Oklahoma Joe's Bandera Vertical Offset Smoker & Grill vs Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Drum Smoker & Grill
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Quick take: The Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Drum Smoker & Grill costs $170 less; the Oklahoma Joe's Bandera Vertical Offset Smoker & Grill offers more cooking space (744 vs 284 sq in).
| Spec | Oklahoma Joe's Bandera Vertical Offset Smoker & Grill | Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Drum Smoker & Grill |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$600 | ~$430 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Offset Smoker | Charcoal Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 744 sq in | 284 sq in grate plus 3 hangers and 9 meat hooks |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Wood/Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Heavy-Gauge Steel with Porcelain-Coated Wire Grates | Powder-Coated Steel |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 39.3 x 28 x 63 in | 44.4 x 26.6 x 43.4 in |
| Weight | 198 lbs | 136.5 lbs |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
Pros & cons
Oklahoma Joe's Bandera Vertical Offset Smoker & Grill
- ✓Vertical cabinet layout gets 992 sq in out of a 39-inch-wide footprint, where a horizontal offset of similar capacity needs 64 inches
- ✓Four adjustable racks handle tall loads — whole turkeys, hanging sausage, standing rib roasts — that a barrel chamber cannot
- ✓Genuine side firebox burning charcoal and splits, not an electric or propane element
- ✓Rack spacing is adjustable, so you can run two tall racks or four shallow ones
- ✓Rib rack set included rather than sold separately
- ✗Vertical chambers stratify hard — the top rack can run 40-50°F hotter than the bottom, and there is no water pan to buffer it
- ✗Thin painted steel again; the firebox needs babysitting in cold or windy weather
- ✗Smaller firebox than the Longhorn means shorter burn cycles and more frequent tending
- ✗Only 2 years of warranty coverage
- ✗Grease drains down through the cabinet rather than out a side drain, so cleanup is messier than a barrel
Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Drum Smoker & Grill
- ✓The side fuel door is the feature Pit Barrel and Gateway do not have - you add charcoal mid-cook without venting the chamber or moving meat
- ✓8 lbs of charcoal for 14+ hours is a genuine overnight burn, which the Pit Barrel Junior and the Gateway 30G cannot do
- ✓Hangs and grills: nine hooks on three hangers for ribs, and a grate that drops toward the fire for steaks
- ✓Gasketed lid and a real airflow adjustment mean it holds low temperatures, unlike the sealed no-damper drums
- ✓Two-year parts warranty is double what most drum makers offer
- ✓Dual side shelves and tread wheels come standard, where Gateway charges $220 for shelves alone
- ✗Listed out of stock on Oklahoma Joe's own store at the time of research, with no restock date given
- ✗284 sq in of grate is small - the capacity claim rests on hanging, and hanging does not suit every cut
- ✗Oklahoma Joe's publishes no steel gauge, which is the number drum shoppers compare on
- ✗136.5 lbs and 44 inches wide with the shelves - it is not the compact drum the marketing implies
- ✗At $430 it sits awkwardly between the $459 Pit Barrel Classic and its own $630 Bronco Pro sibling