Had to pick between a $30 offset smoker at a garage sale and a new $400 one, went with the cheap option

Grabbed that rusty old offset for 30 bucks last Saturday, spent 4 hours cleaning and resealing it with a $12 gasket kit, and honestly it holds temp better than my buddy's fancy brand new one - has anyone else had luck reviving an old beater smoker?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_thompson7d ago

4 hours just on cleaning and sealing? That's dedication, man. I would've given up after like 20 minutes of scrubbing rust.

finley_wells6611h ago

Four hours? Good grief. I'd be lucky to last half that before my back gave out and I just said forget it. That takes some serious patience.

sageallen7d ago

Nah man, I hear you on the "20 minutes of scrubbing" part, but that rust doesn't just wipe off with elbow grease alone. You gotta respect the process if you want it to LAST. I've rushed jobs before and ended up redoing them a month later because the sealant didn't stick right. That 4 hours is an INVESTMENT in not having to do it again next summer. Plus there's something satisfying about watching it come back to life after all that work, even if your arms are sore later.