Help me decide

Woody,
Having just bought the second TS-850 I've ever owned, As far as I'm concerned, the 'other' two choices you made are both 'second rate', at best. My first '850 was only on the market for maybe 3 months when I bought it. Kenwood never made anything as good since (one of those 'opinions'). One with a tuner is 'better' than one without, but, even without it's head and shoulders better than the rest. Doesn't have a lot of the later 'gizmos', but it really doesn't need them (and it's got buttons big enough that I don't punch two in stead of one!).
Like any radio ever made it can/does have some 'qwerks' that may be a little odd at first. Still the best. And as everyone knows, if you ain't got Kenwood, you got squat.
- 'Doc

Seriously, it's the best of the three choices you gave.

The Kenwoods will blow away the Yaesu. I've had a few Yaesus, still have a FT-990 for a back up rig and they are good rigs but the slope tune on the Kenwoods is the best. I've had a chance to use both the new Orion and the Icom 7800 in heavy traffic for several hours and the old Kenwoods hold their own against the newer rigs. The TS-940 is a nice rig & there is a mod to increase the RX LOTS from a factory goof. (Can't remember the details but something about a component installed backwards). I prefer the TS-850 over the TS-940 only because the 940 has a built in power supply and that means more internal heat. More heat = harder on the rig. I do like the looks of the 940 over my 850 and maybe one day I'll have one if I find one cheap but the 850 would still be my #1 choice. WARNING If you get a Kenwood with slope tune (The REAL ones ie TS-850, TS-940 or TS-950 NOT the digital pos on the TS-570), you WILL be hooked!

OK, how about this. Which is better the kenwood TS850 or the Yaesu FT101EE
:?: