Kevin James
Full Fledged Farker
So I really want to get my first offset smoker, but due to certain issues there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of options available to me. As much as I would prefer an Old Country Pecos or a more high end smoker with thicker metal and better build quality like a Kat, Lonestar Grill, or a Lang Patio, I can't. The money isn't really the issue , it's other things and I'll get into why none of those are options at the end of this post, but for now I'd like to focus on the question about the Oklahoma Joe Highland which is doable.
So, first and foremost I absolutely recognize that the OK Joe is fairly thin metal, and that you get what you pay for, but I also see that while not cheap there are a ton of mods that I would think (and hope) might be able to turn it into a decent smoker. I was looking at this site https://bbqsmokermods.com/oem-smoker-mods-by-brand/oklahoma-joe-s/highland.html, and was thinking about getting the baffle/tuning plate kit, the water pan, the double deck expansion rack kit, the charcoal basket and the gasket kit. Yes, I realize that the total of the mods is more than the total of the actual smoker itself, but as mentioned above, it seems the OK Joe and these mods is the best option I can actually make work for the foreseeable future. I'd like to hear opinions from some Highland owners, especially anyone with any of these mods. I'm wondering how difficult it is to dial in and hold temps from 200 on the low up to 275 on the high, and if temps are fairly even across the grate with the tuning plate kit.
Why a Pecos is not an option:
It seems the only way to get a Pecos is to buy from Academy Sports. I live in California, and due to our stupid prop 65 law Academy will not ship ANYTHING to California... nothing... I couldn't even buy a pair of sweats or a basketball from them. They simply will not sell and ship anything to anyone in my state. I have a call in to Old Country BBQ pits who manufactures it to see if I can buy from them directly, but I'm not holding my breath as it seems an exclusive product to Academy.
Why a Kat, Lone Star Grill or Lang is not an option right now:
Long story short the thicker metal makes all of them way to heavy. Most of these seem to be somewhere around 600 lbs or more, which means they are not going to be very easy to move. I have an EXTREMELY narrow passage way into my back yard with no more than 24" of clearance, and I also have a ton of work that needs to be done to make my yard even remotely usable as the majority is on a steep slope. I need to have several trees and a huge and ancient water fountain removed, then flatten the whole yard out, and finally pour a big concrete pad. That is going to be expensive and will take me the better part of the next two years to accomplish due to the expense. I would need to be able to get the smoker in and out of my backyard fairly easily as it needs to be gone to pour the concrete later on. I'm just nervous that it will be too difficult trying to move a 600 lb + smoker by myself through a long 24" passage way. Sorry for the long explanation on this part... but that's the honest and real reason why I can't seem to find anything that will work. I plan to get a Kat 20 x 48 after the back yard is done... but that's a long way away and I don't want to wait two years to get an offset. The OK Joe is doable because it's available in my area and at only 178 lb's I can easily move it.
So, first and foremost I absolutely recognize that the OK Joe is fairly thin metal, and that you get what you pay for, but I also see that while not cheap there are a ton of mods that I would think (and hope) might be able to turn it into a decent smoker. I was looking at this site https://bbqsmokermods.com/oem-smoker-mods-by-brand/oklahoma-joe-s/highland.html, and was thinking about getting the baffle/tuning plate kit, the water pan, the double deck expansion rack kit, the charcoal basket and the gasket kit. Yes, I realize that the total of the mods is more than the total of the actual smoker itself, but as mentioned above, it seems the OK Joe and these mods is the best option I can actually make work for the foreseeable future. I'd like to hear opinions from some Highland owners, especially anyone with any of these mods. I'm wondering how difficult it is to dial in and hold temps from 200 on the low up to 275 on the high, and if temps are fairly even across the grate with the tuning plate kit.
Why a Pecos is not an option:
It seems the only way to get a Pecos is to buy from Academy Sports. I live in California, and due to our stupid prop 65 law Academy will not ship ANYTHING to California... nothing... I couldn't even buy a pair of sweats or a basketball from them. They simply will not sell and ship anything to anyone in my state. I have a call in to Old Country BBQ pits who manufactures it to see if I can buy from them directly, but I'm not holding my breath as it seems an exclusive product to Academy.
Why a Kat, Lone Star Grill or Lang is not an option right now:
Long story short the thicker metal makes all of them way to heavy. Most of these seem to be somewhere around 600 lbs or more, which means they are not going to be very easy to move. I have an EXTREMELY narrow passage way into my back yard with no more than 24" of clearance, and I also have a ton of work that needs to be done to make my yard even remotely usable as the majority is on a steep slope. I need to have several trees and a huge and ancient water fountain removed, then flatten the whole yard out, and finally pour a big concrete pad. That is going to be expensive and will take me the better part of the next two years to accomplish due to the expense. I would need to be able to get the smoker in and out of my backyard fairly easily as it needs to be gone to pour the concrete later on. I'm just nervous that it will be too difficult trying to move a 600 lb + smoker by myself through a long 24" passage way. Sorry for the long explanation on this part... but that's the honest and real reason why I can't seem to find anything that will work. I plan to get a Kat 20 x 48 after the back yard is done... but that's a long way away and I don't want to wait two years to get an offset. The OK Joe is doable because it's available in my area and at only 178 lb's I can easily move it.
