I realize this is a long post..
Ran into the Sheel's store yesterday, and my much smarter half started looking at the Rec-Teq smoker/grills without me. She recently saw the Bulleye's being used on one of the multitude of cooking shows she watches. She gravitated to the Back Yard Beast 1200 and then the Dual-Fire 1200. She really liked the DF1200 for reasons only known to her as I am sure she didn't do any of the analysis I will describe below. Last night out of now where she said, whatever I do (didn't know I should be doing anything), I couldn't get the Yoder YS1500 with comp cart for $5600, which seems to imply getting one of of the Rec-Teq is what I should be doing. As I said, she is much smarter than I am and "knew I needed" a new smoker before it even occurred to me. Wanting to remain in good standing, I feel a duty to explore all options..
My current pellet setup is an older GMG Jim Bowie that doesn't like to do cooks longer than 3 hours anymore without experiencing a flame out. I have changed out the pellets, temp probe, fan, auger motor, control board and everything else GMG suggested, but roughly 3hrs into a cook it says it is done for the day. So, with the help of Smoke Daddy's Sear Daddy I converted it to a live fire grill and pizza oven with roughly 400sq/in of live fire cooking space (800 if I count the second grate). With the Sear Daddy, it really excels at live fire cooking. Since these are always hot and fast cooks flameouts haven't been an issue, and I anticipate it will continue to work since I literally changed out every component. Prior to the flameout issue, with second level cooking grate the total cooking space is roughly 1100sq/in, which I mention because it takes up a good amount of real estate for just 400sq/in of primary cooking space. I also have a very large Louisianna vertial pellet smoker (Pit Boss 7 series) and numerous other charcoal options for smoking, so I don't really mind that the GMG is strictly hot/fast as I don't have a gas grill and pellets are currently allowed under our burn ban.
If I were to look at the DF1200, it would have roughly 350sq/in of live fire on a single grate (assuming I could add a second level grate to double the space) and 850sq/in between the two grates for smoking. However, the price is $1850 which is a lot for me to accept as I widely know as a cheap bastard. I wouldn't really be losing any cooking space and it would occupy roughly the same space on the deck as the GMG. I "think" I can add the pizza oven, but the DF1200 isn't listed as a model it fits. Yes, I have asked Recteq and waiting for an answer, but losing the pizza oven would be bad to me. I could use a pizza stone on the WSK/Broncos/Akorn, but more often than not during fire season we are in a burn ban that doesn't allow charcoal. I may have previously mentioned the burn bans during one of my whinning posts about about them.
If I were to look at the BYB1200 for $1200, it would have slightly more space for smoking than I did when the GMG was working correctly with a similar foot print on the deck. However, I would lose the life fire aspects, but could add a pizza oven insert for $300. Losing the live fire would be bad since I don't have a gas grill, which means either adding a gasser, keeping the GMG, or adding a Bulleye's that result in either getting back up to roughly the $1850, greatly expanding the footprint, or using the WSK/etc (burn ban issue).
Or, some combination of a Bullseye and a Deck Boss 900 ($1500-1700), keeping the GMG and adding a DB900 ($1000). Both options replicate the DF1200, but either way they have a larger foot print while having the bonus of saving several hunderd dollars to roughly a grand. However, she didn't linger over the Bullseye (lifted the lid and walked away), completely passed by the DB900, and went straight to the DF1200 and BYB1200. Body language suggested she wasn't as impressed with the Bullseye as she thought she would be and the DB900 was too small.(?) I know I should have asked, but I was just in shock that she was looking all on her own.
If you were faced with such a challenge and wanting to be a good hubby by respecting her MCS, what would you do? Focus in on the DF1200, BYB1200, some combo of the Bullseye/DB900/GMG, or damn the torpedos, buy the Yoder, and sleep on the couch?
Why does my life have to be so hard! Seriously, I suffer greatly from spiraling into paralysis by analysis if presented with too many options, so your thoughts/brain power would be greatly appreciated.
