# Trying to choose smoker for husband. Is it worth waiting for Memorial Day or Father's Day sales?



## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

I have been lurking (I mean learning) here for a couple weeks as I research what to buy my husband for his bday. He has wanted a smoker for several years (always says he'll get one "someday"), and I'm 90% sure he wants one that uses pellets. I know nothing about smokers, but I've noticed what brands you all seem to like, so that's very helpful. Several times I've considered just giving my husband the cash and telling him to choose, since I know he'd have know what he wants and would probably have fun picking one out. However, I am almost sure he'd say we shouldn't spend the money right now. Budget-wise, it's not great timing. But he will only turn 50 once, and I'd really like to give him something that will bring him joy. And he would love to be surprised with a smoker (I think!). Unfortunately for him, the price needs to be as low as possible (bc I've found out there are a lot of really fun smokers out there!).

I've been scouring Craigslist for good used ones but it's almost all a bunch of rusted out Traegers. There was a newish Camp Chef but he was asking almost as much as a new one, which I could get delivered for free. And I missed out on a good GMG Daniel Boone, which sold really quickly. 

His bday is one week from today. So I need to make a decision soon. At this point, I'm thinking about a Camp Chef (the $399 one, can't remember model #) from Lowe's or Home Depot (exploring deals with both of those retailers - maybe open a Lowe's card acct to save 20%). My BIL also recommended Z Grills, so I've considered them but it sounds like Camp Chef has better customer service (which may or may not be a big deal) for not much more $. And I just noticed a Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow 30" model on Amazon for 264 (no real reviews, but apparently a lot of the 20" models caught fire - yikes). 

Or I could give him the $ and tell him to buy himself one during upcoming sales. Now, we arrive at my actual question: will there be great deals on pellet grills in the next month? 

Thanks for any input.


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## Hamdrew (May 3, 2021)

I've never owned a pellet smoker myself, but have seen deals advertised in our area's Ace Hardware and Lowe's circulars/weekly ads.

I would consider a propane or electric smoker, if you haven't.  I say this only because he may be under the impression that they are inferior to pellets, which are inferior to "stick burners", but that is not necessarily true whatsoever.

Good luck!


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## Steve H (May 3, 2021)

All types of smokers have their pros and cons. And IMHO none are inferior from one type to another. It all depends on what you want to do. And more importantly. How far you are going to go with smoking. If you believe he wants a pellet smoker. Then that would be a good start. Camp Chef has a decent rep. Though I've never used one. Just drag him to the store. And tell him to choose. Then you pay for it. That way there's no excuses about it!


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## normanaj (May 3, 2021)

A lot depends on budget.For the guys here who own them the Recteq is it when it comes to pellet smokers/grills.

Like you said he only turns 50 once.Point blank ask him what he wants and then go get it!


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## Steve H (May 3, 2021)

normanaj said:


> A lot depends on budget.For the guys here who own them the Recteq is it when it comes to pellet smokers/grills.


True dat!


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## chew2475 (May 3, 2021)

I have a Camp Chef pellet Smoker and love it.  Have had 4 years now and no issues and good cooks on it.


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## Buttah Butts (May 3, 2021)

You will spend more money in the long run by going to a traeger or Daniel Boone because soon you will realize that they are not that great. Get the Rec Teq, if pellet smoking isn’t his thing you will be able to sell it quickly.


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## BigW. (May 3, 2021)

Do you have a gas grill or possibly a kettle grill?  I made the best ribs this weekend on a kettle.   That may be a cheaper alternative and delivers tasty food.  Otherwise I'm sure the Camp Chef will certainly make him happy.


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## Hamdrew (May 3, 2021)

BigW. said:


> Do you have a gas grill or possibly a kettle grill?  I made the best ribs this weekend on a kettle.   That may be a cheaper alternative and delivers tasty food.  Otherwise I'm sure the Camp Chef will certainly make him happy.


I was just about to suggest the same thing, or a Weber Smokey Mountain. If nothing else,  check Craigslist and get an old one as a backup?? There is something very satisfying about "working with" the fire- Checking/rolling coals, having to be a little careful (read: not too inebriated).. And all you need is a kettle, some charcoal, and a little wood.


