BBQ Buyers Guide to the Cheapest Quarter Inch Offset Smokers 

Isn’t it ironic that as expensive as the high end smokers are , they are around the same price as the latest iPhone or smartphone which any teenager doesn’t hesitate to spend money for? And a high quality smoker will last you for decades vs a couple of years for a phone. That btw is the argument I use with my wife whenever I buy a new grill or smoker lol.

Wow, really like the content. Definitely something we need on BBQ YT!

Absolutely loved this video! After being on the wait-list to purchase for 6 months, my 20x60 old country pit arrived. Cant wait til my first cook!

It took about 9 weeks to get my Yoder wichita delivered, definitely worth the wait. Keep putting out great videos👍🏼

The performance of these smokers vary greatly. Design flaws of yoder are well documented on many smoker forums. Old country and Horizon smokers have better designed air flow thus fire management is efficient. Yoder has a higher firebox that doesn't flow into the cook chamber well, they tried to lower the air vent in the firebox door to fix the issue however it solved nothing. The 20" yoder works well with a charcoal basket and wood chunks but well never burn wood splits with the current design. I live 20 min from Yoders manufacturing, I beta tested the new firebox door...honestly the main focus there is pellet smoker.

I have owned and used the Old Country Brazos from Academy for about 8 years now. It has held up well, but is very temper mental and you have to baby sit it. I just placed an order from Workhorse Pits in Georgia for their 1975 model, however I wont see it until June. The 1975 is in the 3K dollar range, however it is made from virgin 3/8" pipe. Once I receive the Workhorse 1975, I am going to modify the Old Country Brazos by adding a collector and taller stack.

I picked up my Horizon 16 used on CL, for $600. It came with about a full cord of red oak, 2 big bags of Kamado lump charcoal, and some other goodies. Used deals are out there, but my next pit will be a Workhorse 1975!

This was awesome! You got yourself a subscriber!

I have had a Horizon for a couple years now, highly recommend. If you contact the company directly they will fully customize to your liking. Great customer service.

Been waiting on a video like this. Every time I've searched this I've been diverted to chargrillers and the like

I have a Yoder Cheyenne and I love it. I needed more space so I built, with the help of an OG welder, a 1/4" vertical off-set. I can now smoke 6 briskets or 20 pounds of bacon at one time. Keep on smoking!

Mine is an offset built by Klose Pits in Houston. Its a 20"x42" round with 1/4" casing. The firebox is 1/2" x 20" x 20", that's correct, 0.50 inches thick and 20 inch square. The 4" stack has been placed to optimize heat and clean smoke. This is a smoking machine. I'd recommend one thats in the market to check in to them... Cheers

I recently bought a Texas Longhorn BBQ pits model TL - 1005. The price has gone up since I bought mine, but it is still a fair price. They can be bought from hardware stores MG Building Materials and Southerlands. I bought mine from MG Building Materials because they deliver locally for $75. I do recommend looking at the BBQ pits in person before you buy because the diameter of the pipe on some of the Texas longhorn pits look a little small. I think that they put the cooking grate higher than some other smokers. I really like it though. It is my first offset smoker. My last BBQ pit was a Charbroiler and I really liked it also. I could have made Charbroiler last longer if I sprayed it with vegetable oil more often.

Roger Davidson founder and owner of Horizon Smokers is the brother of Joe Davidson of Oklahoma Joe's which was butchered by Char-Broil. Joe now owns or part owner of several BBQ restaurants and from what friends tell me are super good. This was a great watch and I was hoping that you would have Lone Star Grillz featured in here as they are some of the bests pits out right now (word of mouth, not me).

I can't believe how detailed your videos are!, You save people so much time and doing research Keep up the great work. Sad part I live in Canada and shipping all these awesome offset smokers would be very expensive. Available is Oklahoma Joe, bulldog BBQ 1000s $ 2,249 Cad Broil King Regal 500 $1,000 Yoder Wichita loaded $4,000 Dyna glow signature series 997$ Are you able to do a comparison for stuff available in Canada? And from all your research did you notice anything about efficiency like if we purchased a thinner metal versus quarter inch how much more time would be have to tend the fire. I do want to get an offset but I like to convenience of appellate grill with Wi-Fi standing around for 12 hours checking the fire doesn't seem very productive.

I really like my vertical Oklahoma Joe smoker. I’ve had it for years. Got it at Academy on a Black Friday sale for under $200. It is definitely a cheaply built smoker. The paint peeled off the firebox in sheets the first time I used it, but it’s still going after about 10 years. It’s on it’s last leg so I’m interested in replacing it, but would like to stay with the vertical style.

😀 I purchased a luging 16 loaded with a propane gas starter. I am very satisfied with it. With the propane starter, it is so easy to get a nice hot coal bed. Cheap it was not but I have had it for three years now and have gotten my money out of it. If I were to do it again, I would get a larger one. only because I love offset smoking so much.

Nice job! on this and great information. Really loved the surprise ending - to bad they all don't make em like they use to.

