I've had a few cheaper smokers and had decent success with smoking. I did a lot of research on charcoal smokers before I bought this one. This smoker had excellent ratings. This smoker is a lot more solid than the cheaper smokers I've owned in the past. With the design and solid construction, this smoker makes it easy to keep the temperatures I like for smoked foods. Now I don't have to constantly check the temperature and add charcoal all the time. My opinion is it is well worth the extra money, and I can't wait for spring so I can fire this baby up more!