I haven't tried the pellet smokers, but I recently switched from propane to charcoal-fired when I picked up the Weber Smokey Mtn 22.5. LOVE IT. I was originally going to order a PID controller and fan to maintain my temps, but I figured I'd first see how well it maintains temp without. After a small practice run to season the thing I was off to the races.
With a big bag of Kingsford I can maintain 220, +/- 5 F with ease. I load it up with charcoal and wood chunks and light it using the Minion method (google this). After about a half hour it has stabilized where I want it, and then it holds temp like nobody's business. I may tweak the vents once during an entire smoke of 16 hours with no additional fuel. The other night I threw on a shoulder, went to a baseball game and hit the bar, came back and tweaked the vents, then hit the hay for the night. When I got up at 6 the needle hadn't moved and my shoulder was perfectly done.
Smoke flavor is fantastic. You load it up with however many wood chunks you want and you're set.
If you're interested in a charcoal smoker I highly recommend you check this out. I couldn't be happier.
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