Pitts & Spitts

[Alien BBQ]

[DownHome Smokin]

wow thats a fantasic smoker...Buddy , if i had your money, I'd buy that exact same one, smoke my brains out, and have a blast doing it looking as cool as a cucumber... enjoy!

[FairWeatherSmoker]

Here is there website. It is hard to find btw.

http://www.pittsandspitts.com/product_detail.asp?item=308&category=91#

Mine is the 24 X 36.

It's one of those things that if you are going to do it anyway & spend the money, you might as well get a deduction for it

I did it with drag racing for a few years.

[Slamdunkpro]

I have a US2448 and to be truthful I’m not real thrilled with it. The firebox is too small for a long cook and the units are poorly sealed and not insulated. The stainless roll top looks great but creates some odd hot and cold spots. In addition the stainless causes the thermometer to misread (after several calls to P&S they finally admitted that this was a known problem) More: The grates are not pullouts and the upper one is mostly useless (too narrow).

I’ve had to make several mods to mine to get it to cook evenly and had to make a new upper rack and mounts to make it useful. I may be making a new firebox this spring.

Lastly, from my experience their customer service is just abysmal. It took six weeks to get my “in stock” smoker (after being told no more than 5 days) and only calling up and threatening to cancel the order got it here (they kept giving me false tracking information about where the unit was in shipping – they ended up air-freighting it to me – probably cost more in freight than I paid for the unit) They promised me a cover as “compensation” but getting it took several phone calls and several weeks.

Just recently I called to order a tuning plate – I was told that it was in stock. 3 weeks later – nothing. I DID cancel that order.
_________________
Real Barbecue gives you time to get drunk after putting it in the smoker and sober up before taking it out!

Regards,
Michael

[zilla]

There is a lot to be said for good customer service thats for sure.
_________________
Zilla

GIANT BBQ

[FairWeatherSmoker]

I pretty much agree with that assessment about the temps, racks, stainless, etc. I just thoguht they were all the way, quirky.

I had no problem with CS since I went by, saw mine in showroom, and bought it & had it delivered that day. I had some split racks made so that I could move the rack side to side. If you get a rack handle, I got mine at BBQGALORE, you can raise the lip of the rack & slide it out. I use the top for ribs or chicken. I got an adjustable gas grill rack & put it in the bottom, so I have 3 levels.

I have had 4 chickens, 2 racks of ribs, 2 8# butts & 1 12# brisket in it at one time. I don't use the far right next to the fire box much, too hot. In fact, I use the WSM most of the time. Considering getting a cookshack 050

Dunno, it's the only smoker I ever had & bought it becuase they were on the highway on the way home. It works for me.

[3970010]

I went to the Montgomery County Cookoff today. I "interviewed" five seperate Pitts & Spitts pit owners today. I asked them about their pits and if they had any problems with them. I could not get one negative comment on them. There was one more their that I did not get to talk to. I will try an track him down tomorrow and ask him as well. One thing about me, I will shop something to death.

[BBQMAN]

Well hi there 3970010 (how did you come up with that handle?! )

I have not cooked on a P&S but hear they are good smokers. For that money, I would seriously look into a few other brands. Gator makes some fine towables, as well as diamond plate, etc.

I dont have problems with my stainless. It is ALL stainless, and I will never have to scrape and paint! When we get done cooking up pigs (4 this week), we go to the carwash, hose it down with greased lighting, spray er out, and it is clean and brand new again! Only dissadvantage with stainless is holding the heat in the rain, but I have a cover over the top of my trailer. I also use a gas log lighter, and straight wood. I'm up and running in less than 1/2 an hour! For longer cooks, I leave the burner on low, load in a few good sized logs, and get some sleep. Tending the fire is part of the fun, but when you cook as much as we do, staying up all night is not an option!

Back in 2001, I had $7,000 invested in metal, and a lot of hard work. Since then, stainless has gone up 40-50%! Had a fellow at the market inquire about having me build him a similar smoker, not quite sure he wanted it with the $12,000 price tag- If you have to ask, you cant afford it!

If there is a tie-in with your business, it is a write off as capital equipment. You can also take a deduction for the next few years on depreciation as well. Talk to your tax person!

Quality always pays for itself down the road- good luck with your new pit!
_________________
BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

[Slamdunkpro]

If you are set on a P&S and they are going to build it for you a couple of suggestions:

Have them omit the short upper rack from the main chamber and position the upper rack rail an inch lower. Then you can almost get a full width second rack in the main chamber. It will be 22” instead of 24 but it would much more functional.

Ask for 3 shelves in the upright instead of 2. 2 leaves a lot of unused space. See if they can make the upright racks pull outs, getting briskets in the standard upright is a royal PIA. Get a set of hooks put in the top of the upright.

Without tuning plates the upright cabinet is only useful as a warming/holding area and the side of the cooker next to the fire box is virtually unusable as it will run 100+ degrees hotter. Get them to put a set of tuning plate rails in your main chamber.

One comment on my earlier post. I believe that P&S had gone through some hard times and had been bought and sold a couple of times before and after I bought my unit. When I bought mine they were fire sailing their pits I paid under $1000 for my U2448 three years ago, so their quality may have changed.
_________________
Real Barbecue gives you time to get drunk after putting it in the smoker and sober up before taking it out!

Regards,
Michael

[3970010]

[3970010]

[BBQMAN]

Sounds like very functional mods to me too! If your gonna pay top dollar, make sure it meets your needs! The time for custom changes is obviously something you want to discuss before you sign on the bottom line. Some pit manu. will charge you a great deal more for any and all mods done outside thier basic configuration!
_________________
BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

[BradM]

[3970010]

Pay VERY close attention to the type of ring you are going to use as well as the gap. Also, pay very close attention to the quality of EVERYTHING you stick in your heads. Stainless Steel valves are a must. One last thing. Make sure that you use the best BBQ sause in the Nitrous Bottle!!!!!!


I know that you already know thise things, I was just being funny.

[BradM]