I happened to coincidentally purchase a juicer just before this thread got bumped a couple of weeks ago. Bought this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002OK...03_s00_i00
Guess I got a good deal because it was $100 more a week later. Went for a masticating juicer because I have read it's better for greens. In general this style is better for hard produce, and tends to clog up with soft stuff like pears. I have been juicing approximately 2 16oz glasses per day using any combination of the following:
apples, pears, lemongrass, beets, pomegranite, carrot, orange, grapefruit, ginger, radish, parsely, chinese brocolli, cilantro, red cabbage, cranberries, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens.
Within 3 or 4 days certainly noticed improvements in skin, sleep, turds, body of hair, and most evident was the improvement in the condition of my cuticles, and no more hang nails.
Pomegranite cures the taste of anything nasty you put in there, so I would say this is the most essential ingredient thus far.
I'm a little nervous about the machine because I can already tell it is wearing, making some noises and such. Hope it lasts.
I am also very lucky to have the best produce market I have ever encountered close to my house. I usually purchase around 40 pounds of produce for about 40 bucks, and that lasts me for about a week and a half. I think if I was buying the same stuff at whole foods it would be 180-200 bucks.
For those of you who are time constrained, with the clean up and chopping, it does take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to get a 16oz glass of juice, but well worth it.