Best Smoker for < $1,000.00

[North40Rules]

I am posting this thread because of the thread bat1119 posted this morning, now again I have smoking on the brain lol.

I have owned a Bradley 4 RACK Smoker in the past but sold it for two reasons. 1. The pucks were outrageously expensive compared to pellets and 2. I had to replace the electronic feeder because it stopped working properly, so I sold the smoker cheap after Bradley sent me the replacement part.

I was looking at tubes today and started thinking that maybe I should go for a real smoker since I would like to do all kinds of stuff including BIG Turkeys.

Since many of you here are smoking aficionados I would like to know what you would purchase for up to $1,000.00 MAX. Not interested in owning a world-class $5,000.00 smoker because I just smoke for myself and my wife and small gatherings so an industrial smoker is not required

I was looking at a Pitboss at Lowes on sale for $399.99, regular price was 699.00, but it was way too small and you would not even be able to fit a big turkey into it and I would have had to bend over to even look into it, so I passed.

Cheers N40

[CDNOutdoorsman]

Recteq RT 340, RT 590 or the RT 700
You have to order from the factory in Georgia but I would put them up against any smoker in their price range. Cant be beat. I beleive they will ship to the border and you arrange pickup from there, either via a broker or pick up yourself. Montana Shipping Outlet is who I use for US deliveries.
I find CookinPellets to be the amongst the best pellets for pellet smokers as well. I've tried them all and went back to CookinPellets.

[JohnB]

I have a GMG and so do a few of my friends, they have a couple units in that price range. If I was going to get another pellet smoker it would be Louisiana, they look well built and I like that you can sear with them. I have the pizza oven for the GMG and you can do pizzas in 4 min.

https://louisiana-grills.com/product...d-pellet-grill

[tbiddy]

If you want to play with charcoal my recommendation is a Weber Smokey Mountain. That’s what I have and it churns out great BBQ. It is a little more work but once it’s dialed in, you’re golden. I don’t have an easy bake oven but have been looking at getting one to add to the arsenal. If I get one it’ll be a GMG. A pellet pooper is defiantly a lot less work to get to the end point.

[silver]

My vote goes to Masterbuilt. It will make 275 farenheit no problem. It is digital, you set the temperature, and the timer. There is a side chute where you add the chips. I had one for eight or nine years and it died. I replaced it with another one. That is the strongest vote I can give it. There is a downside to it, when it is cold, below freezing, sometimes it won't start up. I just put a pan of hot water in it for a few minutes. The digital thermometer will show you it is warming up. Pull the pan and start like normal.

Edit; you can use chips from where ever you want, not stuck with certain biscuits.

[amosfella]

My question is, what do you consider a real smoker? I've liked my broil king keg that I picked up for $450 on Kijiji. I liked the vision Kamado that I had before. Each one should fit a store bought turkey with room to spare. (sidenote, I don't think it would fit the 45# bird one of my neighbors raised for a Christmas banquet a few decades ago).

If you're handy with a welder, you could build a nice smoker from a 100# propane tank, or a 50 gallon drum. You could probably pick up a decent welder on kijiji, barrel, and scrap metal that would work for less than a grand, and have all kinds of fun along the way.

[North40Rules]

Originally Posted by amosfella

My question is, what do you consider a real smoker? I've liked my broil king keg that I picked up for $450 on Kijiji. I liked the vision Kamado that I had before. Each one should fit a store bought turkey with room to spare. (sidenote, I don't think it would fit the 45# bird one of my neighbors raised for a Christmas banquet a few decades ago).

If you're handy with a welder, you could build a nice smoker from a 100# propane tank, or a 50 gallon drum. You could probably pick up a decent welder on kijiji, barrel, and scrap metal that would work for less than a grand, and have all kinds of fun along the way.

I am the most unhandy man you ever met, the only tools I am proficient with are a rifle, a shotgun, and a bow lol

Originally Posted by JohnB

I have a GMG and so do a few of my friends, they have a couple units in that price range. If I was going to get another pellet smoker it would be Louisiana, they look well built and I like that you can sear with them. I have the pizza oven for the GMG and you can do pizzas in 4 min.

https://louisiana-grills.com/product...d-pellet-grill

Good looking smoker that for sure, but the price is in USD, and shipping is not included I do not think?

