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No SmokeFire for me.

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    No SmokeFire for me.

    I was waiting for a more detailed in-depth review of the SmokeFire by Max, but, after seeing all the user reviews and posts in here and on Facebook, it appears to be a big fail so far. Will be going with a MAK 2 star instead.

    #2
    a close friend of mine was going to order his this week. after the baby back maniac video linked from another thread he's going another direction. Bummer to see this from Weber.

    Comment


      #3
      That's too bad, like most of us I'm a big fan of Weber products. Pellet poopers are pretty simple functionally: a hopper, burn pot, fan, auger, igniter and a simple thermostatic controller. I wonder how they've managed to screw up that combo.

      Comment


      • CaptainMike
        CaptainMike commented
        Editing a comment
        Hey Troutman, BTW, I picked up one of those Heavy D diffusers and it works great, thanks for the referral and recommendation.

      • Troutman
        Troutman commented
        Editing a comment
        Excellent CaptainMike glad to hear it’s working for you too. Got another item of theirs I’m testing as well, stay tuned for my write up.

      • CaptainMike
        CaptainMike commented
        Editing a comment
        Troutman I am totally tuned! Not sure if that's not the bourbon talking...

      #4
      Yeah, if I was buying a pellet cooker today, I would probably go Grilla as my personal selection, based on bang for the buck, and just get used to not being able to sear on the same cooker I smoke on.

      Comment


        #5
        Wouldn't be surprised to see some after market add-ons for smoking that are removed for searing.

        Comment


          #6
          I'm very anxious to see Max's review as well. It really surprises me the negativity surrounding the SF's performance when initially I heard its praises being sung.

          Comment


          • glitchy
            glitchy commented
            Editing a comment
            xaugievike I think you are dead on, lots of first long cooks probably happened this last weekend...I know mine did and I put a pan under my brisket...kinda wish it wouldn't have been the first time I used a water pan in a pellet cooker now to have tested the fire risk, but then again brisket turned out amazing and I really don't need a grill having grease fires overnight.

          • Argoboy
            Argoboy commented
            Editing a comment
            When is that going to happen?

          • Huskee
            Huskee commented
            Editing a comment
            Argoboy. VERY soon, testing is underway now. Rest assured Max is aware of many others' issues and the other reviews so he's being thorough.

          #7
          I too am surprised by the issues reported. The one thing that I can't understand is how they designed the pellet hopper. I built a pellet hopper for my pellet heater (for the house), and I first made the mistake of not having an angle that is large enough. I discovered that within days, the pellets were not sliding down, so the fire died. That didn't take long to figure out, the hard way.

          But looking at the SmokeFire, it doesn't seem like anyone has done a long cook on it, or else they would've discovered it, right?

          Either way, I like the whole concept of the SmokeFire, too bad these flaws are too serious to ignore. Baby Back Maniac's YouTube review is really good.

          Comment


          • Troutman
            Troutman commented
            Editing a comment
            My pellet hopper is vertical, never had a pellet bridge occur. Gravity baby, don't try fighting it. Mine also holds 40#, long cooks pork butts and briskets without having to refill at all.

          • grantgallagher
            grantgallagher commented
            Editing a comment
            This really is a great point. A vertical feed makes so much more sense than relying on overcoming friction. I mean any kind of rust, or abrasion over time etc etc could impact that never mind the fact it seems like they screwed up the angle to begin with. With weber branded pellets too...

          • TheQuietOne
            TheQuietOne commented
            Editing a comment
            I think divisionbell77 is on the right track. I find it hard to believe that Weber wouldn't have thoroughly tested it in the lab and in the field before release. A last minute change or a vendor part that didn't meet print makes a lot of sense.

          #8
          Well the good news is there will be SmokeFires on Craigslist cheap in a month or so!😜

          Comment


            #9
            Never had a problem with pellets bridging in any of the 500 or so pits I have built. Must be doin something right..

            Comment


            • Troutman
              Troutman commented
              Editing a comment
              Bet you never had an auger jamb either

            • bardsleyque
              bardsleyque commented
              Editing a comment
              My "pellet pooper" burns wood as well.

            • Henrik
              Henrik commented
              Editing a comment
              Touché!!

            #10
            While you will enjoy a MAK 2 star, I'm pretty sad this is going the way it is for Weber. I was hoping for a home run. It would have forced a price war of sorts that should have benefited almost all of us. While the newer 2 stars can grill very well, the Weber design is definitely impressive for grilling with pellets and I suspect over time other manufacturers may incorporate some of their design even if it's a removal piece to enhance grilling capability.

            Comment


              #11
              All this stuff is way complicated for me.

              I bought a Primo oval Xl instead.

              Comment


              • painter
                painter commented
                Editing a comment
                Right on!

              #12
              It’s the Chinese, that’s it....let’s blame it on them

              Comment

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