smokers Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Charcoal/Gas Combo

MikeUSMC

MikeUSMC

Does anybody here have one of these? Or know somebody who does?

I*ve never owned a charcoal grill before, and my gas grill is on its way out (rusting interior). I*m in the market for a new grill, and was going to get a some sort of Weber kettle, but my wife wants something with propane for the ease and convenience of it. Not sure why, because we*ve been together for 13 years now, and I*ve never even seen her attempt to start up (or cook on) *our* (lol) gas grill. Not even once. But, *it has to have propane* because it*s *easier*. Fine. :shrug: Make sense? Of course not, but I*m trying to pick my battles here, because I think I*m pretty damn close to talking her into letting me get a WSM too ;) Not now, but fairly soon. Right now, we need a *grill*

Anyway, this Longhorn combo seems to fit the bill (pretty damn closely) for what *we*re* (again, lol) looking for. I realize that this video is from the manufacturer so, of course, they*re not gonna tell you the *cons* of this cooker:
It*s got a gas side and a charcoal side, plus it can be utilized as a smoker too (bonus!). Now, I think I basically know what to expect with an *all in one* cooker. *Combo* cookers are not gonna be perfect, and you*re gonna sacrifice some quality for the convenience. You also you get what you pay for. I already know it*s gonna leak smoke. I*m also anticipating that the paint is probably gonna peel off the firebox on the smoker side. I*m just wondering if there*s anything else I should be aware of before I pull the trigger on this thing, or if I should be looking at a different cooker (*grill*) completely.

Basically, I*m looking for a new grill that I can run on propane AND charcoal. This one happens to be a smoker too, that might end up being *not too bad* after a couple of mods, or some RTV sealant or stove rope gasket.

The online reviews on this are kind of all over the place...
- the 5 star ones say its the *best smoker on the planet* (I call B.S.)
- the 1 star ones say that itll turn into a rust bucket in a year
- the 4 star ones (which sound the most accurate, to me anyway) say, *I*ve had this smoker for years. It won*t rust if you clean it, cover it, and take care of it, you idiots* and *pretty damn good for what it costs*

Even in a lot of side by side Combo Grill articles/videos that I*ve been reading/watching lately, the Longhorn seems to be the best bang for your buck. Anybody have any thoughts/experiences with the Longhorn? I*d love to here everyone*s pros/cons lists.

Thanks in advance
:cheers:
 
"It puts the charcoal on its skin or else it gets the gas again..."
 
Dunno why that popped in my head. I am a kook, just ask the neighborhood and the 234 people in the little town down the road....
 
Looks kinda neat, though that footprint is kinda whelming. I have a 5 year old Charbroil 4-burner gasser (we USED to have company for meals) and after the first two years I've had to readjust cook times, heat settings, etc. with every damned cook. This will, if I can arrange it, be my last propane headache. We're kidless and I'm of a mind to downsize, and YOU GUYS (spell that R-O-B) has me fixated on pellets...
 
Then again, I love that little coal burner that my buddy's kid made me. 
 
So besides being no help whatsoever, I'll just take another opportunity to thank you for opening my man-cook world and get out of the way of those more qualified to advise you.... :party:
 
:cheers:
 
*oh, and nice crown! you deserve it!*
 
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Stetto, you’re a trip, dude :cheers:

Yeah, the grill I have now is a Char Broil Infrared series, 5 “main” burners and 1 on the side (came with a cast iron griddle too :party: ). Thing is a beast and I love it. We bought our first house in 2009, and that was the VERY first purchase I made ;) I was shopping the grills, looking at the NEW ones that size, and daydreaming, lol. The associate at the store woke me from my daydream and asked if I wanted to buy it. I told him, “No way. My wife would freakin’ kill me if I drop that kind of money on a grill!” He goes, “I’ll tell you what... I have another one of these, left over from last year (2008 model), in the back. We’re trying to get rid of it and I can give it to you for $250...”

SOLD! :) Plus, I got another 10% off for being a Veteran, so I walked out with it for $225! :dance:

The cover eventually got a hole in it and the (ORIGINAL!) cooking grates fInally rusted out 2 years ago. I ordered replacement grates (and a new cover) last year, and they already rusted out Now, it’s spreading to the “guts”. I might try to put a couple bucks into it and try to sell it to put towards a WSM, but I don’t want to keep it. It’s just gonna keep getting worse. But, for $250, I got my money’s worth and a lot more! Loved that grill! R.I.P. ;)



stettoman said:
"It puts the charcoal on its skin or else it gets the gas again..."
*oh, and nice crown! you deserve it!*
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Thanks, brother! So did you! You had my vote!!!
 
MikeUSMC said:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Stetto, you’re a trip, dude :cheers:
Oh Mike, I'm sure that you, me, and the other grill monkeys in here would have an effin' TIME if we got together!!

Yeah, the grill I have now is a Char Broil Infrared series, 5 “main” burners and 1 on the side (came with a cast iron griddle too :party: ). Thing is a beast and I love it. We bought our first house in 2009, and that was the VERY first purchase I made ;) I was shopping the grills, looking at the NEW ones that size, and daydreaming, lol. The associate at the store woke me from my daydream and asked if I wanted to buy it. I told him, “No way. My wife would freakin’ kill me if I drop that kind of money on a grill!” He goes, “I’ll tell you what... I have another one of these, left over from last year (2008 model), in the back. We’re trying to get rid of it and I can give it to you for $250...”
 
