Anti-Barking Products...Any Advice?

We have the Barker-Breaker and I can't say as I'm impressed. We got it for our terrier Tookey, who is a barker, but it didn't seem to do much good, IMO. The audible setting, where you can hear the tone, was so loud it physically hurt my ears, so we never used that. Now, DH thinks it keeps him a little quieter, but I think that's just because DH was the one who bought the thing in the first place []

No one I know who has tried the Barker Breaker has anything good to say about it.  My clients have had the best luck with the citronella collar.  

The dog in one of my dog's old classes got to wear a citronella collar during class.  The goofball ended up liking it, and kept barking so it would keep spraying.  I also know that if you have this on near other dogs, it will go off if the other dog barks.
I think you should probably try freezing Kongs and leaving them with him.  Seeing that he is a beagle, I'm almost positive that food will distract him.  Also, be sure not to make a big deal out of you leaving.  Just quietly leave, don't say good bye or anything.  This way, he won't really know when you leave.  Also, when he gets his Kong when you leave, he will start to connect  the two, so that you leaving means something good, food.

I'd try one of the electric bark limiter collars. The citronella collars don't seem to work as well.

Might get flamed for this but here goes. My minpin (now 11) had an ENORMOUS barking problem. And he's loud! For a little guy! (well he's oversized at 13"/14lbs but man, what a bark). 
We were threatened with eviction. So I started taking him to my job and crating him.  He would bark ALL day no matter what I did. I was threatened with being fired.  Meantime while all this was going on, I used the citronella. He barked at it every time it went off and sent himinto a whirling frenzy or barking. So that was out.  On to the sonic collar and the barker breaker.  Same deal. 
Moved on to the electric bark collar.  The first one had 7 levels that you set yourself with a little magnet key.  Level one, barked through it. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, barked on through it. Finally at level 7 it worked.  He only had to wear the collar to keep him from barking.  Once he figured out he'd get a zap for barking, he calmed right down and went to sleep. 
Every now and again his barking issue resurfaces.  When I was showing dogs and bringing him along, he would bark nonstop because he wanted out, to be the center of attention.  Other people complained. Out came the bark collar.  He would bark on the highest level most of the day until the battery DIED and there I would be w/out a replacement (tho I soon learned) and a barking dog. I was asked to move/leave many times because of him.
I wnated to debark him (yes I know a whole 'nother debate in itself) because he was making life darn difficult.  But dh has refused so far in allowing me to do so. And now finally at 11 he's mostly stopped barking in his crate. Although I can't leave him alone in  hotel rooms when we travel because he'll bark even wiht the e-collar.

Some dogs!

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

I'd try one of the electric bark limiter collars. The citronella collars don't seem to work as well.

 
I'd agree.  Both my daughters have dogs and live in apartments.  Both had complaints about their dogs barking when they left for work, and both used an electric collar to stop it (actually, they both used the same on, since they only had to use it for a month or so to stop the behavior).
 
Now, both dogs behave when left alone.
 
Some people on this board will criticise  you for taking this route, but, in my daughters' cases, they had no choice but to make it stop.  If you can't get the dog to stop barking, you'll either have to get rid of it, or move.  As a practical matter, a dog would lose it's home.
 
One thing - don't just buy the collar, put it on, and think "Problem Solved".  You need to do some training, and modify your behavior to minimize what's causing the barking in the first place.  The collar is just a tool to help.
 
 

Have you tried training and a GOOD long walk before you leave him in a crate? Tired him out, let him drink and leave him with toys and a nice blankie that smells like you.

I have both the citronella and electronic collar.  We had the citronella for both dogs (labs) and it worked fine but then we realized that the older lab (who lives to bark) would just bark until the spray ran out.  We bought the electronic collar for her and although it's not been a complete cure, it has helped.  She actually learned to alter the pitch of her bark, so it's more high-pitched and toned down a bit.  I guess that keeps the collar from giving off a charge.  My other lab rarely barks and responds well to the citronella collar but we only put it on her for unusual times. 
 
My strongest suggestion is to get it from a reputable, customer friendly store.  We got ours from PetCo and had to return one (the sprayer stuck and it would emit the citronella constantly) and they were great about it.