Bradley 4 rack smoker?

[darko886]

Good afternoon, I am new to smoking and have been looking at the MES 40 for my first smoker. However, someone just offered me a new Bradley 4 rack smoker for $200, which seems like a great deal. Should I buy that instead?

 

[BigW.]

I had a Bradley for many years and it produced excellent food. Only downside was the pucks are a bit pricey. Now you can use an pellet tube or tray. Most also use those with MES. Depending on budget a Char-Griller 980 would make an excellent first smoker or a Weber kettle. Do some reading around here. You'll find something to fit your needs.

 

[darko886]

I had a Bradley for many years and it produced excellent food. Only downside was the pucks are a bit pricey. Now you can use an pellet tube or tray. Most also use those with MES. Depending on budget a Char-Griller 980 would make an excellent first smoker or a Weber kettle. Do some reading around here. You'll find something to fit your needs.

Thank you for the quick reply. I would prefer to stay electric for my first. Can you use a pellet tube with the Bradley?

 

[Inscrutable]

I had one also. Followed two cheap Brinkman bullets that rusted out. Lost the Bradley in a flood.
Did like being able to more-or-less independently control the smoke and the temp. Can’t complain as a first smoker and for the price.

 

[BigW.]

Thank you for the quick reply. I would prefer to stay electric for my first. Can you use a pellet tube with the Bradley?

Not 100% sure, they were not around when I had mine. I'd go with the Bradley.

 

[Inscrutable]

Can you use a pellet tube with the Bradley?

Adding tubes and trays to any of these can be tricky due to airflow … I can’t say I ever felt the need, but then again it was very early in my ‘education’ ….

 

[Wurstmeister]

I have a MES40 from Cabella's and have done a lot of different smokes with it. I use the 6x6 A-MAZ-N Maze for my smoke generation now instead of the chip tray.

Be careful the MES has about a 5-10 degree swing to it from heater off to heater on. I let my "settle in" for about an hour before I add the maze and the food I'm going to smoke. Using the MES app makes it a lot easier to control your temp without standing watch over the unit, , while the maze keeps a steady smoke without running back and forth filling up the chip tray.

If you use a maze, fully open your top vent, open your chip filler, turn face(opening) down and move it out about 1-2" from the smoker body. Use the chip filler to control you air flow/smoke. I place my maze on the bottom shelf, about 1-2" away the right side wall and back over the chip tray. Havent' had any issues so far with it.
John