New to float tube fishing and need advice

I am looking to get a float tube. Cost is a definite factor but am looking in the $200 or cheaper range but want good quality that will last. Less expensive is better but won't sacrifice just to save money. I will fish for anything that swims but fly fishing for trout is my favorite. Ive read about the cumberlands and the fish cat 4 and several others. Any advice will help. I look forward to hearing anyones input.

I own a fishcat 4 and love it theres allso the odc420 which is awesome. Cabelas has a sale on the odcs i think still goin on. I like the fact that it has a rubber coating on the bottom to help against tares and scrapes. I fish some pretty hairy spots and need the extra protection on bottom.

Only had one tube. Fish cat 4, had it for a little over a year and use it fairly often and love it. However my buddy has the same tube and got it the same time I did, and had both bladders pop on him!!!He uses his tube less often than me, so I am kind of skeptical now.

As with any tackle, alot depends on your style/approach. I chose the Fishcat4 for its mobility, as I like to cover as much water as I can (lake perris). I dont think the fishcat is as "stable" of a platform as the Cumberland in the wind/chop, but you can motor in a Fishcat on calm water.

I bought a FC off Craigslist for $100. I like it but the pointed end sits canted down in the water. Maybe my weight?(205) I had a hard time kicking around with the slightest wind. So I won a Prowler on Ebay for $380. $180 off retail. I love that thing. I floats like a frickin battleship!! My son has been using the FC with no complaints

Fish Cats are pretty popular.

I bought a CA Togiak 'cause it was cheap. Its a good tube and I like it. The only downside is the back support is non-existent. It doesn't bother me when kickin around but after 4-5hrs on the water, when I get out I can feel it in my lower back. Been thinking of making some sort of support mod out of foam or something as there is what looks like strap slots on the backside. I just haven't done anything about it yet.
I have seen a pic somewhere that someone hacked the legs off a plastic lawn chair and lashed it in. That seems a little too redneck for me.

geedavell is dead on about the Prowler. That thing is truly a battleship, in comparison to the Dave Scadden Escape. Those things are made for battling the out-of-control conditions. Not even the Cumberland comes close.

Fish Cat 4 LCS is a great intro to moderate and serious tubers. As long as you and your gears don't exceed 220lbs, you're golden. I've seen 250lbs maxed out weight loading causing a nightmare of a time in traveling through the water. Rule of thumb is, stay 20lbs less than the max weight capacity supported by the float.