# oklahoma joe smoker?



## rober49 (Jan 24, 2016)

I've read that charbroil bought out Oklahoma joe & cheapened up their smokers. is that true?? I just saw a 700 something cubic inch model with the side grill at my local lowes. it looked pretty heavy duty compared to the charbroil model sitting next to it.


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## SmokinAl (Jan 24, 2016)

Walmart carries it too. I heard the same thing, but the smoker I saw looked really well built with heavier gauge steel than you would expect. It looks like a good smoker to me for the price.

Al


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## rober49 (Jan 24, 2016)

from what I could see gaskets at the lid & where the 2 chambers connect a some better charcoal grates would take care of what this smoker lacks. lowes wants $428.00. wal mart has it for $288.00 online BUT if you read the fine print even though it says free shipping with in store pick up they're tacking on a $97.00 freight charge.​


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## valleypoboy (Jan 25, 2016)

I can't speak to this year's models, but I got last year's on clearance and it's something ridiculous like 300lbs, so yea, it's thick guage steel.
I found this site looking for ways make it better. Lots of good info info on cheap and easy modifications in here.


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## hardcookin (Jan 25, 2016)

rober49 said:


> I've read that charbroil bought out Oklahoma joe & cheapened up their smokers. is that true?? I just saw a 700 something cubic inch model with the side grill at my local lowes. it looked pretty heavy duty compared to the charbroil model sitting next to it.


That was what my Lowes store had in stock also. But they also had just the OJ Longhorn without the gaser sitting in warehouse. They shipped it to the store and gave me free delivery to my house.
With just a few mods they put out some decent Q
The original models was 1/4" steel. Not sure when they went with the thinner metal.


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## rober49 (Jan 26, 2016)

this looks like a decent smoker. I asked on another thread but are some of the older brinkman offset smokers heavier gauge? I've seen some photos that look like they are. the new brinkman trailmasters have the exhaust stack on th same side as the offset chamber. the older ones have the stack on the opposite end. I can't believe some sellers though. there'a a seller on amazon asking $1022.00 for this brinkman offset smoker.


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## sawinredneck (Jan 26, 2016)

The Brinkmann TMLE is about .100" thick, not the .125" they claim. It's a decent COS, but Brinkmann is in bankruptcy right now so they are drying up fast I've never seen one with the exhaust on the same side as the firebox and mine isn't even a year old, so it's fairly new.

 Also, there's no way in $%%^ I'd pay that kind of money for one!


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## vegasrc1 (Jan 29, 2016)

Got my OJ Longhorn and I don't regret it. I got it in sale from Lowe's for about 360 before tax. It is not 1/4 thick like my other OJ grill but it IS the thickest one selling at local retailers in this price range for sure. Get the bigger Longhorn if you can. The other brands were way too thin like tin cans. Worth every penny...


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## rober49 (Jan 30, 2016)

there's a couple of charbroil grills next to the ok joe. no comparison.


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## davidski (Feb 2, 2016)

short answer, yes. When they were welded and forged in Oklahoma, they _were _what Horizons ARE today. But they still arent crap by far. 

I also wanted to reply to some comments here and touch on a few points.

Ive been a brinkmann owner for many years, 14 months ago i bought my latest trailmaster LE w/ special edition swing arm extra shelf from BJs wholesale for 299.

2 weeks ago a ton of snow and aluminum ended our love affair as the roof of my patio crushed my brinkmann smoker and grill. There were some downsides to the brink TB, but i loved her.

I got some advise from Vegas, the guy a few posts above me here, that i should look into OJ's. i did some research, i went to friends homes that owned them.. and they are pretty badass for the pricepoint. 

Heres where the confusion comes in.
Youre going to hear some folks (like some above) talk about the major price difference between retailers on the OJ smokers. There truly isnt a difference. They are just comparing Davids to Goliaths

There are 2 models. Highland & Longhorn. Difference? Sq Inches. 879 vs 1060. some folks will even just say they own an OJ1060 , another side confusing fact is theres a 3rd model.. the OJ Longhorn... that is dual gas/coal. 

Now, no matter where you shop for the OJ879 or 1060... they are the same price roughly. 
Some shops however will charge you an extra surcharge for s/h. 

Please dont be discouraged by Walmart selling these. They only sell online. 288$ for the small one, 428$ for the large.. and then an extra 100$ for s/h to store. you still have to pick up there. 
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Oklahoma-Joe-s-Highland-Smoker-Grill-Black/33605961
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Oklahoma-Joe-Longhorn-1-060-sq-in-Smoker/34702957
 

At Lowes, they are  299 and 429, but THIS TIME OF YEAR, you can get STEALS!
first off, note that if you take your OJ up to customer service fully assembled, you can get 10% off instantly by just smiling and asking for a floor model discount. 

