Old Country BBQ Pits Pecos Smoker vs Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker
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Quick take: The Old Country BBQ Pits Pecos Smoker costs $150 less; the Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker offers more cooking space (920 vs 630 sq in).
| Spec | Old Country BBQ Pits Pecos Smoker | Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$600 | ~$750 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Offset Smoker | Offset Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 630 sq in | 920 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Wood/Charcoal | Wood/Charcoal |
| Build Material | All-Welded 14-Gauge Steel with 11-Gauge Doors | All-Welded 11-Gauge Steel with 3/16-Inch Doors |
| 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 | No |
| Dimensions | Main grate 17.5 x 36 in; 54 in tall | Main grate 17.75 x 26 in; upper grate 8.75 x 25.5 in |
| Weight | 222 lbs | 225 lbs |
| Warranty | Lifetime limited | Lifetime limited (1 year parts) |
Pros & cons
Old Country BBQ Pits Pecos Smoker
- ✓All-welded construction — no bolted seams to leak, which is the single biggest failure mode of budget offsets
- ✓14-gauge chamber with 11-gauge doors holds temperature far more steadily than the painted sheet steel at this price
- ✓Lifetime limited warranty rather than the 2 years typical of mass-market offsets
- ✓Slide-out cooking grate makes loading a full brisket and cleaning the chamber genuinely easy
- ✓222 lbs for $600 undercuts every bolted competitor on steel-per-dollar
- ✓Stainless steel handles stay cool without gloves
- ✗Academy Sports exclusive — no Academy store nearby means freight shipping or no purchase at all
- ✗630 sq in is less grate than a $450 Char-Griller Competition Pro; you are paying for steel, not space
- ✗Ships needing assembly and the paint is utilitarian high-heat, not a finished powder coat
- ✗No counterweight on the chamber door at this trim level — the Brazos and Wrangler get one, the base Pecos does not
- ✗Thermometer is basic; most owners replace it with a Tel-Tru
Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker
- ✓11-gauge steel is roughly a third thicker than the Pecos, and the difference shows most on cold or windy days
- ✓3/16-inch doors are the heaviest part of the build and seal the chamber well without a gasket
- ✓7.5 x 12 in hot plate over the firebox gives you a direct-heat surface for searing or holding a pot of sauce
- ✓920 sq in across two racks — 290 more than the Pecos for $150 more
- ✓All-welded with a lifetime limited warranty on the body
- ✗225 lbs and only 26 inches of main-grate length — a full packer brisket needs to go on diagonally
- ✗Academy exclusive, same channel limitation as the rest of the Old Country line
- ✗Parts coverage is only 1 year even though the body carries a lifetime limited warranty
- ✗Deeper chamber means a steeper firebox-to-far-end temperature gradient than the longer Brazos
- ✗No door counterweight at this trim