: I was told by a quote-end-quote expert that if a telescope comes with a 3X Barlow lens that it is almost guarenteed to be sub-par. : Is this true and if so, does that mean a Barlow 2X is actually better than the 3X?

Kip is right, 3x barlows are not worth anything. Besides, if are using a diagonal, to get 3x without having to buy one, you just need to put the barlow in the holder first, then the diagonal, then the eyepiece. I haven't used this system myself but the image quality should be better(with a good quality 2x barlow) than any 3x barlow on the market. Hope this helps.