Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Reverse Flow Offset Smoker - 17202053

This is a great smoker for the money. I made all of the common modifications upon assembly (rtv silicone, lavalock gasket, clamps on door, upgraded tel-true thermometers, raised coal basket up with two bricks laid on their sides). I have been using this smoker for about a year. On this unit, I have made some of the best bbq i have ever made. Temp is always fairly consistent from left to right sides, more so than any other smoker I’ve had (note- all previous smokers were not reverse flow design). Yes, the paint peels off of the fire box. I have been using various smokers of this style for over 10 years and it is a common trait among all so I wasn’t surprised or disappointed- instead, I was ready with can of rustoleum high temp grill paint to touch up the areas. The sheen of the paint doesn’t quite match, but I’m not finicky.The reverse flow baffles can be a bear to clean, that would really be my only complaint. The baffles get hot, so any drippings or food that may fall on them can turn in to a tough carbon deposit on a long smoke. To remedy this, I cover each baffle with heavy duty aluminum foil before a smoke- just peel off and toss in the trash when done.With some basic care, I can see this smoker lasting me a LONG time. It is built like a tank. It even sounds like a tank rolling out of my garage to the driveway with these huge heavy guage steel wheels. Season it properly in the beginning and you’ll be off to a great start. Empty the firebox when the ashes cool down- if left to sit, the ashes will accumulate moisture from the air leading to surface rust inside. When storing for the winter I coat the entire inside, fire box and all, with some spray cooking oil for an extra layer of protection.Delivery worked out ok. It was delivered on time, and the freight delivery guy brought it up to my garage for me. I was a little disappointed to see the box had been pierced on two sides with a forklift. I could see scratched paint thru one of the holes, and couldnt be sure that all parts were there without taking everything out of the box. A quick call to amazon customer service and some negotiation and everything was ok. A big thank you to amazon customer service for taking care of this Prime Member.

This a big barbecue and it's real sturdy. It is very heavy in the box so you need a few people to help you get it on a dolly and put it together. We love our Oklahoma joe and my dad has one that's lasted over 9 years so far in Texas. Buy it because you won't regret it especially if you love barbecue as much as us!

So I waited till I actually used this smoker to write a review. I assembled it per directions except I stood it on end to loose assemble parts by myself. I was able to put fire box on by myself this way. I used the padding included to help. I used the high temp silicone to seal the firebox, and to the body. I also used gasket but I attached to the lid instead of the body for looks. I used fingernail polish remover first then alcohol to clean, maybe alcohol would be enough. Then I rubbed all including firebox inside with lots of. canola oil let it overnight. 24 hrs later I started a fire w lump charcoal and let. It go for a few hrs. to season. A huge shout out to Mad Scientist BBQ on you tube. If you are having problems you are probably doing it wrong. This is a stick burner meant for hardwood. You need a good fire with red hot coals but not too big. Lump charcoal not briquettes and real hardwood. I haven’t used the basket and just burn in the bottom of the firebox. After seasoning and appropriate fires no paint issue so far. So your hardwood needs to be 2” x 10” aprox and added every 45 min 1 or 2 at a time after a good coal base. Vents wide open or even door open to achieve good air flow. White smoldering smoke is bad and hot grey blue smoke is what you want. If you don’t have the right fire you need to fix it. As for the clamps I bought them and don’t know if I need them yet. This is not a grill it’s a smoker so only use in the firebox. Buy a grill if you want a grill. If you want a 2k smoker buy it but for less than $700 this one works pretty darn good.

This is my first smoker and it is pretty good. I did have to buy some high-temp gaskets to fit around the lit and smoke box because they lids don't create a perfect seal. It is worth the price and it is very heavy duty. When you do your burn-in, the paint will blister and fall off all around the smoke box but as long as you take care of it, clean it and keep it dry that is only an aesthetic issue.After the burn-in I did my first smoke and it ran very well. It still had some issues with smoke escaping places that it shouldn't which is why I am giving it 4 stars but other than that, it was easy to use and for the most part, it held temp fairly well.