I have had an offset smoker for over 20 years. Recently bought a Traeger for ease of use. For smoking? Both the wife and I do not like it. I cannot get the same degree of smoke flavor with the traeger. I've tried increasing the smoke time and I've tried a variety of pellets. I like roasting in it - the temp control is superb. Imo it doesn't get hot enough to grill well, either. So, I would put my two cents in for an offset smoker. One with a nice sized fire box so you can throw in big chunks of wood. If you decide on a traeger I'll give you a smoking deal on mine...[ROFL2]