The Weber Smokey Mountain
Modification Tax
$200 In Fixes Most Owners Pay For
Gaskets, hinges, doors, controllers, and a few more. Here is the honest catalog of what the WSM requires to perform reliably.
The Weber Smokey Mountain is one of the most popular charcoal smokers ever made and the default recommendation in many BBQ forums. What those forums often skip is the fact that most WSM owners spend $200 or more on aftermarket modifications to make their cookers perform reliably. Gaskets, hinges, doors, temperature controllers, and various other fixes are essentially required equipment for serious use. Here is an honest catalog of the WSM modification tax and a look at how the Pit Barrel Cooker delivers similar results without requiring any of it.
01 / The ProblemWhy WSMs Need Modifications
The Weber Smokey Mountain is a three-section bullet smoker with a steel water pan, removable middle section, and a side access door. The design dates from the 1980s and has been updated only modestly over the decades. The result is a cooker that works adequately out of the box but has well-documented issues that the aftermarket BBQ community has built an entire industry around solving. WSM owners who want their cookers to perform like a modern smoker typically install several modifications over their first year of ownership.
What WSM Owners Actually Buy
02 / The TallyAdding Up The Modification Tax
A WSM owner who installs gaskets ($40), hinges ($35), a replacement door ($60), a temperature controller ($200), and a charcoal basket ($40) has spent approximately $375 on modifications. Even a conservative modifier with just gaskets and a basic controller spends $200 to $250. This is on top of the WSM's initial purchase price of $400 to $500 for the popular 18.5 inch and 22.5 inch models. Total cost: $600 to $900 for a fully modified WSM.
A WSM with a controller often costs more than a Pit Barrel Cooker.
03 / The AlternativeThe Pit Barrel Alternative
The 18.5 inch Pit Barrel Cooker costs approximately $400 and requires no modifications to perform reliably. No gaskets, no hinges, no door replacement, no temperature controller, no aftermarket charcoal basket. The cooker works as designed. Pre-calibrated air vents self-regulate temperature for 6 to 8 hours per load of charcoal. The vertical hanging design eliminates the need for water pan management. The simple, sealed design has nothing that leaks because there are no problematic seams to begin with.
Why the mod tax exists. The WSM design dates back to the 1980s and has been updated only modestly. The aftermarket modification industry exists because the cooker has well-known limitations that owners need to engineer around. The Pit Barrel was designed from scratch in this century, around the same principles those modifications retrofit onto an older design.
04 / The DesignWhy The Pit Barrel Does Not Need Modifications
The Pit Barrel Cooker was designed from scratch around the principles that the WSM aftermarket community has been trying to retrofit onto an older design. The single-piece body eliminates leaky seams. The pre-calibrated air vents eliminate the need for temperature controllers. The vertical hanging design eliminates water pan complications. The result is a cooker that works out of the box, without the year of aftermarket purchases that WSM ownership typically requires.
05 / The Honest MathThe Honest Cost Comparison
A modified WSM costs $600 to $900 over its first year of ownership. A Pit Barrel Cooker costs $400 and works as designed indefinitely. For backyard BBQ enthusiasts who want a charcoal smoker that performs without an ongoing modification project, the Pit Barrel is the dramatically better value. The WSM remains a capable cooker for hobbyists who enjoy the modification process, but for cooks who just want to cook BBQ, the Pit Barrel is the simpler and more affordable choice.
Skip The Modifications.
Get A Cooker That Works.
No gaskets. No hinges. No controllers. No project. Just BBQ.
Shop The Pit Barrel →