I Can't Believe She Said That....

[Clm65]

When I bought my Trailblazer almost two years ago, my wife was not completely on board. We already had a good gas grill for home cooking, a Weber Q for tailgating, and a Charbroil Big Easy for Thanksgiving turkey. She didn't really think we needed a new grill. But I was persistent, and she reluctantly gave me the nod. We didn't know how much we would like smoking food, so I opted for the smaller model with the lowest investment. My only real complaint (actually, regret) over the past 2 years was that I didn't get a larger size. I occasionally shared my regret with her, but she only rolled her eyes and shook her head. She really likes the food that I make, but to her, the 340 was all I really needed.

Fast forward to today. My son came home from college this weekend, so I grabbed 3 racks of ribs for the smoker, which is its limit with the small add-on shelf. Our next door neighbor's daughter also came home from college for the weekend, so we invited her and her dad for dinner. That makes 3 racks of ribs for 6 people, which is not too bad as 1/2 rack per person is about right. Then we found out my wife's niece and her boyfriend are in town camping. Would have been nice to invite them too, but we didn't as we don't think there will be enough food to go around. My wife felt pretty bad about that, so she looks at me this afternoon and says...I think you need to get a bigger smoker. Woohoo!

Now I just need to decide on whether to get the Stampede or the Bull. This is probably the last time she utters those words, so I need to choose wisely. I'm leaning toward the Bull, but I need to roll it out onto the patio when I cook, which includes maneuvering through a 36" screen door and a couple of tight turns. Does that sound like it will be a problem? I plan to get the competition cart with whichever smoker I get, since so many here recommend it. I just hope RecTeq has some good deals this holiday season to soften the blow.

 

[Waterboy]

Not sure what “a couple of tight turns” looks like but that competition cart makes the Bull (and I’m sure the Stampede as well) highly maneuverable. I can get my Bull through a 32” door but have to lift the lid because the horns stick out too far. Probably fine at 36”. They have all the dimensions for each grill on the Rec Teq webaited.

 

[Sdyork]

When I bought my Trailblazer almost two years ago, my wife was not completely on board. We already had a good gas grill for home cooking, a Weber Q for tailgating, and a Charbroil Big Easy for Thanksgiving turkey. She didn't really think we needed a new grill. But I was persistent, and she reluctantly gave me the nod. We didn't know how much we would like smoking food, so I opted for the smaller model with the lowest investment. My only real complaint (actually, regret) over the past 2 years was that I didn't get a larger size. I occasionally shared my regret with her, but she only rolled her eyes and shook her head. She really likes the food that I make, but to her, the 340 was all I really needed.

Fast forward to today. My son came home from college this weekend, so I grabbed 3 racks of ribs for the smoker, which is its limit with the small add-on shelf. Our next door neighbor's daughter also came home from college for the weekend, so we invited her and her dad for dinner. That makes 3 racks of ribs for 6 people, which is not too bad as 1/2 rack per person is about right. Then we found out my wife's niece and her boyfriend are in town camping. Would have been nice to invite them too, but we didn't as we don't think there will be enough food to go around. My wife felt pretty bad about that, so she looks at me this afternoon and says...I think you need to get a bigger smoker. Woohoo!

Now I just need to decide on whether to get the Stampede or the Bull. This is probably the last time she utters those words, so I need to choose wisely. I'm leaning toward the Bull, but I need to roll it out onto the patio when I cook, which includes maneuvering through a 36" screen door and a couple of tight turns. Does that sound like it will be a problem? I plan to get the competition cart with whichever smoker I get, since so many here recommend it. I just hope RecTeq has some good deals this holiday season to soften the blow.

Get the Bull with comp cart! The comp cart is like having four-wheel-drive and the Bull can feed them all with leftovers! If you have to take it around the side and through the yard! The competition cart can handle it! Been there done that with mine!

 

[mooncusser2k]

Get the cart if you plan to move it regularly. The stock swivel casters have been known to fail.

 

[Beach Bum]

Get the Bull with comp cart! The comp cart is like having four-wheel-drive and the Bull can feed them all with leftovers! If you have to take it around the side and through the yard! The competition cart can handle it! Been there done that with mine!

I second that choice. I have the Bull with competition cart and love the set up. Just be sure to check measurements on any tight turns against the recteq website dimensions. We move our smoker fairly often and really appreciate the cart. Funny my wife is usually the one encouraging me to buy the larger grills.