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

BigW. said:


> Do you have a gas grill or possibly a kettle grill?  I made the best ribs this weekend on a kettle.   That may be a cheaper alternative and delivers tasty food.  Otherwise I'm sure the Camp Chef will certainly make him happy.


We do have a gas grill. He often puts some wood chips in there to try to get a little smoky flavor. I don't know what a kettle grill is, but I'll look it up.


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

Buttah Butts said:


> You will spend more money in the long run by going to a traeger or Daniel Boone because soon you will realize that they are not that great. Get the Rec Teq, if pellet smoking isn’t his thing you will be able to sell it quickly.


Yes I definitely don't want to end up wasting money on something crappy. I'm looking for something cheaper than a Rec Tec to start with, then he can figure out what features, size, etc he wants to upgrade to in a few years.


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

chew2475 said:


> I have a Camp Chef pellet Smoker and love it.  Have had 4 years now and no issues and good cooks on it.


That's great to hear. Thank you.


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

Hamdrew said:


> I've never owned a pellet smoker myself, but have seen deals advertised in our area's Ace Hardware and Lowe's circulars/weekly ads.
> 
> I would consider a propane or electric smoker, if you haven't.  I say this only because he may be under the impression that they are inferior to pellets, which are inferior to "stick burners", but that is not necessarily true whatsoever.
> 
> Good luck!


That's good to know. I know nothing about any other smokers, only that I've heard him say in the past he wanted a pellet one, and that my BILs both recently bought pellet smokers (a Z Grill and a Rec Tec).


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## kilo charlie (May 3, 2021)

I know many others have already offered their opinions, but I'd like to throw out the Pit Boss name.. I personally have a Pit Boss Copperhead 5 that's exclusive to Wal Mart ( they have several models like that) it'll smoke everything you could ever want from big family get togethers to small meals for you two.

It's got a 60# hopper on the back to keep from having to fill up the pellets as often and the one small issue I had in the beginning was quickly resolved by their customer service.

It's $500 - not sure what your budget is.. but you can also buy 40 pound bags of the Pit Boss brand pellets at WalMart for $15 - most other brands are $20 for 20 pounds.


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## BGKYSmoker (May 3, 2021)

First smoker?

If it is dont overwhelm him with fancy controls on a pellet grill or a vertical gas or electric.

A Weber 22" kettle is a great smoker and bbq. Hard to mess things up with charcoal and a few chunks of wood.


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## Hamdrew (May 3, 2021)

not a smoker said:


> That's good to know. I know nothing about any other smokers, only that I've heard him say in the past he wanted a pellet one, and that my BILs both recently bought pellet smokers (a Z Grill and a Rec Tec).


You of course have a much better idea of what he'd want than I do. While having something different could be cool, it would also be cool for him to get the same (pellet) as his brothers. Definitely could help with the learning curve! Which might easily make him more inclined to use it, often. However again, you know him better: If he's the type to want to "one-up" his brothers, or have/learn/teach them something different, etc.

I am a charcoal/wood smoker, but have read praise here for Rec Tec's. It sounds like you are having no trouble navigating the site; Just in case, here's the respective forums:





						Pellet Smokers
					






					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				








						Propane Smokers
					






					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				








						Charcoal Smokers
					






					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				








						Electric Smokers
					






					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				








						Wood Smokers
					






					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				








						Charcoal Smokers
					






					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

SWFLsmkr1 said:


> First smoker?
> 
> If it is dont overwhelm him with fancy controls on a pellet grill or a vertical gas or electric.
> 
> A Weber 22" kettle is a great smoker and bbq. Hard to mess things up with charcoal and a few chunks of wood.


Yes, first smoker. He is kind of geeky, though, and I know he'd have fun with the fancy stuff. But also know it's not necessary to have fun and get a good result.


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## Hamdrew (May 3, 2021)

SWFLsmkr1 said:


> First smoker?
> 
> If it is dont overwhelm him with fancy controls on a pellet grill or a vertical gas or electric.
> 
> A Weber 22" kettle is a great smoker and bbq. Hard to mess things up with charcoal and a few chunks of wood.


I think WSM's (that's a Weber Smokey Mountain 
N
 not a smoker
 , almost always abbreviated) or other water smokers might be even easier when actually using the water pan.


N
 not a smoker
 Water smokers use a water pan, ensuring the temp stays around the boiling point of water, which is perfect for "low'n'slow" smoking.


