Hi.... My real name is Kevin

[pecos bill]

I am thinking of getting a Bradley and can't decide between the digital and the analog.  Can you use a digital thermometer with an analog system?

[UncleAl]

Welcome from Michigan yes you can use a digital thermometer with the analog smoker. That is exactly what I a doing I have a BS611 smoker and a Auber PID to control the temperature swings. There are a lot of people on this forum that use the Maverick ET-732 or ET-733 to remotely monitor the the temperature of the smoker and the food.

[ragweed]

Welcome to the forum from Nebraska.

[beefmann]

welcome aboard, check out the maverick et 733 great  lil  unit

[NorthShoreMN]

Welcome from minnesota

[Saber 4]

Welcome from Texas

[tailfeathers]

Hello from South Dakota! Brrr


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[pecos bill]

Thanks for the rapid response and greetings.  Friends of mine that smoke all recommend Bradley, however when I read the reviews on the various sales outlets sites there seems to be some discord regarding the quality of the brand (temp control, parts breaking and smokeyness). 

My friends resoundingly denied the argument about the unit not being able to achieve a deep smokey flavor (indeed, it seems as if many Bradley owners have an initial problem with excessive smokiness).  It appears that any problems with temp control should be able to be solved by aftermarket controls and insofar a breakage is concerned I will put that down to bad luck.

The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that Bradley is a quality company and customer service is excellent.  I am also really impressed by this website.... what a dedicated following!

I guess I should mention that I live in  California (northern/Mendocino).

[Smoker John]

Welcome aboard, I'm quite happy with my digital, initially out of the box I had to re-seat some wires in the smoke generator asthe puck burner wasn't heating up, but now going on 2 years it still works great & no further issues so far.

[TNRockyraccoon]

Welcome from Tennessee!

[STLstyle]

Pecos bill / Kevin,
Pull the trigger!  You're wasting time you could be smokin already!  Just kiddin.  Welcome from St. Louis.

I'm gonna throw my 2 cents in here with risk of criticism, but hey, take it for what it's worth, just my opinion.

If you want the 6 rack you have to go digital it's the only choice.

If you want a 4 rack and you think your going to get an aftermarket PID controller, get the analog.  It's true you only need the PID if your gonna do sausage and jerky but a PID is also recommended if you add a second element.  By getting the analog you'll save money bc the PID will run the element anyway.

Last note:  Many people run a stock bradley on this site and are 100% happy with it.  I decided to modify mine, 2 elements and a PID bc I was interested in reducing recovery times on cooks and wanted to make sausage.  Plus I just like to mess with it all.

All that being said.  Pull the trigger and post some cooks!

Good luck!