 

[SmokeZilla]

You pose an interesting challenge. If economics are a consideration, you can consider an additional rack. If you have the “green light”, I think you have already learned your lesson on being economical and frugal versus the true target of accommodating your loved ones. It makes me believe from your description that the the Bull would never let you down. I realize you may only have a large group gathering a few times a year however, the Bull offers all the real-estate you need. I have done cooks with 6 full sized St. Loius style rib slabs, 20 kabob skewers, and a half dozen brauts simultaneously with no problem using 2 optional small RecTeq racks. Everything went well and everyone was full. One thing I enjoy with my setup is putting a 10 pound pork butt and a big 10 pound chunk of prime rib on together and having enough extra room to do the veggies. I also have a configuration where I have chicken wings on one side and cheese steaks and onions on 3 Grill Grates that are placed on the opposite side and everyone plays nice on the “field”.

Just my opinion but remember the more you feed, the greater the memories.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Necessity is the mother of invention............seize the day.

That said, this is a case where the rear pellet bin is not your friend. RT shows just over 32" across for the 700, and the comp cart is just over 34" so that's fairly tight for straight through, and maybe a real problem on whatever "tight turns" means. Fun choice on your hands though.

 

[Clm65]

Thanks for the replies guys! It seems like the Bull is the way to go, as long as it is not too big to go through the door. I can reconfigure things so that there are no tight turns, but that door may be a problem. I’ll compare the dimensions to my gas grill and verify it will fit before selecting which one to get. I imagine the Stampede would be big enough for me in almost all situations, but I do like the idea of cooking different things simultaneously. And for the occasional larger get together, I’d like to be able to accommodate everyone. And I’m an alumni of the University of South Florida - the Bulls - so it seems my choice may come down to destiny.

 

[SmokeZilla]

If width becomes a problem the Bull’s horns are easy to remove. Just 4 screws and you are done. Problem solved.

 

[Waterboy]

If it’s just the horns you can open the lid as you go through the door.

 

[Clm65]

Based on the dimensions online, I think it will fit through the door fine. The only tight spot is where the closer is on my door, which reduces clearance to about 30-31 inches at 37" high. That is above the horns by a few inches, so I should be good. It looks like the competition cart adds 1.5" to the height, which should still be ok, but as stated, I can always open the lid if needed. Things are looking good. I just wish they still had the 1/2 off on the competition cart. I would have placed my order by now if they did. Now I'm just waiting to see if they have any Black Friday sales. Luckily I have the 340 to hold me over until a good deal pops up.

 

[SmokeZilla]

Glad it is working out. One thing you want to be cautious about will be moving it around with the lid open. A few good jolts and the hinge alignment could be thrown off leading to excessive smoke leakage. Also, if moving on an incline front to rear with the standard legs, there are some posts about the grill tipping over on its back. Just be careful and I am sure everything will work out.

 

[Bobrectec]

If it’s just the horns you can open the lid as you go through the door.

Well duhh, I didn't think of this when I was trying to get my Bull out the kitchen sliding glass door after it was built inside. Arizona, air conditioning... I took off the horns and it squeaked by, another 1/2 inch and I would be going through the front door around the side and then have to get a couple three guys to lift it over the wall as my patio is enclosed with no exit/door to the wilds. That would have sucked, and been hilarious at the same time.

 

[Bobrectec]

Based on the dimensions online, I think it will fit through the door fine. The only tight spot is where the closer is on my door, which reduces clearance to about 30-31 inches at 37" high. That is above the horns by a few inches, so I should be good. It looks like the competition cart adds 1.5" to the height, which should still be ok, but as stated, I can always open the lid if needed. Things are looking good. I just wish they still had the 1/2 off on the competition cart. I would have placed my order by now if they did. Now I'm just waiting to see if they have any Black Friday sales. Luckily I have the 340 to hold me over until a good deal pops up.

They never have sales and say so in their FAQ. "We don’t ever put our grills on sale. We have a commitment to offering our grills at a fair price every day and treating everyone like family. It wouldn’t be right for some members to pay more than others, and this way no one misses out on a “deal” on the price of the grill, and every day is the best day to buy. (Periodically throughout the year we offer discounts on some bundles that can be purchased with a grill, or on certain accessories as we see fit. To gain access to these and other upcoming announcements, subscribe to our newsletter at recteq.com"

Periodically throughout the year we offer discounts on some bundles that can be purchased with a grill, or on certain accessories as we see fit.

