I've had an
Akorn for years. It will serve you on both the low & slow and the high heat cooks. Like all steel cookers, care must be taken in the weather. If you keep it covered and water out of it, there shouldn't be any rust issues.
I've only got two issues with the
Akorn, and other than those it's a good smoker/grill. The first is wooden handle. It flakes the paint early and mine cracked in the second year. It's still in one piece, it doesn't pinch me or give me splinters but it is cracked. The second is the size of the cooking chamber. I like to do briskets, the bigger the better I like it. The diameter on this cooker is not large enough to support a 15lb brisket without cutting it in half. These are the only two issues I've had with mine.
If you get one I recommend getting a cover at the same time. When it's not in use, cover it. If water does get into it, take the ash pan out, clean it out good (it will hold water between the outer shell and the ash bowl), and dry it well.
I also recommend getting the BGE gasket and putting it on the rim of the ash pan, the damper and the rim on the bottom half of the smoker. This will take care of the minor air leaks you might have, and make it easier to control the fire.
At a later time I would add a 18" (I think) Weber grate with some expanded metal cut to the shape of the grate for raising the fire to right below the grate. The smoking stone (or a 17" pizza pan with above grate) gives you an indirect cook for low & slow.
I think once you use this cooker for low & slow, you might not want the UDS after all.