Horizon Classic 16" Smoker Review

[stinsonml]

Great review!  I have been debating and researching for about a year now and I think I've settled on this cooker.  My only thought is if I want to stay with the 16" or 20" your comment made sense to me about wasting fuel to keep the 20" going so I am pretty sure I am sold on the 16".  I mostly cook for my family and maybe a few friends, occasionally I have a decent cook for deer camp or maybe a 4th of July get together, but I don't think those justify the extra $200 plus the fuel that you mentioned.  THANK YOU very much for your review, it was very helpful!

Mike

 

[djbrady33]

Thanks for the great review for the Horizon Classic Smoker. I just purchased one from Bass Pro and it is a awesome! I even talked the manager into delivering it free for me. I have been using an MES Electric and it is a great smoker and easy to use, but I have not been happy with the smoke flavor of the meat even when using an additional pellet smoker along with chips. I was impressed with the 1/4 inch steel and the quality of the Horizon. It comes fully assembled on a pallet with nothing to put together. Just season and use. You can tell it is well made when you lift the heavy lid. It is made in USA (Oklahoma) at the same factory they use to make the Oklahoma Joes. You can order additional items like a convection plate and a quality cover straight from their factory. I have used it several times and it has cooked the best ribs, pork butts, brisket, and chicken I have ever done!
 

 

[rickw]

Very nice review, congrats on getting a great quality smoker. I've been using a loaded 20" for a number of years now, got it before anyone was offering them in the retail market. Once ya figure out fire control it makes some of the best q you'd want. 

 

[sudsy]

Thanks VERY much for your review, with pics, particularly with guidance on seasoning it. My Horizon 16" Classic is still on the shipping pallet, so I'm getting started in this forum. Have you tried smoking a turkey in your unit? Looks like if I use the grate from the firebox to lift up the turkey, possibly add a couple of bricks, and use an aluminum half-pan or something smaller, that I could get the turkey up closer to the heat, and maybe still have room for a can of water. Same idea for a ham. 

 

[sudsy]

Greetings, Ravenelli. 

I have a question about cleaning the Horizon after smoking. Do you use Dawn or something like it, to clean the smoking chamber, or do you just wipe off excess oil and let it go? I use an anti-rust spray in the firebox, for the lid. I also clean the grates with soap and a wire brush.

Thanks for any help,

Sudsy

 

[harley20]

Hello All,

I am considering a smoker to purchase in the next week or so.  The Horizon is one of the top I am considering...along with the egg.  I was curious though on the Horizon vs the Oklahoma Joe.  Its my understanding that Horizon use to make the OK Joe.  My questions is they look so similar but the prices for the Ok Joe are much less.  If you buy from Lowes its around 450 and Walmart even less.  Is the Horizon the same or is it much superior.  Any help is appreciated.

 

[sudsy]

Greetings, Harley. I'm not too familiar with the OK Joe model you mention. However, the Horizon is made of 1/4 steel, and the lid is heavy. I was at a Cabellas recently and lifted the lid of a smoker that looked like the Horizon, but the metal was considerably thinner.

 

[headspace]

Harley20 I looked at both the OK Joe and the Horizon and got the Horizon. The Horizon is fully welded construction and 1/4 inch steel. So as soon as you get it there are really not many mods you need to do with it. The OK Joe while a great value smoker will require many mods to get it where the Horizon is straight from the manufacture. The steel is not as thick (heat retention) and you assemble it yourself so heat and smoke escapes without many of the simple mods you can find on these forums. 

In the end it for me I didn't want tom have to fiddle with my new smoker, I wanted something that would require little tinkering. I smoked my first pork shoulder and beef brisket last night and they were fantastic. My only complaint is that I had a hard time keeping it at 240 degrees. I think the addition of a home made charcoal basket will help with that. 

Search the forums here as there are lots of members with the OK Joe and discussions on how the have modified it to be a great smoker. I had done my research and looked at both and decided for the extra money the Horizon was the one for me.

 

[ammaturesmoker]

What the OKJ lacks that the Horizon has is a dedicated metal guy. What I did is have my metal guy weld my OKJ up. Runs much better now and do not have to fiddle with firebox modding crap. Though I did order a gasket kit for the lid on this pit. It leaked a little bit but the lava lock sealed it. I know a few guys who also use it on their Horizon smokers as they leaked some. Doors are hard to seal I guess especially after shipping. Speaking of shipping, were you getting this at bass pro? Because these guys run 275 bucks and higher for shipping. OKJ is a great unit if you get someone to work on it. Out of the box? NFW!!!!!

 

[harley20]

Great info guys.  The more I research the more I change my mind.  I think in the end whatever I get I will be happy with because I won't know what the others are really like to use.  I do have a question though...Why do these smokers only get up to 325 degrees?  When I read the specs they say they go from 175 to 325.  I would think they would get a lot hotter than that.  When grilling don't you want a lot hotter?

 

[ammaturesmoker]

When you are smoking, most of the time its between 225 and 265.

 

[norcalaggie]

Great review. I bought the 16 Classic this summer before reading this, but I got some good ideas from it, and your review is still relevant today. Very well written. Is there a community of Horizon owners somewhere online? I'm enjoying my smoker this year having done pork ribs, chicken, tri-tip, brisket flats, and a whole packer brisket, and the Horizon works like a champ. Here in the bay area of California, wood is harder to come by and not as cheap. I too have a hard time fitting a log in the 16" so I get chunks at Home Depot. I'd love to find a local BBQ shop and wood source, so hopefully I come across those. Ordered this unit through Bass Pro Shops, and towed it to my house with a Uhaul trailer rental! At the time, the closest Bass Pro shop was over 2 hours away! That's how devoted I was to purchase this well made bad boy made by the OKJ folks.

 

[smokenmyeyes]

Thanks for the review. I have actually been look at the Yoder smokers and with the factory being in Hutchinson, KS and most of the dealers in surrounding states, getting it shipped to me in N.C. is going to run $300-$350. looks like I will be doing some more review work the Horizon line.

There is not much difference as far as looks in the two. I thought the Horizon smoker could have been made by Yoder for Bass Pro from time to time you run across this, but not in this case. I'll have to go to Bass Pro to check them out.

 

[bigsyd]

Well, I ordered this bad boy through Bass Pro. Picked it up on Saturday evening, seasoned it on Sunday, smoked a 8 pound pork picnic on Monday, and I smoked my party wings for lunch on Tuesday. All of that to say I'm pleased with my purchase. The thermometer is off big time. However, I just found out I can calibrate it. So, I'll fool with that this weekend

My only regret is not getting the Horizon 20. It's going to be a tight fit for two brisket packers on the 16. I'm guessing I can get 2-3 turkeys/chickens/butts/picnics on the pit. Perhaps 2-4 slabs of pork spares if angled right.

Definitely worth the money. Drilled through the 1/4 inch steel yesterday to run my probes into the unit. I also ordered the convection plate today.

Customer Support has been great at Horizon.

This unit gets a thumbs up from me.