This is the best designed and built smoker I’ve seen for any price. The chimney coming out low on the opposite end is a modification i made to mine, with excellent results. It really helps the heat distribution. I’ve never used pellets but have such easy access to wood that it would be more expensive and i’m sure, less flavorful. Thick steel holds the heat so well that mine, which is slightly thicker in the cooking section, only drops below 225 degrees when the wood is gone. It just doesn’t require a lot of wood to cook with.