Hello fellow Smoker/BBq'ers

[Ex-Traeger owner]

I have owned a Treager 075 Tex smoker for over 5 years, the BBQ has been constantly problematic over this time span.
Issues: the hot rod would burn through the casing on the tip, resulting in quite a shock when grabbing the lid handle, over time Treager sent replacement rods and after 4 rods, the problem went away, next was the blowing of fuses in the digital controller (for no reason), Traeger, or I should say ACE Hardware replaced the controller, unit worked for a while, now, I have a problem that makes no sense, when I turn the controller on "smoke" the unit is stuck on high, or even higher than high, the auger feeds the pellets at an alarming rate to the bowl, the hot rod gets so glowing hot that it actually catches the pellets that overflow the pot on fire!
So, I installed the spare digital controller that ACE gave me, same issue, reinstalled the manual controller that came with the BBQ, same issue, have a friend on the block who also bought a Treager, hooked up his spare digital controller, same issue. Traeger has been no help as my unit is 5 years old, so, that is why i'm here, life is not the same just BBQ'in on my gas Weber, we miss the SMOKER!
I have been looking into the Bradley and read a gazillion reviews, everything from excellent to cheaply made.
My main question is: I smoke for 2 and at the most 4 people, beer can chicken, baby back ribs, pork chops, chicken legs etc, does the Bradley get hot enough to smoke/cook in a reasonable amount of time? I live in So. Cal so cold weather is not a factor.

[squirtthecat]

Welcome!

Sorry to hear your Traeger went all Christine on you..    I have an 070 that purrs like a kitten. (well..)

I also have a MAK and a Bradley OBS.   It is a great little smoker.  You'll probably see 250° on the high end.  Mine is pretty much stuck at 225°, which works for me.   It's not a convection cooker like the Traeger, so things will take a bit longer than you are used to.

[Jim O]

Welcome E-TO

I'm sure you'll love a Bradley.

If you do have any problems,the knowledge available in the Forum is top-notch.

Good luck!

Jim O

[beefmann]

welcome to the forum , buy a 4 rack original bradley and you  will be  quite happy

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum Ex-Traeger owner!

It all depends on what you consider a "reasonable amount of time"

With a Bradley, you are essentially cooking with a 500watt element. It's going to take longer than in the 075.

You will also most likely notice that the smoke flavor is stronger than on a pellet cooker for a the same amount of time on "smoke". Since the Bradley does not use the wood for cooking, it keeps the wood at the best smoke temp most of the time.

[Ex-Traeger owner]

Thanks for the replies, the only reason I ask about cooking time is I get home from work at 4:30, we like to have Chicken legs, Beer can chicken and Pork chops for dinner during the week (no, not at the same time).
We usually eat at 6:30 or 7:00, so was wondering if the Bradley would cook within that timeframe.
Weekends aren't an issue, I can put it on early and drink Bud-Light all day... ;D

[SoCalBuilder]

Hey Ex - Welcome. I live in San Diego and have had my OBS since September. You'll be hard pressed to get chicken done in that short a time. Some people have turbo charged theirs with fans and extra elements, but with the plain ole OBS, it takes me 6 to 7 hours to do chicken. SOme people will use the Bradley to get the smoke portion out of the say and then finish up in the oven or on the grill.

Hope this is of some help.

[Ex-Traeger owner]

Thanks So Cal, that answers my question to a "T".
I'm in Anaheim, I drive to No. County alot to check on my Mom who lives in Vista.

[SoCalBuilder]

Well I hope I didn't discourage you. The Bradley has been an absolute blast for me. I don't think there has been a weekend that I haven't used it. In fact, I'm sitting here typing and eating leftover pecan-smoked chicken. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate. If nothing else, the Bradley comes with a butt-load of help and friends :D