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## PAS (May 3, 2021)

The best thing is to let him pick one out then your off the hook if he doesn't like it!!


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## smokeymose (May 3, 2021)

If he wants a pellet grill then get him a pellet grill. Nothing else will do. I understand the budget thing. I really liked a grill recently and the Mrs. saw me looking at them on-line but when asked I also said we don't need to spend the money. She ordered it from Amazon anyway.
Let him know in a roundabout way that he's getting one and if he doesn't pick one he'll have to live with what you get him.
Happy bday to him and bless you!


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## pineywoods (May 3, 2021)

I agree with checking the Pit Boss smokers many of us have them and like them. Walmart carries a good line of them


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## Hamdrew (May 3, 2021)

not a smoker said:


> Yes, first smoker. He is kind of geeky, though, and I know he'd have fun with the fancy stuff. But also know it's not necessary to have fun and get a good result.









Geeky can mean different things..   There are plenty of cool mods-thermometers, probes, insulation etc. for him to "nerd out" about ANY type of smoker. For "stick burners" (wood smokers) like this, that includes dimensions of the logs ("splits"), placement of said splits, and so on.


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## GrumpyGriller (May 3, 2021)

Smokers and grills are like cars....we all have our opinions on what we like/don't like.  Personally, I love my Traeger Timberline 1300, but it's not cheap. I like the pellet grill and primarily use Pit Boss pellets.  I can control it remotely and is easy enough to use.  I wouldn't consider knocking any other type mentioned in other replies to your thread, it just comes down to trying something based on everyone's opinion and basing it on intended use and wants.  As other's have said, see what he'd like and go from there :)

Good luck!


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

PAS said:


> The best thing is to let him pick one out then your off the hook if he doesn't like it!!


There's definitely something to be said for that!


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## not a smoker (May 3, 2021)

Hamdrew said:


> View attachment 495093
> 
> Geeky can mean different things..   There are plenty of cool mods-thermometers, probes, insulation etc. for him to "nerd out" about ANY type of smoker. For "stick burners" (wood smokers) like this, that includes dimensions of the logs ("splits"), placement of said splits, and so on.


Yes, I can definitely see him getting into tweaking whatever system he ends up with. That's part of the fun, right?


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## ironbrewer (May 3, 2021)

Honestly the best thing is to just get him what he wants. If he is geeky, part of the fun is researching for the best deal for himself. We all want to optimize what we get for the almighty buck. I would have loved to get a super fancy expensive smoker, but had a budget. I got the Camp Chef DLX. I really like it. It has been idiot proof for me. I have only had it for a short time and it is my first smoker. I have done chix thighs, a brisket, 2 pork putts, and a few racks of ribs on it. My family has said it is the best grilling I have ever done. They love everything that comes off of it. Would I have liked to have one of the big names like Yoder or MAC or Pitts and Spitts of course I would. The Camp Chef has been great for me and is what I could comfortably afford so it was the right choice for me.

The other thing is he may cut his choice down to a few different smokers, and finds a sweet deal on craigslist or similar. If it is for his birthday give him a deadline on when he has to get it by. That way he doesn't over think it and you can have yummie food sooner.


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## kruizer (May 3, 2021)

My Camp Chef has been a work horse but I think he should be making the choice of which one he wants.


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## crazzycajun (May 3, 2021)

New smoker for my husband
					

Hi. I'm looking to get a smoker for my husband for Christmas. He's never had one before and has always wanted one but I don't know where to start. I've read a few posts so I know that we don't have a ton of space, our budget is probably max $300. And it needs to be versatile to set a temp and go...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				



refer to this thread for suggestions


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## Hamdrew (May 3, 2021)

not a smoker said:


> Yes, I can definitely see him getting into tweaking whatever system he ends up with. That's part of the fun, right?


Absolutely, and no matter what he will be able to make his smoker "his own".. Set phone notifications for temp fluctuations with a fancy thermometer, etc.

You could just sit him down in a serious "we need to talk", and just tell him straight-up "You're getting a smoker for your birthday." Show him this website, this thread, the different forums and tell him to figure out what he wants. Ask him if he wants to assemble it himself, and if not you can take care of arranging that & delivery. 

Surprises are nice, and I'm sure he's gonna be thrilled no matter what, but this would prevent any chance of a lingering "If only.."


