Horizon smokers

[tim k]

Has anyone ever used Horizon smoker ?????

Are they well made, do they last, can they hold a steady temp ?

I am looking at stepping up from the Char griller Pro offset.

Would a Horizon be a good back yard smoker for the $$$$????

Thanks in advance, and for all the info I have gotten in the past.

 

[crd26a]

Horizon makes a great smoker. Slaughterhouse V, one of the top comp teams (opened Oklahmoa Joes BBQ in KC) cooks on the large trailer version. They're def. heavy duty, thick steel, and can dial in pretty well. A nice upgrade from the Char Griller.

 

[smokebuzz]

I have a 20" Marshall, and really like it,steady temps are easy, just gotta know how ta build the fires.

I would highly reccommend it, built like a tank, 1/4 " steel, perfect welds, great design.

 

[smokebuzz]

HOLY CHIT, just cought you was from IOWA, Where at in the great state?

 

[rickw]

I went with a Horizon as my first offset smoker. Before this I used a uds 100% of the time. Since the purchase of the Horizon the uds has set idle. I love the taste of the product on the Horizon using wood as a fuel.

They are very well made and hold heat extremely well. They are made of brand new 1/4" steel and are VERY HEAVY. My 20" RD special weighed in right about 475 lbs. I can certainly see this lasting my lifetime plus my kids. This thing is an heirloom piece I do believe.

The folks there are really awesome to work with. They are definitely a customer oriented company and will do all the can to please you.

The only thing that disappointed me was their therms. One thing was "made in China" I wasn't to pleased with that plus they were far from accurate. If I were to do it again I wouldn't order one with their therm. Instead buy a Tru-Tel and mount on the Horizon.

Here is mine.

 

[dmack]

Tim,
I just picked up a used classic 16. Haven't smoked anything yet. Will this weekend. I have spent this week cleaning it up and doing a few mods.I did a dry run tonight no meat just smoked to checked temps and such. I also painted my unit to I wanted to run some heat through it along with some smoke. I did see what others have talked about, a 50 degree variance in temps from the firebox to the exhaust end. I recommend the Horizon convection plate for this issue. I tried to make my own. Didn't work-in fact made it worse. 130 degrees diff. I'm buying the Horizon plate.
It is a solid unit. I am looking forward to smoking with just wood. I've been using propane for a year in my gosm. It seems to be a bit of a learning curve in regulating temps.
By the way, I also am from Iowa-Huxley.

dmack

 

[jdt]

they are great smokers, have you been to Hawgeyes in ankeny to check them out? They are very nice, I wanted one but had to go with a lesser known company I could actually get without needing an attorney for a divorice LOL.

 

[tim k]

Thanks for all the info guys. Sounds like need to start saving up my penny's.

 

[tim k]

O-yea, I live in the big city of State Center, Iowa.

 

[dmack]

Tim,
I don't know if you saw this ad in Craigslist for a Horizon 20 for $600. Heck a deal. http://desmoines.craigslist.org/for/1221180306.html

dmack

 

[rickw]

That's a very good deal. Points to ya for pointing that out.

 

[austinl]

I just picked up a 20" classic from Horizon; they are 40 minutes up the road from me.  I went with the built-in convection plate and once you get your fire going well mine will hold an even temperature plus or minus 5 degrees on average so I highly recommend it.  As for the smoker its self it seems to be very well made and sturdy.  I had the same problem as someone mentioned above with the cheap stock thermometers so I bought some calibrated ones that were meant to be used on industrial equipment.  These industrial gauges may have been overkill for cooking but I don't regret it.

 

[edmondsmoker]

How did you mount the new industrial grade gauges?  Did you have to modify the grill so they would fit?

 

[austinl]

Hey sorry it took a while to get back on here.  I didn't have to modify them at all.  The smoker came with the standard 1/2" NPT threads most gauges use.  At first I was worried about the 4" stems interfering with food but it has never been a problem and I have had this thing packed with 22 pound hams and turkeys.  A friend of mine says it was overkill to buy ashcroft gauges in the first place and to get 4" stems but I tell him to shut up, lol he is just jealous.  I know the combination of those two gives about as true a reading of the cooking temperature as I think I'm going to get with 2 mechanical gauges, plus they look nice with those SS bezels.

 

[cory evans]

Where did you get that gauge?

 

[austinl]

I just searched on the internet for industrial equipment suppliers and then narrowed it down to one that would work in a smoker (temp range, thread size, face diameter, etc.)  They maybe identified as bi-metal temperature gauges.