Premium/high end offset

I live in FL and feel the same way about keeping my new Cooker covered. It was almost $8K delivered......I'm sure as heck not going to let it sit out in the Rain, Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, etc. and NOT be covered.

Mine came from Grillwraps and they did a great job. If they haven't built a cover for a specific Cooker, they only need a couple of photos to mark up for the dimensions that they need. Sent those dimensions back and the Cover they built "Fits Like a Glove". They put reinforcements inside where all the wear points are and there are cinch straps in several points to allow you to tighten the Cover even more. Mine was just fine when Hurricane Idalia passed by where I live in 2023.

It wasn't cheap but neither was my new Shirley that it protects.
 
cdhbrad said:
I live in FL and feel the same way about keeping my new Cooker covered. It was almost $8K delivered......I'm sure as heck not going to let it sit out in the Rain, Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, etc. and NOT be covered.

Mine came from Grillwraps and they did a great job. If they haven't built a cover for a specific Cooker, they only need a couple of photos to mark up for the dimensions that they need. Sent those dimensions back and the Cover they built "Fits Like a Glove". They put reinforcements inside where all the wear points are and there are cinch straps in several points to allow you to tighten the Cover even more. Mine was just fine when Hurricane Idalia passed by where I live in 2023.

It wasn't cheap but neither was my new Shirley that it protects.
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Would you mind sharing the pricing on yours you got as an example?

TIA,

cayenne
 
I think it was somewhere between $750-800, but my Cooker is pretty tall and wide......I have to use a ladder to get the cover on and off.

The company was very responsive and they have built covers for many brands of Cookers.
 
Another option for a cover is a standard golf cart cover off of Amazon, I keep mine secured with a ratchet strap, vents well & hasn’t moved once even in some recent 30 mph winds.
 
Do you guys in the Deep South who use covers get mold and mildew in your smokers when not in use for any length of time? How do you deal with that?
 
I don't think so...

Headgear said:
Do you guys in the Deep South who use covers get mold and mildew in your smokers when not in use for any length of time? How do you deal with that?
Click to expand...

I don't really think so, at least not often.

I did have some hit my bandera once that sat a LONG time, and had been put up very dirty and moist inside , which I don't generally do.

But for the most part, no, not a problem.

That and I rarely have mine go "unused" for any length of time.

I probably average firing mine up every 2-3 weeks at least?

HTH,

cayenne
 
A quick few thoughts:

- You mentioned multiple times " this might be overkill" regarding size. Someone else said "get the biggest you can afford". I have to agree with whoever said this. As you know, you never use the entire real state, as you loose a lot to hot spots, specially near the firebox. So, while a 48x24 might sound big, it's really not if you consider hot and sweet spots

- you mentioned fear of ordering from Workhorse due to what happened to Fatstack. I don't personally know either of the owners, but if you research a bit, you'll find that the operation ran by Workhorse (same guy from Primitive) is a lot more mature than Fatstack. These guys at Workhorse are no infants, they are not struggling for funding or supplies. They are simply struggling to meet demand at the current pace of manufacturing. These 2 things are very different. I ordered my 1975 and got it 6 months later, with frequent updates on the order, including 2 times when it got delayed.

- While I love my Workhorse (I had a Horizon before), I have to say, living 80 miles from Shirley, thats a no brainer imo. I considered Shirley as well, and ended up with the Workhorse given build specs and price, wait time wasnt an issuse, I just wanted the best I could afford. But, 80 miles is so close. Go for it

- I just saw the Blue Smoker. What a deal! I did not have this on my radar when I was in the market. Things could have been different

wish you the best in your decision and future smoking adventure!
 
As stated above, get the biggest you can afford and acomadate, when the wife hands you a dish that just showed up and you need a spot on the grill you'll be glad you did, I got the top shelf and the cowboy grill on my 1975 and have no regrets, I use both more than I thought i would. With the price of shipping it seems Shirley would be a no brainer.
 
txsmkmstr said:
Jumping in here with a comment about covers.... in a word - DON'T. Now this is just one person's opinion but everything I've covered in the past (motorcycles, firepits, smokers) went south in a lot of areas due to condensation. This is made worse with covers that don't breathe - and if they breathe they generally aren't waterproof.

I get the idea that a cover will keep the finish cleaner from dirt (or the dreaded pollen season in TX) but it will not aid much in rust prevention. Again, just my 1/50th of a buck.
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I agree it can be an issue - I kept my Charbroil smoker under a non-breathable cover and it rusted. Some covers are breathable though, so I'd guess this helps with preventing mold or rust.
 
Last edited:
Vision said:
Franklin was on a podcast talking about his pit and the level of obsession he put into it is almost tiring to listen to. I suspect the Franklin is by far the best designed/made pit but it's smaller. Don't think you can go wrong with any of your choices.

Since you're on the west coast give Fat Stack Smokers a look.
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I'm not overly impressed with the cost vs. performance of Franklin Smokers. It is not that they are bad but, they just seem really expensive for what they are. A "Franklin name" premium if you will.
 
So?

JeffRaines said:
So I’ve been fairly satisfied with my Oklahoma Joe Highland for the last year or two. Tending fire ain’t so bad, the ‘cue it puts out is great, but it’s getting small.

I recently switched employers, and my new employer is not only offering higher pay but a fairly handsome sign on bonus(at least for my line of work). I won’t need to dip into savings, my kids college fund, or retirement for this purchase and I’ve enjoyed the cheap offset I have now - it can only be better, right?

With all that said, I’ve got my eye on three different pits.

I’d love a Workhorse 1975 - it’s probably bigger than I need but I hear bigger pits are easier to run. It’s cheaper than the other two and gets good reviews - my only downside is my impatience. I’d like to get it before the summer, not get it late fall or worse. I contacted a place that has one on order in hopes of getting them to drop ship to my place and I pay the difference but it was a no go. They only offered to ship it to me once it made it to them - this would put the price on par with the other two. The other hang up with ordering direct is that after what happened with Fatstack, I’m not comfortable paying 100% up front for a product that’s 8 months or more out. The risk just isn’t worth it.

Goldees smoker. This one seems to get great reviews. Different design for sure, probably still bigger than I need. Total cost would be roughly $5k once shipping is factored in. Available in 3-4 months. Another plus - they accept a deposit with the remainder due at time of shipping.

Franklin pit. The smaller of the three. Also gets great reviews. Also available in 3-4 months. The downsides are no intake/exhaust controls, but from most accounts fire management seems almost foolproof. Smaller than the other options - but again, it’s me cooking for my family and an occasional cookout/party.

The most I could foresee myself cooking at once would be a brisket, a couple racks of ribs and a butt(or two). To be fair, I actually haven’t ran across that scenario yet, but it’s the most I could see needing. The 1975 is probably overkill, I may be able to size that down further but I run into the same issues with availability and shipping. By the time a shop has it shipped to them, marks it up, then ships it to me it puts it within a few hundred of the others.

Would love to hear some input from you guys - help me spend some of my bonus!
Click to expand...

So...are you closer to deciding what to get?

What are you leaning towards, if you haven't put an order in already....?

C
 
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