[Bob Anderson]

I have a few issues with my current smoker: 1) The air inlet hole in the smoker allows burning fuel to fall out thereby setting my shoes, grass, mulch, and now the smoker's bellows on fire. 2) The bellows only has one hole in it for air input and output. Squeeze the bellows and it blows air into the smoker. Release the bellows and it sucks air, flames, and burning fuel out of the smoker.

Are there any good smokers out there?

 

[Tennessee's Bees LLC]

I have two of Dandants biggest smokers. One is almost 20 years old and works as good as or better than my new one which is 3 years old. Good smokers.

 

[Fergus]

Get a tin can that will fit into smoker, such as a soup can. punch a bunch of holes in it and put it in smoker and then light with fuel in the can. It will hold fuel better and air will circulate better as well. This should keep your shoes safe.

 

[beeware10]

been using dadant smokers for 50 yrs and never had the issues you talked about. do you have a perforated grate in the bottom? that acts as a buffer to keep the fire up from the bottom.

 

[beegeorge]

Some smokers use one hole in the bellows to blow air out into the smoke pot,, and then suck air back into the bellows,, the Dadant smoker has TWO holes and allows one hole to blow into the smoke pot,, and then suck air back into the bellows via a separate hole

you can purchase a Dadant bellows to retrofit your existing smoker

 

[Bob Anderson]

Well, sounds like people like their Dadant smokers. Mine does not have a grate in the bottom. I suspect that that would be a major improvement. It would stop fuel from falling out and would help the fuel burn more completely. My fuel only burns next to the inlet hole... So I guess I could make a grate, or use Fergus' soup can idea, and get the Dadant bellows or I could just break down and buy a whole new Dadant smoker... I'll check their prices.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[Knisely]

If you use a good-sized nail to puncture the liner can a number of times, and also use a churchkey to poke triangular holes in the base, you can subsequently use a chopstick or something like that to then bend out three or four of those triangles of metal to serve as legs and improve air circulation around the bottom of the liner can. I hope my description helps you get a well-functioning liner can.

 

[rwurster]

My Dadant smoker has been put through the paces and still goes like a champ. Only smoker I've ever had so I lack experience with other smokers but I'm going to buy another, bigger, Dadant smoker soon.

 

[johng]

Another vote for Dadant . I burnt mine up a month ago so I've been using my cheap back up and I hate it. It does the exact same thing you are talking about it set the pine straw on fire today because fire came out the air hole at the bottom. Our drought index is up to 550 right now so it would not take much to start forest fire. I will be getting a new Dadant smoker next time I go over to High springs.

 

[Billboard]

Get this one it's the best. A dadant http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=91_103&products_id=46 nothing performs better.

 

[photobiker]

I'm going to throw this out there. The smoker grate has feet on it meant to be bent . Have you extended, bent, them to their maximum height. I'm thinking you need to have the bottom of the grate above the inlet hole. That means that the only thing being sucked or dropped out would be ash. Sure there may be some embers but we aren't pump this thing to melt steel.

 

[Bkwoodsbees]

My mann lake stainless steel with plastic bellow never has done that. It has a grate that suspends the fuel from the bottom. I Am Sure THE Dadant Is A Good One also.

 

[Bob Anderson]

Photobiker - my smoker didn't have a grate so the fuel just fell out the hole. I thought about making a grate but:

After all the good reports on Dadant I went ahead and ordered the big Dadant with the finger guard - as per Billboard's link. I don't really need such a big smoker, at least in terms of the fuel capacity, but I like the idea of the mouth of the can being higher than the top of the bellows. With my old smoker the top of the can and top of the bellows were even so when I was getting the smoker all fired up flame would lick out and singe my fingers... Now I just have to wait for it to show up.

 

[MTN-Bees]

I bought a Dadant to replace a Mann Lake smoker. I think the Dadant is much better.

 

[My-smokepole]

Some one put a bunch of smoker to the test and gave a reveiw this last spring. The tall smoker is easyier to keep lit. Over the smaller ones.