Ok joe highland vs WSM 22

[atomicsmoke]

Fellows

I am thinking of upgrading to a better/long lasting smoker. I narrowed my options to two smokers.

Can i ask for some feedback from OK Joe Highland (non reverse flow) and WSM 22 owners?

I am looking for decent temp control, reliability, build quality. And to last longer than 5 years. While i prefer a good smoker right out of the box i am willing to do some mods that wont require advanced fabrication skills and won't cost me as much as i paid for the smoker.

I have a good gas grill so I don't need that feature.

What do you think?

 

[radio]

No experience with the WSM, but the Highland is marginal unless one does a few mods. They need sealing up with silicone and the first 1/3 of the racks near the firebox are unusable without tuning plates to distribute the heat more evenly.
One thing to consider which will likely be your major decision is the set it and forget it use of the WSM VS feed me ever hour for the Highland.
I love my stick burners, but the recently purchased pellet grill, not so much!

 

[gmc2003]

WSM has my vote:

1. Works right out of the box - wash the grates and go.
2. Minimal mods are needed(maybe a door tweak or replacement. It's the only weak spot).
3. Great customer service.
4. Will last a lifetime with minimal care.
5. Best bang for the buck.
6. Lite weight easy to move around.
7. Porcelain finish so no rusting out.

Can you tell I'm bias.

Chris

 

[Smoke23]

I have a 22.5” WSM and haven’t done any mods to it at all. I’m very pleased with how it performs right out of the box. While I haven’t had mine for 5 years I don’t see why it won’t last for WELL beyond that. I live in Ohio and it sits outside all year (even in the winter) and I use it all year (even in the winter).

 

[88nitro305]

I’m new to the game but love my 22.5 WSM! I’ve had 2 22in kettles for the past 5 years before getting my WSM so I’m also bias ha

 

[laughingpanther]

It is widely believed that you get the best barbecue flavor from an offset barrel smoker; however, you have to tend to them constantly. The WSM is pretty much set it and forget it. Also, you would have to do some mods to the highland. If you're looking for hassle free smoking, get the WSM. If you're wanting a challenge, get the highland.

 

[doughboyb]

Weber. I have both and wouldn't get rid of it for anything.

 

[atomicsmoke]

No experience with the WSM, but the Highland is marginal unless one does a few mods. They need sealing up with silicone and the first 1/3 of the racks near the firebox are unusable without tuning plates to distribute the heat more evenly.
One thing to consider which will likely be your major decision is the set it and forget it use of the WSM VS feed me ever hour for the Highland.
I love my stick burners, but the recently purchased pellet grill, not so much!

I didnt know about the section close to the firebox being useless. That's a big downside.

About "feeding the OK every hour": one member here, after heavy mods, bragged about running it 6h on a load of coals (at constant temp).

 

[motocrash]

I vote WSM I have the baby 14".Get it settled and forget about it.

 

[cansmoke]

Wow, the WSM must be good as I am enjoying the Oklahoma Highlander. Temps are staying much better than my old unit.

 

[yankee2bbq]

I have both smokers. My choice would be the WSM. Easy choice. The WSM is basically “set it and forget it” type of smoker right out of the box. No modifications needed.

My OK Joe Highland was modified and I use that smoker for “hotter” smokes.

Hope this helps.

 

[noboundaries]

WSM. Short learning curve for vent settings. Set and forget with the right charcoal. Wide range of smoking temps from 150F for jerky to 350F+ for poultry. 12-14 hours hands off without a temp controller, longer with. 20+ hour smokes are no problem with right charcoal load. Lifetime measure in decades.

 

[SmokinAl]

I agree with the above, my vote goes to the WSM 22.5.
Al

 

[atomicsmoke]

Thank you fellows. I hoped i would get to have a classic looking smoker , with large cooking area, that doesn't require partial "disassembly" when setting up a smoke but the factors you listed above make the WSM a better choice.

 

[red farr]

...I'ts not a matter of which one is best....one will give your food the flavor of a wood fire and the WSM will have a charcoal flavor....the difference is large
Red

 

[atomicsmoke]

...I'ts not a matter of which one is best....one will give your food the flavor of a wood fire and the WSM will have a charcoal flavor....the difference is large
Red

Ok Joe Highland can run on charcoal too.

