Ole Hickory Vs. Southern Pride

I have cooked on a number of SPK500's and own one as well. I have NOT personally cooked on an OH, but have a number of friends who have, and I have tasted the product. I thought i'd throw in my 0.02, fwiw

I think both smokers are excellent, turn out good product and are very easy to use. Basically, as the cookers go, there are some design differences, but looking at the big picture, they are pretty much the same. Buying new, OH has an edge on price in comparison to the SP, but the SP's are much more widely used, and have a better availability of parts. I can't speak to OH's customer support, but SP's is top notch. I own a 22 year old SP and they still support me as if I just bought a new one from them. If you are depending on the unit for your business, you need quality support.

Good luck!

I've only fiddled with a SP once. And I was not in charge. Never cooked on an OH. I have eaten off of both though, multiple times. In my eating experience, I have had good BBQ off of both brands. In the end, it seems to come down to learning how to use each unit. I have also had bad BBQ off of each type of unit. And yes, I ask, because I need to know what kind of pit everyone has.

I have spk 700 previous was a500 great units a nd service too ,if.you don't have. Propane, just use wood but take a look at both

Hog1990 said:

I am considering buying one of these for catering. I really like the Southern Pride SPK-500 on a trailer. Our local Hy-Vee uses these and they work great. Does anyone have experience with both OH and SP, and what OH unit compares to the SPK-500?

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FWIW....Hy-Vee BBQ sucks!

Big dif, is that if your S.P. breaks you will need to get ahold of the company for parts.

If the OH breaks, you can find parts about anywhere. Local hardware, plumbing, Hvac stores..

I've never used either but have read threads on others who do. It seems the Ole Hickory is less expensive but the Southern Pride is better insulated and uses less fuel making it possibly a better choice in the long run.

cynfulsmokersbbq said:

Big dif, is that if your S.P. breaks you will need to get ahold of the company for parts.

If the OH breaks, you can find parts about anywhere. Local hardware, plumbing, Hvac stores..

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Not true except for the control.the rest is a standArd 24 v system

I can only speak to the OH. Had a EL EW on a OH trailer. Loved it. No issues had it a few years. Easy operation after you get to know the pit. Excellent customer support and I was the second owner. It can put out the Q, never did fill it up on all of the events we did. It was a real workhorse!

I have a spk 500 on a trailer. Super efficient, on fuel and wood usage. Easy to clean, basic maintence. And super reliable. Worked it very hard for 3 years, have never had a issue.