About to buy an Custom Pits A1 Comp Smoker, Need your input!!!

J

JandJbuidasmoker

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Alright guys,

This is a 2 minute read...sorry

After spending 3 months of building my own smoker my buddy decides he doesn't want to do it anymore when we are half way done! I ask if I can have it to finish since we got the Tank and Fire box free. He says, "you can have the racks, but the tank is mine." Well I paid for most of the material for the racks. So...this was a year ago, and still no progress or interest from him on completing. I don't have the tools or the welding capability that he did.

I have decided to purchase a smoker. I have two in mind. One is near me and has won several events and a year old. The other is New and from Custom Pits. I like both and they are the same price. I haven't seen anything close at this price, and even with the delivery fee it would still beat out alot of other pits by thousands.

Has anyone ever heard of this company and or have they seen the quality?

thanks for all your help.
 
I have learned a little about fabrication during my research. The first thing I look at now is the craftsmanship of the welds. Example, a quality builder will not just tack the collar to the door. It will be a continuous bead all the way around. This usually indicates how the whole pit is built. There are other places on the pit to look, but the door is most obvious.
 
I have this smoker model with the additional rib rack made by someone else. HBT welding. I see this guy has installed another air intake which was a must on mine because I couldn't keep a clean burning fire going. I posted some pics a few days ago of the mods. With the few mods, I have this thing rocking at any temp I want. It's not a Lang or a Klose so we can't begin to compare cookers but what you get is a nice cooking machine at an affordable price. I couldn't build it for the price.
 
Can you send me the thread so I can see it? I appreciate it. I spoke to another person who says they've heard the firebox was an issue and it was to small. Any thoughts on that?
 
here is the link:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181697
copy and past that and see if it will work.

The firebox is slightly undersized I guess from some "calculations" but what I found was my firebox only had 2 intakes like the one you are looking at. I has to crack the door to get up over 225. So I went a little overboard and added 2 more...overkill but it sure breathes now....Last weekend it was about 18 degrees out and had it holding 375 with just 3 vents open burning a clean fire. I own a lang also and it is a great smoker but cost double plus some of what I got here. It's no lang but it is what it is. They get quite a bad wrap here but keeping in mind this is not a 4000 pit, its hard to argue it can cook some good Q and lot of it. We will use this smoker with our food business this year. The other mods we put on were not really needed but looked cool...lol
 
a-1 comp. smoker

imho you halve stated that your welding skills are minamal than i would have to belive your torch skills are the same any pice of equipment that takes major mods. from the get go is very suspect from the start yougo`s where cheap but they where junk at any price do yourself a favor get a good quality pit you will be much happyer in the long run
 
There are a couple of guys in GA building similar pits priced similarly. I have heard horror stories of grease fires, broken welds, and just crappy cooking from them. Just remember, there is a reason why a new one that big is that inexpensive. Go into it knowing this and you'll be fine.

What are you going to do with it: Compete, cater/vend, or just around the house?
 
What are you going to do with it: Compete, cater/vend, or just around the house?[/QUOTE]


I was planning to do a little of all three!
 
DHQ!!! What's up? Lost your number and been busier than a fart in a whirl wind! How's it going?? My buddy totally let me down... Gonna have to suck it up and buy one.
 
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