Bradley's ---- digital vs original?

[Andrewh]

About to full the trigger on a Bradley and was wondering if any of your digi guys are regretting spending the extra $. I have read on the intraweb (super reliable I know) that the digitals are not worth it as they can be +/-30 of what you set the temps to.

true?

[835]

i have a digital,,, buddy has a non digital....
he read up on it and seemed to think "true smokers" liked the non digital better ,,,, something to do with the generator itself...

i bloody love my digital.... stupid easy to operate and you dont do a thing! other then rotate the stuff..... i can prograhm smoke times oven temps on off times....... i would have it no other way.....
check 1 vote for digital.....

one thing to think about tho....
i have a 6 rack smoker .... i have heard the 4 rackers are better for cooking in.. things like hams... the oven is the same but the inner volume of the 6 rack is quite a bit bigger... so Chicken, ham, pulled pork roasts..... is easier in a 4 rack.....
if all your going to do is Salmon and jerky..... 6 rack........ this said, i have done all the above in my 6 rack.....

[Beaverhunter]

I wouldn't buy a Bradley period. Had one didn't work very well or very long. Built my own wasn't that hard works way better control my temps to within a degree of what i set them at and I can do way mor volume.

[Cdn-Redneck]

I have a digital one and it works great. I have done brisket ribs and chicken in it. Go to the Bradley smoker forum there is a ton of ideas and recipes there.

[Daybreak]

My suggestion would be to explore other options for a smoker.

I have a Bradley Digital 4 rack and it will smoke product well when it is working, however they are absolutely rife with problems.

You are right, the temperatures will fluctuate up and down from the temp you have selected by as much as 30 degrees up and down. The element in them is known to fail, the so called smoke generator is a bit hokey and has a troublesome cheap micro-switch that also fails. The pucks are expensive and often do not burn correctly as the feeder does not perform as designed.

Many people who operate these products upgrade the element or put a second one in, modify the feeder and purchase an Aubern PID to enable the unit to establish a set temperature and hold it within a few degrees for the duration of the cook. Couple of hundred bucks extra to get what it is designed to do.

I have included a link to the Bradley Forum. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will find the most recent posts. Monitor those for a week and you will see 50% of the posts are people trying to find fixes for the product. Look back in the history of "troubleshooting/problems". There is enough reading to keep you busy for weeks.

It's unfortunate because these are a Canadian product, Delta BC. For the price you pay you will not get good value or reliability for your dollar. You can buy a full fledged kitchen stove/range for slightly more than the cost of these smokers.

That is my experience and opinion with Bradley. Apparently their customer service is good but it would have to be considering all the issues they have.


Have a read: http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/

[Daybreak]

More fun stuff to read: problems, problems, problems...

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?board=18.0

[Seeker]

My suggestion would be to explore other options for a smoker.

I have a Bradley Digital 4 rack and it will smoke product well when it is working, however they are absolutely rife with problems.

You are right, the temperatures will fluctuate up and down from the temp you have selected by as much as 30 degrees up and down. The element in them is known to fail, the so called smoke generator is a bit hokey and has a troublesome cheap micro-switch that also fails. The pucks are expensive and often do not burn correctly as the feeder does not perform as designed.

Many people who operate these products upgrade the element or put a second one in, modify the feeder and purchase an Aubern PID to enable the unit to establish a set temperature and hold it within a few degrees for the duration of the cook. Couple of hundred bucks extra to get what it is designed to do.

I have included a link to the Bradley Forum. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will find the most recent posts. Monitor those for a week and you will see 50% of the posts are people trying to find fixes for the product. Look back in the history of "troubleshooting/problems". There is enough reading to keep you busy for weeks.

It's unfortunate because these are a Canadian product, Delta BC. For the price you pay you will not get good value or reliability for your dollar. You can buy a full fledged kitchen stove/range for slightly more than the cost of these smokers.

That is my experience and opinion with Bradley. Apparently their customer service is good but it would have to be considering all the issues they have.


Have a read: http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/

I was given a digital bradley and I do like it, but Daybreak has some very valid points. I do not use it heavily, so I have not experienced a lot of problems. That being said, the first one I had, the digital display and feeder unit would not work. Returned and it and the second one has been great. The temperature can fluctuate to the point of continual monitoring to correct it. I found that if you smoke in temps below 25 degree C that the temps remainded a lot more stable, but anything hotter I was yoyoing back and forth, so smoke in cooler temps and put the unit in the shade. If I were spend the kind of money that these units list for, I would also look for a more reliable product first.

[Andrewh]

I have a line on a digital 4 rack brand new with warranty for 250 plus taxes. For this price I might give it a try, but I am still apprehensive reading what you guys are saying...

[ruger#1]

I have a line on a digital 4 rack brand new with warranty for 250 plus taxes. For this price I might give it a try, but I am still apprehensive reading what you guys are saying... You can also get a good deal on a dented one from Bradley. They are made in China. Their shop is on Anisices Island.