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## ostrichsak (May 3, 2021)

normanaj said:


> A lot depends on budget.For the guys here who own them the Recteq is it when it comes to pellet smokers/grills.
> 
> Like you said he only turns 50 once.Point blank ask him what he wants and then go get it!


Not too long ago I would have supported this post. Now, I can't.

As much as I wanted to love this Recteq RT-590 (slightly smaller version of the RT-700) I can no longer recommend Recteq in good conscience. I really really liked this thing when I first got it and I saw what all of the rave reviews were about.  It was the significant step up from my GMG DB WiFi in just about every category and metric. Exactly what I wanted. So I thought...

Unfortunately all Recteq WiFi smokers have a fatal flaw: The notifications will fail to work during high-demand times like holidays. These also tend to be the time when you MOST need your grills notifications to work. If I ruin meat on a random Tuesday when it's just the wife and I that sucks but at least I'm not letting a dozen family members, friends or both down. That's basically what happens. The notifications just quit working w/o warning. No alerts when your smoker hits the set temperature, no alerts if your temp strays to a temperature far from your set temp and (maybe most importantly) any temperature alerts you set for the meat probes also will not work.

This is a fundamental pillar to the WiFi experience and w/o it you might as well just buy something w/o WiFi because... what's the point? At least then you'd KNOW to use some other method for temperature measuring and save a boat load of money on features that you pay for that don't work. The first time this happened (Super Bowl weekend) I thought it was a one-time thing. RecTeq even told me that they were aware of the issue and would correct it. They told me not to worry because it wouldn't happen again.

Wrong.

The very next high-traffic weekend it occurred again resulting in nearly the same thing for me: ruined food and hungry guests.

RecTeq has a real problem on theirs hands and they don't seem to care. Had I known about this before I bought mine I would have kept looking. If this is important to you I would advise looking elsewhere. If you aren't concerned about this flaw and like paying for features you don't actually get.... Recteq is your grill! Maybe they'll get their poop in a group (I use hope so since I've got about a grand wrapped up in this solution) but I wouldn't reward the bad behavior until they do. Maybe if the hit were significant enough to affect their bottom line they'd give it a little bit more urgency but I'm not convinced that anyone who can enact change even knows about this let alone cares.

At least I've done my part and people can make informed decisions rather than going in blind like I did thinking they were the greatest thing ever based on the things I read on this and other forums online.


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## Rich250 (May 3, 2021)

Doubt your going to see too many deals on pellet smokers any time soon as they are hot sellers right now, I would either let your husband choose the grill of his choice or you can't beat a pitboss austin xl for 447.00 from walmart.


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## Winterrider (May 3, 2021)

Pitboss Copperhead or Austin XL would be good pellets for the money. The vertical  charcoal Masterbuilt or the new Charbroil on recent thread may be a very good option also. 
Happy Birthday to the hub. . .


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## bigfurmn (May 3, 2021)

Plus Pit Boss has a 5 year warranty.


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## forktender (May 5, 2021)

My Camp Chef will do anything the big money grills will do.
I have had amazing luck with C.C. customer service department they have always done 100% right by me on a few occasions. If you're planning on buying one locally I wouldn't wait for sales if they have exactly what he wants. Most places will honor the sales price and refund you the money for a week to a few weeks so save the sales slip just in case.


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## SmokinAl (May 5, 2021)

I have a feeling that what ever you choose your husband will be thrilled. You have plenty of choices and many were submitted to you. But If it were me I would go with a stick burner. Lang would be my choice, and you may be able to find a used one on CL or the Lang facebook page.
Al


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## DougE (May 5, 2021)

I just went through this for myself, and after much research, chose the Camp Chef SG24 wifi. Is Camp Chef the best out there? I'm sure they are not, but they have a solid reputation, good customer service it it's needed, and it was within a price range I could live with. I ordered mine through Lowes because it was about a hundred bucks cheaper than ordering it directly from Camp Chef, and I got 0% financing on it for 12 months on my Lowes card.


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## JLeonard (May 6, 2021)

PAS said:


> The best thing is to let him pick one out then your off the hook if he doesn't like it!!





smokeymose said:


> Let him know in a roundabout way that he's getting one and if he doesn't pick one he'll have to live with what you get him.


