I purchased this product after borrowing the larger 22" from a friend for a party we were having. I had never used a smoker and simply went on his advice and the ribs turned out amazing, they were the hit of the party. After that I was determined to purchase my own and did some research knowing I had only used the Weber. I couldn't find a single reason not to go with the Weber for my own smoker but went down one size to the 18" based on the recommendation from the same friend that the large size wasn't needed for the family smoker. He uses his for competition BBQ's. He wasn't wrong, I have used it 4 times since getting it 2 weeks ago and it has been nothing short of spectacular. It is easy to use, easy to clean and small enough in foot print to leave on a porch or patio year round. 

Although the smoker does a fantastic job of maintaining temperature, for longer smokes you may need to consider a vent fan to help move air and maintain the temperature longer.