Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Pro Vs. Gateway Drum Smoker | Which Drum Is Better? | Drum Smoker Comparison 

I too have the OKJ Bronco original and love mine. The other difference in the two is how you can move the charcoal basket on top of the charcoal and grill and grill in three positions. One with the deflector as you had it and charcoal on top, flrip the deflector the other direction and move the charcoal even closer to the grate and you can lower the grate down a level and practically have the grate sitting on top of the charcoal. Very Versitile. For the $200 savings you are getting more versitility with the Bronco unless as you do and travel around with it.

Great comparison Brian!! I own the regular bronco and love it but someday I want a gateway! I just like cooking on a drum! Thanks for sharing this brother!

Not a fan of Oklahoma Joe's offsets but they got it right with the Bronco/Pro. Excellent review...

I have the Bronco Pro and have really enjoyed it. I agree once it gets up to temp it will hang at that temp really well. It has been fun to cook on.

I recently brought the Joe Pro from Amazon with free shipping. Nice to see this video the Joe has no disadvantage except the weight if moving is a necessity. The weight is good in my regard since I don't need it move. From the video, it seems the Bronco has more features and accessories with better price. I am still relative new in BBQ, seem like vertical smoker with heat at the bottom can handle steady temp better than off set smoker which I also have. Thanks for the video.

I consider the thickness of the walls an advantage, not a disadvantage. Most people don't move their smokers around and engage in competition.

After watching this video make me love my Oklahoma joe so much more. Would definitely not waste my money on the gateway

Got my bronco at a Walmart on sale for $50 in January of 2017. Absolutely love it. Should of bought the other 2 they had left. Working on building my own barrel smoker now

Really nice comparison Brian! I do like the color of the gateway but like all the extras you get with the bronco. Great video! Cheers brother!

Awesome comparison Brian! I like them both!

Nice side by side comparison- will say for the dollar the OKJ bronco seems like the better deal

That’s a good idea putting cat litter on the bottom . Maybe everyone but me knew this but I have a brand new gateway and I’ll dump some in

Nice comparison and tips. Will sub and thumbs up

I’ve got the regular Bronco and love it! Thinking about adding a Gateway as well 👍🏻! Great video Brother!

Thanks for the comparison. I don't think I would have looked at the OK Joe, but it looks like its packed with some great features. I like the large wheels, shelf, and attached lid. If it reaches and holds 300F, then I don't see the single air intake as an issue.

I’ll always wonder why they didn’t make charcoal basket wider

I appreciate the comparison. As a KCBS judge, I see a LOT of gateways at the comps. Don't see too many bronco pros. Must be the weight. I am looking to get a drum smoker to add to my collection for the hot and fast capabilities. I would think the BP would hold temps better in cold weather as it is much thicker gauge steel. Any thoughts on that?

Seems to me Gateway is just extra margin for their dealers based on double the price without the accessories. Just my thoughts. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Very good review. 👍👍

Thank you for the review looking at getting the bronco pro. Q. How many racks of ribs have you cooked on it at once and how does a brisket cook on it?

I like my bronco I recommend it to anyone just starting out smoking meats

Great video! I'm really impressed with the bronco, I had some preconceived ideas because of my experience with some of their cheaper offsets. I'd be interested in how competition looks for you if you ever decide to whip out the camera at a comp. Great work!

Excellent video!

Does it cook differently with the diffuser in as opposed to leaving it out Advantages or disadvantages to using it ??

do you hang a whole brisket to smoke or lay it down on the grate?

