Tried a search, but timed out.

Anyone have a recommendation for a smoker. I do not need anything too big, and am on a budget. That said i do not want to buy a piece of junk, so I'll spend what i need to in order to get something that will last. I like the idea of a vertical smoker due to the small footprint, but a small/mid size barrel type smoker would work as well. Will likely use it for briskets/ribs and pork shoulder.

Any advice is appreciated.

Lyfe Tyme. Can't go wrong.

http://www.lyfetyme.com/

We need a sticky on this...

I've heard the Weber Smokey Mountain is a good one for the price. Any opinions?

Just get this. Regular smokers are overrated. Too much work. I can put a brisket on the smoker before I go to work, not mess with it all day, and have a brisket ready to eat when I get home. Also good for smoking 2 chickens at a time.

http://www.oldsmokey.com/0220ES.html

Been looking at some of the lyfetyme pits myself. Haven't gotten around to calling them yet, but do any of you guys know how their prices run?

TIA

http://orionoutdoors.com/products/cooker/

I have one of these and it works great. Its similar to what txaggie02 posted.

[This message has been edited by strohag (edited 3/13/2009 11:04a).]

Check Craigslist and check it daily, or multiple times a day. I picked up a Pitts & Spitts for CHEAP this way. You have to be quick about it, and do some research on the prices of new smokers so you know the kind of deal you are getting, but I got mine for a third of the retail price. A buddy of mine picked up a larger P&S last week for a little under half retail. People need the money right now, and if you have cash, that's good for you.
Even if you're not looking to spend a lot of money, you can pick cheap ones up there as well.
The Pitts and Spitts replaced a Webber Kettle, and you can do pretty much anything on a weber (on a smaller scale) that you can anywhere else.

I second Craigslist. Guy was moving and had a Pitts & Spitts asking $550. Retail was $2,000 new. I phoned him right then and there, talked him down a little to $500, plucked out 5 Franklins, loaded it in the truck and drove off. Couldn't be happier. A few things to check on used ones: the firebox (look for excessive rust and weak steel) and racks (P&S, you can replace them for a nominal charge).

sounds like the weber smokey mountain (~$200) is what you want - check out virtualweberbullet.com for more info

if you want even better get a big green egg (~$600)

There's a landscaper on the Classifieds board trying to sell a few grills and/or smokers. At least it looks like that's his product. His sales pitch is the worst I've ever seen. Maybe you'll pity him. He says they're the best ever made.

http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=1380519&forum_id=50

http://academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/smokers&start=0&selectedSKU=0263-02219-3369

i like those longhorn smokers at academy, they also have a smaller version that is $350, but its still pretty good sized.

Lyfe Tyme, had mine for about 8 years

I have this one. I've had it for almost 4 years. I like it overall, you can cook a lot, and you can use full-size firewood.

The firebox is starting to rust a little, but other than that, it's still great.

How long would y'all say is a good amount of time for a smoker to last? I've always thought I'll get about 10 years out of this one, but that's just a guess.

[This message has been edited by 12th Non-Reg (edited 1/3/2011 12:54p).]

That's a good looking smoker BigHamp. Some badass mofo must have been in on getting that as a wedding present for you.

My wife bought me this one from Academy for my birthday:



Runs $300. For that price, the build quality looks to be very good... steel exterior, cast iron grates. Appears to be very solid. I'll be firing it up to cure the inside this week and cooking on Saturday. I'll update with results.

Link: http://academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/smokers&start=0&selectedSKU=0263-02219-3321

Smaller than the Longhorn, but more ruggedly built based on my examination of the two, and for a couple of hundred bucks less.

I think I can do two briskets on it, or more likely one brisket and a couple of slabs of ribs. If you need to feed 20+, you probably want something bigger, but I don't cook that much so this is a good fit for me.

In regards to the smaller Oklahoma Joe's at Academcy. I have had it for a year and it does pretty well.

Tech Diver, you would be VERY hard pressed to fit 2 briskets on that thing without having to overlap them. I can do a 12-15lb brisket on it comfortably, and 2 full size racks of ribs comfortably.

The only complaint I have is that the ash drawer in the bottom of the fire box makes it DANG hard to choke down the fire if you want to, there is just way too much air inlet you can't stop. I did also get a diffuser plate from the fire pit to the main smoke pit, because if you put two briskets in there and one sits right next to the fire pit, you are going to have some uneven cooking.