[Ride Red]

I don't have anything to add as I don't own a Bradley. I do have however, one that I built many years ago that is 5' tall x 3' x 3'. It has an external firebox with dampers on the fire box and smoker itself. It will easily handle 60 lbs. of sausage and smoke it almost right to the core.(if you so desire) The downside, you need to be around to keep an eye on it. That being said, I enjoy the process, so I don't mind hanging around.

[VI Blacktails]

I have a non digital and love it.Smokes chicken great as well as salmon.Stayed away from the digital because I was afraid of problems with moisture and electronics.

[Angus]

I have an original too. It's great. Once you've used it a couple of times, controlling the temp is quite easy.

On more than one occasion I've dropped a digital thermometer in the box through the top vent to confirm that the temp reading on the built in gauge was correct, and it was.

No hassles with it at all, and would recommend.

[Glenny]

I have been eying up Bradley for a while. But now not so sure. Maybe digital not as good as original. Got some nice rainbows in the big chief as we speak but wish it could run a little hotter.

[Sitkaspruce]

16 years; a ton or two of fish, a few moose, elk and deer, a huge flock of fowl and a too many cows and pigs and she still keeps working. The back plugin broke once in the cold as it became brittle; Bradley sent me two no cost, and the internal temp gauge quite a long time ago, so I replaced it with an inside/outside temp gauge, which has since quite. Will replace the temp gauge that Nog recommended in the spring.

We have thought about replacing the smoker with the bigger 6 rack, but after reading all the problems in the net, we will keep it and just replace the parts as they need it.

Any word on the Masterbuilt at Cabelas??

Cheers

SS

[Sofa King]

Bradley's are pieces of shit.
unless of course you are lucky enough to get one that gives none of the multitude of problems.
but bad elements, inconsistency, wafers only partially burning, I returned mine the same week.

[Smiley]

I have a non-digital and a digital (long story but I got lucky deals twice).
I actually prefer the non-digital since the temp seems more accurate - it certainly takes less time to do the job.
I have been sneaking the temps up on the digital and it is now (after 2 years of experimenting) approaching the effectiveness of the analog unit.
They are both excellent and I would easily buy them all over again.

[russm]

I have the 4 rack non digital and it's been problem free, I've done a bunch of fish, jerky, ribs, brisket, and various pork products in it and they always turn out really good. I haven't had any burner issues or pucks not totally burning but I always make sure I clean the burner after I'm done with it, and it hasn't been exposed to the weather at all.

[Andrewh]

I really appreciate the responses, now it is even a tougher call. It seems like it is either a love or hate relationship with them depending on if you get lucky or not.

[ultramafic]

I have six racker digital and i like the set and forget aspects of it if you have your recipe and timings sorted... i actually like the pucks yes they are expensive but they are easy back to the setting and forgetting... My only complaint is that the element has a bit of a tough time with the extra space of the six racker so i would suggest the smaller of the two if you want a more even temp from top to bottom inside...

mike

[Wentrot]

I have a 6 rack digital. Gets lots of use but has plenty of problems compared to my friends non digital model....dont get the digital

[Bear_Down]

Save your money and get a big Chief. Heck for the price of a Badley get 4 Big Chiefs

[Wentrot]

Save your money and get a big Chief. Heck for the price of a Badley get 4 Big Chiefs

I could NEVER go back to the big chief lol

[Web by]

Had a 4 rack and upgraded to a Bradley 6 rack digital. I work at a cabinet shop so I have an endless supply of cherry, maple, alder and hickory off cuts. Free and nice slow smoke compared to the Bradley pucks. Having the digital makes it less of a hastle to smoke. I do everything from my own sausage, jerky, salmon, pork, chicken, corn for canning salsa and spices. Never had any problems.

[hoochie]

Ive heard the old ones were good, but the new ones are made over seas. Lots of them get returned after purchase for "not working properly"

[Sofa King]

bought the top Bradley and was so stoked to get it home and try it.
sadly, I got a total dud.
wouldn't heat up.
wouldn't burn pucks.
was very unhappy and returned it.
but, from what I read, if you are fortunate enough to get a non-dud, they seem to be great.
problem with something that has all the bells and whistles is there's too many things that can now go wrong.

I went with a masterbuilt.
been very happy with it.
http://itemvideo-dev.microsite.homedepot.com/120114/28I/Masterbuilt%20Pro%20572-289.jpg (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Masterbuilt-Pro-Dual-Fuel-Smoker-20050412/202904343)

[coach]

Interesting responses. I have a 4 rack digital and absolutely love it. Zero issues and it gets a ton of use. Sounds like I'm one of the lucky ones.. If I'd read this stuff before buying it, I'd never have made the purchase.

