There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
It also a bit of a Ford, Chevy, Dodge problem. They all work well if the person using the smoker knows what they are doing.
Next, don't buy over capacity. For that once in a lifetime event (wedding, family reunion, etc.) you can generally rent a large smoker if you really want to.
I use a Weber Smokey Mountain bullet, pellet and, Komodo right now to smoke meat. I am also building a cold cabinet smoker to mainly slow smoke cheese. Heck, I have been known to smoke meat in a Weber Smokey Joe with pecan branches in a motel parking lot at times.
Brick, offset, etc. stick burners are nice if you want a long term interactive experience but, it is a lot of work and learning and will be a bit too much for most people. They also get really expensive because of the sheer weight of materials in a properly built stick burner and the labor in welding it up. The cheap imports at the big box places are a total waste of your money IMHO.
A Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) or good quality electric like a Smokin-it will run you ~$200~$300 and IMHO work much better than the big box store options which tend to be thin, leaky, disposable garbage. In fairness though, many people say they are happy with Smoke Hollow and Masterbuilt electric smokers but, you will never find one on my property as either will cost as much as an 18.5" WSM which is a much better system IMHO though, I really like my pellet and Kamado smokers too.
The Kamado is a lot more expensive and a bit fragile but, it will also make a truly killer pizza! Steaks, Chickens, etc. also come out really nice.
Why do I have multiple smokers? Each is better at different things. I have a small Kamado which works really well when it is really cold outside or I only want to cook 3 or 4 steaks, burgers, chicken breasts/thighs, etc. The Pellet smoker is a small unit that is more portable and not a fragile ceramic unit that travels well and gives me a bit more capacity while also being good at long low smokes. The WSM is a really nice change of pace for something larger like a Turkey, large roast, etc., or bigger get togethers as it is the 22" model with a lot of capacity.
I'm not really into electric smokers because I want more smoke flavor than I can get with most of them, at least in my price range. I am also saving up for an offset stick burner as I approach retirement and have the time to spend on civic events, larger parties, get togethers, etc.
Multiple smokers do solve some of the capability problems. For example, when I do bacon, I double smoke it with cold smoke using the tube smoker, let it sit overnight and then smoke at 180 F in the pellet smoker to make it easier to slice.
I also agree with the comment on smoking meat forums however you will get conflicting opinions and should consider the merits of each type of smoker on your own.
Every person has to decide what is important to THEM, not what someone on a random web forum suggests is important. Heck, if I listened to what everyone posted and suggested, I'd own a Lang or Shirley Fabrication stick burner that would be totally too big to be practical for me to use more than once or twice a year. I also like the variety I get with different smoking systems as you noted with your bacon. I also avoid proprietary consumables that may be hard to source. Cooking pellets (not heating pellets) can be sourced pretty much anywhere from multiple places but, pucks as one example not so much and they cost a lot more to use on average. Lump charcoal or briquettes are pretty universal too so, no matter where I end up at the time I don't have to worry about "fuel" or "smoke".
I dare say there is no single right answer but, there are a lot of less than optimal ones! :-)
Now, do I work on my drum smoker or shop for a small cabinet smoker next! :-D