Frustrated with Bradley

RFT · January 07, 2011, 06:34:46 PM

Frustrated with Bradley

I smoke something just about every weekend since I have gotten my smoker in Nov. of 2010. I haven't even had this smoker for 2 months and now the pucks aren't advancing! >:( >:( >:( >:(

Looks like the pusher is no retracting all the way back to allow the next puck to fall down.

Right now I am in the middle of a 10lb cheese cold smoke and have to fix this POS again. First it was the Element going bad now its pucks not advancing. WTF? I also have 10lb's or jerky curing as well.

Looks like it's back to the Big Chief for reliability.

classicrockgriller · January 07, 2011, 07:02:27 PM

Hate to see you go.

You really should give Brian a call and tell him your problems.

Tenpoint5 · January 07, 2011, 07:08:01 PM

Quote from: classicrockgriller on January 07, 2011, 07:02:27 PM
Hate to see you go.

You really should give Brian a call and tell him your problems.

I agree

Sounds like it might be time to take the S/G apart and clean it. If your using it that much there is probably a pretty good stock pile of chips inside of it that need to be cleaned out. They are probably getting stuck under the slide and stopping it from going threw a full cycle.

RFT · January 07, 2011, 07:53:51 PM

Sorry for the Rant guys, probably a little premature.
I took the smoker Gen apart and it looked clean enough. The puck advance slider was ONLY sometimes retracting all the way back, nothing was blocking it but I did give a good blow out and rubbed it down with rubbing alcohol as well as everything else. Ran a few test runs and re assembled. I have the stove set for 18 min and will go see if the Smoke Gen is working.

I guess I should understand that this is a cooking appliance that needs cleaning and maintenance for as much as I use it. Besides I don't think I could ,even if I wanted to, send this thing back cause I am addicted to smoking. ;)

Cross your fingers the SG works better now.

Rad Rich · January 07, 2011, 07:54:07 PM

Hey Rft,
Man it sucks to hear you are having so many problems. I am a newbie on this site. Have only had the Original Bradley Smoker since Christmas and I have been very happy. It's my third smoker. Have a charbroil charcoal smoker. Way to much work. Smoked about 5 times in it. Very labor intensive. Then bought a Mecco Stainless steel electric smoker. Had some good results with it. Smoked Salmon and some chops and some ribs, and chicken. Such a pain in the ass dealing with keeping temps up and any wind at all, I mean any, all the heat would go. Got the Bradley and it's been awesome. Smoking is kind of a science, takes patience and you have to learn from your mistakes. Sounds like you have been having problems that aren't your fault. No fun to spend a nice chunk of change and have problems. I hope you still let Bradley have a chance to make it right. It's my third smoker and I am very satisfied with it's performance. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

classicrockgriller · January 07, 2011, 08:02:08 PM

Quote from: RFT on January 07, 2011, 07:53:51 PM
Sorry for the Rant guys, probably a little premature.
I took the smoker Gen apart and it looked clean enough. The puck advance slider was ONLY sometimes retracting all the way back, nothing was blocking it but I did give a good blow out and rubbed it down with rubbing alcohol as well as everything else. Ran a few test runs and re assembled. I have the stove set for 18 min and will go see if the Smoke Gen is working.

I guess I should understand that this is a cooking appliance that needs cleaning and maintenance for as much as I use it. Besides I don't think I could ,even if I wanted to, send this thing back cause I am addicted to smoking. ;)

Cross your fingers the SG works better now.

You know what ..... We are on your side and want everything to be good.

mjdeez · January 07, 2011, 08:02:47 PM

Hey, check this out: http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?488-Answers-To-Bradley-Smoker-FAQ-s&p=775#post775

I had a similar problem. My pastrami quit smoking on me mid way through and one puck burned for an hour. I hit 'advance' and it corrected itself. This post says you need to time it just right. I didn't need to but its worth a shot. I need to clean mine; haven't gotten to it yet. Good luck and don't give up... just think how much you've smoked, and how much more there is to go!

smokeitall · January 08, 2011, 08:54:05 AM

I really hate to see all these S/G problems. I also hate to say this but I have had my OBS for 6 or 7 years and have not cleaned the SG one time, still runs like its brand new. Only problem I have ever had was the temp controller slider plastic breaking off and smoking in the rain once and getting a shock :o I have since bypassed the slider and used a PID.

Can't imagine ever using a different brand smoker, except of course my big brother Bradley.
SIA

RFT · January 08, 2011, 11:54:28 AM

So far its working again but I am keeping a constant eye on it. putting tape in the puck tube so I can visually at a glance see if pucks are dropping.

6-7 years is what great and probably how it should be. I am beginning to think the newer Bradley's are being made with CHEAP parts. Dunno, it's all speculation at this point since nobody from Bradley feels it's worth an explanation thus far, think ELEMENT PROBLEMS a lot of people are having. Ya bad batch, OK and...............................

Put it this way. IF you bought a vacuum sealer that cost $200.00 and in the first month the heat strip went out and you had to replace it then the pump went out a few weeks later or just worked intermittently what would anyone of us think of that product?

Have a good one. Smoking Jerky today and just vacuum sealed the Cheese from last night.