I am happy with my pit boss but they do have some short comings.
they are not pid and temperatures can run in a range, not unlike an oven. can be upgraded for $100. mine works well enough. some folks have had problems but pit boss is good at warranty claims.
the biggest flaw in my opinion is where the firepot is located and how the handle heat deflection. in my model the firepot is centered. this puts a hotspot in the middle and I have problems with too much heat coming through the deflector. an aftermarket diffuser can help. some of the pit boss cookers have it to the side, their lineup is confusing, each store can have it's own line of bosses.
I really like the sear function. it's great for a few burgers or 2 steaks.
the lineup works well for me. I thought about keeping the vertical instead for long unattended smokes and large volume cooks. in the end I prefer the profile of the drum for things like butts and brisket. I didn't really need the extra capacity and I actually trust the drum w/2 vents open more then the pooper overnight.
the horizontal pellet cooker is on my front porch. I use it for quick cooks. good at things like meatloaf or doing trays of abts. I really like using it for reverse searing . my front porch cooker is also what I use most in the winter so the boss has a prestigious position in the lineup.
I would say they are good enough, especially if it is not your main cooker. aside from a better controller and a better heat shield (at least on my model) the only flaw I see is a poor hopper design. there is a flat spot at the bottom and the pellets can bind up if you dont keep an eye out. all three of these issues can be fixed for under $150. I personally haven't made any mods to mine
last night I made a 3 lbs bone in ribeye on it
and this center cut t bone pork chop
