Tejas Smoker

the tejas units look solid, but how much more is the klose? if it was within another few hundred dollars, i would go with the klose.

also, i have a custom pit from bates pits, and it is very solid, all .25" steel, with some custom mods that i wanted. bates is cheaper than klose, but be careful because i have a friend that ordered almost 8 months ago and still doesn't have his pit. he seems to be having some trouble, so i wouldn't recommend him right now. anyway, here is his site: www.batespitts.com

Hop in the car and drive to houston. Meet the man and pick up the pit. Klose that is. Scott

Mark there are those among us who have been there and done that with I understand great results. do a search for the thread and you will find tie down instructions as well as size of trailer etc. Good luck which ever way you go.

The Tejas is a fine cooker. From what I here around Texas all the custom pit makers here are swamped with orders and working 7 days a week. Gator Pit of Texas just hired three more welders. Only the mass produced pits are a "walk out the door" with it deal. There are many other pit makers to choose from too. I would advise you to take your time and look at as many pits as you can. This list should help.

Pit builders list Rev. June 9th, 2006

Acme Custom BBQ grills and pits
Friendswood, TX
http://www.acmewelding.com/BBQ.html

Austin National Smoker Company
Noblesville, IN
http://www.austinnationalsmokers.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Specializing in rotisserie barbecue pit smokers

BBQ Pits by Klose
Houston, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Makes a line of backyard pits and mobile pits.

BBQ Pits and Smokers
Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Big Drum Smokers
Rocky Richmond
Naples, NC
http://groups.msn.com/BigDrumSmoker-BDS
New steel drum construction, various sizes

Big Jims Custom BBQ pits
http://www.bigjim.freeservers.com/smokers.html
Propane tank smokers

Carters Cookers
Gaston, SC
http://www.carterscookers.com
Steel tank cooker/smokers

Cattle King BBQ Pits
Family Owned & Operated
Fred L. Voigt
New Braunfels, Texas
http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/RigWelders/CK.html

Cookers and Grills
Watkinsville, GA
http://www.cookersandgrills.com
Reverse Flow, new propane tank construction
Backyard/Comp/Catering

D Wiley BBQ Pits
Buda, Texas
http://myjobisthepits.com
New propane tanks

Davis Smokers and Grills
Glennville, GA
http://www.davissmokersandgrills.homestead.com

Diamond Plate Products
Ballinger, Texas
http://diamondplateproducts.com
Makes full Custom BBQ pits from new steel tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Detroit Grill King
Detroit, MI
http://www.detroitgrillking.com

Gator Pits of Texas
Houston, Texas
http://gatorpit.net
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Pit accessories
Excellent customer service

Grillnsmoke bbq smokers
Laredo, Texas
http://www.grillnsmoke.com/Page_1.php
Custom smokers

Holstein Manufacturing
Holstein, Iowa
http://www.holsteinmfg.com
Very large range of grills and smokers

Horizon Smokers
Perry, OK
http://www.hightide.com/horizon2/products.html

Jedmaster Cookers
McCalla, Al
http://www.jedmaster.com

JR Enterprises
Dewitt, Arkansas
http://www.jrenterprises.com

KCK BBQ Smokers
Kansas City, KS
http://www.kck.com

L&R Custom BBQ Pits
Stephenville, TX
http://www.lrbbqpits.com

Lang Smoker Cookers
Nahunta, GA
http://www.pigroast.com
Pits made from new propane tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Lone Star Welding
Richmond, TX
http://www.lswelding.net/index.html
Custom BBQ pits with some interesting art add ons

Long Horn BBQ pits
Uvalde, Texas
Available at Factory Direct BBQ Pits and Smokers Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Lyfe Tyme - BBQ Pits
Uvalde, Texas
http://www.lyfetyme.com
Manufactured pits with some customizing available
Pits made from New steel pipe including uprights
Makes full custom mobile pits

Meadow Creek Welding
New Holland, PA
http://www.meadowcreekbbq.com/Welcome.html

Olalla Smokers $ Grills of Olalla
Chuck Senn
4345 SE Burley-Olalla Rd.
Olalla, WA. 98359
Phone: 253/ 857-4420

Old Country BBQ Pits
Laredo ,Texas
http://www.bbquepits.com
Mass Produced old style BBQ pits

Peoria Custom Cookers
Peoria, Illinois
http://www.peoriacustomcookers.com
Backyard and mobile pits. Rolled plate construction.

Pits by Jambo
Jamie Geer Phone 817-572-7631 home, cell 817-822-1689
Hand made one at a time with incredible attention to detail. These are the pits used with great success by Johnny Trig of the Smoking Triggers, Uncle Earnie and Jamie and his Buckwheat Express team.

