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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 19:40:52 GMT -5
I'm gonna need a lawnmower before long. There's not much yard, so a push mower is all I need. I'm thinking battery-powered. There's less noise and less maintenance.
Anybody got suggestions for brands or useful features or gotchas to watch out for? I'd like to get into a line that also has a string trimmer, chainsaw, and maybe hedge trimmer.
I'm also gonna want a smoker/grill type thing this summer. I think I want to stay away from pellets. One of the benefits of a grill, in my book, is you have something to cook on when the power's out. A pellet grill kinda defeats that. So, that leaves charcoal or stick, and I'm leaning toward charcoal. Stick burners just seem like more work than I'm likely to want to bother with. Gas grills are handy, but, as far as I know, not well suited for smoking.
Again, anybody got suggestions for brands, features, gotchas, etc.?
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 8, 2023 20:12:36 GMT -5
EGO has all of those. I have the string trimmer and it's amazing. I've had all kinds, gas electric and battery and this one with it 56v battery is by far the best.
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 20:20:18 GMT -5
That's the brand I've heard the most about. All of it good.
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 8, 2023 20:25:13 GMT -5
Just to be clear, they don't make a grill.
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Post by trailboss on Mar 8, 2023 20:28:21 GMT -5
What are you looking at budget wise in a smoker/ grill and what is the maximum number of people that you would entertain for a barbecue?
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 20:29:32 GMT -5
Just to be clear, they don't make a grill. WAT?? |
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 20:34:02 GMT -5
What are you looking at budget wise in a smoker/ grill and what is the maximum number of people that you would entertain for a barbecue? Me? Not more than three or four people. Probably not that many. It doesn't need a ton of sq.in. Budget-wise, I'd prefer to stay under $1000. |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 8, 2023 20:36:26 GMT -5
That gives you a lot of options then.
(Gotta grab dinner, I will check back in.)
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Post by Silver on Mar 8, 2023 20:43:41 GMT -5
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 20:49:11 GMT -5
Yup, Weber is certainly in the running. I like the Kettle in the rolling cart.
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Post by trailboss on Mar 8, 2023 21:29:55 GMT -5
A Weber can certainly do the job. I did a 14# prime rib on one using the indirect method, and 30 years later my brother still says it was the finest steak he has ever eaten. At the time I had a certified Angus 112a (Boneless ribeye). And the stars aligned. If you want to do a long smoke on a Weber, consider buying an insta-read therm a pen along with a wireless thermometer to monitor the meat and cooking temp. It really makes the difference. Pretty happy with my Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn grill with all the upgrades. thebriarpatchforum.com/thread/9194/smoker-upgrade-today |
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 8, 2023 21:35:20 GMT -5
I've had Weber kettles before, but I actually got the most use and the best smoked meat out of a $50 Old Smokey.
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 21:56:44 GMT -5
A Weber can certainly do the job. I did a 14# prime rib on one using the indirect method, and 30 years later my brother still says it was the finest steak he has ever eaten. At the time I had a certified Angus 112a (Boneless ribeye). And the stars aligned. If you want to do a long smoke on a Weber, consider buying an insta-read therm a pen along with a wireless thermometer to monitor the meat and cooking temp. It really makes the difference. Pretty happy with my Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn grill with all the upgrades. thebriarpatchforum.com/thread/9194/smoker-upgrade-todayInteresting read, especially the part about them having been bought out and briefly built cheaper. Interesting because I think I read somewhere that that brand was made with thin metal. |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 8, 2023 22:03:00 GMT -5
Yeah, the New Braunfels company did a disservice to the clientele when Char broil took over, the grills now have a tin type construction.
I am going to refurbish my new Braunfels silver smoker, it is sometimes more convenient for smaller meals When you can use less fuel.
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 8, 2023 22:43:59 GMT -5
Maybe a small Big Green egg smoker. About the same price as a Dunhill.
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 22:53:35 GMT -5
Those are heavy and fragile, no?
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 8, 2023 23:03:59 GMT -5
Those are heavy and fragile, no? I know that they are heavy, but I don't know if they are fragile. They actually make a copy that I think I'm going to get that's made the same, but instead of ceramic or whatever, they are made of triple walled steel. |
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Post by urbino on Mar 8, 2023 23:25:57 GMT -5
The ceramic material cracks and breaks easily if it tips over or gets kind of a sharp knock. Triple-wall steel won't have that problem, naturally.
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Post by instymp on Mar 9, 2023 8:30:10 GMT -5
Had one of these and wish I never sold it. Best pork butt I ever ate came from a friends Weber kettle, standard model. |
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Post by instymp on Mar 9, 2023 8:49:17 GMT -5
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Post by urbino on Mar 9, 2023 13:22:35 GMT -5
Yeah, that's the one that looks really handy, to me, with the shelves and the charcoal bin.
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Rattlesnake Daddy
Full Member
Posts: 630
Favorite Pipe: Always changing
Favorite Tobacco: G&H Dark Birds Eye, Bayou Night.
Location:
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Post by Rattlesnake Daddy on Mar 9, 2023 16:53:23 GMT -5
I've got an EGO battery powered lawnmower. It works great on my little 1/4 acre plot. I get about two mows on a charge. The various attachments change out pretty quickly. When the battery does need recharging, it is probably around an hour to fully charge. the battery in the lawnmower is quite large, and I don't believe that it is interchangeable with their smaller electric yard tools. I already had Milwaukee tools, so I went with their weed eater (and soon leaf blower).
