Need some advise please

Welcome to the Cookshack forum.

Have a look at the PG500. It's capable of low n slow smoking as well as hot searing. The AQ will give you more smoke profile but there's a number of way to boost smoke flavor with any pellet smoker.

Hope that helps.

Pucks have a limited set of people who provide them. There are a lot of places selling pellets.

Question. What do you like to cook and how much do you expect to cook (then multiply by 2 or more because as you get better you tend to cook more).

Mostly due the traditional stuff. Pork butts, brisket, chicken. I've done sausage and jerky, cheese, nuts along with various other things. One of the things I want is more capacity. A couple of times a year I'll do big meetings/parties and have to smoke meat for 100+ people, usually brisket, pulled pork and chicken.

Based on the large amounts of food you'll need from time to time, I'd suggest the FEC100 (pellet smoker) or the SM160 (electric smoker)

Cookshack states the FEC max load limits as
100 lbs. pork butts, 80 lbs. brisket, 60 lbs. ribs, or 24 chickens per load.

Neither of those are suitable for hi temp searing/grilling but either one will provide consistantly excellent BBQ.

Pros: the FEC will come up to temp faster and has a higher top end temp.
Cons: pellets are more expensive vs chunk wood but even so, pellet consumption in the 225 - 250 range is just over 1/2 lb @ hr.

I've owned both units and prefer the FEC100.

Bottom line, if large amounts of food are a necessity, go with the FEC100 and save the grilling for a traditional charcoal or gas fired grill. Of course, Cookshack also produces commercial grade charbroilers in 3 sizes...if money is no object

Forgot to mention, the FEC100 is competition legal.