bradley digital vs original

[cathouse willy]

Lets have a discussion on the digital vs original smokers.First time buyers of Bradley smokers see the fancy digital smoker with programmable temps and cook times and assume that it is a big improvement on the original,but is it really any better? The digital still has the same large temp swings as the original and needs a pid to control them. Is the orig. with a pid a better choice? I have the orig with a pid and I can't see the advantage of the higher priced dig unit.The cost of the orig plus a auburne pid is close to the digital units price. Is digital worth the extra cost? If you were to do it over would you buy the same one? Let's hear your thoughts.
Bill

[tskeeter]

Many will agree with your logic.

I went with the digital to get the larger, six rack, cabinet.  It allows easy hanging of a good quantity of summer sausage and use of normal heat stratification to facilitate cooking of differing thicknesses of meat.

[Grouperman941]

Lets have a discussion on the digital vs original smokers.First time buyers of Bradley smokers see the fancy digital smoker with programmable temps and cook times and assume that it is a big improvement on the original,but is it really any better? The digital still has the same large temp swings as the original and needs a pid to control them. Is the orig. with a pid a better choice? I have the orig with a pid and I can't see the advantage of the higher priced dig unit.The cost of the orig plus a auburne pid is close to the digital units price. Is digital worth the extra cost? If you were to do it over would you buy the same one? Let's hear your thoughts.
Bill

I have the New Original plus PID, and I think that is the best value. I can't say if the digital is worth it, since I have never seen one in use. I like how I used the smoker for a year without PID, so I could learn how it works before adding on. Today, I would get the Original 6-rack, although the new iSmoke (sic) model looks pretty cool for when I need to replace this one.

[Wildcat]

Older original with PID here. I would go that same route today if needed.

[Smoker John]

I have no issues with the digital version, other than it needs more heat but that's another story.

[manfromplaid]

I went with the digital and then upgraded to a duel element and a pid. don't use the digital feature at all.