Pit Barrel Cooker? Heck I could build one for less than $100!!!

Richard1233 said:
55 gallon drums here are $20 on CL.
http://fresno.craigslist.org/grd/5004181108.html
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I know my post was probably way to long for most people to read through thoroughly. If I saw a post this long I would probably just skim it. The price I quoted above was for a new 30 gallon drum as that is what the PBC is made from.

As I mentioned to Ninja if you can find a better price on a a new 30gallon drum let me know and I will be glad to update my figures. Looking further at the the barrel I posted above, I am not sure if it would be safe to use for smoking. But perhaps the lining could be burned out. I wonder if some of the folks who build UDS's can comment on that. Thanks all for your help.
 
AClarke44 said:
Wow that's a great price! :thumb:.......Would you mine breaking down the cost of your parts for us? Not disagreeing with you just curious.

If you add powder coating I'm guessing that's another $70-100?? Which would put you close to the $200 mark....
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You keep dwelling on the powder coating. If I'm not mistaken they just started that recently. Before that they were just painted with HH paint, and that was great at the time.
I already broke down the price of mine, $80-100. Probably closer to $100.

Do you happen to have a vested interest in the company or are you just that excited about your new cooker?
 
TexasRT said:
You keep dwelling on the powder coating. If I'm not mistaken they just started that recently. Before that they were just painted with HH paint, and that was great at the time.
I already broke down the price of mine, $80-100. Probably closer to $100.

Do you happen to have a vested interest in the company or are you just that excited about your new cooker?
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They have always been powder coated. A few months ago they switched to porcelain coating and only raised the price by $10. I mentioned at the beginning of my post that people have been building inexpensive UDS's for years and they are great cookers. I admire anyone who has made their own smoker. I would probably mess it up big time.

The point of my post is that if people say they can build a PBC clone using all new materials of the quality used by the PBC Company and coat it with porcelain, then I would to see how they can do it.
 
TexasRT said:
You keep dwelling on the powder coating. If I'm not mistaken they just started that recently. Before that they were just painted with HH paint, and that was great at the time.
I already broke down the price of mine, $80-100. Probably closer to $100.

Do you happen to have a vested interest in the company or are you just that excited about your new cooker?
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I am curious about your price breakdown as well. How much of the materials, parts, and tools involved in building of your UDS did you already have on hand?
 
Hey now everbody just wants to be proud of their cookers and the food it produces. Some folks like making theirs and others buying somthing ready to go. Mine might do this and yours might do that but at the end of the day if your family and friends like the chow then we win!
 
TexasRT said:
You keep dwelling on the powder coating. If I'm not mistaken they just started that recently. Before that they were just painted with HH paint, and that was great at the time.
I already broke down the price of mine, $80-100. Probably closer to $100.

Do you happen to have a vested interest in the company or are you just that excited about your new cooker?
Click to expand...

I'm not dwelling on anything actually. The PBC'S that were painted were also about $50 cheaper I believe. They raised the price when they started porcelain coating but I believe the owner wants a quality product and porcelain coating will last longer

My question was simple and just for a comparison but telling me you already broke down the price by saying it cost you $80-100 total doesn't really tell us anything.

Not sure if that last question was for me but since I'm quoted I assume it was so I'll answer. ......I didn't start this thread Bob did and the little that I know of him he enjoys his PBC. Is that strange? I mean there's a 100 page thread here about building a UDS. Those people love their cookers too. I don't have a vested interest in PBC but I think for the price it's a great cooker. I actually bought mine used for about half price but now that I have cooked on it I would have no problem buying new if I needed another one.

Edit: Another point, some people don't like the thought of using a used drum to cook their food in. Crazy or not it's true and that's why comparing the cost would need to be a new barrel as ALL PBC's are built from new barrels.
 
