I don't think anyone claims they are that much better at getting the thin blue smoke than comparable pits with a good reputation. It's the whole package, well laid out and designed, good draft, best quality welds and materials with thick steel and proper sized fireboxes, extremely versatile with the various ways of using the warmer, full customisable, and all this at what I consider lower prices for comparable quality and features compared to just about any fabricator out there.
I am speaking from only secondhand knowledge, but I've been working in the industry long enough to recognise pro kit made by dedicated and passionate artisans, and there are rarely more than a few companies that consistently get it right at any given time. Shirley seems to me to be one of those companies, and it is always a bonus to know you are supporting a family company that puts pride in craftsmanship and design ahead of pure profit.
This is why I will probably soon be putting a down payment on one, partly because it fits well with my plans to get back into cooking professionally via catering in a few years, and also because I will be better organised to store and transport a big offset cooker by then as well.
Lastly, I have never gone wrong by buying the best I can afford as long as the money goes to quality and not hype or brand image on its own. In the long run it's worth it economically, and the pleasure and reduction in hassle and disappointment is worth it in itself.
It doesn't mean I can't make do, because that is the mark of a truly great cook, to be able to get good results with whatever you have to work with, but there's a world of difference in pleasure between making do and having great tools that are perfect for the job at hand.
