Smoker

[trapperxx]

I am in the market for a smoker. I think I'd prefer charcoal where I could use natural wood charcoal. 2nd choice would be electric I guess.  Looking around online, the Weber 18.5 seems to be getting great reviews.  I see on the Weber site there is now a 14.5 size. Has anyone had experience with one of those?
I wanted to pose it to you members here.  What do you have and is it good, great or bad?
My primary use is deer jerky and the occasional wild turkey. 
I think the charcoal is nice as I can move it where I want like my make shift camp/fire in the back yard.

[gunmaker]

My smoker in no way resembles anything "traditional"  It's an old fridge, with the wire racks moved up close to the top-4 racks 4-5" apart.  In bottom is an elec. hotplate with a small iron dutch oven on it, lid is a tin pie plate punched full a holes.  Load pan with soaked in water alder chunks--and have at it.  will smoke 4 small salmon in about 6-8 hours.   Been good to go about 35 yr.--3rd fridge....Tom

[Red Badger]

We have an electric and a wood smoker - I think it is personal preference... I can get the wood smoker to go but my wife can't so she uses the electric one with woodchips, and has good results.  The last baloney we did you could not tell who's was who's

[bugflipper]

This one might show you some of what's available. The only one I have that is store bought is a brinkman like #7. Somebody gave it to me years ago, I see them all the time at yard sales for $10 or so. It's charcoal but I use it as electric sometimes. Just a hotplate and a cast iron skillet in the bottom with fruit tree branches broken to fit in the skillet. On charcoal it's hard to control heat with it since heat rises. I think the ones like that, that are inline are usually used at 220-240 which is a little hot for smoking, but with our get it done now lifestyle that's what is popular these day. With a hot plate in it I can keep it down to 160-180 real easy.

A bigger one I use is one of those 1/4 size freezers. Has a hot box with damper one one side. Plates with wing nuts to control the air feeding the hot box. For the exhaust it is just a plate with a hinge on the opposite side top. A stick props it open. The racks are made from 1/8" stainless hardware cloth. If anything bigger is needed I use a smoke house. It has racks in it made of the same and hooks to tie stuff to on the ceiling.