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Looking to upgrade to a Reverse flow trailer smoker...

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dougmays

dougmays

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Nov 18, 2010
2,563
96
Gainesville, FL
so i love my WSM...but i've started getting into competitions and it's just very hard to use the WSM and cook all 4 categories. so i'm thinking about upgrading.

i found this smoker online and went last weekend to see it. The man who made it is a really nice guy, just looking to downsize. He made this smoker a few years ago, it's a reverse flow made out of a 250 gal. tanks. The steel is really thick which is a good thing! Wondering if i could get opinions from you guys if you think this is a good build (from the pics) and your thoughts on reverse flow vs conventional.

Does RF use more wood?

What are you thoughts on mixing wood and coal to maintain temp for longer?

he is asking $1800...do you think that is a good price for this unit?

any other feedback would be great! he has put alot of work into this looks like good quality craftsmanship!

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Doug, morning.....  By the looks of the mating of the firebox to the cook chamber, I would say he used a calculator that makes for a good smoker.... Do you remember if the RF plate and top of the firebox are welded together ???  If yes, there should be good air flow under the RF plate...  Stack height and diameter appear correct... FB looks plenty big...  If it needs any mods, they will be small and fairly easy to do...  

There is my opinion from 4,000 miles away.... 

Use the calculator on it if you want to be sure.....   In the bottom of my sig. line.....  

Dave
 
Price is right for that size unit.  I run a 150 gallon RF pit, very similiar to this one.  I feel like the RF uses more wood / coal to heat than a direct flow, but others may chime in with different opinions.  Adding the upper air intake I did a few months back has really seemed to help in several ways, both with start up time, even temps and fuel consumption.

As far as using coals mixed with wood, I do everytime I crank mine up.  Charcoal basket with 14 to 20 #'s of charcoal, depending on the planned length of my cook, briskets and butts I'll use a 20# bag, ribs and chicken I'll use a smaller bag.  Once the coals get going good and hot, I'll start feeding wood to it, normally a mix of hickory and oak, hickory for flavor, oak for fuel. 

If he would let you do a test burn, that could be a good selling point.  Give you a good idea on how quickly it will get up to temp and make sure she drafts well also.  Wouldn't take much, maybe a small bag of charcoal and a few sticks of wood.

I would measure the firebox and compare it to what the pit calculator says, which for a 250 gallon tank, the firebox would need to be 19250 cubic inches. 

From the pics, I would say it's a pretty good deal.  
 
Last edited:
DaveOmak said:
Do you remember if the RF plate and top of the firebox are welded together ???  If yes, there should be good air flow under the RF plate... 

Dave
Click to expand...
hmmm..didnt even know to look for that LOL. this is my first time actually looking at a RF smoker. i can email him and ask
 
dougmays said:
DaveOmak said:
Do you remember if the RF plate and top of the firebox are welded together ???  If yes, there should be good air flow under the RF plate... 

Dave
Click to expand...
hmmm..didnt even know to look for that LOL. this is my first time actually looking at a RF smoker. i can email him and ask
Click to expand...
ask him if he used a calculator for the build.....  for dimensions of stuff you can find in the calculator...   Dave

http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html
 
Like Dave said if he used a calculator it will probably have very little in the way of serious mods needed. With any cooker you buy you will find a few things you want to change to suit your style.
 
Looks like a decent smoker, I dont think you could go wrong at that price.   Look the tank over and make sure there are no thin spots anywhere,  Look over the welds for cracks and porosity,  If all that looks good,  it should be a good foundation to start with. and for $1800.00 what else are you going to buy?
 
thanks for all the advice guys...still in negotiations with him :)

what are your thoughts on me asking him to light it up if i decide to go up and buy it? is that "asking to much" or par for the course? so just i can get a tutorial and see how it smokes and distributes heat?
 
Are the pics current or from when it was new?  By the look of the pics, it has never had a piece of meat on it.  I don't think it would be too forward, I mean it's your $, especially when a product probably has no money back guarantee.
 
bruno994 said:
Are the pics current or from when it was new?  By the look of the pics, it has never had a piece of meat on it.  I don't think it would be too forward, I mean it's your $, especially when a product probably has no money back guarantee.
Click to expand...
yea some pics are older from the build process. i went this weekend and looked at it. the shelfs are black now and there is a good seasoned smell to the smoker. it looks to have been put through the paces.

Also i did checked also for rust, leaks, cracks and didnt see anyway.
 
That looks like a nice smoker. If you had to buy all the materials to build the smoker and trailer it would be over $1000 easy, probably closer to $1500. I would say $1800 is a good price even if you have to make a few modifications.
 
Well he and i agreed on a price and i was set to go up this weekend (near orlando) and get it, then i get a email from him saying that he sold it saturday morning for a higher price. He has dropped the price down $200 from the original which was still higher then our agreed on price and someone came saturday morning and bought it from him.

what a jerk! some people can't be trusted i suppose. Now the search continues.
 
Well, I'll sell you this one for $2500.00

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