Decided on getting OKJ Bandera ... until Rivergrille "Rustler"?

[JustBone]

Anyone ever owned this Rivergrille Rustler? What are your thoughts compared to the OKJ?

HOMEDEPOT has the Rivergrille for $180 currently.

I had all but made up my mind that I'd hold out and get the OKJ Bandera (and sell my current smoker). Stumbled on this "knock off" from Kinsgsford/Rankam. Pretty sure the quality is even lower than the OKJ brand but figured it's worth exploring given how crazy similar these two are in design/size/dimension.

2 obvious differences are weight and the Rivergrille has 2 places for heat source: Offset Firebox and below main chamber.

Rivergrille Rustler
Width: 40.9"
Height: 68.5"
Depth: 26.9"
Weight: 118lbs
Cook Surface: 1,642 sq in

OKJ Bandera
Width: 39.25"
Height: 63"
Depth: 28"
Weight: 199 lbs
Cook Surface: 942 sq in

lbs

 

[motocrash]

Man...that's a huge weight difference.I wonder if the RG is assembled weight and the OKJ is boxed weight ?

 

[JckDanls 07]

just looking at pics.. the OKJ seems like it would work better being that the firebox is lower... The RG box is higher meaning that the opening into the chamber would have to be higher creating wasted space at the bottom of the cook chamber... just an observation from the pics...

 

[chopsaw]

Man...that's a huge weight difference.I wonder if the RG is assembled weight and the OKJ is boxed weight ?

80 lbs of packing ? ,, The rivergrille stuff I have looked at is real thin .

 

[Rings Я Us]

Those are a tad cheaper than a Yoder Stockton I imagine.. :p

 

[motocrash]

80 lbs of packing ? ,, The rivergrille stuff I have looked at is real thin .

RG being thinner and assembled/OKJ boxed

 

[JustBone]

Those are a tad cheaper than a Yoder Stockton I imagine.. :p

yeah slightly!!! One day ... I've got one kid in college, about to have another, already have one hobby that I can't justify, don't think I can get away with another :)

 

[JustBone]

just looking at pics.. the OKJ seems like it would work better being that the firebox is lower... The RG box is higher meaning that the opening into the chamber would have to be higher creating wasted space at the bottom of the cook chamber... just an observation from the pics...

that bottom chamber is another "firebox" ... if this Rustler is anything like the "drum" style smokers, the metal is MAYBE 1/16th of an inch thick ... MAYBE. I used a micrometer in Lowes the other day and put on several places of the OKJ Bandera which measured really close to 0.125in thick.

 

[JustBone]

Quick update ...

Have had the OKJ Bandera and asbolutely love it!!! Cooked brisket number 4 this weekend for roughly 14 hours, couldn't get internal temp past 195 but at hour 14 it was cooked to perfection!

Smoked for 7 hours - wrapped in foil for another 7 to 8 ...