I see you're looking for smoker ideas.
Well, if you want to be totally hands on and babysitting, then go for a stick burner;
along the lines of Lang , Meadow Creek, or Yoder.
You will not get a good night's sleep during overnight smokes.
Next up would be the
WSM 22 for charcoal.
Yes, you might be tempted by the
WSM 18. But, nothing sucks more than needing a larger capacity smoker and not having it.
Once you have a
WSM dialed in they run pretty consistent for the length of the cook.
You could consider the MB 560 or 1050 for gravity feds.
If you're not budget constrained and have an eye for quality, then look at Stumps for gravity fed.
What are your thoughts on something from
Rec-Tec...err...
Rec Teq? Maybe a 590 or 700 if your're feeding a larger crowd/family? Yes, they are pellet poopers and are along the lines of set it and forget it. But they still require some interaction.
No budget problems? Then the next step up would MAK. Above MAK, would be Eagle. But honestly, I think you'd be running into diminishing returns here.
Remember, no smoker is truely hands off.
They all require some form of interaction on your part due to techniques, weather/climate, etc, etc. It all depends how much time you are willing to devote to achieving your desired results.
Keep in mind some of us start out with an inexpensive electric to get our feet wet to see if smoking meat is an endeavour we desire to undertake longterm.
Bottom line, it's not the machine, it's the man.
Good luck on your journey.