Brian B Atlanta
TVWBB Gold Member
The problem I see with that is now you need to inventory charcoal and pellets maybe not that big a deal for you but still if your all pellets just seems easier to me when your doing one of these larger bbq events.
Smokefire EX4 - Great deal - Broken leg - Why can't anything be simple?
- Thread starter Joe Anshien
- Start date
Brian B Atlanta
TVWBB Gold Member
Joe the only thing from what I have read about the gravity fed charcoal units and I think Lynn mentioned this in one of his threads is they burn a lot of fuel so you got to take that into consideration cause charcoal ain't getting any cheaper either.
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
I would mitigate that the same way I did on my performer. At the grate. I would not go as tight as my performer. A lot of people modded theirs to cut down on consumption. I have not been lucky catching the deals on the gravity fed ones. But still hoping sometime.
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This is fairly accurate IF it's constructed for the box store market, like the Masterbuilt & Chargriller units are. The bigger (and commensurately FAR more expensive) gravity feds are well insulated. The gravity fed smoker that I built will smoke 10 full packer briskets at once. Last night, i smoked a small packer, ambient temp was down below 0 F most of the night, and I burned 20 lbs. of charcoal in more than 12 hours. I'm not unhappy with that rate of burning, in a 1,200 lb. smoker.
Brian B Atlanta
TVWBB Gold Member
Not trying to jack the thread but maybe I need to consider one of these used or whatever. Down here weather pretty moderate so maybe consumption not that big a deal and I would only be using it no more than 8-10 times a year for ribs maybe a brisket. The performer would not go anywhere but my UDS is getting long in the tooth so it would replace that. So I assume you can throw wood chunks in them to get the smoke I like from the UDS and Performer bonus for me no need for pellets can just inventory my charcoal, between the two which is the better unit or are they both the same basically meaning the M and C units. Might have a lead on a 1050 at a decent price.
Once you learn your smoker's fuel consumption, yes, you can easily stack flavoring woods in the charcoal column.
With a HeaterMeter controller on mine, it's nearly set and forget. I started it up around 5:00 PM yesterday, loaded the brisket in around 9:00 PM with a full charcoal column, and it finally started to burn out around 7:00 AM. I stoked it around 9:30 AM (still had lit coals,) and it ramped to keep-warm mode at around 12:30. I pulled the brisket out an hour later. Chamber temp practically never wavered from my set point. I am so spoiled with this rig compared to the leaky horizontal offset (Oklahoma Joe clone,) even with the HeaterMeter on it. I can smoke at least 5x as much food now, burn about a third of the charcoal that I used, and just simply not worry about it.
Brian-W-Oz
New member
I would have repaired it, but then I have a decent AC/DC Tig and yes cast can be difficult but it's doable with a little patience, and after re powder coating would not be noticed.
I wonder how it broke, in the first place as the cast looks very clean, maybe knocked over or similar trauma but I suppose we'll never know.
I wonder how it broke, in the first place as the cast looks very clean, maybe knocked over or similar trauma but I suppose we'll never know.
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
Too bad your so far away. We could be besties, and I would not have even had to buy a welder;-) AC TIG I am betting is a skill most people don't have.
Jason-Jayjay1976
New member
Wonder if that leg snapped when someone tried to stand it up on its feet by themselves without a helper. It crossed my mind a few times when assembling my EX6, I stood there scratching my head for 20 minutes trying to figure out how I could do it myself before finally calling my neighbor to come over and help. I had several plans in mind but the thought of snapping that brittle cast alu was too much to bear. I explained thoroughly how I would like to avoid putting any lateral stress on those legs, so we lifted it straight up then rotated it upright before gently setting it down.
It is total BS that this is a "made in USA" product but they can't ship a single part as a replacement. Could be that it's machine assembled or something and an average Joe might not be able to perform the surgery to switch it out. Would they be liable for the product after work like that? On second thought, they likely would happily send out the spare part but the legal department forbids it. Strange times we live in.
On a side note, I'm dreaming up a cross bracing of sorts to tie all four legs together at the bottom. Still having disturbing visions of a broken leg and having to put her down.
It is total BS that this is a "made in USA" product but they can't ship a single part as a replacement. Could be that it's machine assembled or something and an average Joe might not be able to perform the surgery to switch it out. Would they be liable for the product after work like that? On second thought, they likely would happily send out the spare part but the legal department forbids it. Strange times we live in.
On a side note, I'm dreaming up a cross bracing of sorts to tie all four legs together at the bottom. Still having disturbing visions of a broken leg and having to put her down.
Joe Anshien
TVWBB Platinum Member
I think the cross bracing is a good idea. It was a lot easier to replace the cast piece than the whole fire box, so that is what I did. I gave the spare fire box away to a guy on the FB Smoke Fire group. I plan to post the other cast foot mount piece on eBay for some other unlucky guy who Weber wants to force into buying a new Firebox for $400.
Jason-Jayjay1976
New member
I almost want to buy it myself. Just in case haha, those photos of the broken casting really traumatized me.