Man, our stories are very very close, except for the money....We bought this place in 2009, went through a lot of cheesy rust-riddled freebie Charbroils before finally sneaking off to the box store in 2013 or 14 and brought our 4 burner Tru Infrared home, ducking the wife for a week afterwards (like I said, EXCEPT for the money), and that grill made perfect steaks, chops, pork loins, burgers, you about name it....for two years. Then the "emitters" started to disintegrate, leaving hotspots, coldspots, deadspots, and the bracing to hold the deflector plates disappeared in one season, the metal so thin and substandard. We didn't use it but maybe once last year, and then I broke down and paid through the nose for a pair (nope, not all four) emitter/grill replacements. I picked up a length of 1/8" angle iron to replace the 1/64" piece of foil they had inside to hold up the deflectors, and by God I think we're cookin' with gas again, at least on two burners. But the dials stick, the thermometers didn't last the first season, and there's a trust issue with gas flow, so I pull the bottle after every use.

SOLD! :) Plus, I got another 10% off for being a Veteran, so I walked out with it for $225! :dance:
Dewd, there are a LOT of things you should be getting for being a Vet, besides your country's undying gratitude and better than the disgrace that is the VA. Really nice price though. I'm not going to tell you that I paid over twice that for mine....Not gonna do it, ya can't make me..... :snooty: 

The cover eventually got a hole in it and the (ORIGINAL!) cooking grates fInally rusted out 2 years ago. I ordered replacement grates (and a new cover) last year, and they already rusted out Now, it’s spreading to the “guts”. I might try to put a couple bucks into it and try to sell it to put towards a WSM, but I don’t want to keep it. It’s just gonna keep getting worse. But, for $250, I got my money’s worth and a lot more! Loved that grill! R.I.P. ;)
 
I think Charbroil are designed to do what they do. If you're manic about upkeep, cleaning, maintenance and such they'll cook well for ya maybe a little longer, but they bank on us not doing that. They design ridiculous low-tolerance components that are weight-bearing and doomed to fail if not meticulously maintained. Yeah, I saw FMJ, I know you jarheads were programmed for meticulous  ;) , I think your grill has lasted solely because of you...I'm parting ways with mine when we eventually move (Wife wants to move to CO Springs, and though CO is funky with the kookery I have a bugout pod closer to there than here) and I really want to try a pellet grill/smoker. 
 
Click to expand...
 
Whatever you ultimately acquire, I can't wait to hear about the experience. 
 
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OF A WEBER-ADDICT. I can't help but think of the neat, sporty, semi-functioning lawn tractors Andy could have had  if someone would have just done an intervention.... :shame:
 
I feel like I've seen that grill before.
 
tv vcr combo mikeusmc.png

 
 
 
It looks like two small grills. Don't you want more real estate? I've seen how many people you cook for. :rofl:
 
Don't fall for the all-in-one. It's a basic gas grill and an offset smoker, which is the most unreliable type for temps.
 
Get yourself a good gas grill, and good smoker. Check this thread out too: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/73826-can-someone-recommend-a-good-smoker/
 
FYI I'd go pellet for the smoker/grill combo myself but I know you like gas grills. ;)
 
The Hot Pepper said:
I know it's crazy. He does some kinda sorcery to get those results off gas.
Click to expand...
 
Actualy those Charbroiler Infrared models, when maintained to operate as NEW (like Mike obviously obsesses to do), cook monsters, beef, pork, chicken, marmot, whathaveyou.
 
I've had one like his for some years and never really devoted the time and effort as necessary. But that mother used to cook no wrong when I did... 
 
Good info!
 
The problem with buying an offset smoker (horizontal smoker with sidebox) is unless it is custom made or costs a fortune it's just your basic design that needs modifications. It's just an age-old design, very cave man. Fire, meat. Temps will vary in the zones and swing overall. If you do go offset you would want reverse flow. This plumbs the smoke to the other side of the chamber and brings it back across the chamber, for even smoke. You also live in the north where you can have problems with the cheaper models in winter. If you are not into modding I would definitely look around for a better model or different style. Even the Weber Smokey Mountain. But I think that's too small for your parties and people. I think you need grate space. What is your budget Mike? This will help!
 
I saw the video Mike. This thing is not for you. Like, when he explains how you can grill in all 3 chambers for tons of real estate. Yes, that's how you cook at your parties. But grilling in the side firebox is not ideal. Neither is in the smoke chamber (this is how I grill so FYI). You dump all those coals in and there is no ash collector. You just have ash in the smoke chamber in the end. It's just messy really. You have to really clean it good after because you don't want ash in your food when you smoke. And if you get lazy and leave it, rust. And cooking in the firebox is like using a tiny grill at a campground. Your burgers will be done before the ones on the charcoal side. And the gas side will be different. Also each grill is tiny. Take another look. Imagine racks of ribs on the smoker and a butt. It's tiny. I don't like this set-up. It's trying to hard with older "technology". Like my TV/VCR combo pic. That's what I think of. :rofl:
 
Since you really like gas grills Mike I would suggest you look for the best gas grill for you not one attached to another grill. Then I would look for a smoker that is easy to use, easy to clean, and works well without modifications and will perform well in the cold north. This is either a super insulated/thick steel very expensive smoker, or a Weber Smokey Mountain (no heat problems in winter because it is vertical, easy to use, clean) or pellet smoker which will allow you to also grill AND smoke.
 
I hope you come back soon and reply so I don't keep talking to myself. :lol:
 
 
Personally I'm not a fan of the combo units. No personal experience south this one. When selecting a grill, smoker you really gotta think zloty what you need/ want. How much grill space, will you use the offset fire box and smoke? Etc
 
Most stick burner smokers come with charcoal grates already. But yeah a hotel pan would make for easier cleanup. I basically have to remove grate, scoop out with small garden spade, and still, there's some left that is hard to get. You leave it and you get rust as it collects moisture.
 
I don't think he needs a stick burner for his first smoker. You need really expensive ones for them to perform well. Like $1200. A WSM would be awesome for him.
 
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