New Traegers pale in comparison to the old ones. They are entirely made in China now and riding off the Traeger name. Not worth the money in my opinion. If you really want a traeger find a lightly used one a few years old.
The cream of the crop is Yoder smokers. Hard to find and pricey, but I’ve ogled them a few times and they are built like tanks. Too rich for my blood though.
Rec-Tec makes a fine smoker as well, cheaper than the Yoder built with thinner steel but plenty enough for a home cook. I’m saving my shekels for one right now. Looking to pull the trigger next summer.
If you are looking at a cheaper price point, I really like Pit Boss smokers. My buddy has their first model of pellet smoker and we have beat the snot out of that thing and it just keeps going. We take it camping multiple times a summer and have done a few bbq comps with it. It’s a great unit, although it’s light on modern features, it just burns pellets and works. I’ve got the pit boss kamado smoker and love it.
Whatever you get, try to store it in your garage or shed. The electronics on pellet grills aren’t very durable when left outside in the elements, even with a cover.
I wouldn’t spend the cash for wifi on a smoker, but I have a Bluetooth thermometer that alerts me when I hit temp. It’s easier to replace a thermometer when it dies than something integral to the smoker itself.
Oh and as for searing, look up Alton Brown’s method of searing on a charcoal chimney. It’s cheap, quick, easy as well as being far hotter than anything you can get on a pellet grill.
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