Superior vs Stumps vs Backwoods

Dragline

Dragline

Knows what a fatty is.
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Am looking to purchase a new smoker and was wondering what the crowd has to say about the above cookers. I understand the BWS is not a gravity feed (which I'm not used to) but am just looking for input. Its a tough decision.
Thanks
 
Stumps is my pick. Great quality and compared to the others the size to price I think is better, more bang for your buck. The the charcoal basket....if you want one of those build a drum. My stumps has ran close to 30 hours at 225 on a full chute, so burn times are killer. Good luck.
 
You may want to also look at DW's Kountry Cookers, Perry, Georgia. DW's, Superior, and Stumps were all together at one time. You'll notice the smokers are very similar with slight design differences. I personally like how the drip pan is in the DW's and the prices are slightly cheaper.
 
Dragline, what dd you end up with?

I am facing the same dilemma. Of the 3 I can pick up a Stumps Baby for $1900 all in with a one hour drive. A Superior SS2 for about $2200 shipped or a Backwoods Fatboy with a heat diverter and permanent stand for $2500 shipped. Seems each one has some strong points that make people love them. I have never owned a smoker before and am wondering what people think. And for the people that are fans of Backwoods would you pay $600 more then a Stump's?

Just a lil background about myself I am not looking to compete. This is just for my family and friends to enjoy great BBQ. I will probably just find a place on my patio and leave it there year round with a cover.

Another concern I have, am I making a fair comparison (apples to apples) or is the Fatboy a better product and a more fair smoker to compare would be the Party?
 
Have seen them all in action and had the pleasure of cooking on both Stumps and Backwoods. We have 3 Backwoods and I am partial to the Backwoods due to the water pan. Tha gravity fed option is nice but honestly the Backwoods will run itself for a very long time if properly lit, add a guru and its as easy as using your kitchen oven.

I know with the different models of Backwoods you get into thinker metal skins, more insulation ect. Dont know how that works on the Stumps and Superiors. Example: the competitor is a great cooker for any normal human, but the comp hog is built and insulated enough to cook in Antarctica.

Cant go wrong with any of them...
 
I've owned both a Backwoods and Stumps and as E Mellow said you can't go wrong with either. I've never cooked on a Superior but it basically looks like a clone of a Stumps.

I favor the Stumps over the Backwoods for the same reason E Mellow prefers the Backwoods over the Stumps and that's the water pan. I hated cleaning it. It was a mess and a thorn in my side. But that's just me. It might not bother you to deal with it. But it did me.

The Stumps internal cooking chamber has approximately 4 inches more total internal space than the BW Party which to me made a big difference (2 inches wider & 2 inches deeper on the inside). The Party has six total racks compared to only 3 racks in the Baby.
 
They are all great cookers, but if you can save money, jump on the cheaper one, for some reason it shows the baby as 1750 on the stumps site? you will be very happy with it, one of the things about stumps is they are tanks, good build and insulated, but if your moving it around, they can be heavy. since your leaving it on your patio, no worries.

Nothing wrong with any of the cookers your looking at.. Gravity fed has some good points, and some bad, if your used to setting up your cooker like a wsm, adding all your wood and having it burn down until the food is done, you might have to add wood in stages or play with adding it to the shoot, just something to think about.
 
Boy oh boy, i just went thru this myself and the process of which "1" was a killer for me. Being in ga i have seen all the dw's stumps and superiors in action, along with the backwoods also. I "almost went with the dw's because i like ernie, but in the end i got the superior ss-2. The rack set up was what i was looking for, big square ones not long and narrow, the price is $1800.00, and the fire box is on the back so you door will open 180 instead of 90 degrees like the stumps. And like someone else posted stumps, superior, and dw's all used to work together. Gravity fed is the way to go. More than 1 stumps owner has come over and said they really like the superior 180 degree opening doors and having the fire box on the back with extra insulation between it and the cooking chamber keeps you from getting out spots while cooking. That said, they are all good smokers i just felt after L O T S of research, the superior was the best choice for me.

