I have been a decades-long fan of AutomationDirect PLCs.
They aren't perfect, and there is always room for improvement. But, in my opinion, they are targeting a specific and very large market segment. They offer a cost-effective and reliable solution to most day to day automation needs.
To me complaining about the lack of more advanced ST and so on misses the point that most of their target market doesn't need (or perhaps even understand) anything but basic PLC programming to get the job done. It's a bit like my complaining that my neighbor's Lexus has a lot of features my Chevy lacks. But, my Chevy hauls my butt to the grocery store and back just fine, and that's really all I need.
