I've always found max to be the easiest to use and the most practical. The downside is the lack of export direct features to other games.

it dosent really matter what you use you will eventually end up using Milkshape to export/sort out the textures for the model so it can be in the game.

me i have been known to use 3dmax (f!£$ expensive,and highly overated in my opinion) but i personaly find it's interface "unweildy" at times(well most of the time actually ). i prefer Rhino3d to actually model on(it works the way i think it should and only get's unweildy when you try to do something realy complex).

American Scientists spent millions developing the perfect writing utensil; It writes in Zero-gravity, upside down, under water, in space... The Russians used a Pencil.