I was a 25 year old school BBQ guy. Not even chips. Whole hardwood chunks I used in a couple types of smokers. Yeah, it was cool enough. Loved selecting the wood and physically throwing on the chunks of real wood. It was like the satisfaction you once got out of shooting a raw data ILS to mins. But who among us really wants to work that hard once you have a flight director, auto pilot or FMS and RNAV approach? When you break out at mims the sight picture is the same.I love the artistry of smoking the old fashioned way. I use my Weber kettle with a slow n'sear for smoking. Have had very good results with pork and turkey and I love that it's a forcing function to make me sit on the deck and drink beer all day. Sometimes I do like to cheat and crutch in the oven to make dinner time* and avoid mutinies from the little people.
But that said I do occasionally ogle pellet grills for the ease of use. If I win the lottery I'd treat myself to a Memphis or a Mak pellet grill. Or maybe I'll just break down and get one one of these days.
*I did see a recipe for pulled pork that's started with a sous vide and you get it to food safe temp early and then you can keep it in the fridge for a a few days and then on the day of your event you smoke it on the grill. Helps you stick to schedule if you've got folks who expect to be fed at a certain time.
Traeger was recommend by my niece's husband. He said "It will change your life." I scoffed. Mrs Wink having heard the convo insisted we get one. I made her happy and it changed my life (yes, double meaning). I eat more BBQ, tend it hardly at all and like the view out the windscreen after a coupled RNAV to mins, results are satisfying. I sometimes covet an old school top shelf side rig, then I remember the goal IS the Q. Not the rig.