Texas Original Pits or Horizon?

parksnrec · Mar 10, 2016

Hey everybody,

I'm new to the forum but not to smoking meat. I'm getting ready to buy my first big stick burner and would like a little advice. I've been using a master forge from Lowe's that my wife bought me for about 4 years but its starting to burn out. So I've been looking at the Horizon 16' classic smoker and a Texas Original Pits Luling Offset Smoker 16". Does anyone have thoughts on either of these two models? Thanks for the Help

Parks

seenred · Mar 11, 2016

Don't have any direct experience with either one, but I'll bump this for you.

I can't say I know anything at all about Texas Original Pits, but I've read many good things about Horizon...they seem very well respected.

Red

parksnrec · Mar 11, 2016

Thanks Red

joe black · Mar 12, 2016

Check out the Bell Fab custom smokers. They are great quality and well built. Craig Bell is a great guy and very good to work with. He builds a one off smoker to your specifications and your personal wants and the pricing is really reasonable.

Contact Craig at: [email protected]. Good luck, Joe

gary s · Mar 12, 2016

I looked at the Luling on their website it said it was made of 1/4 inch steel pretty heavy

Gary

fdsg354ggfd · May 25, 2016

Did you end up buying one of these? I just ordered a 20x40x20 luling offset. Curious if you got one from Texas Original Pits and what you thought? Any how, i'll drop a note once mine comes in.

chuckswco · May 26, 2016

Hi ParksnRec,

I purchased a Horizon 20" Classic on March 9, 2016 after many hours of research. I got all the options with it. It appears to be very sturdily built and have heard good things about them. Their Customer Service is excellent and they have always returned my calls/emails promptly.

I would caution you though to arrange your own shipping. The shipper Horizon chose "lost" the smoker for one week in Kansas City and another week in Denver. I am still waiting delivery.

Good luck and I'm sure you will be happy with either one you choose.

Chuck

billiam · Jul 29, 2016

ChuckSWCO said:
Hi ParksnRec,

I purchased a Horizon 20" Classic on March 9, 2016 after many hours of research. I got all the options with it. It appears to be very sturdily built and have heard good things about them. Their Customer Service is excellent and they have always returned my calls/emails promptly.

I would caution you though to arrange your own shipping. The shipper Horizon chose "lost" the smoker for one week in Kansas City and another week in Denver. I am still waiting delivery.

Good luck and I'm sure you will be happy with either one you choose.

Chuck

Having had your Horizon for awhile, I wonder if you can give an update of your impression? I'm looking at Horizon's 30" Marshal but can't find much in the form of recent reviews of the company or their products. So far they've been unresponsive to both e-mail and telephone requests so I'd like to know if it's worth continuing to bug them or stick with brand Y. I'd like to hear from anyone else with a Horizon too. Thanks!

flywheel · Jul 30, 2016

Ian - did you get a TOP? I am interested in your experience with them.

Thanks -

chuckswco · Jul 30, 2016

Hi Billiam,

I see you are from Durango, I live in Cortez!

I love my Horizon 20" Classic.

It did arrive damaged and I am discussing repairs right now with the shipper and Steve at Horizon. I am not surprised that you are having trouble contacting them. They rarely returned emails or calls. I usually got them early in the mornings or just before closing. I ordered mine on March 9, so maybe it was before the "busy season", they answered the phones all the time then. They said the build would take 6-8 weeks, it took 12 weeks for mine!

The smoker is built very sturdy. I got all the options and customized it some too. It does a good good job of holding heat. I use an average of 16 lbs of lump charcoal for a 12 lb brisket.

I am very pleased with it.

Customer service is a big deal, and I would go with someone else if you cannot get them to answer for return your calls, maybe they are too busy.

I would also get your own shipping. Horizon's shipper did not know where Cortez was and thought it was near Denver and shipped it there through a subcontract shipper, then a third shipper to Durango, then Cortez. I filed a claim and the shipper said they treat LTL loads very rough and I should have expected it to be damaged!

The smoker was banded to an oversized pallet. Maybe it would have been okay if Horizon would have enclosed it In a box.

Good luck!

Chuck

billiam · Aug 3, 2016

ChuckSWCO said:
Hi Billiam,

I see you are from Durango, I live in Cortez!

I love my Horizon 20" Classic.

It did arrive damaged and I am discussing repairs right now with the shipper and Steve at Horizon. I am not surprised that you are having trouble contacting them. They rarely returned emails or calls. I usually got them early in the mornings or just before closing. I ordered mine on March 9, so maybe it was before the "busy season", they answered the phones all the time then. They said the build would take 6-8 weeks, it took 12 weeks for mine!

The smoker is built very sturdy. I got all the options and customized it some too. It does a good good job of holding heat. I use an average of 16 lbs of lump charcoal for a 12 lb brisket.

I am very pleased with it.

Customer service is a big deal, and I would go with someone else if you cannot get them to answer for return your calls, maybe they are too busy.

I would also get your own shipping. Horizon's shipper did not know where Cortez was and thought it was near Denver and shipped it there through a subcontract shipper, then a third shipper to Durango, then Cortez. I filed a claim and the shipper said they treat LTL loads very rough and I should have expected it to be damaged!

The smoker was banded to an oversized pallet. Maybe it would have been okay if Horizon would have enclosed it In a box.

Good luck!

Chuck

Thanks for the information Chuck. Sorry to hear about your trials with the shipper(s). I did finally get ahold of someone at Horizon. I feel a little bad as I'd already started the process of getting a quote for a custom build over at brand Y but wanted to try Horizon as I understand that they're the original in the lineage and I like their trailer offerings which I may be in the market for next year. The long and the short of it is that I have a 30" Marshal ordered so I guess I'll see how it goes...

rogerwilco · Aug 3, 2016

I purchased a 20' RD Special: a stretched Marshal with all the available bells and whistles. It has proven to be a very sound investment and a well-built smoker. We even grill a few steaks on the supplied firebox grill grate. The unit balances quite well, although moving anything this heavy can at times be a chore. It also drafts well, doesn't leak smoke like a sieve, and with the adjustable convection plate, both sides of the cook chamber can be equalized or one side can be made considerably hotter if desired. The two supplied thermometers are of excellent quality and from a known manufacturer, with big, bright easy-to-read dials.

The unit arrived a couple of weeks after they said it would and in pristine condition, ready to cook. That 30" must be a real monster; I'd love to get a crack at one of those! Hell, I'd love to NEED a 30" size.

chuckswco · Aug 4, 2016

Billcam and RogerWilco,

I am very happy with my 20" Classic. It suits everything I need. I have grilled steaks on the firebox side and the cooking side and both were very good. I agree with RogerWilco in that the convection plate really distributes the heat well. My Classic weighs in at a svelt 600 pounds, I can't imagine how much the Marshall weighs! I am happy you made contact with the folks at Horizon, they treated me very well and I know you all will enjoy your smokers.

Chuck

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Texas Original Pits or Horizon?

parksnrec

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seenred

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