The Solution Offset Vs. Workhorse Pits (1975 & 1969)

[@johnstevens9117]

I have a Workhorse 1975. I ordered my pit in April 2024 and received it in late May 2024. I got it loaded with the counterweight. I added a front shelf and there is not a problem opening the door. I use the cowboy box a lot, mainly to reverse sear a steak. I also added grill grates to the cowboy box. The cowboy box is also useful for trending the fire with the racks removed. I don’t use top rack in the main cooking chamber very much sometimes for things like corn. The top rack seems to be in the way most of the time, so I remove it when not in use. I found a pellet smoker was a gateway to getting a real smoker. I am glad that I purchased the Workhorse 1975.

[@blipblopride9024]

I use my cowboy box a lot also. I throw a griddle on the grates and cook right out of it.

[@smokescouts]

Appreciate the shout out as usual, thank you!

[@franksexton9654]

I went with the 1975. Had it narrowed down to the 1975, Blue Smoke, and the Solution. The wagon option and lead time were the main factors that influenced my decision.

[@WitchD0ct0r]

Mate thank you for your review all the way from the UK. Good to see reviews on WHP coming through. Waiting for my Workhorse to arrive this side of the pond soon. Keep up the good work

[@lanceott3210]

I should have the solution in about 4 weeks. To me for a first time offset owner I wanted something more affordable and did not know if I needed all the bells and whistles. Only thing for me is I kind of wish the option of a second rack was there... In the end these all cook great food so I guess for me I just felt cheaper was better. The work horses are definitely still a good bang for your buck when compared to other backyard premium pits. Will be interesting as time goes on how people find the solution. I am hoping I made a good purchase but time will tell.

[@dragon864]

I have a 1969 Workhorse. I was blown away how easy it was to maintain 250-275 on my breakin run. Yes watching smoke scouts channel helped me understand how important the damper is.

[@eirikkittelsen9787]

Nice Video. I own a 1975, ut i cut out the baffle. Found that the half towards the firebox the heat com from below, and you really have to watch out so you don't burn anything. After I cut it out it cooks really even except for 10" closest to the fire. I use the hotspot for chicken and such to get crispy skin . It's a very nice pit to run and very predictable.

[@commishg]

This debate behooves the saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." The bottom line is face-to-face cookoffs and the results. As for the technical differences, the cowboy firebox is more important than just for a place to grill steaks. It is an easier way of cleaning the firebox, as you rightly pointed out, but it is also an instant heat relief if your fire gets out of hand. The foldable smokestack on the Workhorse pit is also a bonus. But I'll give Jeremy his due. He has cut bells and whistles, but he has also cut the price to see if he can convince people to give up the bells and whistles. Only time will tell.

[@stevestowell-virtue3781]

Came to comment on the instant heat relief without much disruption to the smoking chamber heat using the cowboy firebox. I know most true pitmasters would never need this or you could rake out some coals but it is very comforting to know you can open the lid on the firebox and quickly overcome a stoking error.

[@Isovapor]

@@commishg save your money for an extra few months and get the 1975. You won’t regret this decision. Cheers!

[@C_hoops58]

Excellent observations. Thanks

[@ChrisPBacon710]

computational fluid dynamics? I have a 1975 and it is open - no baffle. edit = to follow up my 1975 has a counterweight and its super nice cant lie. i opened one up without it and it was extremely noticeable how much the counterweight helps

[@SmokeMasterD]

The baffle in the workhorse is that piece of metal pointed down where the firebox and main chamber come together. It's not a huge baffle, but it is hugely important to how the pit works.

[@ChrisPBacon710]

@@SmokeMasterD sweet ill go check it out - must be so small that i didnt even see it. wasn't looking for a baffle though. just seasoned it up and have done 4 cooks so far. couple rib cooks and couple brisket cooks. thing works great. so easy to keep the temps steady with the draw + how thick the steel is.

[@igotJesus88]

My 120 gallon is 3/16 and the fire box is 1/4. I have no issues with retention.

[@crazymonkey9611]

I think time and info from other KZbin videos will help settle the solution offset where it should be (in front of or behind the WHP). I would still love to own a WHP, but don’t think I can afford one anymore. Especially with shipping costs. Which bums me out bc I’ve been drooling over them for several years and slowly saving.

