well, i have 4 littermaids - 1 basic, 1 mega & 2 elite. i wouldn't buy the mega or the elite again - the basic is fine, tho.
when i replace the next broken one, i'm going to try the litter robot.
I know you said you want to stay under $200, but I have a coupon code for a Litter Robot ( www.litter-robot.com ) that will make the price $279 (includes shipping!), plus with this litterbox, there are no special litters or receptacles to buy later- it just uses any clumping litter and kitchen trash bags, has an 18 month warranty, and a "you and your cat will love it" 60 day guarantee or you can return it for a full refund (minus the cost of shipping it back- about $30- $50 I think, depending on where you live).
I really, really like mine
- worth every penny, lol
.
I can also pm you a website where you can read about (it's forums, like here) pretty much any and every automatic litterbox there is, I think.