This is helpful as i'm doing research for whenever i can muster up the funds to build my backyard cookshack. I'm thinking i'd go with the brazos from this videos included units, but i'm thinking for the sake of futureproofing to go higher end. Thanks for this very helpful breakdown! It'd be great to see the next price tier up! like a 2000-3000 tier but to the backyard size range still.

metal gauge : divide by 16 metal gauge is based on how many thicknesses of the metal would make 1 " 16 ga is 1/16 " = .0625 thick 12 ga is 3/32 " = .093 thick 8 ga is 1/8 " = .125 thick 10ga is .100 " thick etc etc etc.

Hey folks, a little story for you on topic here... I live in Toronto Canada and the BassPro / Cabala's Canadian site doesn't even list any of the Horizon models that the US site boasts. I was bummed, but I thought "It's all one big company, right? I wonder if I call and ask, would they order what I want and ship it through their store chain (which is also a model not even listed on the US Bass Pro sites)."? So in early January of 2021 I called my local Bass Pro manager and explained what I wanted. I was told to hang tight for a couple of days while calls were made. 2 Days later I got an email saying no problem, we can order exactly what you want and it'll be here in about 8 to 10 weeks (it took 12). I also asked for the addition of a second shelf in the cook chamber as per Horizon website accessories I also asked for a specific mod to the model I was ordering to lower the smokestack to grate level (No problem and they didn't charge me for this) All was no problem at all. The first week of April, I received a 20" RD Special Marshall from Horizon with all the extra bits. Yes, they are expensive...and with the Canadian / US exchange, it was even more...but believe it or not STILL LESS THAN THE Loaded Wichita from Yoder (up here at least). Sometimes a phone call can get you a lot! Happy shopping everyone!

I have a Bayou Classic and I really like it

If you live in Texas, Lyfetyme makes great pits. Made in Uvalde, they sell them at popular Texas Grocery retailer HEB. I picked my 1/4 inch steel 20X40 smoker on sale for $1,000 ( retails for $1,300)

I bought a "Old Country" from "Academy Sports" for $399.00. I love it as I like to use wood or Cowboy lump coal. I use Cowboy as it heats the pit up real quick. Regular Charcoal takes a lot of it to get the job done. Set the Temperature the way you want it and I guarantee you won't have to keep adding charcoal once the Smoker get's hot. I'd buy another one in a minute.

You put alot of research into this. Much appreciated! Great work!! Curious why Lonestar Grillz product line wasn't included?

Thanks for doing all the homework for us, it sure did clear some things up, I will try facebook or craigslis, some people just get tired of them with the wood and all, I have a master built electric and a pellet grill, but you just can`t beat the smokiness of a stick burner, if I spend a lot of money on an offset my wife is gonna kill me,hehe.

Great video, I have been cooking on one I built from a old oil drum and other scrap, it rusted out after a couple years. It certainly wasn’t a quality product just a bunch of junk I welded together not having a clue what I was doing. To its credit I’ve cooked some great food or it. I am thinking about getting a 1/4” proper pit. Had I not watched this video I probably would have bought the old country brazos. Not being made in the US is a dealbreaker for me I had assumed they were!

I bought one of the Old Country Brazos DLX from Buc-ee's about 7 months ago, so they are already available.

I'd also like to add that if you go into the store, Bass Pro can order the entire Horizon Smoker Line to be delivered to their stores if you go into the store to the camping department and talk to the person who orders smokers. If you do this you're going to save money on shipping vs having it shipped to your house. For example, the Horizon 20" Classic that I picked up was $1399(it's still available at bass pro btw). But if buy it direct from Horizon, and ship to SoCal, you're going to pay $1299+$475 shipping (a lot). I was quoted from Bass Pro $1600 for the 20" "Icon" that comes with more accessories. If you would order that from Horizon, they quoted me $475 shipping plus the cost of Smoker $1425. Long story short, go into Bass Pro, and take advantage of the partnership they have with Horizon, you'll love the smoker it's awesome.

I have a cheap OK joe reverse flow longhorn. yeah, pretty thin but it does work well. although this is the only offset I have cooked on. definitely should have shopped for a used unit. but seems like a good starter.

Fantastic content 👌 👏 👍

Have you ever used a FatStack smoker? I've been looking at the FS-80. Love that they make the fire box with 3/8" curved steel plate as an insert but the price is a premium and I live up in Alberta so shipping will be a bit more skin in the game. Just seeing if it as good as I have read.

Add the new Goldie’s pit to this cheap offset category please! Cheers

Hi. Just want to make a correction to your video in reference to the Horizon Smoker. Cabela’s and Bass Pro do stock the 20” Classics in 50% of their stores and can be Special ordered from any and all of their stores. This is coming from a reliable source. ;-) Please verify your information. Thanks.