[@SmokeMasterD]

Watch my episode on whether the 1975 is still king and look at some of the budget options. There's still a smoker for you that will preform the way you want

[@crazymonkey9611]

Oh I’ve seen that. Blue smoke smokers is about 45 min from me. I visited them not long after the release of one of your videos and Phil showed me around and talked to me for about an hour. I’m leaning that direction but still need to save.

[@JudiChristopher]

They're BOTH around or at least $2500.

[@M4ttNet]

The Solution looks great and I think it's fantastic to have a quality offset at that price range.. Right now I see the WHP 1975 at $3,597. I got mine about a year and a half ago (ordered 2 years ago, was a long wait back then) with the base price of around $2,700-$2,800 (I then added the top rack, cowboy firebox, and the cover for another $500 ish) so it's good to see something else fill that void of where the WHP used to be price wise. Very nearly got a Fatstack 120, so glad I didn't go that route (so sorry for those that got screwed on that). I love my WHP 1975. I wasn't sure if I'd use the cowboy firebox but god do I love it. Even just to make setting up wood easier and less bending over it's so nice and every once in a while if I'm smoking I figure might as well cook on the grill there (I have a Lone Star Grillz 60" Santa Maria so I'll charcoal or wood grill on that usually, but if I'm already smoking and want to sear something off or cook burgers while I wait for the meat to smoke it's a great convenient option. A really nice option. Also that top rack has come in handy before, especially if you decide to put a water pan in that will eat up space. None of that is needed so I think you can't go wrong with the Solution, but if as long as I had the money I'd go the WHP 1975 personally. Though if saving that money is mission critical then you aren't losing out on much and in the end it feels like most smokers will kick out amazing food as long as you learn that specific smoker. One thing I'll add is the shipping from Workhorse was top notch. I went with their internal shipping which was only $600 to ship all the way over here to Arizona (about $300-$500 cheaper than freight would have been). Not only that it came flawlessly and they had said that it would only be dropped off on my driveway but the guys delivering it were not only the nicest people ever but they insisted on rolling it to my back patio. That seems like a small thing but since then I had three massive cookers freighted from Lone Star Grillz. A 42" pellet grill, 60" santa maria grill, and a large vertical insulated cabinet. They did a major number on the pellet grill. It wasn't obvious until I uncrated it but some gouges throughout and even worse they managed to bend the whole hopper assembly mounted to the body. Considering how well this thing was built and crated they must have dropped it or had something ram it hard or something, don't really know how they pulled that off. Lone Star Grillz was fantastic and shipped me a new hopper assembly and some paint and I swapped it all out etc... but really learned why people are always scared of freight shipping. So if you're paranoid about that sort of thing the Workhorse internal shipping is a fantastic option and for me was cheaper.

[@johnruplinger2449]

you make a good point, I have a 1975 I bought used at a good price 7 months ago with no cowboy grill. I never really thought I would use the cowboy grill but it would be handy for setting up wood at times. Otherwise I do enjoy it, glad you love yours!

[@MrThespian4]

I use my cowboy grill in my 1969 very often, and I have the top shelf grill, that I use when I cook chicken skin to crispy.

[@SmokeMasterD]

👍

[@guitarock79]

I have my name down for the Solution. Once the down payment is in they said about 4 weeks till it’s ready to go. They’ve had some storm related issues that have put them about two weeks behind. Hoping to have one by August. Frank and Lisa Cox have been very helpful and I’m fortunate to about 2.5 hours from the facility so no shipping for me.

[@empoweryou1]

I keep leaning towards the WHP products. The folding stack, 3/8" steel, fit and finish appeal to me.

[@gregory2709]

Heating the exterior is not required when applying boiled linseed oil? This is news to me. In fact, JD even used a torch in a WH video showing how to touch up the finish. This is excellent news, if true! I got my 1975 last November. I was just thinking yesterday about applying a new coat of linseed oil before winter. I've been just using PAM on the firebox when it's rip roaring hot during cooks in the meantime.