I have seen a small % off on accessories around Black Friday a few years ago and or pellet discounts. The way things are going with CV-19/Stocking/General BS you might not want to wait as when things go OOS it could be weeks before they return.

 

[OceanSailor]

As to the competition cart, what makes it more maneuverable are 4 large swivel casters vs 2 fixed and 2 swivel on the standard legs. This allows movement of either end in any direction without 3 point turns. Enjoy your Bull!

 

[Clm65]

They never have sales and say so in their FAQ. "We don’t ever put our grills on sale. We have a commitment to offering our grills at a fair price every day and treating everyone like family. It wouldn’t be right for some members to pay more than others, and this way no one misses out on a “deal” on the price of the grill, and every day is the best day to buy. (Periodically throughout the year we offer discounts on some bundles that can be purchased with a grill, or on certain accessories as we see fit. To gain access to these and other upcoming announcements, subscribe to our newsletter at recteq.com"

Periodically throughout the year we offer discounts on some bundles that can be purchased with a grill, or on certain accessories as we see fit.

I have seen a small % off on accessories around Black Friday a few years ago and or pellet discounts. The way things are going with CV-19/Stocking/General BS you might not want to wait as when things go OOS it could be weeks before they return.

They may never discount the price of the smoker itself, but as you mentioned, they do offer bundle discounts. They recently had 50% off on the competition cart with the purchase of the smoker. I’m really hoping they have something similar soon, as I do plan on getting the completion cart and perhaps the front shelf. Since I do have the 340, I’m willing to wait a bit.

Note: I’m not saying that full price on a RecTeq grill is not a good deal. I think they are worth every penny. But if I can save a few bucks while getting the extras I would probably get anyway, then I am willing to wait a while to at least see what deals they may offer this holiday season.

 

[Jeffhoppy]

They may never discount the price of the smoker itself, but as you mentioned, they do offer bundle discounts. They recently had 50% off on the competition cart with the purchase of the smoker. I’m really hoping they have something similar soon, as I do plan on getting the completion cart and perhaps the front shelf. Since I do have the 340, I’m willing to wait a bit.

Note: I’m not saying that full price on a RecTeq grill is not a good deal. I think they are worth every penny. But if I can save a few bucks while getting the extras I would probably get anyway, then I am willing to wait a while to at least see what deals they may offer this holiday season.

Give CS a call to place your order. As a loyal customer upgrading, I bet they will give you a discount of some sort on any accessories you add to your grill upgrade. Agree with everyone above on the comp cart if you’re moving it around. Agree with the others about ordering now if you want to use the new grill over the holidays coming up. Even on the RT videos and other forums there is discussion about shipping delays due to volume of online shopping and CV19. Don’t wait for the “sale”, just call CS as I’m certain they will give you some sort of discount.
Also as you’ve experienced, you’ll never regret having too much grill space —> get the Bull.

 

[Sdyork]

Thanks for the replies guys! It seems like the Bull is the way to go, as long as it is not too big to go through the door. I can reconfigure things so that there are no tight turns, but that door may be a problem. I’ll compare the dimensions to my gas grill and verify it will fit before selecting which one to get. I imagine the Stampede would be big enough for me in almost all situations, but I do like the idea of cooking different things simultaneously. And for the occasional larger get together, I’d like to be able to accommodate everyone. And I’m an alumni of the University of South Florida - the Bulls - so it seems my choice may come down to destiny.

The Bull it is then! You won’t be disappointed! Take it around lol.

 

[Clm65]

Give CS a call to place your order. As a loyal customer upgrading, I bet they will give you a discount of some sort on any accessories you add to your grill upgrade. Agree with everyone above on the comp cart if you’re moving it around. Agree with the others about ordering now if you want to use the new grill over the holidays coming up. Even on the RT videos and other forums there is discussion about shipping delays due to volume of online shopping and CV19. Don’t wait for the “sale”, just call CS as I’m certain they will give you some sort of discount.
Also as you’ve experienced, you’ll never regret having too much grill space —> get the Bull.

Good advice, and I actually did send them an email last night. I thought the 50% cart deal for the 590 and 700 expired, but last night I noticed on the website that the cart is still (or again) 50% off with the 590. There is no current deal identified on the cart with the 700, and the 700 cart is out of stock. So I asked them if the deal for the 700 cart would show up when the carts are back in stock. Naturally I added that I currently own a 340. We will see what they say....