[SuperYeti]

My digital 6 rack has been great, have done wings, brisket, prawns, salmon, pork jerky, beef jerky, and beans in it. I find if it's windy, then the temps fluctuate a lot, and you need to run it wide open, if you close the damper thats when it starts fluctuating more. I keep mine in my garage in front of a window, with a box fan blowing the smoke outside, i've found i get little smoke in the garage, and helps keep the temperatures much more stable.

[Philcott]

Interesting responses. I have a 4 rack digital and absolutely love it. Zero issues and it gets a ton of use. Sounds like I'm one of the lucky ones.. If I'd read this stuff before buying it, I'd never have made the purchase.

I'm reading this thread with great interest since I'm looking to get a new smoker. Been running my little chief for 27 years and looking to upgrade.

I'm beginning to question getting a Bradley.. Whats to do??

[coach]

I'm reading this thread with great interest since I'm looking to get a new smoker. Been running my little chief for 27 years and looking to upgrade.

I'm beginning to question getting a Bradley.. Whats to do??

Hard to say after reading this thread. Like I said, mine has been awesome.

[tubby]

100% bradley non digital..

[hoochie]

I'm reading this thread with great interest since I'm looking to get a new smoker. Been running my little chief for 27 years and looking to upgrade.

I'm beginning to question getting a Bradley.. Whats to do??

Get a BIG chief...lol. that's an upgrade from a little chief; and mine has been awesome!

[Philcott]

The thing is I need to be able to get higher temperatures to do pepperoni. I can't get the internal temp up to 162F of what ever it is and I was told I was NOT making a mess in the oven again so I need more heat in the smoker. Guess I could hook up another coil??

[VI Blacktails]

I have a Bradley (not digital) and bought it for that reason.I live on the island and with the moisture sooner or later the electronics are going to fail.

[FortBoy]

have had a non digital for years, love it, have done pepp, sausage, duck, chicken, and do a couple turkeys every year, best youve had. in saying this, i have had friends that have got the newer models digital and non digital, and seem to have nothing but problems.

[BiG Boar]

I have the 6 rack digital. The puck feeder broke, and it was a $10 part. Still a PITA while you've got meat ready to go. That being said, for every person responding with a problem, there are 100 people out there that won't write a review because everything is working fine. I would go digital again.

[Getbent]

^^^agreed LOTS of happy customers,... I have a 4 rack digital (5 years old), never have had a problem, another buddy (2 years old digital 4 rack) no problem and another buddy (1 year old 6 rack digital) works perfect...

[one-shot-wonder]

Popped my Bradley 'cherry' this past weekend.
Wifey got me a 4 rack digital and the maui ribs I did up were very succulent!
Lets hope I got a 'tight' one......
Looking forward to many more smokes!

[russm]

I did pork chops in mine on the weekend and the turned out a lot better than expected, ive got some salmon to go in in the next couple days too, i always have trouble finding the right temp for my salmon and end up drying it out. So far i havent had any issues with the 4 rack original. Briskets always turn out delicious too.

[Sofa King]

hope you get a good one if you go with it.
the one i bought, more things didn't work than worked.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/t1.0-9/10590451_629134363873480_3680059228191579552_n.jpg ?oh=565fb16505a72263d2aea06abf040993&oe=56FE7EA6

[one-shot-wonder]

Looks like a bad case of premature "epuckulation"

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Lmao!!!!!!!

[Beaverhunter]

Got a Bradley after hardly any use it crapped out after some research it seemed to be normal. Built my own after that and it works awesome.

[IronNoggin]

the one i bought, more things didn't work than worked.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5620&stc=1

[Wentrot]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5620&stc=1

Why the sudden hatred for SK, noggin? He may come off a bit difficult to like in some posts but he has helped me out a heck of a lot. Let's put our big boy pants on and toss this little Internet feud to bed shall we?

[honeyman76]

I own and use A Bradley. The first one that I bought was a 6 rack. Plugged it in and received an error code straight out of the box. Brought it back, and they only had a 4 rack and have had that for two years now with no problems. I have smoked steaks and salmon and will do beef jerky tomorrow

[okas]

digital auto feed x2 works when i am sleeping

[prconnection]

I have a six rack bought in December. So far so good........love it!

[wrenchhead]

I bought a master built unit on Boxing Day from cabelas. Quite an up grade from the big chief. About the same capacity, but is foolproof with the temp settings and built in meat probe and chip tray no pucks. Done jerky, beef and pork ribs and tonight I just pulled out some summer sausage. Unreal results. Unit was 210 buck on sale.

[lowball]

Bradley original. The simpler the better. LOL

[honeyman76]

I have never owned a smoker before two years ago when I bought the 6 rack Bradley. Out of the box, there was an issue with the wiring so back to the store it went. They didn't have a 6 rack so I ended up with the 4 rack and haven't looked back. I haven't had any issues either. Adjust your temp +/- to what the outside temp is. Like others have said, its really simple to use.