Ran into the Sheel's store yesterday, and my much smarter half started looking at the Rec-Teq smoker/grills without me. She recently saw the Bulleye's being used on one of the multitude of cooking shows she watches. She gravitated to the Back Yard Beast 1200 and then the Dual-Fire 1200. She really liked the DF1200 for reasons only known to her as I am sure she didn't do any of the analysis I will describe below. Last night out of now where she said, whatever I do (didn't know I should be doing anything), I couldn't get the Yoder YS1500 with comp cart for $5600, which seems to imply getting one of of the Rec-Teq is what I should be doing. As I said, she is much smarter than I am and "knew I needed" a new smoker before it even occurred to me. Wanting to remain in good standing, I feel a duty to explore all options..
My current pellet setup is an older GMG Jim Bowie that doesn't like to do cooks longer than 3 hours anymore without experiencing a flame out. I have changed out the pellets, temp probe, fan, auger motor, control board and everything else GMG suggested, but roughly 3hrs into a cook it says it is done for the day. So, with the help of Smoke Daddy's Sear Daddy I converted it to a live fire grill and pizza oven with roughly 400sq/in of live fire cooking space (800 if I count the second grate). With the Sear Daddy, it really excels at live fire cooking. Since these are always hot and fast cooks flameouts haven't been an issue, and I anticipate it will continue to work since I literally changed out every component. Prior to the flameout issue, with second level cooking grate the total cooking space is roughly 1100sq/in, which I mention because it takes up a good amount of real estate for just 400sq/in of primary cooking space. I also have a very large Louisianna vertial pellet smoker (Pit Boss 7 series) and numerous other charcoal options for smoking, so I don't really mind that the GMG is strictly hot/fast as I don't have a gas grill and pellets are currently allowed under our burn ban.
If I were to look at the DF1200, it would have roughly 350sq/in of live fire on a single grate (assuming I could add a second level grate to double the space) and 850sq/in between the two grates for smoking. However, the price is $1850 which is a lot for me to accept as I widely know as a cheap bastard. I wouldn't really be losing any cooking space and it would occupy roughly the same space on the deck as the GMG. I "think" I can add the pizza oven, but the DF1200 isn't listed as a model it fits. Yes, I have asked Recteq and waiting for an answer, but losing the pizza oven would be bad to me. I could use a pizza stone on the WSK/Broncos/Akorn, but more often than not during fire season we are in a burn ban that doesn't allow charcoal. I may have previously mentioned the burn bans during one of my whinning posts about about them.
If I were to look at the BYB1200 for $1200, it would have slightly more space for smoking than I did when the GMG was working correctly with a similar foot print on the deck. However, I would lose the life fire aspects, but could add a pizza oven insert for $300. Losing the live fire would be bad since I don't have a gas grill, which means either adding a gasser, keeping the GMG, or adding a Bulleye's that result in either getting back up to roughly the $1850, greatly expanding the footprint, or using the WSK/etc (burn ban issue).
Or, some combination of a Bullseye and a Deck Boss 900 ($1500-1700), keeping the GMG and adding a DB900 ($1000). Both options replicate the DF1200, but either way they have a larger foot print while having the bonus of saving several hunderd dollars to roughly a grand. However, she didn't linger over the Bullseye (lifted the lid and walked away), completely passed by the DB900, and went straight to the DF1200 and BYB1200. Body language suggested she wasn't as impressed with the Bullseye as she thought she would be and the DB900 was too small.(?) I know I should have asked, but I was just in shock that she was looking all on her own.
If you were faced with such a challenge and wanting to be a good hubby by respecting her MCS, what would you do? Focus in on the DF1200, BYB1200, some combo of the Bullseye/DB900/GMG, or damn the torpedos, buy the Yoder, and sleep on the couch?
Why does my life have to be so hard! Seriously, I suffer greatly from spiraling into paralysis by analysis if presented with too many options, so your thoughts/brain power would be greatly appreciated.
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