 

[Smoke23]

...I'ts not a matter of which one is best....one will give your food the flavor of a wood fire and the WSM will have a charcoal flavor....the difference is large
Red

You add wood in with the charcoal for the Smokey flavor on a WSM.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Well I have to chime in on this. I don't have a WSM but I started out smoking with a Brinkmann bullet style smoker. The concept in the same but the quality of Weber far outshines what I was using. I do have the OKJ Highland and absolutely love it. I did not mod it other than to put a gasket around the cooking chamber door. My best barbecue of my life has come from this smoker. It is hands down my favorite smoker and I love the flavor you get from that heavier smoke penetration. I am going to have to say that my recommendation is simply dependent on your preferences. If you just want good barbecue with low hassle and very low maintenance then I have to give the nod to the Weber. It is made with excellent materials. It is designed to work extremely well. It is very pricey. If it is your budget and you are not concerned about the cost then again easy decision. You are looking at the largest model which is pretty large. My Brinkmann is the equivalent to the 18" Weber and It has a lot of cooking capacity. There is a caveat to that capacity though. There are two racks and if you put something on that lower rack and the load the top one you will have to pull that top rack out to get to the food on the lower rack. Most people don't consider that when they look at this type of smoker. It can become a hassle if the bottom rack finishes sooner that the top.

My OKJ has one rack and there is indeed less room overall for cooking than my Brinkman but I can put a full brisket on my OKJ and then drop in a rack of ribs or some sausage or even some chicken as well and have full access to it all. The heat differential mentioned previously exists on all offset smokers. It's part of the design. I have never found that the entire cooking surface could not be utilized. You just have to monitor the grate temp and make adjustments. I just use the easy way out and cook things closer to the firebox that need more heat. Things like chicken and sausages work awesome closer to the fire. I use two temp probes on the grate just under the hood mounts for thermometers. I know exactly what the grate temp is at a glace. With no other mods to my smoker other than the cooking chamber seal I get consistent and reliable results. My cooking grate is about 25 degrees difference on average from side to side. If you are looking for a higher level of interaction with your smoker then I can definitely and highly recommend the OKJ Highland as a lower cost offset. I was fortunate enough to find mine during the off season clearance for only $75 from Walmart. That certainly makes it a very value oriented choice. The quality is good for an inexpensive offset. It may not last a lifetime but I can easily see it lasting 10 plus years with decent care.

Either one will be a good choice for the quality of your food but I would be a fool to say that the Weber was lower quality that the OKJ. Weber makes a top notch product and it is super easy to use. My only knock on the bullet style smokers is the top and bottom rack setup. So if that's not a concern and cost is irrelevant then Weber is a clear choice for quality construction. I just don't want to you think that you will have to sink a ton of money into your OKJ if you decide to go that way to get good barbecue. It does not require all of the mods that many people state that it does. What little leakage I had from the firebox area after the initial assembly has already sealed itself. I have very little leakage and the heat is very consistent. If you can find a great price on the OKJ you won't be disappointed. if you want better construction out of the box from an offset then I recommend you look at a higher priced fully welded construction model. That will be much more satisfying for you in the end. You do get what you pay for in offsets. The higher price point models will have less to worry about out of the box BUT you will always have the higher heat on the firebox side without a reverse flow setup or some kind of baffle tuning plate setup. Even then, I see lots of people complain about high end offsets and the heat differential with the tuning plates. Plus you will absolutely have to feed your offset every hour or so on average. I have not used the charcoal basket setup myself but I hear that can give you a few hours of relatively steady temps. That is going to be the next thing that I put together for my own OKJ.

I apologize for the length but I really wanted to give you my honest opinion here if you have never used any kind of smoker then the first type to buy can be a very difficult choice. I hope that I helped in some small way to help with making a good informed choice for your smoker. Whatever you choose. This is the place to come for advice. These guys, and ladies, will get you on the path quickly. Have a great day.

George

 

[atomicsmoke]

Thanks George for tbe detailed post. Very informative. 25 deg difference would be acceptable to me. Feeding the fire every hour is fun when i have the time but more often than not that is not the case.

The price difference, while significant (30%) isn't going to weigh much in my decision. It has in the past and learned some lessons (i am on my second smoker...thinking about buying the third).

Like you I do dislike the bullet setup (two layers of meat).

Will give it more time. Not in a hurry.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

No problem. I always like to have as much info as I can before making a big purchase decision. Anything I can do to help I will. Have a good one.

George