Tascam, Fostex and Yamaha are probably the best known brands, although there are others out there. The price and features vary, sometimes you can find a basic used (analog) one for $100-$150. I haven't looked at any for a while, so I'm not really sure what they are going for these days. A good place for prices is zzounds.com, out in Chicago. They usually have fair prices on new stuff, though they do not sell used equipment. Their site is really easy to use, and you can ask questions to the staff there. There is a Tascam and a Fostex forum on this board, just above the "newbies" section, which can help you too. There is almost always someone asking about different units, so definitely go through the posts there. Also, I think that on the home page here, there is a comparison between two different recorders by the same company.
Were you able to check out the music stores in your area?