Help me find a used stick burner on Marketplace? (what to look for??)

[theTastyCat]

Hey all - my noble old New Braunfels (nice, thick, original) has given up the ghost to rust. I almost had a cardiac event looking at the prices of new stick burners, so I turned to Marketplace - and realized I have zero idea what to look for!! I desperately want to avoid COS's - I ended up searching New Braunfels, but realized that later ones are indeed chinese. Any tips on finding a good stick burner??

This guy is 2 hours away but says it's a "New Braunfels very heavy smoker with side fire box. No longer available. Less than half price." Was asking $350, now down to $165. Very heavy makes me optimistic! Any ideas?

Sure appreciate any help you can give, brethren!! Certainly open to other ideas too. Thanks again!

 

[Back9Q]

I would look for something with more modern design stack at grate level and proper sizing for good airflow. Not knowing where you are at but if near a big bbq city look at marketplace in those areas and may get lucky. Will likely need to drive but worth it

If you have skillset you can always build one you can get 120gal propane tank off MP for $100 and rest of material probably $1k. This is route I chose because like you wasnt going to spend $5k on cooker when I can build for 1/4 of that


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[theTastyCat]

Well the good news is I'm in Nashville! The bad news is I don't really know what to look for :/ I got lucky in that a good friend gave me the old New Braunfels, so I didn't need to know what I was looking for. And I don't know how to weld unfortunately!

 

[Inthewoods]

Any port in a storm, son.

-D

 

[SMOKE FREAK]

Well it's a whole lot better than what you had. $165 is not too bad but I'd talk him down to 125...

 

[SmittyJonz]

I’d just get a $400 Old Country Pecos - May have to drive to Ky to find an Academy Sports ?

 

[Chester]

I’d just get a $400 Old Country Pecos - May have to drive to Ky to find an academy sports ?

And you can often find them on Marketplace for $200-$250 in fine shape. Old Country makes decent offsets, and the Pecos and heavier Brazos are decent cookers.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I'd head to Academy for an Old Country Smokehouse........

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/old-country-bbq-pits-smokehouse

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220797

:heh:

 

[Dweverett]

Agree with the other posts, Old Country is a good choice for an affordable smoker. Since you have Academy Sports in the general area you might be able to find a used one out there without too much trouble. (Not horrible if you want to buy one new either(

 

[Moose]

Tastycat, you have Academy locations near Nashville in Madison, Mt Juliet, and Franklin. I'd also suggest you check there for a new Pecos. There's also a lightly used one on FB Marketplace in Nashville:


https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/233419595438431

 

[Jmgunn]

I grabbed myself a used pecos in October of last year for 225. It’s been great! Recently did the stack extension and baffle removal which I’m digging so far.

 

[JeffinNE]

I'm a firm believer in the "you get what you pay for" and "buy once, cry once" theories. How old are you? If you plan on using this smoker for 20+ years and possibly passing down to the next generation I'd be tempted to keep looking around for one of the higher quality smokers you see talked about on this great forum. Plenty of great pits out there and with your experience you'll really enjoy a higher quality smoker!

 

[Mikhail]

Is there any way you can have a welding shop slap some new steel on your old one? What parts have rusted out?

 

[theTastyCat]

Man, do I love this forum - thanks for all the great replies! I also prefer buy once cry once but I think at this point an Old Country makes sense and I'll keep my eyes open for a used high-quality setup.

This is the first I hear of the OC Smokehouse - there's certainly a lot more info out there on the Pecos; how would the two compare? I've never cooked on a vertical before; what would the pros and cons be vs the Pecos?

Many thanks, all - already can't wait to start that fire and smell that thin blue again!!

 

[daniel96]

And you can often find them on Marketplace for $200-$250 in fine shape. Old Country makes decent offsets, and the Pecos and heavier Brazos are decent cookers.

Yeah, 250$ sounds like a nice deal, at least here in LA.

 

[theTastyCat]

Mikhail, not a bad suggestion - I did post pics in another thread and the Brethren collectively advised a Do Not Resuscitate. May she rest in peace

 

[Mikhail]

Ahh.. I searched out the original post. Looks pretty far gone, although I'm not an expert on these things. Haven't welded anything since high school metal shop.

 

[1MoreFord]

OP, you don't want the one pictured in your first post unless you are willing to do mods on the fire box.

That is an ash pan on the bottom of the firebox. They are notorious for leaking air and making it near impossible to control the fire. It would need to be removed and a plate welded in it's place to make it work good.