Advice on a JVC HM-DH40000U
 

I have an AG-1980p running through an ES15+DVK-100 as my main setup. I have been looking at the JVC HM-DH40000Us on Ebay because they are a cheaper option to the 9X00 JVCs I see.
My question is, will the DH40000U compliment the AG-1980, or be basically the same. From what I've read, They are both good for LP/EP but not SP/SLP? Is running the DH40000U through the ES15 redundant? Or should I just dollar up for a 9x00 series?

SP = 2-hour (on T-120 tape), really hard to screw up base playing. If a deck won't track SP, it's horribly misaligned, or damaged.

LP = 4 hours, harder to play, JVC actually does better than Panasonic here, on some models

SLP aka EP = 6 hour mode, AG-1980 excellent, certain JVC EOL models are too

D-VHS decks are essentially SP only, lesser quality than S-VHS decks. Still usually way beyond VHS, but not refined quality of S-VHS

I never recommended D-VHS decks, unless extremely cheap, and mostly used for SP. D-VHS do make the recommended list, but at/near the bottom of the list.

9x00 series is a mixed bag in the 2020s, too many decks have DD issues. Deck condition matters more than model now, when decks are mostly equivalent, meaning many HR and SR decks. SR-V101 was generally a lesser deck, once upon a time, but it can easily be better than my once-favorite HR-S9800 these days. The advice from decades past isn't as clear-cut anymore, since everything is used now.