Great thread!
I thought it would be too flamable but it's doing fine so far!

I think the choice of a modeler is related to what renderer and animation software you're using. I worked in 3dsmax for a long time and i modeled everything in AutoCAD. Now i work in Cinema 4D and all my modeling is done in C4D, except for the architectural models, those are still AutoCAD.
I love Rhino but exporting a mesh from Rhino to C4D is a nightmare! i hope Rhino 3 or C4D v9 will fix that.
I also love Mirai and Nendo for sub-d modeling since i can export clean meshes to C4D.
I'm trying to learn Lightwave, but i wish the interface was a bit more intuitive. Damn it... i've seen great models made in LW and some really great images... but everytime i try to learn it i fall into dispair!! I'll get over it...

One thing to keep in mind though... no software will make you a better artist. Hard work and lots of time will. Oh, and a lot of imagination is half way through.

I remember reading an article about rustboy (www.rustboy.com) and on how it was made in strata 3D!!!
It's not about the tools. It's about the man behind the tools!

:)