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refractor hunting can be a very time consuming and frustrating exercise if you complicate it to much. firstly deceide how much you can or will spend.
secondly deceide what size you need or want, there is so much to choose from you really need to know roughly want you want before you start looking.
nearly all the medium priced 80mm refractors will be basically the same, doublet air spaced with either FPL51 or 53 glass, there are variations in quality in both types of glass so depending on what you get one type can be as good as the other.
most of the common ED 80 and 100mm scopes Skywatcher/Orion etc are the same scope with different colours and brand stickers.
as you move upward price wise you get into the Stellavue/William Optics range which tend to be a better finish with better focusers and in some cases retractable dew shields which make them convenient as travel scopes.
then you get into Takahashi type scopes but of course with a higher price range.
my personal opinion in the 80mm range is the Orion/Saxon ED80
90mm range is the W.O Megrez 90
100mm range is the Orion/Saxon ED100
all these scope offer excellent value for money with the W.O Megrez 90 being my favourite after at some stage having owned all three scopes.
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