Something like this is what I am looking for:

[jungleboy]

My son has a pit boss electric Pellet smoker and he has turned out some pretty amazing meals on that thing. His has a Bluetooth option on it so he can monitor it with his phone.

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by North40Rules

I am the most unhandy man you ever met, the only tools I am proficient with are a rifle, a shotgun, and a bow lol



Good looking smoker that for sure, but the price is in USD, and shipping is not included I do not think?

Something like this is what I am looking for:

So, from your response, I'm guessing that you want a set and forget type of grill. I'm not a fan of the Traeger grills. The insulation isn't very good. I'd prefer heavier metal. My uncle has one, and he has to wrap it in a welding blanket for long smokes to keep it at temp in the winter. He uses his year round.

Check Kijiji. There's lots of that kind of stuff on there that you find people used 2-6 times, then sell with accessories for half the price of a new grill.

If only looking for new, UFA farm stores has new grills, and they looked reasonable for the price.

[jrowan]

So I know you sold the Bradley, but that is exactly what I've got lol.

I'd recommend using it without using the automatic puck feeder. Seems like the pucks last about 35-40 minutes, but the feeder pushes one every 15 or 20 minutes. That creates a lot of wasted wood. Kind of defeats the purpose I suppose, but using 4 pucks gives you a really good smoke flavour. Could probably even get away with two pucks. Others use spacers with the auto-feeder, but I haven't gotten my hands on any of them to try them out.

[Popsicle]

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/c...3189p.html#srp

I've ran close to 300lbs of pellets through this thing with zero hiccups or issues. produces great quality food. 180-500 Fahrenheit range and a 24lb hopper which is much bigger than other smokers of that size.

Father also bought one he was so impressed and he's also never had a problem.

[Red Bullets]

I must be outdated and obsolete... Doesn't anyone still use a traditional outhouse sized walk in smoker? The smoker our family all used was 6 ft. x 6 ft. and 8 foot tall. Could smoke a few dozen whitefish at a time or do any sized piece of meat or several birds at once. No 'pucks' to pay for. We used local woods. Smoking day was an event. Not something to plug in and walk away from. Probably cost less that 1K to build a good sized smoker.

[CDNOutdoorsman]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

I must be outdated and obsolete... Doesn't anyone still use a traditional outhouse sized walk in smoker? The smoker our family all used was 6 ft. x 6 ft. and 8 foot tall. Could smoke a few dozen whitefish at a time or do any sized piece of meat or several birds at once. No 'pucks' to pay for. We used local woods. Smoking day was an event. Not something to plug in and walk away from. Probably cost less that 1K to build a good sized smoker.

For certain things, this type of smoker would work, smoked sausage, peperoni etc but for the average person that is cooking a chicken, pork shoulder, ribs etc for a meal for the family, that is not practical. You cant beat a pellet smoker for versatility, practicality, ease of use and everyday cooking. Lots of options, pick one and get to cooking. Your only regret will be why you didn't get one sooner.

[brendan's dad]

Louisiana Black Label 1000 and have been super happy with it. It runs off the house wifi and with an app on my phone and can monitor and control the temp. even from work. They are currently developing a cold smoker attachment which I will definitely get when it is out.

It's my daughter's 17th birthday and her special request was 3-2-1 ribs.

This was Thanksgiving. Turkey, Salmon and Goose Breast. I am finding myself using it almost every weekend

[Greatwest]

I will second the Louisiana Pellet grills had mine for about 7 or 8 years and have had zero issue with it. Still running like brand new. Hold constant temperature no problem even at -30 in the wind. Easy to run and clean.

[lyallpeder]

I know it’s not what your looking at, but I still recommend a Weber Smokey mountain!

[North40Rules]

First I would like to thank you all for your input into this thread, people that hunt and fish are the best people I know!

Sure is great to hear other people's experiences, this is the last smoker I want to buy, I would like it to work in all weather conditions because I enjoy smoking all year long, especially at Christmas when I do a large delicious smoked turkey. If you have a smoker and have not tried doing one, you should, everyone raves about them and the smoked turkey soup you make with the carcass is definitely gourmet soup.

