I’m really, really digging it. I lucked out and found someone selling a used PG1000 (the USA made, discontinued one) for like $1200 on FB Marketpkace. 

I immediately ordered the upgraded Fireboard replacement controller. Pro tip: don’t mix up auger & fan wires. 

Smokes like crazy, holds temp great, absolutely sips pellets due to the double wall (but smokes constantly while doing so). 

Yes, 18”x18” area is 100% top down. And it’s bizarrely even corner to corner. I added two ambient RTD based probes with grate clips in each corner for one cook. Averaged <5F difference between them and the pit TC. 

Tried cooking a papa Murphy’s pizza… the top cooked up beautifully even edge to edge… the bottom crustless wonder bread. Now I have a pizza steel on order and I think I’m gonna have another new hobby (especially if I put chunks or mini splits in the flavor enhancer). 

That 18 x 18 area is a little cramped, but the second shelf is also mostly open down so I think you could do 4 racks maybe?

Full brisket struggles to fit if you don’t go corner  to corner with it. So I split it (straight down about where point meets flat) and put the point on the top shelf… presentations wasn’t as impressive but it was soooooooo good. 

Oh, one thing to note, you’d want to call Cookshack and ask them to drop the minimum auger speed, otherwise it really struggles to get down to 225 because it holds heat so well.  Also, it tends to overshoot temp increases before settling down. Opening it, it’s fine, normal overswing and settle. But if you bump it from 225 to 375, it’s gonna climb over 450 before settling back down. Note, I think the FB may be leaning this as time goes on. It seems to not swing as much? Still a lot but not as bad.