Old Country Pecos vs. Oklahoma Joe Highlander

[Fooball]

I just got my first hands-on look at a Pecos with the opening of a new Academy Sports store in my area.

I owned a Highland. Pecos wins hands down. Thicker heavier steel. $450 Highland vs. $499 Pecos.....spend the extra 50 bucks no doubt.

 

[16Adams]

I have an Oklahoma Joe's Highland and also looked at the Old Country.

You're right

 

[Newglide]

I have an OC Pecos and you're right. I like mine even more after a few mods

 

[Fooball]

I have an OC Pecos and you're right. I like mine even more after a few mods

I was surprised at how heavy it was compared to the Highland.

If I was in the market to get started with my first offset, Pecos would be it.

Seems like a lot of cooker for $500 compared to some other types of cookers where $500 won't even buy the base model.

 

[Aggie12]

Pecos 100% and it's not even close. Once you get past the learning curve of a stick burner, it is actually a pretty functional cooker.

Had mine for a few years now and it's still going strong.

 

[BBQ_CZAR]

Pecos is awesome, these mods helped me out a ton.

 

[Fooball]

Pecos is awesome, these mods helped me out a ton.

I read a disgruntled customer review on the Academy site.

He was talking about mods he would have to do to fix his Pecos problems in his mind.

He said the new Char Griller Grand Champion has all his "problems" fixed right out of the box and would be a much better buy.

One man's opinion. I haven't had hands on the Char Griller to compare.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

I had a Brazos. If I were looking for an offset at that price range, the Pecos would be my choice, easily.

 

[BBQ_CZAR]

I read a disgruntled customer review on the Academy site.

He was talking about mods he would have to do to fix his Pecos problems in his mind.

He said the new Char Griller Grand Champion has all his "problems" fixed right out of the box and would be a much better buy.

One man's opinion. I haven't had hands on the Char Griller to compare.

I cooked on mine for 5 years or more without any mods and I can say it cooks 1000 times better than the cheap Char-Griller I used to use from Lowes. That thing was really thin.
These mods don't really turn out way better meat for me, but I do use a lot less fuel and the temps are more consistent.

 

[Fooball]

I cooked on mine for 5 years or more without any mods and I can say it cooks 1000 times better than the cheap Char-Griller I used to use from Lowes. That thing was really thin.
These mods don't really turn out way better meat for me, but I do use a lot less fuel and the temps are more consistent.

I had an old Char Griller too. Grand Champ is a different animal.

The Grand Champ is a heavier version of the old $200 cheapie they used to put out. $549 now.

As a matter of fact, the Champ weighs more than Pecos. 263 vs. 222 for the Pecos.

Grand Champ just came out in the last year or so. Not welded, though.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Char-Griller-Grand-Champ-Charcoal-Grill-and-Offset-Smoker-in-Black-8250/314125664

 

[BBQ_CZAR]

I had an old Char Griller too. Grand Champ is a different animal.

The Grand Champ is a heavier version of the old $200 cheapie they used to put out. $549 now.

As a matter of fact, the Champ weighs more than Pecos. 263 vs. 222 for the Pecos.

Grand Champ just came out in the last year or so. Not welded, though.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Char-Griller-Grand-Champ-Charcoal-Grill-and-Offset-Smoker-in-Black-8250/314125664

That actually doesn't look too bad for the money. I like the double racks and the coal basket. But if they were gonna copt the Old Country products so closely they could've at least copied the welding.

 

[Aggie12]

I will say: I do like on the char griller that it has a pull out ash pan in the bottom of the firebox and no lip on the bottom edge by the door. That danged lip on the pecos makes it much more difficult to get the ash out between cooks. I use a shop vac, but it would be so much easier to just be able to sweep it out into a bucket.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

The Char Griller firebox looked to be smaller than the Pecos. The upper grate just screws up air flow. When I was first learning the Brazos, I used the upper grate but soon took it out and it never went back. I put five slabs of ribs on the Brazos and every one of them cooked differently. The upper grate has a diff temp and air flow on both ends.

I put firebrick in the bottom of the Brazos firebox and would definitely do that for the Pecos. It will stop some heat loss out the bottom. Yeah, its a pain to clean out, but worth it.

Hard to tell exactly where the stack on the CG exited the cook chamber, looked to me to be a bit higher than the Pecos.

And I agree about wanting the firebox welded.

 

[BBQ_CZAR]

I will say: I do like on the char griller that it has a pull out ash pan in the bottom of the firebox and no lip on the bottom edge by the door. That danged lip on the pecos makes it much more difficult to get the ash out between cooks. I use a shop vac, but it would be so much easier to just be able to sweep it out into a bucket.

That's odd, mine doesn't have the lip you mention, I sweep everything out into and ash can once it's all cooled.