As Guy says "Winner, Winner, Turkey diner" lol

Originally Posted by jrowan

So I know you sold the Bradley, but that is exactly what I've got lol.

I'd recommend using it without using the automatic puck feeder. Seems like the pucks last about 35-40 minutes, but the feeder pushes one every 15 or 20 minutes. That creates a lot of wasted wood. Kind of defeats the purpose I suppose, but using 4 pucks gives you a really good smoke flavour. Could probably even get away with two pucks. Others use spacers with the auto-feeder, but I haven't gotten my hands on any of them to try them out.

I did enjoy using the Bradley, but when I smoke I like a deep heavy smoke flavor (go big or go home mentality), especially when I make venison jerky.

Their electronics have much to be desired I discovered, and this is important to me because I like to set it and forget it. For example, doing a turkey overnight while I sleep so it's ready at lunchtime or early afternoon.

The one thing I liked about the Bradley was the 4 rack system, I bought 4 additional racks, inverted them on top of one another so I actually had 8 racks when I did my jerky which was very convenient!

Originally Posted by amosfella

So, from your response, I' mguessing that you want a set and forget type of grill. I'm not a fan of the Traeger grills. The insulation isn't very good. I'd prefer heavier metal. My uncle has one, and he has to wrap it in a welding blanket for long smokes to keep it at temp in the winter. He uses his year round.

Check Kijiji. There's lots of that kind of stuff on there that you find people used 2-6 times, then sell with accessories for half the price of a new grill.

If only looking for new, UFA farm stores has new grills, and they looked reasonable for the price.

I prefer new out-of-the-box with full warranty items and will even buy an extended warranty.

I like your heads up about the insulation! The Bradley was well insulated but I have noticed that the Traeger and Pitboss have relatively thin hoods.

Originally Posted by lyallpeder

I know it’s not what your looking at, but I still recommend a Weber Smokey mountain!

I looked at the SmokeFire EX6 (2nd Gen) Wood Fired Pellet Grill, looks awesome, for $1,700.00 it should be right, over my budget though.

I have seen Louisiana mentioned several times thus far, I will definitely be doing more research on them, I went to their website and they look fantastic!

I did not know that Coleman made a smoker, what a successful company hey? I remember using Coleman propane camp stoves for shore lunches when I was a kid fishing with my father, about 500 years ago lol

So now it is between Louisiana, Pitboss, Traeger, and Colemen.

Thanks again for the feedback guys, greatly appreciated!

Cheers N40

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by JohnB

I have a GMG and so do a few of my friends, they have a couple units in that price range. If I was going to get another pellet smoker it would be Louisiana, they look well built and I like that you can sear with them. I have the pizza oven for the GMG and you can do pizzas in 4 min.

https://louisiana-grills.com/product...d-pellet-grill

I'm looking at a GMG myself for next year. Any reason why you would get a Louisiana instead of a GMG?

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Outbound

I'm looking at a GMG myself for next year. Any reason why you would get a Louisiana instead of a GMG?

Had couple things go wrong, igniter failed after a year. And I have to go through two start cycles to get smoker going. I'm thinking the igniter cycle isn't long enough. My buddy is having the same issues. Also don't like the power cord connections, get poor connections and unit will power down. I think the new units are better. They upgraded the igniter and power cord. GMG does have a 3 year warranty.

Have a look at the Louisiana, check out the searing function. The Fireplace shop just north of Echo audio has them and so does Arctic spa on resources road.

[Roderek]

You can check Costco, I got a Louisiana smoker from them a few years ago. I think they only have them in the warehouses in the summer though. This year they also had a Traeger that had Wifi, I do not remember the model number, but it was $949 I think. Sometimes Traeger has displays at Costco. I think they were at Easthills a few weeks ago, so might be in another one around Calgary at the moment.

Good thing about buying it from Costco, if you don't like it you can take it back.

[North40Rules]

Originally Posted by Roderek

You can check Costco, I got a Louisiana smoker from them a few years ago. I think they only have them in the warehouses in the summer though. This year they also had a Traeger that had Wifi, I do not remember the model number, but it was $949 I think. Sometimes Traeger has displays at Costco. I think they were at Easthills a few weeks ago, so might be in another one around Calgary at the moment.

Good thing about buying it from Costco, if you don't like it you can take it back.

