BBQ pit - Gas / Charcoal, I'm in the market, let's see what you have

Gotta be careful with the Pit Boss, I've had 2 and they both have issues with the auger not being powerful enough because the pellets pull in moisture and expand the harden so it's like concrete

 

This is the best illustration i could find for reverse flow. Easiest explained as your smoke stack and firebox will be on the same side.

As far as the stack goes, you want it lower to draw the smoke back down. As smoke and heat rises, if stack is mounted to the top it stays over the top of the food. If its lower, itll draw back lower through the food.
Illustration is bad stack placement

 

The two pits I'm looking at have the FB on right and stacks on left, bit one pits stack is in middle and other high

 

If you want charcoal go with a Santa Maria bbq grill. The adjustability of the grill is awesome

 

Both of those would be regular offset smokers. Stack placement not as big as an issue on these.

 

A lot of what makes a smoker work well or crap out, is how well it's sealed and how long the outtake smoke stack is and where it's positioned.

Many of the big box smokers have a 3" smoke stack on them, which isn't enough.

Both of the above can be modded after if they are an issue.

I own this book (highly recommended for a read on smokers, how they work, how to tweak and just interesting stuff), but it looks like a lot of it is available here:

https://publicism.info/food/barbecue/2.html

 

Look em up, thanks