I can usually get it stable and ready to cook in about 30-40 minutes.
The firebox holds about 20 lbs of lump so if you fill it completely up you can pretty much walk away for the entire cook unless you are doing very long cooks to where you will have to reload the lump.
It is not the most fuel efficient smoker so you will probably go through almost the entire 20 lbs in a 10-12 hour cook but different variables will effect how long it will go such as outside temp, what kind of charcoal are you using, and if it's windy out. I have always used lump in it but you can also use regular briquettes. You might be able to go even longer on briquettes but I have never done a long cook using them. I have used briquettes in my Open Range with good success.
I usually use a windbreak on every cook because where I live it's windy probably 95% of the time and the wind can pop up at any time. I also do it for consistency.
The one feature that I really like is the spinner vents and the damper. You set the vents about 1 1/2 to 2 turns out and put the damper at the 11:00 position and it usually settles around 250 every time. Once you get it up to temp, you only control the temp by moving the damper and it doesn't take much movement to swing the temps which ever way you want. I may make some minute adjustments in the very beginning of the cook but that's it.
I like the repeat-ability of the vent and damper system so you don't have to figure it out on every cook like you have to do with some of the other smokers out there.
