Oklahoma Joes Longhorn offset smoker

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Smokin Ribs

is one Smokin' Farker
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Can anyone tell me if this is a good smoker and if the firebox is durable enough to burn small chuncks of wood
 
Are you talking about an original one or the Made in China on they sell at Home Depot?
 
Dont know where it is made but Sears has them on sale for 496.00... so probably china
 
Yeah, probably. It will work but these are made of thin metal and the build quality is what you would expect from a Chinese ready to assemble product. Honestly, if you have $500 to burn, keep an eye on craigslist. You can find all sorts of deals for decent, legit smokers made of thick metal. If you don't have to have an offset smoker, you can always check out a WSM or build a UDS. These will run much more efficiently.
 
Don't bother with the new models carried in the big box stores. Look on Craigslist for a well made used smoker. I found three original Joe's this way. May take a little time but worth the patience and effort. One I found is one of the first Longhorn's made by Oklahoma Joe. It is a beast...
 
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Harris92, that is a great looking smoker.. I do check craigslist but never see any. What do you type in for the search?
 
Oklahoma Joe, Oklahoma Joe's and just Oklahoma. They key is to look daily and be patient but when you see one you like act quickly (as they can sell fast). Also, look in surrounding towns. I found my Oklahoma Joe's Vertical Roasting Oven in a town 50 miles from me.
 
How about a comment from a guy who actually HAS one LOL

I have had mine (bought a el cheapo china junk POS) from Lowes for $429

after a few mods, I love the thing. I bought it in Jan and live in Michigan and have smoked 2 briskets, and a bunch of other stuff, middle of the winter.

No issues getting and holding temps. Sure its a fuel hog but I am very happy with it!!!

If you want, PM me your email and I can tell you all about it, including pics of smoking brisket in a snowstorm
 
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I tried a newer one too and that is why I went my route with the originals (no disrespect to you).:-D
 
Harris92, I found this one on CL. He says its an older ok joe, the thickness is 3/16.. doesnt look as solid as yours but looks ok. What do you think?
 
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At the time this one was made Oklahoma Joe had sold and this smoker was marketed under the trade name Oklahoma Joe. It looks like the model that use to be sold at Academy Sports. However, dont let that stop you. Ask the seller if the firebox is welded or bolted on. If welded and you can get it for a reasonable price I would go for it. If the firebox is bolted I would pass for now.
 
Smokin Ribs- FYI, include Brinkmann in your search, because they are in the lineage of OK Joe's smokers.

This is what was told to me:

When OK Joe sold to Charbroil, and Charbroil reneged on keeping the original factory open, Joe's brother Roger got Brinkmann to come in and reopen the plant w/ the original OK Joe's employees. Later, Brinkmann started moving production overseas and closed the plant. Then Roger started Horizon.

The point is, the "initial" Brinkmanns are essentially OK Joes, all welded and 1/4" and built like tanks.

I found this Cimarron model last year on CL near Hartford for $90.

IMG_0490_zps5a01ae32.jpg


Good luck in your search!
 
You are correct. You can expand your search to include Brinkmann Cimarron, Brinkmann Southfork, Horizon, and Yoder. You should be able find a good used one on CL at a reasonable price. All have affiliation with Oklahoma Joe and are made 1/4" thick. I bought my brother a Brinkmann Cimarron for his birthday and he is very happy with it.
 
Smokin Ribs.... For what it is worth.... I bought a new horizon 20" diameter with 1/4" walls from Bass Pro in New Albany for under 1000. I know that is higher than you planned to spend. But I wanted to throw that out there. I know they have a 16"diameter in stock on the showroom floor. Or did. I bought the 20" and had it shipped to the store for free.
 
harris92 said:
You are correct. You can expand your search to include Brinkmann Cimarron, Brinkmann Southfork, Horizon, and Yoder. You should be able find a good used one on CL at a reasonable price. All have affiliation with Oklahoma Joe and are made 1/4" thick. I bought my brother a Brinkmann Cimarron for his birthday and he is very happy with it.
Click to expand...

I looked on and off for almost a year for a decent unit on CL and only found junk

there just aren't many around in my area.

I saw the Horizon at Bass Pro and I did not think it was worth almost twice the money and it was not in my budget anyway

Very happy with my OK Joe.
 
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