I've got some things to say. I've watched several of your videos on my computer and commented, (complained actually), that I couldn't hear you. AHA. I have the RU-vid app on mt smart tv. Really makes a difference on sound and picture quality. Particularly after I saw this video again on the tv. I do apologize to you. A note on the Gateway. The heat deflector is extra, the rib hanger is extra. Both are standard on the Bronco. The thing I see with the Gateway 30 inch compared to the base Bronco Joe is Home Depot has a special now on it with cover, delivered at $441. The Gateway alone is $899. Then the added cost of all the extras that are standard on the Bronco. The other thing that I'm curious about is does the Gateway come with wheels? If not, I see that those are another $50 option. For those like me on a limited budget, I'm 79 and on SS, the Bronco makes more sense economically. They both appear to make similar flavor product. One last detail. I heard you mentioned you lived in Minnesota. I did time there in Albert Lea then up north and west at a little burg called Clinton, just north east of Millbank. You also mentioned you could "run over to Sioux Falls". I live in Sioux Falls. I find that interesting. I am just going to have to subscribe to your channel to see what all you do. Apparently we both have to battle the same weather conditions and environmental challenges. Thank you for bearing with and I apologize again for my past audio comments.

Question: how would this cook if you used a Hill Country style of loading the basket with burned down wood or charcoal vs lighting the center and letting it burn out? I’ve been thinking of building a chudbox but this would be a lot easier if it would work well.

What's the brand of clay scent free kitty litter do you use in your smokers? Great idea that I'd love to adapt to keep the base of the drums clean

Can you put multiple grates in the gateway...cook pork butts on 1level ribs on the other

Hello, I didnt mind the video, your Volume was really low and could hardly hear you.. So, maybe if that would get corrected.. As far as talking fast, that didnt bother me, just needed to be louder.. Other than that... Keep up the good work... I was between a Oklahoma Joe and Just building a Ugly drum smoker... I went with building my own.... Which is still being worked on.

Great video and comparison. Two questions as I've never used a drum smoker only have a WSM- if you don't use the heat deflector then aren't you basically direct grilling and not smoking? Secondly, if you hang ribs and especially without the heat deflector aren't the bottoms going to cook faster being closer to the heat source? Thanks.

Which cooker smokes which meats at comps..??? I use a Humphreys cabinet smoker for comps....thinking of switching to drums

Can that heat diffuser fit inside the Bronco pro? Thinking about buying a heat shield for my new Bronco pro. Got Hunsaker’s vortex on the way as well.

Did you say you use kitty litter in the smoker??

Any idea if the gateway drum hanger will fit the bronco? The bronco seems like it has a solid lid which would hood temp. I just got the WSM and temps are so hard to control. These seem like they would be easier to control

Ive got a pair of K4L Drum smokers which is the same type of air flow as the gateways do you think its better to run lump or a natural briquette

What's the advantage of not using the deflector plate

What is the product you put at the bottom to help with cleanup?

He didn’t show how you can flip the heat deflector an you can grill burgers and steaks on the Oklahoma Joe’s Pro

Have you cooked with the regular size OK Joe by any chance? Is there any difference apart from the size?

You need Gateway 55. Trust me. Because you will eventually buy that.

You forgot that the Bronco Pro can be converted to grill or smoke.

Good LAWD they workin over every segment of the market, $700?!?! Buy an old drum and make friends with a welder that likes to drink lol.

❤😅🎉

Your audio level is too low

He lost me at kitty litter

Both will rust out in a year. They need to make these out of 404 Stainless steel.

Cheap coal baskets

Can you add 1 or 2 more great for the ok joe’s

You're 100% right about the weight.... I rolled my Bronco pro back and forth on my patio but I can't imagine trying to load it up and take it somewhere..... That's what my Pit Barrel Cooker is for 😁😁😁

The gateway is $1,200 now. I think I'll go with the bronco pro. Thanks for the video

I picked up a Bronco Pro floor model from Lowe's for $150 this past January. The Bronco pro performs just as good as the Gateway for about $200 cheaper $699 VS $899.

Nice job Seth, that was a good overview on both! I have seen a lot of gateways at comps and they do really well no matter the weather. The ok joe actually looks pretty well done too and hey free stuff! Grill on brother!

The cat litter is a great tip to help me with the excessive grease in my new/used ORION COOKER

Earned a sub. I saw a comment regarding hanging ribs in the Bronco. Why don't you hang much anymore?

Great comparison, also I thought your speech was just fine!

Thanks Brian. I bought a Tel Tru BQ300 thermometer for my OJB and it’s super accurate. Highly recommend it.

Very good comparison. Can you please do a vid on the cleaning process, any other required maintenance, for a drum smoker? I think that would be really great info for those of us considering buying one.

I have the standard and added an extra outside shelf and an extra 2nd grate and for my purposes, there's plenty of room. I love the hanging aspect of this cooker and have done 9 racks and boy were my guests amazed and loved the flavor we got from all those juices hitting the coals ...Unreal flavor.Drums sure do make some good ribs !! You gotta love that feature on this bad boy. The hinged lid with the nice beefy handle is a major asset as well.. I found my Bronco @ Wally World for 1/2 price during the month of October when they were moving patio stuff out & bringing in Xmas decorations in. Always check WW when Xmas & Thanks Giving are coming.They liquidate a lot of the charcoal... pellet & gas grills. Was looking at WSM and it was very expensive and lacked so much compared to this Beast !! Lighter weight steel plus so many other features missing that OKJ Bronco had. Friend has Gateway and never saw these rigs and when he saw mine... he bought one.... sold the Gateway and is a happy smoker for much less $$ & for him he claimed "better features"....I cant argue that point either!! I also rigged a fan before anyone had some options............. I use a Pitmasters IQ fan unit (non digital) with some Home Depot fittings and it works excellent. Drum on its own will hold 240 all day & night providing ample fuel is used. With the fan unit I'm able to set 225 and will deviate 2-4 degrees from set point which isnt bad and burns less coal. I also use my unit as a designated smoker only. I use Weber kettles for grilling ( Smokey Joe 18" unit) Thermometer on mine clouded up and I didnt care as I use remote temp grate probe. But it was accurate when I stuck a probe that far down in the barrel. Mainly a cosmetic feature I think. Or possibly a ball park reference for some. It is built like a tank and even at 300$+ its still a great value .So if yu grab one on sale, your really doing good. Great video and excellent job at comparisons !!

When I first got a Bronco Pro, I used my $100 corded thermometer to check the temp in the chamber at 2 different levels to get a feel for how accurate the temp gauge was - the one I put near the exhaust at the top of the chamber read 250, while the temp gauge said 250 - the one at grate level said 260.. so it seems pretty accurate to me...

Is the temp dial really that bad ok the Oklahoma Joe and off that much? Man I was going to get one of these but if the temp dial doesn’t work what’s the point :/

Very interesting comparison and yes, the thermometer is 100% a POS. They sent me (and a friend) free replacements which were also 100% POS. There are however, a few features of the Bronco (I have the smaller version of the Bronco) that weren't covered: 1) The grill grate handles are slightly angled so it will hang from either the handle or the shelf... no need to find a place to put it while working on the fire. Nice. 2) There is a removable metal cup underneath the unit which allows you to both brush any ashes out and/or scrub the unit down with water (pressure washer!) and it will just drain out. Thus, you never need to tip it over or use a vacuum to clean it out. 3) The Bronco has a metal gasket attached to the lid that makes it air-tight. I use a fan/controller with mine and it easily runs at 250℉ for 12 hours with a much smaller coal basket than the Pro model. I can appreciate that the light weight construction of the Gateway is important to you because you compete. That said, the Bronco is built like a tank (I don't think you could dent it if you tried). When you combine all this with the fact that the Bronco has a hinged lid, huge wheels that will go over any terrain (vs the tiny casters on the Gateway) and all the extras (hanging rods, hooks, shelf and towel bar/handle) that are included, I think the Broncos are a much better option (if you don't need the portability) and $200 less. I should add I also have a gas grill and a Kamado Joe Big Joe and it's the Bronco that I use the most.

Does the Gateway cook as fast as the Pitbarrel?

Thanks, Mad Horse. I've used Weber kettles for decades. I discovered Gateway smokers about 2 months ago. The price tag was shocking, honestly. I just can't afford something like that but I haven't ruled one out just yet. Retiring in a year and a half and am looking for a way to earn some supplemental income. Hmmmm...

You might consider using a “normalizer” for your final volume control. Your post contains two distinctly different sound levels; one at the garage, & then one during your close up. I was about to leave your channel but the volume changed during the close-up product detail. I’ve stopped streaming at 17:06 because you’ve gone back to your long-distance audio mode again.

Thank you for this video. I really enjoy your channel and your video's.. I have been thinking about getting a drum cooker to my collection. I am thinking about the Gateway or the one made by Hunsaker Grills. Both are right around the same price. But, I like the Hunsakers design build more. I am curious about the vortex system and I the hinged lid. But, both cookers seem the same as far as price and quality go. This will be my first winter cooking with my new Kamado grill ...Like you, I am fan of various grills and hope to have 5 or 6 in my collection..

I just took the plunge and bought a Gateway. A major consideration was because it is made in USA even though it was more expensive.

I'm hanging six racks of ribs in my Bronco original, and I can leave it completely alone for 4 or more hours. Is the Gateway made in the USA? THAT would be a big factor for me.

Awesome comparison video mate! I’d be happy with either of those cookers. Good stuff!

How do they vary on a practical temperature range? Will they both smoke at higher temps, like at 350 for doing turbo cooks? Thank you!

Excellent comparison of all the features and setups of these smokers. All in all, that Bronco is not a bad deal at all. Cheers, Brian! 🍻

Yeesss!!!!! You rock bro!!!! Thanks for this video!!!. Need to see the gateway in winter weather I'm In New city and it gets cold.

I really wanted to hear your review and thoughts. Even with my Bose ear buds I couldn't hear your recommendations. Between the two do you recommend over the other?

Thanks for sharing love the video and no you're not talking too fast. I thought people in Minnesota talk slow. I also have a Oklahoma Joe Bronco and I love it

Great info, thanks!

Seems like it would be difficult to add wood. You need to remove the non folding rack with the meat to add wood.

Why do you not use the deflector plate on the bronco? Isn't it used to promote even cooking temps?

Nice review. Did you ever consider using foil to line the bottom with the air intake cut out?

Great video..both seem like a good purchase & great job reviewing them both.

Just ordered the Gateway in matte black. I like that the matte paint is good to 1000 degrees, unlike the gloss paint. Can’t wait to add this drum to my arsenal.

What brand of cat litter do you use? Good idea and I'm sure you found one that adds no unwanted chemicals and flavors to the meats. Thank you.

What is the diameter of the pipes. Good luck.

I’m researching Gateway vs Hunsaker. Heat deflector/diffuser are available on both, standard on the Hunsaker. The Hunsaker has the vortex diffuser whereas the Gateway is just a plate with various size holes. 🤔

Paint it purple!!!!!!!!! Top yellow

Check out Cotton Gin Smokers

Do your UDS you made and compare all 3!

This video got me into smoking

I'm impressed by how clean your smoker is. Do you have any videos on your cleaning routine and how the kitty liter helps with cleaning. I just bought a Bronco and I would like to adopt your regiment.

I’m cooking on a wsm right now direct heat. I have all the vents closed and it’s still pumping over 300 degrees. Does the drum smokers regulate heat any better?

Hard for me to hear

Which one holds low temp better? I like 250 - 275.

Leaning towards bronco pro for price savings and it being heavy duty. Thoughts after all this time on one being better than the other? Thanks.

Favorite channel

Great video review brother!

Great comparison 👍.

Both are really nice, I just got a big bad barrel for $90.00 new in the box for now

You are awesome... really enjoy watching your vids

Is there any way to run a 2nd grate on the bronco pro?

Merci

How difficult are these to clean? Be nice to see a how to clean video