Thanks for the heads up!

Costco's return policy is second to none. I brought back a diamond ring that I gave to a lady as an engagement ring. The third time she threw it back in my face (two years after the initial purchase) I brought it back and got a full refund.

When she got home that night she asked "Where is my diamond ring?" I said "I took you seriously this time, it's in the garage". She said "Why the garage?" I said "Go look".

She went to the garage and saw my brand new quad, I moved out with my new quad two weeks later. lol

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Had couple things go wrong, igniter failed after a year. And I have to go through two start cycles to get smoker going. I'm thinking the igniter cycle isn't long enough. My buddy is having the same issues. Also don't like the power cord connections, get poor connections and unit will power down. I think the new units are better. They upgraded the igniter and power cord. GMG does have a 3 year warranty.

Have a look at the Louisiana, check out the searing function. The Fireplace shop just north of Echo audio has them and so does Arctic spa on resources road.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll have a look at Louisiana for sure.

[ganderblaster]

Do you want a pellet grill or a smoker? Know a few guys that have the vertical Pit Boss smoker and they really like them. I had a master chef and while it works it had big temperature fluctuations and lots of hot cold spots and the temperature readout was off by about 20 degrees.

[North40Rules]

I would like a dedicated Pellet Smoker, I will use my BBQ for the rest.

[Tungsten,]

I think an important thing is how these smokers do in minus20-30 temps. We know it’s coming. That would be a good selling point for me. Also the blue tooth so you don’t have to baby sit.

[North40Rules]

Originally Posted by brendan's dad

Louisiana Black Label 1000 and have been super happy with it. It runs off the house wifi and with an app on my phone and can monitor and control the temp. even from work. They are currently developing a cold smoker attachment which I will definitely get when it is out.

It's my daughter's 17th birthday and her special request was 3-2-1 ribs.

This was Thanksgiving. Turkey, Salmon and Goose Breast. I am finding myself using it almost every weekend

I have been researching that one, looks great! Did you order it from them directly?

Apparently, they sell then at Costco, Canada Tire, and Peavy Mart but I don't see it on their websites?

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by North40Rules

I have been researching that one, looks great! Did you order it from them directly?

Apparently, they sell then at Costco, Canada Tire, and Peavy Mart but I don't see it on their websites?

Those grills were in the store a few months ago. I haven't been in a Peavey Mart for that long though. But if they are still there, they're likely on clearance.

[6.5 shooter]

I am also looking to get a smoker ... but it is confusing this video helped.. A little.. lol.

https://youtu.be/xBKVfTaiDRM

For me, I lean a bit more towards the Louisiana one. Tragers has some cool features also but seem to be more accessory orientated. So in the end may be more money.
Good luck!

[North40Rules]

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

I am also looking to get a smoker ... but it is confusing this video helped.. A little.. lol.

https://youtu.be/xBKVfTaiDRM

For me, I lean a bit more towards the Louisiana one. Tragers has some cool features also but seem to be more accessory orientated. So in the end may be more money.
Good luck!

iNTERESTING VIDEO 6.5 shooter, interesting that he said the Trager offers better heat distribution hey?

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by North40Rules

I would like a dedicated Pellet Smoker, I will use my BBQ for the rest.

No you won’t. I can’t tell it to you in any plainer or simpler words. It will become your absolute go to grill. Or you are the 1 in 50 that isn’t.

Any major mfg of pellet grille would do. I’d be Leary of a Coleman or a kitchen aid or whatever. They could be great but try and find a part 2 years from now. You call Traeger on a Sunday at 4 AM and somebody answers and helps you figure out a problem. Louisiana grills is the same. All the majors are I am fairly certain. My Traeger is 12+ years old and I still can get parts for it. I haven’t needed to but I can.

I’d up your budget a bit if this truly is the last smoker you want to buy. I would look for double wall construction and Bluetooth as a must. Something like a Traeger ironwood. Or the GMG, Louisiana grills equivalent. You won’t regret it. Not only do they hold more consistent heat but they burn less pounds of pellets per hour.

If you choose to try and keep the budget low all the smokers have a winter insulation kit. The one I bought with my Traeger 12+ years ago works fine and comes on and off in about 1 minute. I’ve had it at 417f in -39C.