Have you tried Davidsan's Maple selector?
It's fun and will get you started- link below.
Then browse his site and keep a towel handy to wipe up the drool :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Maple selector

A red leafed maple that stays 10' or less and is not mounded/weeping limits your choices quite a bit! I'd look at 'Pixie', 'Skeeter's Broom', 'Shaina' or 'Fireball'. And you may have to look online for these - these are not the most common cultivars. Most mail order nurseries that specialize in Japanese maples do a great job with packing and shipping. Check the Garden Watchdog if you have any questions about a specific vendor.

You should be aware that zone 5 is considered borderline for these trees so you may want to start small and limit your investment just in case.

Keeping in mind that you will want a cold hardy maple, you should look at Acer Shirasawanum 'Kawai' (shirasawa maples may due a little better in colder Z5). This is a truly beautiful little plant. It does have the cut leaves similar to dissectum palmatums, but without the mounding habit. 'Johin' is another shirasawanum that does not have cut leaves; it may get a little bigger, but should still be under 10 feet at 10 years.

This post was edited by maple_grove on Thu, May 2, 13 at 12:57

I love Twombly's Red Sentinel (upright tree starts out narrow but then widens), Rhode Island Red and I was just looking at a Shirasawanum called Red Dawn that was beautiful although I can't find accurate size predictions.
There are so many beautiful choices and mail order will give you a great variety (my fave is Topiary Gardens) but if you want to start with a larger size I recommend buying locally.
Be careful because once you see all the beautiful variations you can easily become hooked. I've bought 31 maples this season already!