Original vs Realtree

johnsgwh · May 12, 2019, 04:28:02 PM

Hello members, new to the forum and need an answer to hopefully a simple question. Want to get into smoking and came down to smokers, Bradley and Masterbuilt. But after reading reviews I found way to many negative reviews on Masterbuilt. So, I decided on Bradley. Looking at Cabela's they have 2 on sale, the realtree 4 rack model on sale for $210.00 and the 4 rack original on sale for $250.00. They look identical. Are they? If so why is the original $30.00 more at the original price.

Toker · May 12, 2019, 04:31:19 PM

They're the same except for the door. The RealTree comes jerky rack unlike the original that comes with regular rack. RealTree also comes with 4 meat hooks.

manxman · May 13, 2019, 01:39:21 AM

In my opinion the jerky racks are way better than the standard ones, they are easier to clean, more robust and stand the test of time if that is any help? :)

Toker · May 13, 2019, 01:54:08 AM

Watch out, over the years some have reported that the Teflon peels off on the food. Also,they can be bought separately. For me ( I have both in 4 and in 6 ) it's just a matter of look. They both work as well as each other. The extra cost is due of the hooks that could also be bought separately.

manxman · May 13, 2019, 04:38:21 AM

Didn't realise some people had had issues with their jerky racks... useful to know. :)

Talking about extras a set of "magic" mats makes either type of rack easier to clean although it is more cost effective to buy none branded or a cheaper alternative to the Bradley version some of which may need cutting to size.

johnsgwh · May 13, 2019, 09:34:40 AM

Quote from: Toker on May 13, 2019, 01:54:08 AM
Watch out, over the years some have reported that the Teflon peels off on the food. Also,they can be bought separately. For me ( I have both in 4 and in 6 ) it's just a matter of look. They both work as well as each other. The extra cost is due of the hooks that could also be bought separately.
[/quote
Well actually the Realtree is $30.00 cheaper, that's what I didn't understand. If your getting jerky racks plus hooks why is it cheaper? So, I guess I will get the Realtree, no reason to pay more for no reason. Thanks guys, I do appreciate the help. Hopefully will be posting a lot more over the summer and asking more dumb questions as I get more and more involved into smoking meat.

Habanero Smoker · May 13, 2019, 01:41:55 PM

Maybe they are not selling, because of the jerky racks. On the other hand the Realtree model may be an issue on licensing. Most likely the licensing has expired and Cabela's wants to get them out of their inventory. I say this because back in December Weston's Realtree models of their meat grinders were being sold at Ollie's, at more than a 50% discount . If you are not familiar with Ollie's, it's a store that purchases other company's overstock inventory, or purchases inventory of companies going out of business, and resells it at a discount. For example, back in November they purchased most of Toy's R Us inventory, and resold it almost a 50% discount.

Toker · May 13, 2019, 01:47:09 PM

But still listed on their site anyway and they've just added information about the upcoming one on their site.

Edward176 · May 13, 2019, 05:24:31 PM

Hello johnsgwh and welcome to the Forum. As you can see there is plenty of helpful smokers with info to help you through your smoking issues. Enjoy and welcome.

Habanero Smoker · May 14, 2019, 01:18:43 AM

Quote from: Toker on May 13, 2019, 01:47:09 PM
But still listed on their site anyway and they've just added information about the upcoming one on their site.

There could be several reasons why a product is heavily discounted. Other than the one I mentioned, it may be heavily discounted because it is not a popular seller, or they may want to push that brand. Or it could be that the jerky racks begin to peel after a couple of uses, and that could lower sales. Or maybe due to the camoflag, they are hard to find when stored outdoors. ;)