I will be honest with you, I have never owned or used the Bronco, but I have had my PBC for a while now and I love it. I am not one of the purists that insist you never mod your PBC with temp controllers or thermometers etc but I can say I haven't found the need to, I do find myself on occasion looking at controllers but I have had such good reliable results the last few years that I always stop just short of pulling the trigger on buying one. I have gotten it down to pretty good science, I wish I had a better selection of charcoal options locally (no B&B or Fogo, etc locally) so i have royal oak, Kingsford, cowboy, etc available locally. I have found that for 8 hour or less cooks just about any charcoal will do for me, but for full briskets that can go 10 hours I need to use Kingsford professional or long-burning, if i use royal oak I need to add more briquettes at around the 6-7 hour mark. I do still dream of one day owning some big beautiful offset or even a KBQ but I have never for a minute regretted spending the money on the PBC, it gives me consistently good food and is easy to use.
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If you're getting into charcoal cooking, you can't go wrong with the PBC. Reliability, amazing customer support, and some of the best food you'll ever make. Plus cleanup is under 5 minutes. Don't underestimate the pleasure of a short cleanup time, especially on cold winter days.
It's still my go-to smoker even though I have other cookers as well, for the simplicity of use, great food and easy cleanup.
I love using all my smokers/cookers; some costing much more; the PBC still holds its own with them.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; November 6, 2019, 08:30 AM.Comment
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I'll always cast a vote for the PBC. Even a novice like me can get great results quickly.Comment
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I love my PBCs. I have 3 of them and I have never had any "grease issues." They run better and better the more you use them. I did a rib cook this weekend and I didn't touch the barrel once. I got the basket going, added the ribs and came back 5 hours later to a glorious couple of racks. I have done several long brisket cooks in the PBC and it preforms well every time.
I have never used the Bronco, and I am not trying to knock it. However, I have personally I don't like the wheels or the hinged lid. I always wonder how long a hinged lid like that will last. And I kinda feel like they are solving a problem that doesn't need fixing. Just like a Weber Kettle, I simply hang the lid from the edge of the barrel or from the barrel handle. It seems pretty easy to do. And you never have to worry about a hinge breaking. If it does break, then what? I also like the hanging method in the PBC. It is simple. Two pieces of re bar, then hang the hooks. Solid and easy. My point is, I love the PBC for its simplicity and durability. Additionally, It is easy to throw in the back of the truck with out having to worry about wheels hanging off, shelves getting in the way etc. Having a nice round barrel to pack or store around makes it easy. The temp control is easy with out any fancy pipes or dampers.
I am sure you would be happy with either one. Given the chance, I would buy another PBC over the Bronco any day, but that is just......like....my opinion man.
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I've been smacked in the face with a red herring! Don't throw rotten produce at me, but I just saw that PBC is now manufactured in China as is the OKJ. Right now, the wsm has pushed to the forefront of the race (in my mind), because it is assembled in the USA and most of it's parts are manufactured here from what I read. Still researching.....Comment
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I am very new to smoking so take this with a huge grain of salt. I got an Oklahoma Joe's Bronco from Lowe's. It took me about three cooks to figure out the temp control but now I think I've pretty much got it figured out with lump charcoal. I've be down to 180 degrees and up to 350 degrees and it's been pretty solid. I'm going to switch to briquettes and see how that goes compared to lump. I've smoked salmon, brisket, pork shoulder, whole chicken, steaks reverse seared (the sear was on a gas grill). This weekend I plan on smoking beef short ribs and cornish game hens (not at the same time). Oh, and I've also smoked mac and cheese. Came out great. Anyway, as I've said, I'm very new to this, but so far I'm very happy with the Bronco.Comment
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If the Bronco has existed back then I’d have bought it instead. The bang for the buck is just better. I’m also a control freak about temps, so "let it do it’s thing" just ain’t my speed.