[@SmokeMasterD]

For things that you don’t heat up naturally it helps a lot. learned that off of Frank Cox of Smokerplans.com. So far it's worked out pretty well for me.

[@mefobills279]

I was wondering if the solution scoop moved. It had L shaped angle feet. The stich welding on the solution door is probably to keep price down. Solution frame front to back dimensions might be important to get through narrow gate.

[@SmokeMasterD]

It does move. It's completely adjustable. I talked to Frank about them putting it on a slide with a rod and knob (to move while cooking), but it would increase the price too much and most people would just settle it where they like and keep it there all the time anyways.

[@erickflores01]

Purchased the 1975 wagon. It let me choose the weighted door.

[@cryptkeeper4727]

Thickness of cook chamber only matters when it's cool outside. In my opinion, the thickness of the fire box is what is most important for longevity of the smoker. I prefer a 1/4" cook chamber with a 3/8" fire box.

[@SmokeMasterD]

Interesting that you say that. Watch my next episode.

[@billbryant1288]

Here in Idaho cooking wood is much more expensive, so the 1969’s greater efficiency put it in first place.

[@danieljones304]

I have the 1975. I thought I’d eat through tons of wood, so I bought a cord and had a 1/4 cord when my pit got here. So far, after 4 cooks, I’ve used about 1/10th of my quarter cord. They were shorter cooks (around 4 hours), but I was really impressed.

[@fattyfat-fat6639]

My question - if i could see the alternatives clearly, would be why not buy a kettle for burgers, steaks, etc, and purchase an upright, dedicated smoker........for smokin'? So, why buy an expensive, heavy offset to do both jobs - steaks 'n burgers, and smokin' briskets & pork butts, when a kettle, and an upright will do both jobs, do them separately, simultaneously, and do them more efficuantly? "All-in-one" doesnt always mean better, eh?

[@SmokeMasterD]

You could certainly do it that way. The one thing offset smokers have over uprights is better convection (airflow going over the meat) than most other kinds of smokers. That's why a lot of people think they make the nest indirect heat bbq.

[@alf.shumway007]

I am debating on the Solution, Workhorse 1975 price to my door Is high enough I would rather pay a little more to get a double door 150 gallon from a builder near me...

[@glennevitt5250]

Thank you for the information 💯😎

[@Brandon-ru5sc]

What are the thoughts on the new old country g2 in this comparison? After long debating these i ended up buying the g2.

[@SmokeMasterD]

I will be discussing the G2 in my next vide. So stay tuned! 😊

[@Quetorials]

3/8" all day long. Hyper science was performed. I would MUCH rather be using 1/4" steel because it is 1/2 the price, but it would be a compromise based on performance findings.

[@SmokeMasterD]

Good to hear from you, Quetorials 🙂

[@Quetorials]

@@SmokeMasterD I'm still creeping on the net now and again lol

[@johndenver5779]

WH 1975w

[@blipblopride9024]

Lead time is not 6 weeks for the workhorse.

[@SmokeMasterD]

I am only going off their website. If you know specifics about lead time being different for new orders, please share those details.

[@Isovapor]

You can’t compare a Ferrari to a Ford. This isn’t a fair comparison! Price is always forgotten long before quality is remembered. Cheers!

[@SmokeMasterD]

They both perform pretty well, so I'm not sure which you mean as either.

[@Isovapor]

@@SmokeMasterD Spend the extra money now for the 1975 and you won’t regret the expense in 10 years when you’ve burned out two Solution pits. The 1975 has 3/8” steel for the firebox and cooking chamber. This is a no brainer. The 1975 is larger and has more options. If all you can afford is a Mustang buy the Mustang. For $1500 more you can have a Ferrari. I’d save for the Ferrari. Great video as always! Cheers!

[@mannyr8795]

Something that would make these videos great would be seeing the actual smokers in action. Even if it’s other videos with credit Also, and most importantly, almost 20 minutes for you to say “I don’t know”?? Wtf man.

[@SmokeMasterD]

It's the truth. BTW, which way would you go?

[@igotJesus88]

I don’t believe he mentioned anything about coolers. 😂

[@mannyr8795]

@@SmokeMasterD Workhorse all the way