Old Country Brazos DLX FREE SHIPPING?!

[SmokinJointBBQ]

Happy Sunday!

I am looking to make a major upgrade with an offset. I have been eyeballing a couple different stick burners(Horizon 20 marshal, meadow creek sq36, LSG 20x42). Just this morning I discovered the Texas grill shop website. They have the OC Brazos DLX in stock, and apparently offer free shipping(I was stunned to enter my New Jersey address and see that).

Considering that I would save $500+ for the DLX compared to the other cookers mentioned above, I wanted to ask you guys if anyone owns a DLX/how you like it, and if anyone’s ever shopped with Texas grill shop.com. I know that old country is generally accepted to be a level below horizon, LSG, etc. but the value proposition here really has me thinking.

What do you guys think?

Brendon

 

[millerbuilds]

I have a OC pit and it is a good mid entry level pit. I did have to make some mods-
1- Added Tuning Plates to get the cook chamber temps more consistent
2- Added wood stove gasket rope to both the cooking chamber and the firebox to stop leaks
3- Not required, but I removed the vent door and welded in a flat plate with a 3/4" pipe nipple to allow me to use my pit viper fan to control my temps. It cooks like a champ now.

The paint did burn off on the firebox, I sanded it and hit it with High Temp header paint, I also spray it with grapeseed oil after each cook to keep it from rusting on the inside.

I have wanted to upgrade, but my OC continues to work great. The only reason I would now upgrade is for a larger cooking chamber for bigger cooks.

- Jason

 

[SmokinJointBBQ]

I have a OC pit and it is a good mid entry level pit. I did have to make some mods-
1- Added Tuning Plates to get the cook chamber temps more consistent
2- Added wood stove gasket rope to both the cooking chamber and the firebox to stop leaks
3- Not required, but I removed the vent door and welded in a flat plate with a 3/4" pipe nipple to allow me to use my pit viper fan to control my temps. It cooks like a champ now.

The paint did burn off on the firebox, I sanded it and hit it with High Temp header paint, I also spray it with grapeseed oil after each cook to keep it from rusting on the inside.

I have wanted to upgrade, but my OC continues to work great. The only reason I would now upgrade is for a larger cooking chamber for bigger cooks.

- Jason

Thank you for the insight as an OC owner! Very helpful.

I believe the DLX Brazos comes with some tuning plates, but if it doesn’t, I’ll definitely be getting one for it - I’ve seen before that some guys will use the bottom firebox grate as a tuning plate- I thought that was kinda clever!

I will definitely be putting a gasket around the chamber door. As for the firebox door mod - I usually just stick a tabletop fan on low speed and send it through the dampener a little crude but it works for me.

Did you have your OC shipped to you or did you pick up in store? I’ve heard they can be hit or miss in quality of finish if shipped to you. Thanks for your advice Jason!!

 

[millerbuilds]

Thank you for the insight as an OC owner! Very helpful.

I believe the DLX Brazos comes with some tuning plates, but if it doesn’t, I’ll definitely be getting one for it - I’ve seen before that some guys will use the bottom firebox grate as a tuning plate- I thought that was kinda clever!

I will definitely be putting a gasket around the chamber door. As for the firebox door mod - I usually just stick a tabletop fan on low speed and send it through the dampener a little crude but it works for me.

Did you have your OC shipped to you or did you pick up in store? I’ve heard they can be hit or miss in quality of finish if shipped to you. Thanks for your advice Jason!!

Mine did not come with Tuning Plates, I just stopped by a metal supply house here and bought some 3/16"X 4"X6' Cold rolled steel and cut them to fit. If you do, once you get the plate set in the right spot mark where they go, that way when you move your pit and they shift you can quickly put them back in place, I learned the hard way....
I picked mine up at the store, so no experience with shipping. When you put in the gasket, make sure you use food safe RTV silicone to hold it in place.

Good luck!!!

- Jason

 

[Signwave]

I bought a OC Brazos DLX from Academy Sports several months ago. After researching modifications others had made and what the higher end smokers were offering, I decided to make my own modifications. The list of modifications I am in the process of completing are the following.

• collector and 40", 5" schedule 40 stack
• 40" stack mounts to collector with a flange that bolts to collector
• The stack is cut at 20.5" and a flange welded to each section so that the stack folds down for storage and a cover
• Removed baffle between FB and CC
• Removed FB rack brackets
• Double insulate FB with 2" fireproof insulation surrounding a 16" pipe cut in half. Still have the other half.
• Replaced rear wheels with 9x3.50-4 solid Pneumatic Tires and mag wheels
• Added 9x3.50-4 solid Pneumatic Tires and mag wheels to the front with a towable and steerable front end
• Added two 5" Face 6" stem gauges, both at grate level and one at the FB side and the other at the CC collector side
• Replaced the small fold down shelf with a 36 x 18 stainless steel fold down shelf
• Adding a 1" port above collector for 4 probes
• Adding a mount near collector for the Thermoworks 4 channel Signals™ BBQ Alarm Thermometer with Wi-Fi
• Using a 20 series Fire management basket from Lonestargrills.com
• Using the 20 series 1/2'' Laser Cut Fire Grate from Lonestargrills.com
• I wish I would have found the Offroad Wheel & Tire from Lonestargrills.com. I looked every where and could not find these wheels and so I bought from Alibaba :(
• I bought a full size stainless steel steam table pan 2 1/2" deep to place below the cooking grate to contain water and drippings
• Adding a 16" top rack to replace the 9" original top rack

I will use a propane flame thrower to light the wood for starting instead of permently mounting a gas log starter.
This covers the wish list of items I saw on higher end grills and although the mods did cost some money, allowed me to get the entry level grill price and the performance of the higher end grills. I drew up the collector and flanges to scale in Visio and exported as AutoCad drawings and the metal fabricator loaded into his CNC and the 1/4 plate was cut perfectly.

