BBQ Buyer's Guide to 55 Gallon Drum Smokers

Learn about 55 Gallon Drum Smokers, including the Cotton Gin Sower, Reaper, and Harvester, the Uncle Pookie Smoker, the Double O Drum Co Smoker, the Buckeye Smokers including the Standard and Upgraded, the Champion Drum Smokers including the Large, Champion Pro, and Champion Competition Pro Drum Smokers, the Hunsaker Vortex Drum Smoker, the Gateway 55 Drum Smoker, and the Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Pro Drum Smoker.
Correction: Gateway Drum Smokers have 2 welded handles on their sides.
Correction Video: • Correction, Gateways h...
Amazon Affiliate Link for the Bronco Pro Drum Smoker
amzn.to/2Ri7ovi
FOGO KZbin Video with Cotton Gin Harvester
• 3 Hanging Tomahawk Ste...

[@jasonmarrinan6573]

Hahaha...I was merely suggesting other makers. Awesome follow-up video.

[@timmesser5902]

I’ve had a Cotton Gin Smoker for about a year and a half and love it. I’m no BBQ pro, and even as an amateur I can get great tasting food from it. Super efficient, and they will even do some custom work too if you want a logo or something on it.

[@waterhead6147]

I enjoy seeing these builders work. Maybe one day my smokers will be popular enough to make it to your video. Have to get a few more builds under the belt first.

[@SmokeMasterD]

Wow, Barrel Bum smokers. Right when I thought drum smoker names couldn't get any wierder than Uncle Pookie. Who knows, maybe I'll have to do a third drum smoker episode...

[@waterhead6147]

@@SmokeMasterD we're not quite the same caliber as the ones in the videos. We just do what we can with what we got. And the name is one that people always remember. It's unique. Btw, how'd you find my business? Didn't mention it.

[@indylive4926]

I used a old drum lid and cut it down and drilled holes in it and it works just fine. I screwed an eyehook in it to lift it in and out. works just fine.

[@tommyboy4128]

Champion Smokers for the win!!

[@amosmccleese3374]

I got my Bronco pro at Lowe's for $150. It was a floor model and I'm sure that it was priced wrong. I didn't recognize that it was the pro until I got it home and finished putting it together.

[@mohsenraghian210]

You saved $550!

[@JudeFKennedy]

The lies husbands tell their wives for $5000, Alec.

[@dewayneandrews642]

Sweet deal

[@dalewetzel773]

Cotton Gin is the most cost efficient if you consider the cost of accessories. They also include the MOST “Made in the USA” parts

[@indylive4926]

you can get a universal round vertical smoker 27" cover at lowes for 20 something $. saw one yesterday! FYI

[@KIRBBQ]

Nice review TFS

[@mikeoreilly4020]

Hunsaker graciously cut a 1 1/4" hole just above grate level for me to install a silicone probe holder. They are terrific folks to work with and the Vortex Drum is a dream to cook on.

[@SmokeMasterD]

I appreciate your review. Smoke on, brother 🙂

[@mikeoreilly4020]

@@SmokeMasterD I watch a lot of your reviews, and with the pits I have or have cooked on, your comments are almost always right on. You do good work.

[@dalewetzel773]

That’s standard on a Cotton Gin Smoker

[@K3Flyguy]

Great video! But it is so super easy to DIY one of these smokers I'm surprised there is a market for them.

[@timmesser5902]

I should also add about the CGS baffle plate, the design actually allows to adjust how wide they are open. The sickle shape, as you call it, is flexible enough to push up or down to make the openings bigger

[@SmokeMasterD]

I have to say, that's very good to know and something I would certainly be interested in seeing. Thank you for sharing this 🙂

[@timmesser5902]

@@SmokeMasterD you bet! Great review

[@coreycrum76]

I recommend the pookie and getting accessories from select other ones shown. How can you argue with that?

[@dewayneandrews642]

Why didn't u include the pit barrel cooker ( pbc )?? Great video descriptions of each drum smokers.. From this video of the drum smokers u featured; I'm leaning towards the HUNSAKER r GATEWAY..✌

[@SmokeMasterD]

Hi. You can see the pbc featured in my earlier drum smoker video 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ3Zo2VtgLGWea8

[@martybkc]

Gateways have two welded-on handles in addition to the lid handle.

[@SmokeMasterD]

This is correct. I have added a correction to the description as well as on a card that comes up at that point in the video.

[@chrissnyder821]

I have that plate on my weber smoky mountain, and I don’t have nowhere near the grease fires

[@charlieschmidt8844]

Are any of these better than a WSM?

[@SmokeMasterD]

It's hard to say. Most of them are snazzier. But the wsm can act like a drum smoker if you take out the water pan. There are some features, like the venturi tube, which could produce better convection. Pit barrel cooker (at least at one point) and hunsaker make accessories to use the wsm like a drum smoker. I would look that direction if you already have the wsm.

[@samuelsheff1007]

The Bucky eye site is free shipping over $30

[@SmokeMasterD]

When I put the standard in my cart, shipping still comes out to $450.

[@samuelsheff1007]

@@SmokeMasterD that's crazy! Although I'm from Winston-Salem like you. I live in Tampa and the site was like anything of 30 is free shipping

[@alvinkaufmann2467]

Check out drumbo in Alberta Canada

[@mohsenraghian210]

Just a recommendation to improve your presentation. I enjoyed your review, pretty comprehensive as far as the number of Drum Smokers you covered compared to others, however it would have been nice to have a link for everyone of them either to their website or to Amazon...Not just for Bronco Pro Drum Smoker. Thank you.

[@SmokeMasterD]

Thanks. I think I removed some links when they were out of the product and forgot to put them back. Thanks for the reminder!

[@mohsenraghian210]

@@SmokeMasterD Oh, the only draw back with it is that it has no "door" to feed the "fire!" However, they claim theirs maintains heat for about 12 hours! Which I suppose is plenty to smoke a tritip overnight.

[@e.michaeltann6193]

I think you need to update your video. Since we've emerged from COVID-19 and the economy tanked for multiple reasons. For example, uncle pookie no longer ships. Plus shipping has increased across the board.

[@SmokeMasterD]

I'll try to take a look at this.

[@SmokeMasterD]

I added a note to the thumbnail. Hopefully that will help.

[@viddy228]

You can build your own for around $200..

[@dalewetzel773]

Yes you can , but it’s not a Cotton Gin Smoker!!!!

[@viddy228]

@@dalewetzel773 What does that mean... All of the smokers are from a 55 gallon drum.. Nothing special about these smokers.. I've made 4 myself already.. Easy to do and cheap to make.. Waste of money actually.. Buying any of these..

[@dalewetzel773]

@@viddy228 that’s like saying a 3 cylinder Yugo that is sprayed with Krylon is as nice as a Lamborghini using House of Colors paint

[@viddy228]

@@dalewetzel773 How do you figure that.. What makes their smoker drums so much better, I'm using the same exact parts, I'm just doing it myself without a label on it.. It's not like we are making shoes or cars.. It's a simple 55 gallon drum.. Nothing special about it at all.. My drum is equal or better quality as the ones they make for only $200 total using high quality parts.. I have 3 drums and making a 4th one.. I've been doing this now for 4 years.. Spending $600 plus on a drum smoker is just stupid.. All for a label.

[@jwald6795]

why didn't you put the Oklahoma Joe up against the rest.

[@SmokeMasterD]

I did the OK Joe in the first drum smoker episode I ever did. I have done it in a more recent episode though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2m5aKuZiNd8bJo

[@jwald6795]

@@SmokeMasterD Ok thanks. I checked it out. Good videos.