I am just curious after seeing a number of threads on the Masterbuilt 560/1050 gravity fed charcoal grills. Has anyone really dug in and compared them? I realize the MM line is waaaay more expensive than Mixon's cookers. the Assassin line is maybe 2-3x. Just wondering if anyone looked and decided that they are worth the high price versus the Masterbuilts. The AR free site has a review of the GS commercial, so not that direct a comparison. AR has nothing on the Assassin line.
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Both the Assassin and MM stuff look to be pure smokers whereas the MB stuff is, as far as I know, unique in that it can be a smoker OR a high temp grill. Its appeal, at least to me, is that it is one thing that does everything I'd need - low and slow for smoke, fast and hot for grilling a burger or steak.
The downside of the Masterbuilt is that it's built to a price point, so it's flimsy and cheap (relatively speaking). The other two are in a vastly different price band ($2600+). What I'd like is someone to make a gravity fed charcoal unit that does what the MB does but has better steel, switched that aren't flimsy and a reliably waterproof electronics unit. I personally don't care if it's a fully insulated box with super high quality steel etc but hell, I have a 30 year old Weber charcoal grill that still works. Sturdy doesn't need to be fancy.Last edited by rickgregory; January 26, 2021, 02:44 PM.-
"The downside of the MM is that it's built to a price point, so it's flimsy and cheap..."
Did you mean the MB is built cheap, cuz the Mixon unit is a beast. -
I don't own an Assassin, but I've researched their charcoal grill line and spoken to the owners a few times. That unit is definitely not a pure smoker. It's a heavy-duty charcoal grill that can also be utilized as a smoker through multi-zone cooking and/or the use of a baffle and an offset exhaust stack. It's not a gravity-fed smoker though or an offset. Price-wise, you can get into one for well less than $2K if you can pick it up yourself in Georgia. All just FYI . . .
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Like Rick says - the MB is more versatile. That said, I’ve cooked on the MM gravity fed smoker, and it’s gonna outlive the MB by something like five lifetimes. It’s built like a tank. Whether it’s worth it is another question, but in this case there’s a British saying that fits the bill: "Buy cheap - buy twice"Comment
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I think one of the best bangs for the buck is the Old Country Gravity Fed smoker, if you can find one that is. Old Country, a Texas pit builder, built a bunch of them, sold them all out and seems sort of lackadaisical in producing any more. They're made out of 10 ga. and insulated so they are well built and the best part is they're only about $1,200, which is a bargain. But again, you just can't find the darn things.
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If I had to guess, the MB560 has a far cheaper build (~200 pounds) compared to 520 pounds for the MM (MMS-G9), and clearly lower quality electronics and switches like others have said.
Honestly though, it's probably a really good question for Assassin and MM. I am sure they are aware of the MB560 and would probably love to go into more detail about the specifics.Comment
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Thanks folks. My MCS tingled when the MasterBuilt first showed up. However, the build quality issues that were reported, and somewhat confirmed here, put me off. So, thought to look at possible competitors. I am fortunate enough that the cost would not be a prime factor. What I guess the more costly cookers miss is the versatility of the MB, and the seeming fit with the a majority of the typical backyard "pit masters".
ease of use, versatility, local availability and good results. Thanks again!
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If you are willing to spend $2k+ you can probably rig any good quality gravity fed smoker with a fan control.
Even with its flaws I think the MB is decent for the price and it does get hot enough to grill. However grilling is a little different. It’s all convection (air) and conduction (bars). There is little radiation. For direct grilling I still prefer directly over charcoal.
in the MB with the bars at 700F if you keep stuff moving you can get a good even sear. It also can do the same job on wings as a kettle with a vortex.Comment
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A cheap masterbuilt at fraction of the price? Yes, one is better. How much do you have to spend how much is it worth to you?Comment
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Hands on MB at Home depot today.
Door is nice and heavy.
Nice features included.Attached FilesComment
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Masterbuilt are the Yugos of the grill world. Cheap, easily broken, and no customer support.Comment
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