Hot Sauce Hoss
 
I own a backwoods, and I love it. Very easy to get going, might take 45 minutes or so, but dialing in the temp is easy. Great smoke flavor, add as much wood as you want. Quality build, and Mike and the people you deal with are super friendly and helpful. Hope this helps...
 
I have had all 3 brands, and enjoyed them all. I preferred the Stumps to the Superior(SS2 vs Prince), I have had 3 different BWS cookers, and liked them all a great deal. All of them are capable of producing excellent BBQ. Personally, I found the BWS cookers gave me more versatility, and were considerably easier to move and transport then my gravity feeds. Depending on what, how, and where you intend to cook.....your mileage may vary. If I can be of more help, or you have some specific questions, feel free to PM.

ML
 
Going to expand the field here.. Take a look at pitmaker. com. Their BBQ Vault, and Safe look awsome. I'm planning to visit there fabrication shop soon. Seriously considering the Safe.
 
ganso said:
Stumps is my pick. Great quality and compared to the others the size to price I think is better, more bang for your buck. The the charcoal basket....if you want one of those build a drum. My stumps has ran close to 30 hours at 225 on a full chute, so burn times are killer. Good luck.
Click to expand...
I own a Baby Stumps and really like the shiz out of it, now it wont cook for 30 hrs unless I keep feeding it. I bought the Stumps smoker for the gravity feed and price. I looked at BWS and it didn't do it for me, (ok it was rusting:doh:) not saying thats a bad thing since it might not of been seasoned, and I've only seen PICS of the other. Since cooking on my STUMPS I'll never go back to an UDS, NEVER:thumb:Infact I gave my uds cooker away:thumb: AND I dont need a water pan!
 
I have an SS-1 and a Stumps Platinum. Both are great amazing cookers. Whatever issues I've had from Superior were dealt with above and beyond. My stumps is used, so no issues yet, other than the paint may need a good buff.
Hard to compare the cooking chambers as one is a reverse flow, the other is a vertical.

They both are rock solid with temps, especially with a Stoker or Guru. Be it 0 or 100 degrees, these things work great. Both are well built, heavy cookers.

I haven't seen a backwoods in person, but I know they make great cookers.

You won't be sorry any way you go.
 
Hot Sauce Hoss said:
Boy oh boy, i just went thru this myself and the process of which "1" was a killer for me. Being in ga i have seen all the dw's stumps and superiors in action, along with the backwoods also. I "almost went with the dw's because i like ernie, but in the end i got the superior ss-2. The rack set up was what i was looking for, big square ones not long and narrow, the price is $1800.00, and the fire box is on the back so you door will open 180 instead of 90 degrees like the stumps. And like someone else posted stumps, superior, and dw's all used to work together. Gravity fed is the way to go. More than 1 stumps owner has come over and said they really like the superior 180 degree opening doors and having the fire box on the back with extra insulation between it and the cooking chamber keeps you from getting out spots while cooking. That said, they are all good smokers i just felt after L O T S of research, the superior was the best choice for me.

Hot Sauce Hoss
Click to expand...

+1.. I'm really happy with my Superior SS2. It's a great cooker, the grease catch is handy and keeps the cooker clean. I also like the 180 degree doors and the tapered charcoal chute. I can get 8 hour burns from a full chute @ 225. I also like the rear firebox design, it's convenient when you want to run prep tables right up next to your cooker's sides. The big wheel tilt back design makes moving it a breeze. Hook a guru up and you've got a bulletproof set and forget setup.
 
I like my Stumps Classic followed by my Pitmaker Safe (just got it). I looked at the BWS as well, but liked the quality of the PM. The gravity fed feature on the stumps is awesome. I can get 20+hour burns on a full chute of lump. I'm still in a learning curve on my PM Safe, but like what I've done so far and the quality is awesome. Good luck on your choice.


JT
 
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