Shirley Fabricators Smokers

[booyahbbq]

I heard of smokers from Shirley Fabricators on a thread by someone, so I checked them out. Seem really nice.

Just curious how folks are using their smoker and their thoughts,

Thanks in advance

 

[woodcutter]

Shirley someone must have one........ Bump

 

[boykjo]

 
Shirley someone must have one........ Bump

 

[va_connoisseur]

I have not cooked on one but I have had the opportunity to inspect one that I am considering purchasing. The build quality is first rate. Speaking on build quality, it is amazing. I am looking to upgrade from my current 120 gallon setup and I believe, from a build quality standpoint, the Shirley is second to none (Lang, Bubba, Meadow Creek).

I caveat my statements with the fact that I have never cooked on one. I know people whom have and they love them but I have not.

 

[64driver]

I have one ordered (24x60 with a 3/8" thick cook chamber) but it won't be ready until April

In other forums, they have been discussed frequently by those who have them. Everyone absolutely loves them, and not one person has anything bad to say about the way they cook. They follow Lang's RF design, and are very well built. I've commented before where I read that someone who is a weld inspector at a nuke plant says the welds on his are outstanding. Plus, you get to customize it the way you want (Like an insulated firebox), and it will still be a lot less money than the bigger companies. Shirley makes them more affordable and thus, you can get a SF 24x60 Deluxe (which is slightly bigger in overall cooking sq inches than a Lang 60 Deluxe) and it will still run cheaper than a Lang 48 original.

And don't even get me started on the customer service. Paul is one of the nicest guys you can talk to! We chatted for almost an hour about Q before I even got to placing my order. He will try his best to get you exactly what you want/need/afford. He called or responded within 15 min of me emailing him, each of the 3 times we discussed my order.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a Lang. In fact I was almost about to pull the trigger on one before I found out about SF. I was just able to get a lot more for my $$ from SF. In addition to the fact I customized it the way I wanted. They are getting orders in left and right, and are probably into May delivery time frame at least. Keep that in mind if you are thinking about ordering one.

 

[64driver]

 
I have not cooked on one but I have had the opportunity to inspect one that I am considering purchasing. The build quality is first rate. Speaking on build quality, it is amazing. I am looking to upgrade from my current 120 gallon setup and I believe, from a build quality standpoint, the Shirley is second to none (Lang, Bubba, Meadow Creek).

I caveat my statements with the fact that I have never cooked on one. I know people whom have and they love them but I have not.

Was that the one on Craigslist with the cabinet doors? The one that was on their website? I knew of a few people who were looking at that one if it was. It was priced reasonably well, and someone must've snatched it because the listing is gone.

Edit: Nevermind, that post is still up. Guess the original expired and the guy made a new one. It's the 88" long cooker with cabinet doors and a warmer box. $3800 isn't that bad in my opinion. Still looks nice.

 

[knuckle47]

While I built my own smoker, Paul actually advised me on many aspects of its layout and the trailer. Your comments are spot on. Great people to work with. I had met him on a forum about fabrication and eventually emailed him a bunch of questions. More than a generous contribution to my builds success

If I ever find myself in Alabama, I'm taking them out for a beer or two!

 

[puglover1]

Does it concern anyone that they build their smokers out of decommissioned propane tanks as one option?

 

[64driver]

Not at all. Plenty of smokers come from propane tanks. Most of his come from just steel tubes that he gets, and cuts them to order. If he uses an old propane tank (like a ton of smokers out there are), they're sand blasted enough so nothing is on the inside but bare metal.