I also put another temp gauge at a closer level to the meat. The one that comes with it is too high to give an accurate reading of temperatures at meat levels.

If you plan on doing any beer can chickens, you will need to lower the grate in the main smoke pit so you can stand them up.

Otherwise, it is a very well built solid piece of equipment. Construction wise, the only short coming I have is the wheels. I would prefer something more rugged. They certainly went for style with the wheels over practicality and functionality.

Good info, Agrams. I appreciate the insight, especially about the ash "drawer".

Have you tried lining the bottom of the firebox with a couple of layers of heavy-duty foil to see if that would block some of the airflow? I don't know the melting point for aluminum... might just make a huge mess.

Will have to think about that and see if I can figure out something creative.

Txaggie02:

http://www.oldsmokey.com/Products/oldsmokeycharcob.html#

Fify

my trailer pit is from pits by jj. I love it

This is the larger of Lyfe Tyme's vertical smokers... Tips the scales at 700 lbs, and hits the pocketbook for $1500. However it'll be the last smoker I ever buy unless I need one trailer mounted one day and it's surprisingly easy to move around since it balances fairly well. Holds heat exceptionally well and is showing a pretty quick learning curve for me getting used to it!
Edit to add... In addition to the full racks in the lower half there are upper half racks that can hold more meat, veggies, potatoes, whatever. There are three shelves in the vertical box or they can be removed and there's a hanging rod in the top.




[This message has been edited by Kenneth_2003 (edited 9/24/2010 11:25a).]

This is the one that I bought a couple of months ago:



I really like this one as it's heavy and constructed well. What I also really like about this is that all of the racks slide in and out of the smoker making putting your meat on their easier. It also has a smaller rack that slides in and out of the firebox if you want to start a smaller fire to grill just a few things. It also holds a temperature very well.

I was thinking about purchasing the Old Smokey electric smoker. I have a small back yard and a limited budget right now, so I need something fairly cheap with a small footprint.

Any more thoughts on this smoker other than what was posted? What are some other good electric smokers?

Stay away from Academy. Lifetyme makes great pits. Personally I'd find a local place that does custom pits and go with that. Don't skimp on a good smoker as it will last for years. I bought a custom pit from a small shop on the east side of SA. I love it and now my friend wants one.

quote:

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I was thinking about purchasing the Old Smokey electric smoker. I have a small back yard and a limited budget right now, so I need something fairly cheap with a small footprint.

Any more thoughts on this smoker other than what was posted? What are some other good electric smokers?

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Man, I have to tell you my neighbor bought one of those electric Masterbuilt smokers. A good friend also has one and they are both raving about them. They are electric and use a small handful of wood chips so you can stock up quite a few different types (buy the wood in bags from BBQ shops like Pecan, apple, cherry, etc).

They hold a temp like an oven and you can wheel them around. They kick out quite a bit of smoke and I'm getting tempted to pull the trigger on one myself. I just don't have the time to tend a fire and the food they have both smoked has been fantastic!

http://masterbuilt.com/prod-smokers-digital.html

To get the best smoker possible for the money, you might want to go talk to the ag teacher at the local HS.

They have advanced welding classes that build the pits for cost and all they want in return is the ability to show them at county shows, etc.

It also may take a little time, but you can make it compeltely custom, use far superior materials, and build it to last much longer than anything you are going to find out there.

http://jeffsbackyardstore.com/bbq/smokers/trailblazers.php

These are made by and warrantied by Lyfe Tyme but have subtle tweaks to the original Lyfe Tyme design that make them the best around. I recently purchased the TB 20x40 w/ Firebox and am extremely pleased.



[This message has been edited by aggiejumper (edited 1/26/2012 1:26p).]

I worked quite a few Walmart grand openings and usually set up next to the Tony Chachere's seasoning tent and they use an electric smoker that used the wood pucks for all of their samples. Brisket, turkey, ribs, chicken, & sausage... all great. Was really impressed with the quality, quantity, and ease of operation.

I'm more of a griller but if I ever get a smoker I'm going electric.

Got one from Gator Pit ~1 year ago. Really enjoy it and liked their service.

Based out of Houston. I'm in Dallas so they had to deliver it. But you can pick it up as well if you want to save a bit on transportation costs.

http://www.gatorpit.net/

[This message has been edited by SEC Ags (edited 1/26/2012 4:32p).]

Built about a year ago by a guy in Splendora.