Need warranty help - no response to emails or messages

[Dan61psu]

Hello - I am seeking warranty support for a defective Bradley original smoker.  I have emailed three times in the past week and left voice messages to the USA number, all without response.

How can I get in touch with customer service?

I purchased the now defective unit in December of last year from Cabelas' and have only used it for about 6-8 smokes.  The biscuit feeder stopped worked in the middle of a smoke recently.  It is not working either automatically or manually.  I hear the mechanism running but it doesn't fully engage and move biscuits into the smoker.  Sounds like the motor is running but the mechanism is unhooked/disengaged/jammed.

As an aside, i am disappointed in the smoker's inability to keep or maintain desired temps with more than about 7 lbs of meat in the unit.  Is this normal?

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Dan61psu;

Sorry to welcome you to the forum in this manner.

Since the pandemic, Bradley doesn't seem to have office hours, so the best way to communicate is through email. They do monitor this forum, so hopefully someone from Bradley will see this.

I don't know what email address you are using, but for a while when I had to contact them I was using the wrong email. If the below email is different from what you are using try the one below. I've had even received responses on the weekend. As a precaution I would save copies of the emails you have already sent.

[email protected]

For now remove all bisquettes from the tube, and remove the tube. While looking down into the generator turn on the generator and hit the advance button. Watch the shuttle to see if it fully draws back, then fully move forward. If the shuttle moves properly, reinsert the tube - making sure that it is straight, and not inserted too far. There is a slight ridge where you insert the tube. Make sure the tube does not go beyond that ridge. Push the advance button and watch the shuttle, to see if it makes a full cycle. If you have bisquette savers load them, and see if they advance properly. If you don't have bisquette savers the next time you load your bisquettes, make sure all of them are flat and none on an angle - that will cause them to jam. Also if your bisquettes have been exposed to too much moisture, that could swell them, and the will not feed properly

With the original Bradley's I find you have to adjust the temperature setting throughout the cook. That is mainly due to when you first place the meat in the smoker it is colder and very moist. This will drop the temperature, especially larger loads. The larger the load the longer it will take for the smoker to reach your desired setting. After it has reached the desired temperature, you may notice that you have to turn the dial back. Other things you can do that can help the smoker recover after loading, is to preheat the smoker much higher than you plan to cook at, make sure the damper is at least 1/2 - 3/4 open, set your meat out on the counter for a couple of hours prior to placing it in the smoker.

[Dan61psu]

Thanks habanero, I was using support@ based on the Bradley website.  I'll try your suggestion below.  I will also try to reproduce using your steps, but if memory serves it was running but the shuttle was not mlvinbit was seemingly stuck while the motor was running, as if it was not properly connected

[Habanero Smoker]

I was using the support@ email then when I got no response I called a recorded messages stated to use the contact@ email.

From your description it sounds like the gears in the motor may be stripped, or something is blocking the rotating arm. Once you contact Bradley they should resolve the problem.

[Dan61psu]

Still waiting....this is not what I expected when I paid the extra for a Bradley

[Habanero Smoker]

I know it frustrating, especially when the clock is ticking. They are probably backed log from emails received over the weekend. Bradley's customer service is one that you can trust

[Dan61psu]

Let's hope you are right.  There is no excuse for over a week of wait to speak with someone.