Hello, newb looking for advise on a used 5 footer vs getting new old country.

[dshuld]

Hello, I'm new to the site but have been lurking for a couple of weeks reading. It's time to replace my gas grill and my wife prefers the flavor off a charcoal or wood flame. We've been using a "smoke box" inside the gas grill for a while and I do like the flavor better too.

Originally we were considering a okj but after reading on here and another site decided to look elsewhere. After seeing some recommend old country smokers I looked on academy, closest store is about 2 hours away from us, and found the pecos and over under. We are thinking about making the trip this weekend to look at them in person but in the mean time I'm still watching cl.

There is only 1 pic so I'm gonna call the guy today when I get a chance and ask for more pics of it but I found a 5 foot 24" round 3/8" thick pipe set up similar to the over under. They are asking $450 for it which from all my looking around is a steal on something like that? It is set up cart style and I'm sure heavy as all get out. The only pic they have does show surface rust all over which I'm not overly concerned about as long it's just surface rust. Not sure if it's ok to link direct to the ad so you guys can look at it to help me decide?

I managed to crop most of the person out of the photo so here it is. My concerns are, if it is 3/8 steel doors would it not need a counter balance on the main (to me the doors look thinner but haven't been able to call and ask for more pics) and do you think since the fb only runs halfway down and underneath the cc I'd have crazy temps on that side vs the other?

Thanks in advance.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[SmittyJonz]

Dont look like 3/8" to me. Need better pics.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Ok Joe Longhorn ain't Bad but I prefer Pecos as it's fully welded and grate level exhaust. Over n Under is Badass and you can grill on the Big Firebox.
I like Verticals so my pick is Old Country Smokehouse but you can't grill on it. I prefer seperate grill anyways like a Weber Kettle. You can Smoke on a Kettle and if you got the 26" for $300 you would have decent grate size for smoking.

 

[KevinJ]

You can Smoke on a Kettle and if you got the 26" for $300 you would have decent grate size for smoking.

^^^^This^^^^

You have your grill and smoker and it will also last you a lifetime.

 

[dshuld]

thanks

Sorry, I wasn't getting notifications for some reason. I honestly like the over under design the most of what we've looked at online or in person. I couldn't find any longhorns in stock locally to look at them but did look at a few different highlands at 3 different places and construction seemed all over the place with them.

I'll try to call the guy and see if I can get better pics shortly of the cl one. Do you think the fb placement of it may give me temp problems side to side though? While we will mostly be cooking for ourselves we recently bought a new house and hoping to make new "friends" with a cookout with the neighbors some times. So, I think she's wanting to go with one of the old country's if the cl one doesn't work out. Their lifetime warranty made it so I could step up from the bolt together stuff to something slightly better (I hope lol).

 

[SmittyJonz]

I would need a lot of pics to decide if that craigslist one is any good. I think I would rather just go get an Over and Under.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3508312

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224227

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223280

 

[dshuld]

I just left them a vm asking if it's still available and to get more pics if it is. I think I'm feeling the same atm though, just picking out the best over under they have.

 

[SmittyJonz]

The over and under should have a main great and then the top Grate- the top grate should fit in the top of the firebox for grilling . They don't come with the top Grate and a grilling grate that I have ever seen -you move it from the chamber to the firebox . The fire grate may need modded for ash to fall better and not sag.

 

[dshuld]

Thanks, I appreciate the help. If I get pics from the cl one I'll post em up here. Otherwise hopefully I'll have a new over under or pecos this weekend :whoo: . I think I want the over under but that'll depend on what the boss says on which one when we get there I suppose lol.

 

[Czarbecue]

I have never seen a Craigslist smoker listing that made me 100% confident of the purchase. Something is always sketchy about the post. It's 2017 and if you can't get a good shot of the smoker that you are selling, it's a red flag. But I digress...

At Academy, show your wife the All American Angus first ($1499) and then have her talk you down to the Over Under, lol.

 

[dshuld]

Lol, I'm secretly hoping to talk her up to a brazos or something with thicker walls. So far I've wormed my way from the $199 home depot deal to the pecos at least for sure though. But I have convinced her on getting one that may last longer then we'll be alive so I'm keeping my fingers crossed on getting closer to a thicker pit.

 

[dshuld]

here are more pics...

The guy called me back last night after I crawled into bed and said he would send me some more pics. As promised he did just send them over to me. The main door is definitely not 3/8 but the chamber itself is pretty thick. It's rusty and pretty well used but any thoughts on her now? Looks like it may need a media blasting to make clearing the rust off easier in some spots.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Looks like it may be Decent if sandblasted and cleaned up. I wouldn't like laying on the ground to feed a firebox tho......

 

[dshuld]

Lol yeah it does sit pretty darn low. I think I'd have to sit in my drive way cooking with it until I could make myself a concrete pad in my back yard for it looking at the one pic. I'd be a bit concerned with catching my dry weeds (aka my yard) on fire :shock:. Not sure I get the going thin on the door with a thicker barrel though unless they were trying to avoid putting a counter weight on it?

 

[DubfromGA]

The over and under should have a main great and then the top Grate- the top grate should fit in the top of the firebox for grilling . They don't come with the top Grate and a grilling grate that I have ever seen -you move it from the chamber to the firebox . The fire grate may need modded for ash to fall better and not sag.

That Old Country Over and Under looks good. Even temps.


Can you fit pork shoulders and butts on the top rack ?

Hard to tell from the pics.

 

[dshuld]

Along with from DubfromGA question, any thought's on the cantina xxl @SmittyJonz if we decided to go with more of a traditional grill when we get out to academy? I can't find very much info on it.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Not sure on butts on top rack on O/U.
The Cantina is like a longer Pecos minus the firebox. You could smoke on it - put charcoal/chunks on one side and meat on the other.

 

[dshuld]

Not sure on butts on top rack on O/U.
The Cantina is like a longer Pecos minus the firebox. You could smoke on it - put charcoal/chunks on one side and meat on the other.

Ok cool thanks. I'll add that to the 3 we look at out there. Neither of us feel like dealing with the rust issues on the other one. And I brought up the bravos to which she said if I spend that much on a smoker she's leaving...guess my speech on one that would last a life time didn't sink in as much as I'd hoped :sad: .

 

[mrpigs]

The top rack on my Old Country over and under doesn't have quite enough clearance for butts. That's a 7.5 and a 7.1 pounder.

I can easily get six of them on the bottom.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Briskets will fit the top Grate tho...... :heh: