The JVC-made Audio Reflex MR-109 and MR-110 had the same type of bar and weight anti-skating (I owned an MR-110 – my first decent turntable in around 1976), but the weight was fixed in position so it was only suitable for tracking forces of 1.5-2g. The only real difference between the MR-110 and the JVC VL-5 was the cosmetics, which used vinyl ‘wood’ veneer on the Audio Reflex, and black rather than silver finish around the buttons on the JVC.
The direct drive DD-1979 (guess when it was released?) looks to have a similar tonearm and anti-skating, although not exactly the same. That bar and weight anti-skating was very effective and cheap to make, so continue to use it.
The only time you’d ever need to disconnect it was if you put a very compliant cartridge on it that tracked at 1g, but as that wouldn’t be a particularly good match to the tonearm, one that tracks at about 2g is better - the Shure M44G is OK, tracking at 1.5g, with the anti-skating working.
Audio Reflex equipment was always Japanese, Taiwanese or South Korean-made, and excellent value for money, although they never sold any really high-end stuff. The Korean company Inkel, who OEM-made the (excellent) Audio Reflex amplifiers for them in the 70’s and 80’s, bought the Sherwood (American) and Audio Reflex (Canadian) brands in the early-80’s, and marketed them both under the Inkel brand, and more recently, the Sherwood brand, which they still use as their export brand in most parts of the world.
The DD-1979 is almost certainly a better performer than the Pioneer PL-12D, because of its direct drive motor - it will be quieter and have lower wow and flutter (better speed stability), and it's a newer design (1979 versus 1974). From a 1981 Stereo Buyer's Guide price list, the Audio Reflex DD-1979 had wow and flutter of 0.06% WRMS (PL-12D 0.1%), rumble of -61dB weighted DIN-B (PL-12D -47dB) and a tonearm of 220mm effective length (PL-12D 221mm). The PL-12D was a much older design. of course. So the Audio Reflex is the better turntable of the two, except perhaps for the tonearm (fairly similar, with Pioneer perhaps having a slight edge), even if it's a much-less well-known brand. Incidentally, the 1982 Stereo Buyer's Guide shows that it was then an Inkel DD-1979, a slightly better-known brand, which is still around today, but of course, it was still a Japanese-made turntable, as Inkel's specialty was amplifiers.