If you are lucky enough to go into a lowes where they only have the smoker in the box, and the box is damaged, you can negotiate even more. Last night i found my OJ1060 box BEAT TO HELL, they allowed me to open it, and it didnt have an exterior mark at all but only a few scratches inside where all the parts slid around. I got mine at THEIR COST. 321$ plus tax. 

Lowes is old school and will work with you on getting their old stock out their door. 

As far as mods, companies who make mods for grills almost always have an OJ section. BBqsmokermods was my store i went to when i had my brinkmann.  

For your OJ Youre going to need a gasket kit w/ latches, 2 thermometers to install at grate level and  a tuning plate, just as youll need for any horizontal smoker. 

the biggest complaint about the OJ that ive heard is the fire box. It looses paint quickly and rusts if you dont cure. it doesnt have a pull out box anymore. it has a gap where the ash door is. 

But, if youre complaining about the ash tray AND the door gap, your contradicting yourself. My biggest issue with my brinkmann is that the ask tray way just a 10x12" hole where the fire can still breathe. 

SO yeah. I am pretty sure the OJ is the best offset horizontal smoker sold by big box stores at the moment.


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## rober49 (Feb 2, 2016)

if you've read any of my threads you can see I've been looking at EVERYTHING. I've used a weber kettle grill for years & with lots of smoking chips, offset cooking & finishing in the oven & I've had good not great results. I bought a brinkman gourmet smoker & have had good results with it. problem with it is maintaining temps & keeping the fire going for longer smokes. what I have to ask myself is whether i'm pulling a tim allen ( tool time ) & going for more but unneeded h.p. I mostly only cook for my wife & I & we rarely entertain. so while the big ok. joe cooker has caught my eye I have to ask whether I need something that big. I have seen the ok. joe in person & i'm not able to compare it to the older ones but it is definitely not junk, the charbroil models I've seen are. I've not seen a trailmaster in person yet. there is a 3 year old trailmaster for sale here with a cover & a heavy gauge coal basket for $200.00. the owner says the firebox is thinner metal than the smoking chamber. that would give me some concern. david-as an owner can you verify that. another thing about brinkman is that with them in bankruptcy parts might be a problem. after reading this i'll go back to lowes & put some scratches ( just kidding ) on the big oklahoma joe smoker & see what they'll do. if we can't make a deal i'll just keep watching for a deal on a used one. I just missed a used ok. joe for $200.00 recently & there have been a couple 18" WSM smokers for $75.00 & $100.00. there is nothing urgent about this purchase. in the meantime I bought this weber performer set up. I can sell my current 22.5" weber & the brinkman gourmet to cover this purchase. so I now have a nice weber with some extra capacity & I  bought myself more time to continue my search. this came with the Cajun bandit extension, coal ring, & heat diffuser. he also added some bolts & washers to an 18" weber grate & made a stacker grate. kinda' clever.













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## hawtsauc3 (Feb 2, 2016)

If you're interested in brinkmann (saw it referenced in the post) go to Home Depot. I went last night and they had whatever stock left at 40-50% off


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## davidski (Feb 2, 2016)

rob another issue with brinkmann is their warranty. its been bought out by an overseas 3rd party. home depot is liquidating as we speak, i would only get one if youre dead set on the name. I dont remember the exact measurement, but i do know that the metal on the box and on the can are the same thickness. And i will tell you that after checking last night, the OKJ is thicker than the brink, not by double the measurement, but a good amount. i can take exact #s for you if you are truly on the fence.

Like i said, by just asking a customer service rep at the desk with a smile if you can get a small discount for the "used" floor model off season, they have the authority to cut the cost by 43$ w/o manager approval.  If there is any visual imperfection or piece missing, ask for a manager and they can do more for you. Good luck sir, may the smoke blow in your favor!


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## rober49 (Feb 2, 2016)

i'm not sold on brinkman. ok. joe would be my 1st choice on a horizontal. i checked the horizon website & those are out of my price range. the used brinkman i found is an older unit. the firebox lid fits flush & does not hang over like the newer ones. if he'll come down to around $100.00 i'll consider it. like i said at this point i'm in no hurry. this weekend i'm giving this new ( to me ) weber a trial run.


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## joel11230 (Apr 5, 2016)

This is an older ok Joe I picked up today. Does anybody have an idea what model it is?













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## davidski (Apr 6, 2016)

i believe thats called a Ranger. came in 2 models, the same smoker, just wider chamber diameter.


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## joel11230 (Apr 6, 2016)

DavidSKi said:


> i believe thats called a Ranger. came in 2 models, the same smoker, just wider chamber diameter.


Thank you David.


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## joel11230 (Apr 7, 2016)

Better picture of the serial plate













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## joel11230 (Apr 7, 2016)

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