I will attach pictures when all of this is complete. My goal is to complete over the holiday weekend.

I attached PDF and DWG files

 

[Newglide]

The list of modifications I am in the process of completing are the following.

You are completely transforming it. All good stuff. You have to share pics or it didn't happen :)

 

[Signwave]

Here are the Collector and stack PDF's and DWG files for the mods

 

[Newglide]

Here are the Collector and stack PDF's and DWG files for the mods

Looking good!! I know you're ready to fire it up and see how it runs. I'm sure it'll be completely different...in a good way

 

[tbern]

wow, lots of updating, hope it works really great for you now!!

 

[Displaced Texan]

Maybe I am seeing it wrong on the Texas Grills website, but to me, it appears they are charging $500 for the DLX "Crated and Shipped". The other DLX, available for pickup, is $1499, and the crated and shipped is $1999.

As for tuning plates, well, it is hard to dispute the experience of Brazos owners, but to me, it seems a good pit does not need those. I tried them on my Bell Fab, and have ditched them since I have figured out how to run the pit with even temps and no tuning plates.

When I was at an Academy 2 years ago in Fort Worth, the build quality across several pits at the store was stark. Some were solid, others not quite so much.

I will say it is a good thing they have added the door counterweight as it was extremely heavy without it.

 

[Newglide]

Maybe I am seeing it wrong on the Texas Grills website, but to me, it appears they are charging $500 for the DLX "Crated and Shipped". The other DLX, available for pickup, is $1499, and the crated and shipped is $1999.

As for tuning plates, well, it is hard to dispute the experience of Brazos owners, but to me, it seems a good pit does not need those. I tried them on my Bell Fab, and have ditched them since I have figured out how to run the pit with even temps and no tuning plates.

When I was at an Academy 2 years ago in Fort Worth, the build quality across several pits at the store was stark. Some were solid, others not quite so much.

I will say it is a good thing they have added the door counterweight as it was extremely heavy without it.

 

[Newglide]

I agree. I also ditched the tuning plates and cut out the baffle in my Pecos.
to be honest there is and should be a huge difference between a OC and Bell fabs in quality and every other way. The OC is in my opinion on the upper end of an introductory offset and the Bell Fabs is on the upper end of an experienced offset.

 

[Retired Spook]

I just like OC smokers better than BellFab - I do not see the point of spending extra money on something when the food comes out just as good in an OC smoker. Call me cray-cray!

 

[Displaced Texan]

I just like OC smokers better than BellFab - I do not see the point of spending extra money on something when the food comes out just as good in an OC smoker. Call me cray-cray!

My 24x48 BF was $950 2 years ago. Same price the Brazos was 2 years ago. Not sure what he charges now, but the Brazos has gone up $500.

But, I wasn't trying to sell anyone on getting a Bell Fab. I am just saying I don't think all the mods are necessary, but that's just me. I didn't modify the Char Broiler cheap offset that I used for 15 years. I just learned how to use it.

 

[Newglide]

My 24x48 BF was $950 2 years ago

Dang, I wouldn't have thought that.
If I only knew then what I know now.

 

[Retired Spook]

My 24x48 BF was $950 2 years ago. Same price the Brazos was 2 years ago. Not sure what he charges now, but the Brazos has gone up $500.

But, I wasn't trying to sell anyone on getting a Bell Fab I am just saying I don't think all the mods are necessary, but that's just me. I didn't modify the Char Broiler cheap offset that I used for 15 years. I just learned how to use it.

I did not / do not need a cooker quite so large to cook for one or two people so the OC Wrangler I bought seems about perfect ($600) - I read all I could and experimented with every mod there was short of removing the baffle between the firebox and cook-chamber and in the end all I needed was a charcoal basket and re-purposed the firebox cooking grate as the fire grate to raise the fire up higher in the firebox. No tuning plate, no stack extension, no nothing - last cook was perfect even temperature throughout the cook chamber and excellent ribs.

Whodda thunk?

Even the top shelf in the cook chamber!

 

[SmokinJointBBQ]

Hey folks, after a couple weeks of debating, I ended up going with a Bandera. Got a great deal at my local ACE and I’m loving the vertical setup. Going to use this a while and work my way up to an LSG/meadow creek.

 

[tbern]

looks great, enjoy your new toy!!

 

[SmokinJointBBQ]

looks great, enjoy your new toy!!

Thank you very much! I’m loving it after a couple smoke sessions :)