I’m much happier now with the KJ & the PBC is sitting in the shed. Course I can’t even get anything for it now that I’ve modded the heck out of it, lol. Oh well, it served me well for years so I can’t be too mad at a $300 cooker.
ETA: buy this for your deck. Fiber cement pad, lit coals won’t burn through. (I have obviously not spilled hot coals on it and left them to see what would happen, but you’ll have time to pick them up at the very least)
Last edited by TNPIGBBQ; November 6, 2019, 10:05 PM.Comment
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Been following this thread from the start with the expected PBC and WSM camps chiming in with their respective virtues and that's why AR is such is a great resource to help one make the choice that works for what you want to do. I'm going to get a Bronco Drum Smoker not because it's better than anything else but because I want to. I love my PBC (and the exceptional customer service), Weber Performer / SNS and small gasser all for different reasons. I don't need a Bronco - I want a Bronco because it has much higher capacity than the Weber Performer and will cook at real controlled low and slow temps that the PBC won't do without $300 add-ons that oh wait, wouldn't that pay for a Bronco? Sure it apparently has some challenges like grease leaks where the two barrel halves connect and full racks of ribs not fitting with the diffuser in place but I don't care. High temp RTV should fix the grease leaks and I usually cut my full rib racks in half to hang in the PBC anyway because the bottom ribs always over cook unless you invert and rehang. Yes I'm fortunate to have multiple cook options but in my mind the Bronco has some great versatility and should would work well all by itself.Comment
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Huge PBC fan here. Maybe the Bronco has something to offer ... but like I said, huge PBC fan here. You just need to learn how to light it properly to get the most amazing results.Last edited by MBMorgan; November 7, 2019, 09:23 PM.Comment
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Thank you all for the assistance! At the end, I went for the WSM because it is almost fully made in the country I call home. Although it costs a bit more than the Bronco and PBC, I believe I will learn more about charcoal grilling and smoking, in general, with the wsm.
Maybe I will own a PBC or Bronco someday... but I have to admit that while researching I came across diy brick grills/smokers and I got a little giddy!
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Best of luck, and enjoy that new cooker.
KathrynComment
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Don't know if you have pulled the trigger yet or not, just saw your post but here are some links to what you were looking for. Comparison cooks with PBC and the OK Joe Bronco:Originally posted by Porkies View PostI think I found, and read, all of the threads which mentioned the two of these together. I did find lots of good advice and instruction in some of these threads. I didn't find anything where folks were actually comparing these two alone. I read the reviews of both and am still undecided.
I want to add a charcoal/wood smoker alongside of my original purchase, the masterbuilt electric smoker and my gas grill. I can afford to purchase at the $500 price line, but would rather go with these at $300.
I would be cooking for 2 mostly and up to 15 or 20 maybe for holiday parties (3 maybe 5 times a year). I will offer to cook for the parties once I am satisfied with my cooks.
I am not one that must check temps all the time, but I do have a thermoworks smoke(?) with 2 probes so I don't worry too much about the control. I have no problem sitting and having a beer(s) while the smoker works.
I would like the ability for dry or wet rubs (I don't know if charcoal smokers are particular, assuming no?).
My deck is 10 feet off the ground and 30 feet long, so it can get windy. I may need a welder's blanket, or to build a box.
Right now, I can get the Oklahoma Joes local for $247. I have not found any PBC local, so the price there is $300 at least.
Ribs, Butts, Brisket, poultry (I definitely want to smoke a turkey at some point).
Although I will heed any advice from these forums, I am pretty much focused in on the two in the title.
Help me spend my money!
EDIT: I forgot to ask - Is there an issue with long cooks and the charcoal in these drum smokers?
EDIT 2: Is the leaking grease still an issue? If so, I would have to make a purchase to protect my deck.
Hope this helps!
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Thanks for the two links Alabama Smoke . I have made a purchase, but I ended up going away from them and grabbed a wsm. I'm still going to have a look at the videos.
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