seeking comparo info on ThermoWorks Smoke vs. Smoke X4/X2 vs. Signals


 
Brett-EDH

Brett-EDH

TVWBB Hall of Fame
seeking owner/user feedback on these specific products as compared to each other.

my identified needs are for remote temp monitoring of proteins and ability to set an alarm for desired done temp so i can remove proteins from the grill for resting.

sure, ambient grill air temp is nice to have which will be more valuable on LAS cooks (but my E6 is a champ at holding LAS temps over time).

i tend to do more searing and then idirect for chicken and meat cooks. these are the ones i'd like to know internal protein temp and alarm setting so i can pull the proteins at desired temp(s).

so, feedback your experiences, please and list why you like/prefer the tool you're using and if you'd prefer to upgrade to another tool due to any shortcomings.

i am only considering these products due to very high ownership satisfaction of other TW products and their solid performance over the years, unless there's a major compelling reason to consider another brand/product, of which price alone is not a motivator to me on this tool purchase.

please be specific and detailed in pros and or cons. bullet points are helpful too.

tyia and i appreciate your replies and input.
 
I have both.

Smoke and Smoke X4.

Smoke X4 runs a billows and has 4 probes.

Both can only be adjusted at the base.

Remote of the X is very far. I've walked across the street to test it.

Remote of the smoke works anywhere in my house.
 
Brett-EDH said:
i tend to do more searing and then idirect for chicken and meat cooks. these are the ones i'd like to know internal protein temp and alarm setting so i can pull the proteins at desired temp(s).
Click to expand...
Have you thought about the dot?
I know it's not remote, but what you mentioned is exactly why I use it.
 
I use the x4 when I want multiple meat probes and ambient or when using the billows.

I use the smoke for short cooks like tri tip.

I like that I can go to sleep and be woke up if pit temp is too high or low, or if meat temp is at target early.
 
timothy said:
Have you thought about the dot?
I know it's not remote, but what you mentioned is exactly why I use it.
Click to expand...
have not. what are your thoughts about it?

my key use is to be able to roam and cook as my meats are reaching specified temp and for an alarm to tell me the meat(s) have hit temp so I can pull them off. i rarely am at the cooker as i cook, unless it's steak carne asada which is a very fast and hot cook without much resting/indirect time on the grill.

being able to use my iPhone and or Apple Watch for notifications would be a big bonus as i use both to set timers and reminders as i cook. Apple Watch has been my most invaluable cooking tool with timers and repeat functions.
 
DanHoo said:
I use the x4 when I want multiple meat probes and ambient or when using the billows.

I use the smoke for short cooks like tri tip.

I like that I can go to sleep and be woke up if pit temp is too high or low, or if meat temp is at target early.
Click to expand...
is the Signals so new that very few people have/own it yet to offer feedback/reviews? i like it's iPhone app as i am kinda a data nerd.
 
I meant to add, I bought the X4 to run the billows. I already owned the smoke, but the non-X version smoke will not run a billows.

I get really good temp stability on my BGE, however there's nothing better for a good night's sleep than an automatic temp controller with a fan.

The non-X version of the smoke has a wifi gateway that will allow a phone app to work. I would read the reviews on this. I can't recall how well it worked.

Signals was available when I bought my X4, and I went back and forth, I also looked at fireboard 2.

Signals will run a billows, works with a phone app, but there is no dedicated remote.

I wanted a dedicated remote more than I wanted another app on my phone.

Both the smoke and the smoke X4 run a long, long time on a set of batteries, and I use rechargeable. I read the signals uses more power and goes through batteries faster.

If you are thinking about a billows for longer, low-and-slow cooks, keep in mind the billows needs 12V power into the base unit (either the X4 base or the signals base) to run the fan. The kit provides an adapter. It "looks" like a standard USB-C external battery will work, but it is not setup with the power delivery circuit to deliver 12V and you cannot run a fan off of a USB-C brick battery.

On my to-do list, is to custom make a power cable so I can run the billows off of a small, $20 12V sealed battery so I don't' have to drag an extension cord to the smoker.

If you buy the billows, spend the extra $3 and get the plastic adjustable damper. on my BGE, I could not limit the air coming in, even with the fan not running, and I could not get temps down to 220F grate. The damper solved that.

 
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Have you thought about a Fireboard 2 or Fireboard Pro? I’m a Thermoworks fan and have several of their products. However, I bought my first Fireboard as a Kickstarter backer. I believe this was before Thermoworks was even in the remote bbq thermometer game. Seems like they’ve been trying to catch Fireboard ever since. Last year I upgraded from the original to a Fireboard 2 Drive.

Fireboard has a top notch mobile app, fully customizable alarms with highs and lows you can send as push alerts, text messages, or email. You can even set the repeat frequency. I’m a heavy sleeper, so on overnight cooks I set it to repeat critical alerts every 5-10 mins. I also use it as ATC for my WSCG with a Pit Viper fan and Weber fan adapter.

The session history is where I really love Fireboard. You can add notes and pictures to sessions and it retains the full graph of the entire cook. It’s my digital bbq log book. I can see how long whatever food I want took to cook at a certain temp. I even name the sessions with date - cooker - and type of food to make searching easy.

Though for quick direct heat cooks, I usually just use my Thermapen. I‘m usually not far from the grill and it seems like it would be hard on any wired probe to go through the frequent flipping and rearranging I do direct/searing. Though when doing front sear steaks, I just keep flipping until I like the crust, move over to indirect side, and put in a FB probe and go inside and set table, prep sides, etc. for the ten mins or so they need to finish.
 
I'm very happy with the Smoke X2.

1. I wanted to run the Billows.

2. I did not care about the wifi and smart phone stuff. The RF reception is more than enough for me. Works everywhere in my house and for several hundred yards beyond the house.

3. I was fine with having just one food probe in addition to the ambient probe.
 
I'd go with either a Smoke X4, or Signals.

Signals if you want the app and ability to review your cooks, Smoke if you're good with the satellite monitor.

I like the Smoke, works for my needs of basic LnS cooks, don't really need the app as I'd rather just have the remote sitting inside.

Got the whole Billows setup including the battery but haven't used yet.
 
Signals may be the hot ticket for you Brett. It will interface with your phone and allow you to graph your cooks. The WiFi connectivity seem to be pretty solid according to reviews. An added plus is it will drive a Billows if you desire one in the future. I chose the Smoke X 2 for my needs.
 
i am leaning towards Signals as it would meet current and future needs. I missed a 25% off sale a few weeks back so am now waiting for the next 25% off sale which might be Father's Day?!?!?! TW is running a 18% off 24 hours sale today and tomorrow.

I think Signals gives me the logging data and alarm info in a more advanced package than current needs but will future-proof my longer cook needs.

Still seeking any Signals owner's experience(s), if there are owners here on TVWBB.
 
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