This question comes up all the time on the forum. From my experience on the forum, asking the brethren what cooker to buy is like asking what car to buy on a car forum. There are so many good choices out there, but for different purposes.
I would pick one, or maybe a couple out that suit my needs, and then ask the brethren their experiences with those units. Find out the pros and cons of of those particular units.
Check out the suggestions on here, narrow your options, then run those options by the brethren. IMO, you will get more usable information.
Everyone loves the smokers they have and they all feel their smoker is best, mainly because it suits their needs well. People are individuals and needs change from person to person like anything else.
My suggestion to you is to figure out what you need, not what you think you want.
Start by deciding what you wish to use for fuel, do you want a stick burner that may require a lot of attention, or a well insulated charcoal cooker that can burn all night on an eight pound load of lump charcoal. Consider and calculate your fuel costs then move on to other needs.
After that you can decide size, adjustable shelving, vertical or horizontal, reverse flow, and so on....
The last thing I want to do is try to persuade you to purchase something just because I like my unit. Here is the reasoning on how and why I chose my smoker that I recently purchased... How I chose my smoker (
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160242) Maybe some of this selection process can help you find your needs?
Also added was to the fact was that it was a $1000.00 cheaper than another unit of similar design I was considering.
These can be purchased on a cart or with castors.
If you are not sure what you want, consider building or purchasing a UDS until you get your homework done.
Things to consider when thinking about purchasing a smoker...
I recall when I purchased my first smoker, I was in a hurry to start smoking and even though someone politely advised against the purchase, I had made my mind up well in advance. I wound up purchasing a cheap smoker because I didn't have a lot of experience, but had enough knowledge to make poor decisions on my purchase.
Simply put I purchased a smoker that cooked so poorly that it turned me away from smoking for a few years. Every cook was a near failure resulting in poor quality foods. A poor quality cooker, coupled with a lack of experience, was a sure-fire recipe for disaster.
I made friends with a long time veteran of the BBQ Competition circuit who had won over 600 national awards. He taught me that food could be cooked on the cheap smoker with good results, not outstanding, but good.
Over the next few years I saved to purchase a new higher quality smoker, and made my second mistake. I purchased a new smoker based on the fact that someone else had the same smoker and always had great results. The lesson I learned here is: purchase for your purpose, not because the smoker works well for someone else. While the smoker worked well at his competitions, he used a Weber to smoke on at home. I was so hung up on the thought of a smoker, I never considered what he used to smoke food at home with.
Approach your purchase with diligence and cognitive thinking.... I cannot stress this fact enough, think well in advance before you purchase. Start by making a list of what your long term goals for using the smoker will be. Keep this thought foremost in your mind if this is truly your goal.
Next separate you needs from your wants....
In column "A" list your needs keeping in mind your current cooks: shelf space, shelf size, total capacity, and the required size for the footprint of the smoker.
In column "B" list your wants.. Not truly what you need, but what you would like to have.
Next consider your fuels..... Wood, Charcoal, or other. If you live in the city or the suburbs where wood is not common, the cost of wood and having it delivered can become quite costly for weekend cooks. If you live on a ranch or a farm you may have an endless supply of wood, but that doesn't mean that wood is an ideal choice for you.
Wood burning cookers require a lot of baby sitting to keep the fire tended for long cooks. I do not mean this in a negative manner because I know many people who enjoy the solitude and peacefulness of tending the fire all day or overnight. A few beers, a cigar, all without the wife yapping away like a mad chihuahua, results in utter peace and serenity. There are many others that due to everyday life activities do not have the time to tend a fire all day or all night. Lastly we have those who just have no interest in sitting by a cooker all day or all night. This is where you need to consider the amount of time you wish invest into every cook.
Charcoal cookers can run unattended for longer lengths of time when the airflow is properly adjusted. Sometimes you may have to add more charcoal for longer cooks, but not always the case. Then we have the insulated charcoal cookers that are extremely fuel efficient, these can cook 12 to 14 hours unattended.
There are also pellet cookers and also electric cookers where special needs can come into play. Places that don't allow charcoal or gas grills, these can often fill the void.
You could wind up in disappointment and be stuck with a smoker you are not happy with for a long time if you let someone else choose your smoker for you. Bottom line is what works for someone else may not always work for you. Just like my Humprey's, I agree it's not for everyone, because everybody has different needs and wants.
I bought a tall vertical smoker that can accommodate hanging 50+ pounds of sausage for cold smoking. It can also hold full size hotel pans with ample air/smoke flow around them, adjustable shelving, and cold/hot smoke capabilities were an important need for me. I am one of the few who make cold smoked sausage in large quantities, that was one of the criteria for choosing my smoker. Not every one has these requirements and the smoker could easily be an albatross to someone who does not have these same needs. The smoker is extremely heavy and is not portable, so unless it was mounted on a trailer it could not be easily used in competitions.
My suggestion would be to make a list of your needs and then a list of your wants, somewhere in between lies your compromise. Concentrate on your true needs and then try to incorporate some of your wants. Sit down and logically think of your largest cook you would need to do, then figure your needs for hanging, shelves, pans, ect. Size, options, and price all all very important in the needs category. Work on your lists and compare them to the smokers you wish to consider.
Then patiently do your homework comparing reputable builders, like Klose, Lang, Jambo, Backwoods, Humphrey's, Spicewine, or any of the many other proven cookers that are nationally known. Yes there is a comfort factor there knowing that we are buying a quality, trusted, and proven name in the BBQ communities at many competitions. Many manufactures bring a cooker to competitions for competitors to see and sometimes even test.
Don't be afraid to go look at one in action, that will be your first look into the type of materials and the quality of the build of any unit. Don't be afraid to take notes, measurements, and ask questions. Most pit masters are happy to help you find your cooker. All cooks will tell you why they made their purchase and how it cooks, but a true cook who loves the craft of BBQ will help you to answer your own questions in your quest and not simply push a brand of smoker on you because that is what they use. Once you get past that point you can try to incorporate your wants as you get down to the final few possibilities on your list..
When I was searching for a new smoker I was going to buy a Backwoods Competitor at $3000.00+, however Humphrey's was a newcomer to the market and almost unheard of. I had great reservations about the Humprey's product. After finding out that they rebuild and modify Spicewine and Backwoods Smokers I went to a competition to see one and give it a dry run not being part of the competition. The Humprey's was Taller and slightly narrower giving the same amount of cooking area, but it was also 1200.00 cheaper. The anticipated savings made me look further and I then found what I considered to be a better quality build than the Backwoods in my own personal opinion. Other than the Sales Representative Kevin, I was probably the first on on this forum to purchase a Humprey's Smoker. But don't base your decision on price only, consider all aspects of the smoker.
I had 5 other smokers including a stick burner, within 60 days I parted ways with 4 of those because the Humphrey's did the job of all of them combined. I simply kept a large propane smoker, not to smoke but to use as a holding oven with large cooks when on the military base.
The final decision is based on the fact that it is your hard earned money, and you have to be comfortable and happy with your purchase. If you don't do your homework and research the smokers that fit your needs you might be unhappy for many years with your cooker.
