Budget... I haven't figured that out yet. My wife doesn't seem opposed to me buying a traeger, but they aren't cheap and I get nervous spending that kind of money. I'll probably talk myself into getting something that pricey, though, but I'm not there yet.
I make a little bit of everything. Beef and pork roasts, whole chicken, the occasional half turkey, and cold smoked cheddar. I have also cold smoked steaks and chops before throwing them on my gas grill. Briskets, ham, belly and back bacon, that's when it's handy to have a set-and-forget kind of system because I don't want to babysit a smoker for hours and hours. I wouldn't mind trying out smoked sides, but the electric units just don't seem to get hot enough. I almost wish I could get a 240v, bigger version of the smoker I'm replacing that could get up to 500° and still make use of the cold smoker attachment.
I suppose I don't make fish, lamb, mutton, or chevon.
I'm not interested in charcoal. Pellets, chips, or chunk seem best to me. I think Bradley makes a smoker that uses sawdust pucks, which doesn't interest me because I didn't see anyone else making them the last time I checked and I don't want to be vendor locked into fuel.