Beware of Bradley Smokers

[gunnercbf]

I bought a 4rack digital Bradley Smoker and during the first cook I found the internal temp of the smoker to be 20 degrees off reality. Then on the second smoke I found the bisquette burner didn't work.

What a crime!  That unit cost me $400!!! 

I have a warning to any and all who are allowed to read this (Bradley works hard to scrub negative comments off its Forum about its crap products!):  buy with a credit card!!!  You will need a credit card company's help getting your money back!!!

Craig Farr
10773 Joplin St
Commerce City, CO 80022

 

[bmudd14474]

Craig there are lots of people with these smokers and love them. Have you contacted Bradley to get the issue corrected? Or taken it back to where you got it for a replacement?

 

[s2k9k]

I don't understand how the smoker temperature can be "20 degrees off reality", if you meant the factory thermometer wasn't correct or the smokers set temperature wasn't correct then that is very common for most electric smokers. This is why it is very important to have a known accurate thermometer to keep track of temps. 

I see this is your first post here, when you get a minute would you do us a favor and go to Roll Call and introduce yourself so we can get to know you and give you a proper welcome, also would you add your location to your profile, we like knowing where you are when we talk to you, Thanks!

 

[mossymo]

Have you contacted Bradley to get the issue corrected? Or taken it back to where you got it for a replacement?

:beercheer: I agree a 100% with bmudd... I do not own a Bradley and never have; but to join smoking forums and make your first post to bash a manufacture without describing how the retailer or the manufacturer reacted to your complaints doesn't make this post credible.

 

[shorte2326]

Have had a bradley smoker for a couple of years no real issues. But like every product you sometimes have problems. Dosen't mean they are all bad. I like being able to load it and forget it for 10-20 hours. Have had issues with my Maverick but still love it.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

A drive-by pot shot!

Classy!!!


~Martin

 

[wan2smoke]

Have had my Bradley digital for going on 2 years now. Yes, the temperature reading is off significantly but I knew that before I bought it by reading here. I bought a good external thermometer that I trust and have had no problems since. In the beginning I had one issue with the with the bisquette burner but that was resolved with a simple phone call to Bradley. I have cooked brisket, pork shoulder, turkey and chicken with no issues since.

I have found that most temperature gauges on BBQ's, Grills and smokers are inaccurrate. I spent many hours reading here in these forums before I ever purchased my smoker and I am glad I did it. It made aware of the shortcomings and advantages of the smokers I was looking at. Please avail yourself of the FAQ's and specific forums here to learn about your device.
 

 

[tonja699]

I really enjoy my Bradley smoker , I have use it 15 times n no problems with smoke generator or heating element inside the only issue I have is I don't get the smokey flavor I like . I got a vision ceramic Komodo ( like a green egg) and I have fallen in love with it !! Fantastic flavor !!!! I am thinking I'm doing something wrong with the Bradley .
Any suggestions , I love to learn from anybody , so if u have any suggestions please fell free , I would really appreciate any suggestions !:) thanks

 

[wan2smoke]

I really enjoy my Bradley smoker , I have use it 15 times n no problems with smoke generator or heating element inside the only issue I have is I don't get the smokey flavor I like . I got a vision ceramic Komodo ( like a green egg) and I have fallen in love with it !! Fantastic flavor !!!! I am thinking I'm doing something wrong with the Bradley .
Any suggestions , I love to learn from anybody , so if u have any suggestions please fell free , I would really appreciate any suggestions !:) thanks

I have had my Bradley digital for almost 2 years now. I have found that the "smokey flavor" you refer to depends on the type of wood you are using. I use hickory for beef, Apple for poultry and I use different woods for pork. What temperatures are you smoking at? A reminder that a good digital thermometer is essential with these smokers. The stock gauge can be off by as much as 30-40 degrees. It has been my experience that the Bradley performs better with the "low and slow" method. Just can't seem to get it up to the higher temperatures.

 

[illinoishokie]

Your first mistake was shelling out the dough for a digital.

Should have bought a Bradley Original for half the price and then ponied up for the Auber PID. You could have even done the dual element mod and come in under the cost of a digital with a far superior machine.

I've had my Bradley for a while now and have turned out some excellent barbecue in it. So far it has been nothing but reliable, and the temperature from the factory thermometer has been dead on as compared with both a traditional over thermometer and a masterbuilt wireless unit.

It'll be getting a workout this xmas with a turkey for one side of the family, a ham for the other, pulled pork and ribs for xmas eve dinner (family tradition) and a breakfast fatty for xmas morning. This will all be staggered over about a one week period, and I've had no experience so far to make me doubt that it'll be just fine.

 

[hiram]

I started my electric experience with a Bradley,(used an offset box Brinkman for yrs) only took me a few smokes to realize I needed something for the temp control. I got an Auber dual control PID , controlled the temp just great but I needed a higher wattage burner. I saw the MES 40 at Sams liked it for the higher wattage, took a leap of faith and purchased it. After a few smokes I retired the Bradley to the storage shed for backup lest the MES should quit on a smoke and never looked back. Some folks mod their Bradleys with an additional burner for more wattage but I decided not to go that route. I had the usual problems with the Bradley, door hinges breaking and door falling off, lower plastic piece that covers the temp control fracturing but I fixed these and soldiered on.

I'm so happy with my MES, the only piece I still use of the Bradley is the smoke generator, moded  it in an external box . As far as I'm concerned  I have the best of both worlds with the MES and the bradley smoke generator. The Bradley is cheaper made but it is what it is.

 

[dward51]

Ahhhh.....

One post a month ago to flame a product and narry a peep since.  Classy for sure.

(check his profile for "all posts", nothing posted anywhere else since this pot shot at Bradley).

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Yeah how bout it

Bad mouth the smoker without contacting Bradley who has very good customer support.

I seen a post like this on the Bradley forum and deleted it.

I have 4 Bradleys, 0 problems.

 

[bakedbean1970]

I owned a bradley for a few years. Had a smoke generator go bad. I contacted bradley and they immediately shipped me a replacement from canada. No questions asked and told me to just keep the old one a try to fix it if i want. Aaa service.

 

[bamajon]

Glad to see this was a bad post. I just won one at the NWFL gathering and was quite excited. The only problem I'm having is finding the dang bisquettes

 

[bakedbean1970]

Cabelas, bass pro, and ace hardware usually carry them.

 

[michief]

I get mine online from Amazon or yardandpool.com which has the best prices when they are in stock. I have found that stores stop ordering them in the fall and don't get them back in until grilling season gets underway. Best to stock up before fall if you smoke through the winter like I do.

 

[bamajon]

Thanks guys.

 

[scottybbq]

I just recently bought a Bradley digital and I'm looking forward to using it, hoping I don't have problems. But for the most part the majority of the reviews have been really good. But as with everything I'm sure there are a few lemons out there.

 

[yngve]

I am very pleased with my Bradley smoker. However, it is advaisable to drill a hole and introduce a meat thermometer in the smoker to make sure the temperature is correct. For those who is keen on saving money on the pellets, just take a branch of desired wood and cut discs to the size of the pellets. Make sure they are dry, otherwise you will just get steam for a period before they will produce any smoke. It is the same with the pellets, keep them in a very dry place.

Yngve Strom

Sweden