Disco 2 Fault code reading machine for TD5 and V8 ?

Dear learned Landy Folk,
I'm looking to help out family and friends with maintenance of their Discos. I have ordered a cheap Haynes manual from Ebay so I can gen-up on the TD5, but it seems blatantly obvious that to do any proper diagnostics I'll need some kind of DTC reader.
Two cars in my 'flock' are 2001 Mk2 TD5s, and one is a 2001 V8 petrol.
Two of the owners are running them on a shoestring budget, so I don't want to spend more than £100 if I can help it, as I won't be charging them for my help. The third owner seems to throw money at his garage, and on a regular basis they seem to diagnose by replacement of parts...they have professional code readers but seem unable or unwilling to correctly interpret the readings, and the repairs always seem to cost more and take longer than expected. I want to help him to get the best out of his garage.

Any recommendations?
What are the limitations and compromises if I stick to the £100 budget?

Regards, MM

Meldrew's mate said:

What are the limitations and compromises if I stick to the £100 budget?

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Hi, unfortunately you'll not find anything to cover the Td5 for that money unless you are lucky to get hold of a second hand first generation hawkeye unlocked for D2 which will cover both D2 engines... any other new tool which aparently covers the Td5 will be unreliabe with the engine and give you false codes or data.

Accepted, and quite prepared to buy a second-hand machine, so what is available, what are their pros and cons, and what should I expect to pay?

On a side note, do all models (let's say 1999 to present day) use the same OBD type connector?

MM

For a proper Land Rover diagnostic unit you'll be paying possibly £300 and up for a Nanocom or a Hawkeye or a Lynx or an AutoLogic.
Or like Ferry mentioned, find one second hand.

The OBDII connector is the same. I think each model is wired differently at the OBD port.

JUKE179r said:

£300 and up for a Nanocom or a Hawkeye or a Lynx or an AutoLogic

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Accepted, now I'm after the experience of those who have one (or preferrably more) of these so I can make an informed decision on which is best for my needs. For instance, I see ads for 'XYZ code reader - with leads and unlock key for ABC' ...does that mean I'll be shelling out extra for the unlock keys for other models and makes?
If buying secondhand, what are your favourite readers, and why?

MM

The only second hand reader which you can buy on your budget is classic hawkeye unlocded for D2 and only if you are lucky to find somebody who want to get rid of it fast otherwise they are more than 100 quid even used... and that's only for D2... if you want for multiple modells the cheapest reliable one is Foxwell NT510 but it doesnt have so wide coverage for all the systems on D2 like hawkeye or nanocom

From what I can gather the Hawkeye (Classic?, Total?, Pro?) is made in the UK, so that swings it for me. Yes, it could cost over £300....but would it then be useful on my Vauxhall Combo van? I also see Hawkeye are selling 5080 modules for about £50 on Amazon, and appear to claim that's all that's needed. Bearmach (maker of the Hawkeye?) are selling simple leads for over £60 on their site.
To say it's confusing is an understatement!
I need to find the time to phone them...

Hawkeye generation 1(classic) is obsolete and it can cover one model for the basic price and needs unlock codes for each additional modell that's why i said that it can be found cheaper if you are lucky, Total is the actual modell and it covers all LRs but for some of them(P38, D1, Freelander etc) it needs special cables for some systems(suspension, ABS, etc) not the case for D2 which works with the basic cable, no Hawkeyes will cover a Vauxhaull cos Hawkeye by definition is a dedicated LR diagnostic tool... and btw it's built by Omitec, Bearmach is only supplier

My gratitute level to you @sierrafery is once again increased.