Well, I have the Weber, so I'm a little biased. The other smokers mentioned in this topic were the Kamodo and the Traeger. The cheapest Traeger is $700. The cheapest Kamodo is $249, and that is a single grill surface at 13". The 18" Kamodo (same size as the Weber) is $500. My Weber has dual 18" cooking grills surfaces and is $189 at Barbecues Galore and Amazon. If you have only $200 to spend, it sounds like the choice has been made for you.
The Weber has a charcoal grate that is raised above the bottom of the smoker, allowing ash to fall down to the bottom, not choking out the fire or blocking the vents. The vents are not on the very bottom, they're up a bit more.
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