Opinions are like armpits in a way.
Just sayin'...
We need to consider that Jammin is new to this forum. He MAY be at the stage I was when I joined the group years ago. If I had gotten all this grief when I asked a question, I probably would have moved on.
It's a good thing to try to understand someone's experience level, budget, how much cooking space is available, etc before I tell him what he ought to do. I am thrilled with my "cheap" offset and would recommend it to anyone. I would tell them it has taken me a long time to learn how to use it, but the experience has been rewarding for me.
They may learn much quicker than I did.
I'll get off my soapbox now.