Owned both in the past. Mav all the way! Try getting parts for your Pardner pump. Looks easy at first. Then you call and Marlin is on backorder for like 2 years.
It literally took me 1.5 years to get a call back to tell me a rail mount was finally in for my slug gun... I hate NEF/Marlin.
+1 on the 88.
I bought one at a pawn shop with the 28" barrel. Bought the 18.5" barrel for home defense. Only problems I have had have all been user error.