Great content! but on the Cheyenne loaded you misspelled counterweight. Subbed because I misspell everything as well

Have you done any research on the Lang smokers? How bout reverse flow smokers? $2500 range smokers? Thanks for the video. Rico

I actually just sent old country bbq an email asking if they were the same company that made the brazos, wish I would have seen this video first. But, I do wish old country sold the brazos from their website since theres no Academy near me

Random question, but I can't remember if I saw this in your video here or another one. Did you mention that you can get the OC BBQ Brazos but thicker steel than 1/4 inch?

You know, I love you videos. I can’t believe I didn’t watch this one before buying my Horizon 20 a couple of years back. I think your sq foot+ firebox figures are wrong. It insinuates that you only get 66Sq inches in the firebox and that’s not right. At 20 inches deep (like the whole pit), the grate would have to be 3 inches wide for that to be accurate. But it’s about 12 or 13 inches wide with plenty of space for a larger one. Just FYI.

Seen Old Country’s metal delaminates and hear they don’t work well, lots of QC issues. Their model with the vertical stack has all kinds of design probs...

All of these are over the price I'm willing to pay for a smoker. I have a royal gourmet smoker right now. 134 with taxes. I'm looking at this 200 buck smoker from Lowe's. I just can't see myself paying that much for a smoker. In the same breath, I have my eye on this 500 dollar jbl party speaker. I guess it's what I feel Ima get the most use out of. One day I'll get a big boy smoker, right now Ima stay under 200

Check out Country Built smokers , phenomenal craftsmanship …

Did Texas Original Pits go out of business? Everything is sold out on their website and can’t find a dealer in Houston, that has their pits listed on their website.

So, its better to get Horizon than Oklahoma? What customizations are people trying to do to them? What thickness does the one that sells different thicknesses sell?

I was down in Laredo, Texas recently and I went by Old Country BBQ Pit's warehouse. I told them I was there to look over their stock and maybe buy a pit. They basically told me and my friend that if we wanted to buy one, go to any Academy Sports and purchase one. I thought I would be able to get a "better" deal if I purchased one directly from them, but they said that they are not really set up to do that. Oh well, I guess local business is not that important to them.

How do you keep steel smokers from rusting out? I had a "Good One" and it was a rust bucket in three years.

Just fyi academy sports doesn’t deliver the Brazos smokers anymore. There’s literally nowhere else you can buy them online and have them delivered.

Can you find the Kingford rancher xl?

Great video! But....if you are from Europe like i am, we don't have much choice. And that choice is really expensive.

so what are the top 3 best offset smokers under 500?

My Old Country was bought from Uvalco. Disappointed not seeing Lone Star and Lyfe Tyne in here.

Posting the date of publication of this video would be helpful...

Merci 👍

Are those insulated firebox?

Is Keith still selling that pit?

Looks like the scap yard and a welder for me,do have any idea what I can make myself for about $1,000 🤦🤷

Don't buy an Old Country online. I got mine at academy and had to pick through six of them before I found one that was decent enough to buy. They all had alignment issues, or poor welds, wobbly or crocked cooking grates, etc. Finally found one that just wobbled a bit on its legs/wheels and had a crooked rail that goes around the pipe. Other wise they work pretty well but they have poor quality control

ARE YOU MATT BUCKLEY FROM TOP GUN OPTIONS? CUZ YOU SOUND EXACTLY LIKE HIM WTFFFFFFF

Con to Horizon. They don't get back to you, when you've reached of to them...

Need a smoker for sub zero temperatures..

Oklahoma joe for 300 total. Mods 200.

Just a heads up it's pronounced [Braz] [us] not [Braz] [os].

Texas Original Pits is more expensive than Old Country, and their build quality sucks. I had one, and i had leaky welds on the head that dripped grease through, and they refused to do anything about it. When I was unhappy with their low quality product the owner just got angry and yelled at me over the phone about how I didn't know anything. I happen to be an Engineer and I know what I am looking at with welds. They clearly have low cost labor that has no experience and it shows. I would never recommend them to anyone. Great customer service as long as you are buying.....until you have an issue when it arrives then their answer is just tell tell you off and once they have your money there is no longer any customer service. They also have a design flaw, their exhaust stack is not sized for wood fire way undersized. Works ok I guess if you only want to cook with charcoal but that's not what the smoker is advertised to be. I sold it after fixing all the problems with it, and I then built my own from scratch and I am much happier with that. Cost to build my own 24" x 48" cook chamber, 24" fierbox was less than I bought the 16" x 36" luling with that I hated and was built piss poor. If I were going to buy one again and wanted to spend more than Old Country, I would go to Horizon and buy a 20" Marshall. I have seen their smokers in person and they are really nice, I would pick that over a Yoder which also has a design flaw and drafts poorly like the LuLing did until I upsized the exhaust pipe. Hope that this helps at least one person....

My 40” char-broil offset smoker works perfect. For under $200 Can’t see spending over $300 for a backyard smoker unless I planned making a business of it. If so I would make own 500gal smoker.

u can get great bbq from a 300 dollar offset..most times it cooker not the pit that puts out good food..u might have to work a little harder

Another con for all smokers except the brazos is smoke stack is not at grate level

IF..you have a choice ...Why buy an offset at all?

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