ok, so first off i dont expect fully unbiased answers here, being this is a Pit Boss forum, but i keep going back and forth in my head and some extra voices might help.
so, i have a PB 1100 pro, its done me well for about 4 years now, but semi recently i moved from Chicago to SW FL and from a house to a condo. i used to keep the PB in my garage and set up a ventilation hood in there to smoke year round. in FL no garage but weather isnt an issue, but space is, so i left my PB at my sisters house and big cooks are usually there so its no issue. at the condo i have a Camp Chef Pursuit 20, it works well, has a PID controller and an ash cleanout system i really like, but doesnt have much cook room. so, i was thinking of getting a verticle smoker for the condo with its smaller footprint but good cooking space.
i came real close to just buying a PB series 4 Onyx Edition from wallyworld, but said let me think about this a bit.... so im torn between that, or the Pro Series from Lowes, that looks like its basically a series 7 but with the wifi and PID, but thats $900, and if im gonna spend that much, the Camp Chef Pro XXL is the same price and has an extra smoker box that can be used to add smoke to a cook, or be a cold smoke. the downside of the Camp Chef is the temp range, its 150-350F, but very rarely do i need to go above 300 for cooks....
now, i do love Dansens (the company that makes PB) i think PB smokers are good, but lets be honest, their QC is rather lacking.... But, their customer service is pretty good, technically ive bought 3 pit boss grills and returned 2 due to initial problems. i started out with a pro series 820, and the paint burnt off the barrel on the burn in. PB said they would send me a new barrel, but thats too much work to replace on a brand new smoker, so returned it and stepped up to the 1100 that i have today. then i bought a portable Pit Boss, and right out of the box had a bad controller that constantly fed pellets and almost had a major fire on my hands doing the initial burn in. CS was great said they would send out a controller, but was backordered for months and i needed the smoker in about 2 weeks for a get together at family, and why i have the Camp Chef Pursuit now. along with the Pursuit, i have a camp chef flat top FTG600 thats been flawless for me too, which is why im leaning towards the XXL if im going to spend that much. i figure i can sell the Pursuit and 1100 and get probably $400-500 for both, give or take, to recoup some or all of this purchase, and a verticle is easier to move if i need it for a big cook for a party at my sisters (less than 10 minutes from me)
So....... do i save some money and get the series 4 Onyx? get the Pro Series from Lowes, or get the Camp Chef XXL Pro?
also sorry for the long winded post in the middle of the night, ive.... ive had a few too many tonight.... sorry.
so, i have a PB 1100 pro, its done me well for about 4 years now, but semi recently i moved from Chicago to SW FL and from a house to a condo. i used to keep the PB in my garage and set up a ventilation hood in there to smoke year round. in FL no garage but weather isnt an issue, but space is, so i left my PB at my sisters house and big cooks are usually there so its no issue. at the condo i have a Camp Chef Pursuit 20, it works well, has a PID controller and an ash cleanout system i really like, but doesnt have much cook room. so, i was thinking of getting a verticle smoker for the condo with its smaller footprint but good cooking space.
i came real close to just buying a PB series 4 Onyx Edition from wallyworld, but said let me think about this a bit.... so im torn between that, or the Pro Series from Lowes, that looks like its basically a series 7 but with the wifi and PID, but thats $900, and if im gonna spend that much, the Camp Chef Pro XXL is the same price and has an extra smoker box that can be used to add smoke to a cook, or be a cold smoke. the downside of the Camp Chef is the temp range, its 150-350F, but very rarely do i need to go above 300 for cooks....
now, i do love Dansens (the company that makes PB) i think PB smokers are good, but lets be honest, their QC is rather lacking.... But, their customer service is pretty good, technically ive bought 3 pit boss grills and returned 2 due to initial problems. i started out with a pro series 820, and the paint burnt off the barrel on the burn in. PB said they would send me a new barrel, but thats too much work to replace on a brand new smoker, so returned it and stepped up to the 1100 that i have today. then i bought a portable Pit Boss, and right out of the box had a bad controller that constantly fed pellets and almost had a major fire on my hands doing the initial burn in. CS was great said they would send out a controller, but was backordered for months and i needed the smoker in about 2 weeks for a get together at family, and why i have the Camp Chef Pursuit now. along with the Pursuit, i have a camp chef flat top FTG600 thats been flawless for me too, which is why im leaning towards the XXL if im going to spend that much. i figure i can sell the Pursuit and 1100 and get probably $400-500 for both, give or take, to recoup some or all of this purchase, and a verticle is easier to move if i need it for a big cook for a party at my sisters (less than 10 minutes from me)
So....... do i save some money and get the series 4 Onyx? get the Pro Series from Lowes, or get the Camp Chef XXL Pro?
also sorry for the long winded post in the middle of the night, ive.... ive had a few too many tonight.... sorry.
