I was in the market for a new grill. My wife wanted a charcoal grill and/or smoker but I was not interested in dealing with temp management. This one is the perfect size for my family of six and smoothly automates the cooking process. It still has a learning curve but it's much shallower than an offset smoker. We managed to fit three racks of ribs and a pork shoulder on the same surface all at once. My only complaints are in the design of the hopper because pellets don't always make it to the auger. Twice during my most recent cook the auger consumed all the pellets above it and became empty even though the hopper had plenty left that got hung up on the sides. The grate inside makes it difficult to move the pellets to the auger and clear out the hopper for different pellets. I'm not sure what that grate is for and why there are flat bottoms on the hopper. Other than that, it's the perfect pellet smoker at an unbeatable price!