My first Cookshack was also a used older SM008, it came with no shelves so I sprung for the stainless steel shelves and a Cookshack cover and some jerky rods. Buy the ones made for the SM009. They're tough little tanks, it was the first smoker Cookshack made intended to do pork butts, brisket and ribs. I now own a used SM150 (the elder version of the SM160). Read Smokin's 101s and go easy on yourself, do a pork butt first. Hard to go wrong with a pork butt. In no time you'll be the most popular guy in the neighborhood, not only will the people on your block like you, their dogs will love you !!
And to answer your question, I live in central Jersey and with a cover you can leave it outside all year. I did and now do with my SM150. The SM008 is a dead simple unit, reminds me of an old Army jeep, tough and can take a real beating and consistently work.
Im older and the one rub I had with the SM008 was it was so short I had to get on a chair or my knees to do the setup. A lot of fellas find a heavy stainless steel cart or wooden tablewith casters and put the SM008 on top. Then it's right at waist height. Check out my SM150 in snow, shoveled and salted the deck, opened the umbrella bolted to the railing and did a carnitas style pork butt (rubbed it with bulk taco seasoning). Let it run at 225 degrees about 12 hours overnight without a hitch. Ain't nothing you can't do with a Cookshack.
`This is the finished product, carnitas pork butt, smoked pinto beans and something called Pebre in Chile, a tomato/onion/mild green chile/cilantro relish - no lemon juice, us olive oil instead to loosen it up, in summer cut the cobs off an uncooked ear of farm corn. Plop some of this on a soft taco and it's party time.
