I was mistaken on the Samlex. I was looking at the 24v models at just a hair over $500. The 12v one is $736.
So If I don't need the charger portion (which I don't) and I don't care about the transfer switch (which I don't) then is there really any sense in spending $2000+ for an inverter?
I guess I should have qualified the term "best." Best to me means, runs all of my stuff reliably, won't **** out after a season or three, won't kill any of my electronics. The one that does these things at the lower price is the best. Beyond what I have listed, what else does an inverter need to do? I guess I might pay a little extra for one that splits my kindling for me.