[Shuie]

I know its cheating, but I don't care any more. I dig my ceramic smoker. The heat retention is awesome. Great tool, but it has become something I really have to be in the mood to baby sit for 8hrs+ before I even bother lighting it. So I'm thinking of putting the Primo on craigslist and going to a Traeger temp controlled pellet smoker.

It seems like the Traeger will be easier to manage and will produce more consistent results on long cooks. I'll probably cook more on it. Smaller footprint, more cooking area, lighter, no more fire/temp management stress on long cooks, easier cleanup and no more schlepping bags of lump charcoal around. Negatives: It's obviously more complicated not as bomb proof as charcoal unit. If something on it breaks or the controller goes out then the whole thing is down.

Is there another brand besides Traeger that I should look at? Any other negatives or downside to a pellet smoker vs. traditional charcoal/wood?

TIA