Another post prompted this but it’s a question that’s been on my mind. I have only played whistle with another whistle player a few times. I’ve never been in band. If someone were to teach a newbie class with a whole bunch of cheapie whistles, what will that sound like? Will people and/or the whistles be in tune with each other. Won’t that just sound like fingernails on a blackboard or styrofoam rubbing against styofoam? Aren’t there less painful ways to live?
Mute, what does “cheapie” have to do with your question? Think it through …
The video answered my question thanks. Much better than I expected.
I have bought some cheapie whistles that weren’t in tune with themselves much less other whistles or instruments. Now imagine a whole room full of those whistles. That is what I was expected things to sound like.
I have played some expensive whistles and mid-priced whistles that weren’t in tune with themselves much less other whistles or instruments. So I repeat my question … 
I have seen this done with Feadog and Generation brand whistles. One issue seems to be that the head is not glued on in a standard place so the whistles are not tuned the same at all. However, even if they were, a room full of fresh newbies isn’t going to blow a fleet of perfect whistles in tune anyways so… back to nails on a chalkboard 
As someone who wants to purchase a nice whistle to settle down with as a main instrument this is worrying, so where do you go? I don’t want to be a whistle collector 
I suppose you don’t need to be a ‘collector’ if you live near somebody who can lend you a variety to try out over a period of time and see what suits. It sounds like you haven’t come by anything that really does it for you as yet. You can do what a lot of people do and buy some, try them and sell them again. Not simple and you may lose a few quid on each deal but such is life. You may be lucky and find something that is just right very quickly.
Whatever, you probably need to find one decent whistle and stick with it for a while to get going. But like many people you may find that one whistle isn’t enough - not maybe from a collectors viewpoint but for different tunes. If you want something that is reliably in tune then a freeman mellow dog is a good starting point and not too expensive. There are many others and this has been a topic explored many times in the year I have been here - peruse using the search function.
I don’t think whistle collecting is a bad disease to have - there are plenty worse for your health and much more expensive.
Stephen
I see what you’re getting at, but realistically a class full of newbies would most likely consist of cheapie whistles.
Gimme a break guys!
Have none of you looked at the “Engineering” section in the front page!!??
The modern Feadog whistle has a head that is NOT glued on and can be moved for tuning .. The Hot-water tweak to turn a Generation whistle into a tunable whistle is also there!
Now to beginner’s workshops
I have spent the last year doing them - and I must say - “no pain no gain” 
One must have a sense of continuity - “it MUST get better than THIS!!” (surely??)
At a recent major festival I was supplying the whistles for the tutor .. 5 minutes before his class, he rushed up to me and asked for a bunch of C whistles for his students … hmmm “why C??” - “to give my ears a break!” he complained .. well I had only 10 C whistles for him … which he took .. then 10 minutes later, he’s back in a panic ..OMG!! there’s too many there - I NEED D WHISTLES!!! SO the 200 D whistles I brought for tutors was not in vane ..
Crap man!! … I had 2 major artists demonstrating 2 of my whistles at a concert last year .. they had no time for sound checks and tuning, and let me tell you - even played by virtuosos - 2 whistles out of tune are not a pleasant thing!! 
With whistles - patience .. and forebearance .. are virtues
Sure, but is cost a relevant part of the question? I can think of several reasons that a class of mixed tooters might sound bad - poorly adjusted tuning or non-tunable whistles, different intonation layouts (ET vs. Just), overly loud top octaves, poor breath control by beginners, etc. But none of that has anything to do with the cost of the whistles.
A class of, e.g. tunable Feadógs or Gens with their consistent intonation, moderate volume, and relatively narrow breath range would be pretty easy to work with, I’d think. In fact, Ryan Duns’ class looks like mostly blue-top Gens.
A mix of more expensive, more player-demanding whistles in the hands of beginners could be far, far worse.
It’s all relative. If there’s enough money to kit a class of schoolkids out with violins or guitars, then I guess there should be funds available to supply a class with something a little more expensive than a box of Gens. Dixon trads, maybe? Whether it’d sound any better or not is an open question.
Personally I think that part of the appeal of the whistle as opposed to a recorder is that many people remember the awful sound a class of 30 kids could make with a bunch of Dolmetsches. Do we want to risk putting people off the whistle by unleashing them on the young en mass?
The tutor in our class of adults gets people to swap out the gen they usually arrive with for a susato (and they mostly do as it is not an expensive option as such) - he was happy enough with my mellow dog at the start. Of course as a person who also enjoys collecting I have since rolled up with more expensive things- -some of them not really helping the overal ambience. We get in tune near the beginning of proceedings- this certainly helps! As you say - engineering wise - just about everything cheap can be tuned but maybe the general sound doesn’t help to start out with. As per all these sorts of debates YMMV…
Then wouldn’t it be better to have two whistles that are properly in tune from the beginning (bearing in mind they have to be warmed up)
Sure. But tunable whistles are … tunable. Which means you can tune them, and must tune them. A whistle in tune for your breath technique may not be in tune for my breath technique, even after warm-up. Or in tune with the other instruments you’re playing with. Etc.
And I thought I had chosen a nice simple instrument
it is simple,
it’s all relative,
however,
it’s relatives are all woodwinds.