Fwismoker said:
Hey now everbody just wants to be proud of their cookers and the food it produces. Some folks like making theirs and others buying somthing ready to go. Mine might do this and yours might do that but at the end of the day if your family and friends like the chow then we win!
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Can't disagree with that. All cookers have their fans. Purpose of my thread was to point out that matching the PBC spec for spec and keeping it under $300 is next to impossible.
 
Bob C Cue said:
They have always been powder coated. A few months ago they switched to porcelain coating and only raised the price by $10. I mentioned at the beginning of my post that people have been building inexpensive UDS's for years and they are great cookers. I admire anyone who has made their own smoker. I would probably mess it up big time.

The point of my post is that if people say they can build a PBC clone using all new materials of the quality used by the PBC Company and coat it with porcelain, then I would to see how they can do it.
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I stand corrected.
I think it's safe to say that the average Joe, can't buy the parts for the price that someone who is buying hundreds of them. That's why people buy used drums and make their own pits. Nothing at all wrong with...
To each, their own
 
TexasRT said:
I stand corrected.
I think it's safe to say that the average Joe, can't buy the parts for the price that someone who is buying hundreds of them. That's why people buy used drums and make their own pits. Nothing at all wrong with...
To each, their own
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Very well said. Thanks. As someone once said (and I am paraphrasing) let's all smoke a fatty.
 
Bob C Cue said:
Can't disagree with that. All cookers have their fans. Purpose of my thread was to point out that matching the PBC spec for spec and keeping it under $300 is next to impossible.
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Actually it's not Bob, mine as an example is made from my Jimmy smoker and I'm at around $ 210 adapting to hang meat.

Now that said it wasn't easy cutting into stainless! Personally like stainless better than porcelain. Mine is around the 30 gallon size and that thing can do more stuff but that's what i wanted. Most people i'm sure wouldn't go to the hassle but for me it was fun.

I wouldn't necessarily say folks can't build basically the same thing for less using a 30 gallon drum because theirs might not have porcelain... but maybe it has therms, grills, multiple cooking grates etc... The PBC is a fantastic attractive unit... BUT for people wanting to make their own they can make some things that do more for less, trust me on that.
 
Fwismoker said:
Actually it's not Bob, mine as an example is made from my Jimmy smoker and I'm at around $ 210 adapting to hang meat.

Now that said it wasn't easy cutting into stainless! Personally like stainless better than porcelain. Mine is around the 30 gallon size and that thing can do more stuff but that's what i wanted. Most people i'm sure wouldn't go to the hassle but for me it was fun.

I wouldn't necessarily say folks can't build basically the same thing for less using a 30 gallon drum because theirs might not have porcelain... but maybe it has therms, grills, multiple cooking grates etc... The PBC is a fantastic attractive unit... BUT for people wanting to make their own they can make some things that do more for less, trust me on that.
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I agree with your comment I highlighted in blue above. I disagree with the comment I highlighted red as it contradicts the statement in blue. As TexasRT said above: "I think it's safe to say that the average Joe, can't buy the parts for the price that someone who is buying hundreds of them."

And I also agree that people could spend $299 to build something that does a lot more than the PBC does. For example take flight, play music, flash and spin, etc.
 
These 3 combined were less than $100. Of course they aren't as pretty as a PBC well except for maybe the Marshal model he even has wheels. :becky:


That said I do think the PBC is a good value considering what you get and I dont mean because of any scientific or precision this or that mumbo jumbo. :thumb:

picture.php
 
Will work for bbq said:
These 3 combined were less than $100. Of course they aren't as pretty as a PBC well except for maybe the Marshal model he even has wheels. :becky:


That said I do think the PBC is a good value considering what you get and I dont mean because of any scientific or precision this or that mumbo jumbo. :thumb:

picture.php
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Actually I think they are darn Purdy.
 
Bob C Cue said:
I agree with your comment I highlighted in blue above. I disagree with the comment I highlighted red as it contradicts the statement in blue. As TexasRT said above: "I think it's safe to say that the average Joe, can't buy the parts for the price that someone who is buying hundreds of them."

