are, and how good the views are BEFORE spending any money.
Cheers, and good luck!
Steve