Trying to decide on a new cooker for comps this year

Let me start off by saying that living in NY is very frustrating when searching for a good BBQ pit. Not many companies up here in the northeast and shipping from the south or southwest is outrageous.

My choices are limited and I accept that. I wanted to get a Yoder 640 pellet cooker but Kansas is too far to ship.

Backwoods was another option but shipping and backlogs has them a little priced out and I want a pit sooner then they can get me one.

Forget all the sob stories.......here's what I DO have access to.


BBQ Guru Onyx Oven........I already have the temp controls, it's awesomely portable, basically a backwoods style built well and from a company I trust....plus the cooker was good enough for RGC at the Jack if the Pitmasters does his job so that's a plus in my book.

Green Mountain Pellet cooker...........I like the idea of getting at least a few peaceful hours of sleep at a contest. Putting my brisket and butts on the GM and knowing she will be where it was when I crashed as long as the hopper is full. Negatives are I have never cooked on a pellet pit and I'm not sure how off my flavors will be. Also I have seen some concerns with GM about temp control and wide fluctuations within the pit and also questions about the not heavy duty nature of the construction. Little bigger then the Onyx and will cost a tad more due to sales tax.

On the plus side I believe Slap Yo Daddy and a few other winning teams cook on them when they obviously have other choices so that's a plus in my book.


Any thoughts or experience with either or anything close would be appreciated.

I want to make my decision this week and be done with it.

Thanks rooftop,

How long have the new drip pans been out??..what I mean is could I possibly get an old model if I hit a dealer who doesn't move a ton of cookers and may still have last years sitting around.

Anything I can look for on the box or model numbers that would let me know I was getting the new drip pan setup included?? I think the new models start temp at 150 and the old ones didn't but not sure if that has anything to do with the drip pans.

Thanks man.......didn't even know they had a pellet blend.

BigBellyBBQ said:

you say from New York..is that the city or State which is 600 miles long? If you are in the big city, I seen a posting on here for a backwoods for sale and also check with Rick from SeaBrisket..he might have something..however there are several cookers for sale in the area of the eastern seaboard

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Sorry........always forget that. I live near Buffalo in Western NY about as far from NY City as possible (thank god). I am like an hour or two from PA and/or Ohio going south or west.

Hard to even find a dealer for most big name pits anywhere near here.