My smoker diedlast year. Getting a new one

I think I have settled on a new smoking grill. This one has gas as well as a wood firebox. Sometimes I just want to grill a burger or a chop.


Smoking Joes BBQ. $500 bucks at LOWES
I have 2 grand in gift cards


Anyone have experience with the Smoking Joe's line?

We have a Pit Boss smoker that uses pellets.

A separate grill for burgers.

I do love smoked meat. Generally use the smoker most weekends. Often smoking multiple meats.

That looks like it will get the job done. I hope that you use it and enjoy it often.

I have no experience with Smoking Joe's equipment. My smoker is a 30-year old, wood fired monster that I bought at the Texas State Fair. A few years back I decided that the "big boy" was too much trouble for just two people so I got a Green Mountain Grills "Davy Crockett" pellet grill/smoker. It's the smallest one that they make and ideal for just the two of us. To be truthful, I think that it is a better smoker than it is a grill and it's not a bad grill. We've even taken it with us in the RV.

Pellet smokers seem to be the new thing. That is a problem for me as I am old school and don't want to rely on "manufactured" wood products. I will pass on the convenience of the pellet smokers. Being old school with 80 acres of Ozark oak and hickory I'm not interested.

That said, I do like real gas flame for a quick seared steak like I used to prepare as a Fry cook/chef going thru college. Hence this model which features both.

Right now I'm cutting and hauling firewood from the ranch but we do plan to live there eventually. I'll be on SS then and 40 miles of gravel back roads to the stores in Springfield MO. So, I'm gonna stay old school
That includes an old buck saw and a splitting maul.

This unit seems to fit the bill. It's built solid with heavy steel. Unlike some of the new smoker grill that rust out in a few years. I'm hoping I guessed right about that. My last smoker was a grave disappointment. Died in about 5 years.

FrancSevin said:

That includes an old buck saw and a splitting maul.

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I gave up on the buck saw many years ago although I do still have a maul and splitting wedges around.

Pellet stoves give you that wood smoke flavor without the hassle of cutting and splitting wood. With all the hardwood and fruit trees that I've lost in the last 10 years I have enough wood to keep the "big boy" running for the rest of my life but I have no need to be smoking 80# or a 100# of meat any more. The GMG "Davey Crockett" runs off 12 volts through an inverter or clipped directly to a 12 volt battery. At my age I appreciate the convenience.

I'm not familiar with the smoking Joe's line.

At the time being, I have a brinks offset, that I can fit about 2 full briskets in.
I also have a gas grill, and a weber kettle.

But the grandaddy of all was the J&R Oyler I had at the restaurant.
I could fit about 60 briskets in it, if I had to.

Here's a pic from quite a few years ago of me sitting in front of it showing off my security system.

Melensdad said:

We have a Pit Boss smoker that uses pellets.

A separate grill for burgers.

I do love smoked meat. Generally use the smoker most weekends. Often smoking multiple meats.

Click to expand...

What model?

EastTexFrank said:

I gave up on the buck saw many years ago although I do still have a maul and splitting wedges around.

Pellet stoves give you that wood smoke flavor without the hassle of cutting and splitting wood. With all the hardwood and fruit trees that I've lost in the last 10 years I have enough wood to keep the "big boy" running for the rest of my life but I have no need to be smoking 80# or a 100# of meat any more. The GMG "Davey Crockett" runs off 12 volts through an inverter or clipped directly to a 12 volt battery. At my age I appreciate the convenience.

Click to expand...

Cutting, splitting and stacking firewood is something within my talent level. And good work for both the soul and the body. Cheaper than the gym and makes the flavor of the meat more rewarding.

You mentioned Fruit tree wood. My favorite is the ubiquitous Calleryana Pear that came from China supposedly neutered. Also known as the Bradford pear tree. They break easy in heavy winds so after a storm there is always some of them lying on the lawn. I often offer to pick them up and haul away. Best fruit wood flavor for pork.

They have escaped the city landscapes and now sprout like weeds EVERYWHERE. Yes, I have a few on my remote Ozark property.

I would love to have a big smoker but on my city lot, space is at a premium. So I need a more compact unit that has both wood and gas.


The Smoking Joe is the best I've seen to fit that bill.

I'm not advocating for pellets, but I do like the system.

I have friends who have traditional wood smokers. I have friends who have wood chunk smokers. All the food tastes great.

Big Dog said:

What model?

Click to expand...

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Pit-Boss-Pit-Boss-Pro-Series-1322-sq-in-Mahogany-Pellet-Smoker/1000601259

I like it a lot.

I understand that many want real wood chunks. This one is not one of those. It uses manufactured pellets, available in 12#, 15#, 20# and 40# bags. But it suits me very well. I use about 250# of pellets per year running it most Sundays during the spring and summer.

It is a 5 shelf model, each shelf is a little smaller than the size of a typical oven shelf. So if you can fit something in your home oven it will probably fit in the smoker. I've done multiple racks of baby back ribs (shelf will hold 2) and multiple chuck roasts to make "poor man's" Burnt Ends at the same time without using all the shelves. Typically I smoke 2 to 3 chuck roasts at a time for my Burnt Ends, the chuck roasts are roughly 3# each. I can fit 2 to 3 of those per shelf. Not sure how many chickens I can fit in there but I'd guess at least 10 of them if I put 2 per shelf.

There is a water/drip tray at the bottom. That has to be filled when you start, if the smoker runs all day it may need to be refilled 2 or more times during the day ... depending upon the temperature at which the smoker is set. Obviously higher temps will require the water to be filled more often. The water tray holds about a 1/2 gallon, maybe a little more.

I clean out the ash and windex the glass door every 3 weeks or so.

Temperature control and smoke is controlled by a knob on the front. There are 2 temperature probes that plug into the front panel so you can monitor the internal temp of the meat. Sadly the control system has no alarm related to meat temperatures.

I actually use a separate thermometer with dual meat probes, dual temperature alarms, and a radio transmitter/receiver that lets me leave the smoker and as long as I'm within about 500' of the smoker the remote unit will show me the temp of each of the probes, and also alert me by alarm when each probe reaches the set temperature. https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Wi...prefix=thermometer+for+smokers,aps,247&sr=8-5

I also have a simple temperature probe that I use for double checks. Its handy for a lot of uses, has a beer cap remover on one end and a magnet on the back so it can stick to the front door of the refrigerator or the side of the smoker, etc.

My Grandpa had a smoke house. He used sawdust from the local mill which was mainly hardwoods. Seemed to work fine if one is just smoking to preserve meat. I guess that's what the pellet stoves use. It's just sawdust compressed into pellets.

I use different woods like seasoning, to get different flavors. I love working outside all day on a weekend, tending a couple of roasts in the smoker as I mow the lawn, tend the gardens, or do carpentry about the house.

I need a unit big enough to do a 10 lb Brisket or a 20 lb turkey. Best turkey ever.