My smoker is from 1983 and is about as low tech as you can get 🤣 I want to upgrade someday to something with WiFi so it can post to Nostr when my meat is ready.

Because I have limited patio space, I got a Big Green Egg, which is great because it can do everything: grill, roast, smoke, bake (bread, pizza, even cake), it does it all. That being said, if you already have a grill and you want a dedicated smoker, then BGE is probably not your best bet. Find something like a Traeger. I hear they’re awesome, but I haven’t ever used one.

Love my pit boss!

If you just want to smoke on it, then an offset smoker with nice thick walls is going to get you the best outcome.

A pellet fed offset smoker will automate the cooking, otherwise you'll need to add wood every hour or so.

The komado style smokers (big green egg or komado joe) are good smokers that are also good as a charcoal grill & pizza oven. They're made of heavy ceramic as a thermal mass to maintain a steady heat. As a smoker, they're low effort & produce nice smoked meats. It's hard to get a constant stream of smoke through them as the smoke is usually done after an hour. They can maintain a constant temp for 8+ hours without intervention though & also cook a great steak.

Get al large BGE with all the accessories. Within the specified price range and is an outdoor cooking Swiss Army knife that will last longer than you will.

Just employ a stoner

Not sure if you can build anything fancy for 2k sats though...

make it out of an old water heater