For grills, my favorite have been the old indirect heat smokers. I do more smoking than grilling, so tend to prefer them. Most of them allow you to grill over the firebox. They are a bit larger than your typical grill though. When my last one finally rotted away, I bought standard Weber. While it is a little more trouble to deal with when smoking (you have to pull the meat and grate off to add wood and charcoal), it still gets the job done. Takes up less space as well.
I recently picked up a used stainless steel propane smoker that I plan on converting to charcoal.
RSD
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Post by Ronv69 on Mar 9, 2023 18:09:31 GMT -5
I've got an EGO battery powered lawnmower. It works great on my little 1/4 acre plot. I get about two mows on a charge. The various attachments change out pretty quickly. When the battery does need recharging, it is probably around an hour to fully charge. the battery in the lawnmower is quite large, and I don't believe that it is interchangeable with their smaller electric yard tools. I already had Milwaukee tools, so I went with their weed eater (and soon leaf blower). For grills, my favorite have been the old indirect heat smokers. I do more smoking than grilling, so tend to prefer them. Most of them allow you to grill over the firebox. They are a bit larger than your typical grill though. When my last one finally rotted away, I bought standard Weber. While it is a little more trouble to deal with when smoking (you have to pull the meat and grate off to add wood and charcoal), it still gets the job done. Takes up less space as well. I recently picked up a used stainless steel propane smoker that I plan on converting to charcoal. RSD If it's the 56v battery then I'm pretty sure interchanges on all of their 56v equipment. But just the size of the larger batteries may make them impractical on smaller tools. They even make a zero turn that takes 6 of the same batteries. |
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Post by urbino on Mar 9, 2023 18:38:57 GMT -5
I've got an EGO battery powered lawnmower. It works great on my little 1/4 acre plot. I get about two mows on a charge. The various attachments change out pretty quickly. When the battery does need recharging, it is probably around an hour to fully charge. the battery in the lawnmower is quite large, and I don't believe that it is interchangeable with their smaller electric yard tools. I already had Milwaukee tools, so I went with their weed eater (and soon leaf blower). For grills, my favorite have been the old indirect heat smokers. I do more smoking than grilling, so tend to prefer them. Most of them allow you to grill over the firebox. They are a bit larger than your typical grill though. When my last one finally rotted away, I bought standard Weber. While it is a little more trouble to deal with when smoking (you have to pull the meat and grate off to add wood and charcoal), it still gets the job done. Takes up less space as well. I recently picked up a used stainless steel propane smoker that I plan on converting to charcoal. RSD Interesting point on the batteries, guys. Thanks. Very few of the indirect smokers I've seen -- if you mean the offset ones -- provide for any cooking on/above the firebox. The vast majority of the fireboxes I've seen are round. Only flat-top ones I've seen are on the multi-thousand-dollar smokers. |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 9, 2023 20:42:01 GMT -5
I can easily do indirect cooking on my offset firebox grill if I choose to remove the smoking baffle plates and put the coals in the smoking chamber...really no big deal, I am just a lazy bum, so I do most of my indirect grilling on my NB smoker. When I choose to do indirect on the larger smoker, I just use a single grate centered, and coals on either side.
It is just easier to do slow smokes on the big boy and indirect and grilling on the smaller one.
If you are planning on getting into long smoked meats like a pork butt, Brisket, etc....I would go for a heavy gauge cast iron over a Weber though. And this is not a knock on the Weber, different tools for different jobs.
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Rattlesnake Daddy
Full Member
Posts: 630
Favorite Pipe: Always changing
Favorite Tobacco: G&H Dark Birds Eye, Bayou Night.
Location:
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Post by Rattlesnake Daddy on Mar 9, 2023 22:09:14 GMT -5
This is similar to the style I have used in the past. No experience with this particular brand, just pulled it up as an example. The smaller firebox is usually good for light grilling duties. www.oklahomajoes.com/highland-offset-smoker |
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Post by trailboss on Mar 9, 2023 22:17:13 GMT -5
I think @gypo has the highland smoker and is quite happy with it.
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Post by Silver on Mar 9, 2023 23:56:27 GMT -5
I've got an EGO battery powered lawnmower. It works great on my little 1/4 acre plot. I get about two mows on a charge. The various attachments change out pretty quickly. When the battery does need recharging, it is probably around an hour to fully charge. the battery in the lawnmower is quite large, and I don't believe that it is interchangeable with their smaller electric yard tools. I already had Milwaukee tools, so I went with their weed eater (and soon leaf blower). For grills, my favorite have been the old indirect heat smokers. I do more smoking than grilling, so tend to prefer them. Most of them allow you to grill over the firebox. They are a bit larger than your typical grill though. When my last one finally rotted away, I bought standard Weber. While it is a little more trouble to deal with when smoking (you have to pull the meat and grate off to add wood and charcoal), it still gets the job done. Takes up less space as well. I recently picked up a used stainless steel propane smoker that I plan on converting to charcoal. RSD If you go with a Weber kettle, I'd go with a 26" with the hinged cooking grate and charcoal baskets. And a chimney charcoal starter. With that set up, a 6-8 hour smoke is easy to do. And you can still direct grill on it, too. |
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Post by Gypo on Mar 10, 2023 9:42:23 GMT -5
I think @gypo has the highland smoker and is quite happy with it. Yes I have the smaller of the Oklahoma Joe's but not the reverse flow. 179 pounds and has big wide wheels for rolling it around |
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Post by urbino on Mar 10, 2023 17:25:42 GMT -5
All good information, guys. Thanks. I’ve been doing quite a bit of research the last few evenings, too. I’m getting quite the education.
One thing that makes me hesitant about a stick burner is availability and cost of good firewood. I know there are a lot of variables involved, but about how much wood do you burn through for a typical, say, 8-hour cook?
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