What to buy

[Jerry Cantrell]

Cookshack "Party" smoker or "Fatboy" backwoods smoker, any suggestion?

[Pig Pen BBQ]

Dear Jerry,

I've pretty much owned em all, here's my 2 cents:

FATBOY

with heat diverter, extra sliders, (brackets for racks to be moved up or down for a custom cookin configuration), 10 or 12 inch stand with casters, & NO hide setter. ( I think Mike stopped putting these in anyway except as an extra, they suck.)

This is a workhorse!

Good luck,

Rich at Pig Pen

[Charles in SC]

I use the hide setters in my 2 cookers almost every time I cook. I think it is a very unique option but I am sure there are a lot of opinions on them.

[Dave]

OK, is the hide setter the vent in the middle of the water pan that allows dry heat in to the cooker? If so, my Competitor came with it, which surprised me because I didn't order it. Anyway, with that said, I use it when I load the cooker to the gills with the convection going. I find it is a great way to keep it up to temp. I just wish there was a way to open and close it without having to open the cooker and reach in, that's the only thing that sucks about it.

[Charles in SC]

I use an Egg tool to open and close mine. I would not buy one just to do this with, it was just kind of handy. You could use most anything with a little hook on the end of a handle a foot or two long.

[smokinit]

Dear Jerry,

I've pretty much owned em all, here's my 2 cents:

FATBOY

with heat diverter, extra sliders, (brackets for racks to be moved up or down for a custom cookin configuration), 10 or 12 inch stand with casters, & NO hide setter. ( I think Mike stopped putting these in anyway except as an extra, they suck.)

This is a workhorse!

Good luck

Rich at Pig Pen

I second that I have two that way miniuse the casters mine are bolted to a trailer.

[BBQFanatic]

I had the same question last year and ended up buying the Cookshack to try out the convenience of an electric smoker. Boy have I been disappointed. I have found that the flavor using the Cookshack electric is nowhere near what I can achieve with my existing smokers (a Great Outdoors Smokey Mountain gas unit and a Brinkman charcoal unit). Basically it is a glorified oven with the ability to impart a mild smoke flavor.

I intend to get a new Backwoods unit myself this year (fatboy most likely for greater space on each shelf) and use the Cookshack in my outdoor kitchen as a glorified oven with the ability to impart a bit of a smokey taste to some side dishes.

I know your post was some time ago so you may have already made your decision. But for anyone else reading this I would say DO NOT go for an electric unit.