And I also agree that people could spend $299 to build something that does a lot more than the PBC does. For example take flight, play music, flash and spin, etc.
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Can't speak for the flight,music player etc...lol. What i'm saying is one with the inclination can buy a 30 gallon, put intakes, exhaust, therm, rebar and set it up to be a great smoker with multiple levels, be a great grill, shut down tight with ease, dial in different temps with ease for maybe around 100-125 dollars....now granted it won't be porcelain or not a brand new drum but it could be made to do more for a good price.

That's all i'm saying....those with the desire to make their own can do it cheaply. I know i wouldn't want try to duplicate PBC exaxctly on price, that would be silly as mentioned due to buying capacity but what isn't silly is making one to perform as good with more functionality at a lower cost ( again if they want to put in the labor) and use high heat paint.
 
AClarke44 said:
-At that price it will definitely be used - PBC is new

-Most likely needing burned out - PBC ready to cook 20 min after receiving

-Not gonna be porcelain coated (or painted for that matter and it'll need painted after you burn it) - PBC Porcelain coated

-Wire brushed scraping required if its got a liner in it - Again PBC is ready to go within 20 min

-55 gallon drum - PBC is 30 gallon which some believe actually is a better size for cooking due to some scientific jargon that I wanna believe :biggrin1: and 30 gallon is harder to find usually making it more expensive......

Face it you want a PBC too! :becky: :thumb:
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Andrew, could you expand on that statement? I'd be curious about any reasons, but am wondering if efficiency is part of it. I read somewhere on this forum that the 55 gal UDS is supposed to be as fuel efficient as a 15 gal mini. (I use an elongated "ECB" that's about a 15 gal capacity.)

Thanks!
 
Fwismoker: I must apologize to you. I would have never responded to your previous posts if I had read your signature line before now.








Just kidding. I have enjoyed the back and forth. You always make interesting points and I am sure you are a much better cooker than I am. I have only been cooking low and slow for a few years and that is why I like the simplicity of the Pit Barrel Cooker. I was originally considering buying a pellet cooker but the minister of finance put a halt to that. When I read about the PBC on amazing ribs I pulled the trigger and obviously happy with my decision.

As my son likes to say: it's all good!
 
I bought a new unlined 30 gal drum a few months ago for $70 and free shipping at newpig.com with a retail me not coupon. I spent around $200 to build my UDS but not powder coated. I love it and can change temps for different meats. I don't get the pbc hype and actually enjoyed building it. It is custom and somone can't just go buy one. Different strokes for different folks.

Here is my build thread http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205778
 
Lol...its all good Bob! I will compare the UDS to the WSM and PBC to the meat hanging clone ( so to speak) then there is the WSM that can hang with their hanger and the smaller 30 gallon size UDS style that can also hang. It is just so comical to me because these cookers are the same thing but different if you just add a few parts. Gotta agree with the "rocket science" thing. :razz: Future thread titles will read PBC vs ( pbc clone) or whatever name it gets... But the food is all that matters in the end!

We're all brothers in Q and your son is right!
 
elkhorn98 said:
I bought a new unlined 30 gal drum a few months ago for $70 and free shipping at newpig.com with a retail me not coupon. I spent around $200 to build my UDS but not powder coated. I love it and can change temps for different meats. I don't get the pbc hype and actually enjoyed building it. It is custom and somone can't just go buy one. Different strokes for different folks.

Here is my build thread http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205778
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Great looking build and you got a good deal on the new barrel. I doubt that I would ever be able to build one that nice.

People who do not get the hype are almost always those who have not used one. I don't think I have ever read a bad review of the PBC unless it is someone who was not following the directions. But then they can actually call the owner of the company and he will help figure out the problem.

I think the great thing about the PBC is that it is allowing thousands of people who have never cooked good Bbq in their life, and don't have the skills to build their own pit or properly tend a fire an almost foolproof way to serve great food to their friends and family.
 
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