My son has a Kettle with both a SNS and a Vortex. He has been smoking for several years (he started with a real cheap bullet smoker bought on line) and now wants to enter into the offset world. He asked me about an offset stick burner that would be around $1000.00 or so. I have no experience with an offset other that a real cheap one many years ago from a big box store and I did not know how to use it. That was well before YouTube and AmazingRibs,com. What offsets are in this price range that are not junk. I told him if money was not an issue, then maybe a LSG. How about an Old Country Brazos or an Oklahoma Joe ? Thank you in advance for your expert advice.
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https://kbq.us/ are real popular around here. -
I’m interested in the answers you get. I added a stick burner last summer and was eyeing the $1000 range and to me it seemed like no man’s land. COS abound in the $400-700 range. Then it seemed like you’re up to $1700 for a KBQ or well constructed offsets made with quality materials. Didn’t know about the old country bravos that actually looks pretty good at first glance.
I ended up getting a OKJ Highland and put about $350 of mods in it. It’s not welded and the firebox burned all of its paint off right away but I actually like it a lot. Junk it may beComment
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Also, while the KBQ is above $1k, it's not that far and you might want to keep an eye on FB Marketplace and Craigslist for a used version (and here of course).Comment
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+1. I have an old school New Braunfels offset stickburner that I love, but if I ever see a KBQ at $1000 or less I won't be able to help but buy it and then decide which to keep (but let's be real, I will likely keep both). I can't justify buying a new one, but if there is a deal I can sell it to the wife.
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Jeremy Yoder from Mad Scientist BBQ likes the Old Country Brazos: https://youtu.be/0zTuW_gKfYEComment
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Have you tried looking under ‘Products Review’ on the main site? I believe you can filter by ‘type’ and ‘price range’.Comment
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I've eyed this one up in the past, but have no real knowledge of it. Maybe someone else here can weigh in. Seems it would be an upgrade from COS, and it's just over $1,000 (plus I'm sure shipping, depending where you are):
http://www.horizonbbqsmokers.com/bac...classic-smoker
You used to be able to get these at BassPro, ship to store. I looked at the BassPro website, and all it currently shows is a more expensive model from Horizon, but maybe it will be available in the future.Comment
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The Brazos has a really good following and I believe is a pretty good offset. The key I’ve heard is you want to live near an Academy so you can see the one you are buying as the weld quality supposedly varies quite a bit smoker to smoker. I think it’s kind of a special deal between Old Country and Academy and maybe the trainees build the Academy smokers or they are the factory seconds? Just a WAG.
As Murdy mentioned Horizon would be worth a look too, especially if you have a Bass Pro near. Quality offsets have had huge price increases the past couple years because of how much steel has gone up. OKJ smokers can work, but can just as easily make you swear off offset forever. They’re very thin to start with and really designed to be charcoal offsets more than stick burners. Used heavily, they’re not going to last. Most people I’ve seen end up buying and doing all kinds of mods to make them run better. High temp silicone, door gaskets, baffle plates, lid locks, etc. I had one and used it a couple times before selling it. I didn’t have the motivation to keep tinkering to get it to flow perfect.
There’s a huge difference between a OKJ or Charbroil and a real offset. Getting into anything at least 1/4†steel and welded instead of bolted should lead to a far more enjoyable experience.
I decided to go the KBQ route and waited for a used one that I just found a couple weeks ago.
If your son really wants to start with a COS, this one seems to get more positive comments than the OKJ’s: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Char-Gri...c&gclsrc=3p.dsLast edited by glitchy; April 1, 2022, 10:39 AM.Comment
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