Agreed and agreed. Find one at the box store you think he would like (like the BIL if you think thats what he wants), take him and tell him your taking one home.  So he better decide before you take the money and go shoe/purse shopping.   
Jim


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## Bearcarver (May 6, 2021)

You should play it safe, and write him a nice Birthday Card, with a notice on it that says He should pick out whatever he wants in the Smoking World.
I'm sure he would be happy with anything you give him, but letting him pick it has to have the best results.
As for Memorial Day Sales????----I would suggest you give it to him about a Week before Memorial Day, to give him a chance to study the Flyers & Internet.

Bear


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## Alsta (May 6, 2021)

I am still new here to the forums and to smoking, But I have been having alot of success with the Char-Griller Texas Trio Grill.
It is Propane / Charcoal with an offset smoker, made of cast iron.

I find it is great for the quick cooks ( propane ) The semi-slow stuff ( Charcoal cooking ) and then when I want to do an all-day smoke, its perfect.
It ran me $400 at my local Home Depot - Not all carry them, so you have have to store hop onlien to find one.


Again, just my 2cents


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## K9BIGDOG (May 7, 2021)

I’m another Camp Chef fan. I bought my first pellet grill on Amazon, a Camp Chef Smoke Pro DLX and I haven’t looked back. I have all the extras that I’ve added over time, the front shelf and the Sidekick with the griddle, bbq box and the pizza oven. I liked it so much that I gave my big vertical gas smoker to my son-in-law and got myself the Camp Chef XXL vertical for big cooks.  Just a word to the wise on pellet “grills”. They aren’t that great at grilling.  I still keep a Weber on the deck next to my DLX for searing steaks, cooking burgers and dogs and chicken breasts, etc.  My idea was to use the Sidekick but the wife decided she’d prefer the “traditional” gas grill, so we have both. Woe is me... Also, as said here in previous posts Camp Chefs customer service is excellent and there are a couple really great CC groups on social media that are super friendly and helpful. If you really can’t decide, why not just get him a gift card for your budgeted amount and let him pick what he wants for himself?


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## ironbrewer (May 7, 2021)

K9BIGDOG said:


> I still keep a Weber on the deck next to my DLX for searing steaks, cooking burgers and dogs and chicken breasts, etc.  My idea was to use the Sidekick but the wife decided she’d prefer the “traditional” gas grill, so we have both.



I bought a Camp Chef DLX, and I have an old school weber as well. I told my wife I would like to keep both when I got my smoker, and she was a bit confused as to why I would even entertain the idea of getting rid of my Weber. She said it belongs on the patio.


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## bill1 (May 8, 2021)

Just found this thread/post.  If it's not too late, here's my thoughts...
First  of all, you are a WONDERFUL spouse.  I can't think of anything more thoughtful and loving that what you are doing here.  Please follow through and make a purchase.  And then help him assemble it.  The fact you researched and made a choice will mean a lot to him.  If it turns out, he really has informed (and strong) opinions and prefers something other than what you chose, it should be easily returned in the box.  (Analogy:  many bride-to-be's exchange the initial engagement ring...but don't all women prefer to get proposed to with _some_ ring, not just a check?) 
I think a pellet grill is a great choice.   Yes a Weber kettle does a lot, is basic while still making good food, but a pellet grill is definitely a step up without getting into all the time-consuming wood-tending fire tricks of offsets and traditional smokers.  You didn't mention a budget, and perhaps cost is of no object to you, if so RecTeqs and others at the $1000 and up price point are premier/prestige items.  I'm not in that category and if you're not either, $400-500 gets you a perfectly good pellet grill.  (Even better Deals can be had, but usually not going into the summer like now.)  At that price point, all the essential, and admittedly lifetime-limited, components of the pellet grills are pretty much equivalent.  The brands you mentioned are all goood.  Just get one at least as big as what you think your min needs are, and then the weight of the darn thing is a pretty good gauge of the overall quality.


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## chesterinflorida (May 13, 2021)

Best $400 to spend on a smoker for any beginner is on  Weber Smokey Mountain.  When the electronics are dead on all the pellet grills, the Smokey Mountain will still be going strong.  Plus, you can ado all kinds of things to a Smokey Mountain like electronics if you want.  Best smoker out their to learn on, and you may never outgrow it imho.


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