Pits by JJ
Houston, Texas
http://www.pitsbyjj.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Pitts and Spitts
Houston, Texas
http://pittsandspitts.com
Pits made from New steel plate and stainless steel
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Quality Grills
Detroit, MI
http://www.qualitygrills.com
Huge custom mobile pits

Real Grill
West Palm Beach, Florida
http://www.realgrill.com
New propane tank smoker/grills

Sikes Cookers
Vidalia, GA.
http://www.stainless-gas-grills.com
Unique Aluminum & Stainless smokers

Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q
Anderson, IN
http://www.sybbq.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

SWS Superior Welding Service - Southwest Smoker
North Little Rock, AR
http://www.southwestsmoker.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Tejas Smokers
Houston, Texas
http://www.tejassmokers.com
Well engineered production backyard smokers and grills
New 1/4" steel plate construction
Great selection of outdoor cooking gear and accessories for your smoker
Great customer service

The Good One- Goodwin Enterprises
Burns, KS
http://www.thegood-one.com

TMP BBQ Pits
Midland, Texas
http://www.gotmp.com/bbqpits.htm

Tucker Cookers
Memphis, Tennessee
http://www.tuckercooker.com
Very nice mobile smoker/grills

Western Rebel BBQ Pits
Chino Hills, California
http://www.outofthisworldbbq.com/index.html

Cabinet style smokers

Backwoods Smokers
http://www.backwoods-smoker.com

Jacks Old South Cookers
Birmingham, AL
http://brittsbarbecue.com/html/jack_s_old_south_cookers.html

Spicewine Iron Works
http://www.spicewineironworks.com
Columbia, MO

Stumps Smokers
Perry, GA
http://www.stumpssmokers.com
_________________
ZILLA

markbet said:

The BYC is around $1900.00, not counting any options or upgrades. The firebox is 1/2" steel. I would suspect the weight is almost double what the Tejas is. The freight cost is a major factor, it might be cheaper to rent a U-Haul and go get it myself, but I would need a forklift to get it out of the truck and into the backyard, which I do not have any laying around the house.

Click to expand...

Let me say this about that....the BYC fits perfectly in a 5x9 uhaul,. short ramp, two to three guys it's up and in. The big wheel upgrade would make a difference. On dry lawn, two of us were able to manhandle it on fairly level ground around to the back of the house. On cement, a non-issue.

Call Dave and ask what he has, if he has any used, and then get a friend, drive down and do the deed. it was a fun trip for me from NY to KC. Lot;s fo fun and well worth it. I'm sure the Tejas is a great smoker, but the klose....well it's a klose.

wish I had an extra foot of horizontal pit, larger wheels, thicker firebox. Otherwise...good to go!!! Scott

How could you beat this for the money?
http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/charcoal_grills_and_smokers&selectedSKU=0263-40121-0600&start=8

That's one helluva list zilla but slednec's got a point (at least for the vast majority of us who may be "financially challenged" in regards to Klose pits).

I'd say the "Outdoor Gourmet Laredo Heavy Gauge Smoker" is close-enough.

Sledneck said:

How could you beat this for the money?
http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/charcoal_grills_and_smokers&selectedSKU=0263-40121-0600&start=8

Click to expand...

Its made by smokemaster the pit i just recently bought. Mine is the same unit without the upright, i would love to have that unit though. Its a really well built pit They have a store in joplin mo, according to the map about 4 1/2 hours from you

Steve, althought similar in design, Tejas is a different mfgr. BTW-Smokemaster's website has been a no-show for over a month now and I read on another forum they are out of business.

Mark, the Tejas' light materials will only show up as a problem under less than ideal conditions (widn or extreme cold). Still a lot better than what you're used to with the 'dera on probably comparable fuel consumption in good conditions.

If that fits your wants and budget, it's a decent cooker at it's price. If you can swing the extra for the heavier Klose (or other) its probably money well spent too.

I heard a few stories about them. ANother guy told me that he no longer is interested in selling on his own and only will sell through retailers who knows?

Sledneck said:

How could you beat this for the money?
http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/charcoal_grills_and_smokers&selectedSKU=0263-40121-0600&start=8

Click to expand...

No way, I disagree. That smoker at academy is not a 20" smoker. I have looked at these at the one near my house and it is much smaller than it looks. I pretty sure it is 16" in diameter pit. For that money it is not worth it at all. You couldn't even fit a brisket, or full rack of ribs in the upright it's so small. The upright would be OK for chicken, sausage, a pork butt. I would rather save for another year and use a WSM in the mean time than by a pit like that for $700.00.

Zilla, that list looks awfully familiar...

Mark, as for the use of your smoker, just pick one you like from a reputable manufacturer, and learn how to use it. Each smoker has its own personality, just like each cook. With use, you will develope a relationship with your beast that is hard to explain to others.

WOOOOHOOO!!! I made Zilla's List!!

Thanks Bro!!

Spice

I couldn't leave you out now could I? :mrgreen:

If I had $1500, I would go with the spicewine medium, heck, he might even give you a brethren discount.