Which of these smokers to buy?

[ozsmoker]

If you have an academy sports nearby they usually carry old country smokers. The difference he is describing is like the difference between their pecos and brazos model. Both look alike but one is around $300 and the other around $1000. Open the lids and one is lightweight thin metal and the other is all 1/4" thick steel. They do look like a pretty well built unit too.

i've read good things about old country smokers

unfortunately no academy sports in las vegas, and i doubt anyone would be selling a used one since it's a gem

 

[gr0uch0]

 
i'm considering this route been reading up on the other thread were lots of mods were done

how did you fix the air leaks? i noticed that people are using atv orange but i've also read it might not work too well around the firebox since it gets too hot

Rope style gasket.  Lava Lock is one.

 

[gnappi]

It leaked like a sieve the first time I used it and the charcoal wouldn't burn all the way not staying lit.

Based on comments in here, I bought some "lava Lock" and secured it with food grade RTV and bought the coal pan with holes keeps the charcoal lit and hot. The door handle / lock now closes tight without any wiggling or motion.

There's nothing I can see faulty with the design. It's a box that holds food, lit coal, and temperature, pretty simple. It's Waaayyy less expensive than some others.

What I would like to see is a set of stainless legs to keep the carbon steel off the pavement, but no maker does that so I put it on four 5" paver stones and painted the legs with BBQ grill paint.

 

[ozsmoker]

 
Rope style gasket.  Lava Lock is one.

 
It leaked like a sieve the first time I used it and the charcoal wouldn't burn all the way not staying lit.

Based on comments in here, I bought some "lava Lock" and secured it with food grade RTV and bought the coal pan with holes keeps the charcoal lit and hot. The door handle / lock now closes tight without any wiggling or motion.

There's nothing I can see faulty with the design. It's a box that holds food, lit coal, and temperature, pretty simple. It's Waaayyy less expensive than some others.

What I would like to see is a set of stainless legs to keep the carbon steel off the pavement, but no maker does that so I put it on four 5" paver stones and painted the legs with BBQ grill paint.

i think i got the wrong gasket, non-rope style, but it is lava lock. "LavaLock Grill Gasket 1/2" x 1/8" High Temp Nomex Self Stick bbq smoker 15 ft"

would that work fine on the main cooking chamber?

no one told me how heavy this thing is, i just picked one up today at Walmart for $150, I know some people got it for more and some got it for less, no biggie... i had to remove the firebox and the exhaust chimney (whatever it's actually called) so that it could fit. also removed all the grates so it would be a tad lighter

i'm not too sure what to use for a baffle, i figure i will buy 5 pieces of sheet metal for the deflector plates as was suggested in the other thread.... i suppose i will focus my questions there from now on

 

[gr0uch0]

Gasket should be OK.

 

[rabbithutch]

I'm coming to this thread a bit late, but I'm going to suggest something a bit different. Go to Craig's List and look for 22.5" Weber kettles. They can be had for cheap - $25 and up. I even bought a Performer in good shape for $175. Using the snake method for a fire of charcoal briquets with hickory or oak wood chunks - not chips - scattered around the ring so that 2 will always be producing smoke after the fire gets past the first chunk. This is an inexpensive way to learn to do brisket - at least it was for me - and it's easy to do. You will have to learn how to get a sustained heat by adjusting the dial vents, but you would have to do that with any smoker.

I got an Old Country Brazos for Christmas. It is a great wood burning offset smoker. I've done ribs, chickens and an eye of round so far but have not found brisket or pork butts on sale for cheap since I got it. I'm still learning how to control a fire on it, but so far I've had not catastrophic fails. If you look at Old Country, understand that the Pecos and Brazos are made as near identically as possible; but the Pecos is 1/8" steel all round whereas the Brazos is 1/4". New they are $400 and $1000 respectively at Academy. That should give you an idea of what to expect to pay on CL,

Yours in TBS ....

 

[presson]

I'm in the same boat, i want to pull the trigger soon on a smoker and can't decide.
I have been looking at the Old Country Wrangler II at Academy sports $299. I like the design, wish the steel was thicker. I hope to find someone on here that has one to give me a better review.