I'm think I want to own one of these in the future as long as work keeps me busy. Can you guys give me some advice on the good one? I would like to hear what you guys owning one have to say. I've listened to a lot of builders lately. David Klose, Mr. Lang, I forgot his first name, Jamie Geer of the Jambo cookers. Everyone of them sell a great product and do a good job selling their product. I'm wanting a cooker for backyard and competition use. I've never competed, this will be my first go. Please give me your likes and dislikes if any. I know for a first time competition person I want to make things simple. I don't want a very sensitive cooker. Or a really large one either. If I don't like comps. I want to be able to use it at home as well. Is there any major differences between the Rodeo and Marshall? Does the rodeo require a lot more fuel? Any of you competing with the Marshall? Do you feel cramped for space? Wow looking over my post I've got a lot of questions. Sorry for that. I'm eager to hear what your guys have to say. Thanks
Marshall and Rodeo
(9 posts) (3 voices)-
Posted 9 months ago #
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I looked at a lot of different cookers before I bought my Marshall. The main selling point on the Good One brand for me was the efficiency. I had cooked on a vertical and a side draw stick burner in the past. I love that I can let it go for hours when I am cooking at home or a comp and it will pin the temperature. Not having to babysit it was nice plus when I was at the Royal I saw and talked to a lot of Good One owners.
I think the main difference between the Marshall and the Rodeo is just that the Rodeo is 12 in. wider and given that the cooking chamber is larger than it would probably require more fuel. Otherwise they are probably very similar.
Lots of likes, no real dislikes. A few very minor design things, but I think everyone would probably modify any brand of cooker to fit their exact cooking styles and needs, so nothing to worry about there.
We do compete on the Marshall. We cook 2 briskets, 2 butts, 6 slabs and 12+ thighs for comp and have put it all on the Marshall. It gets tricky, but that has more to do with the 20+ degree temp difference from the top to the bottom rack for us. We now try to cook on two cookers per comp just to give us a little flexibility.
I'm sure others have input too, but I have been very happy with mine.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Hi Urbs,
Mathew pretty much nailed it. I've cooked on The Good-One Chuckwagon (Rodeo and Lone Star) since 2007 for both competition and personal use. I love it. As Mathew stated, you do not have to babysit the smoker. It's very solid, holds temps great, and does an all around good job.
The only real issues I've had with my Rodeo had to deal with the original Thermometer and Spinners...both have been addressed and upgraded in current models by Ace of Hearts BBQ. Keep it clean, cook often, you'll love it for life.
Carpe 'Que,
Jim RhinoPosted 9 months ago # -
Thanks for replying guys. At first I walked away from these because I thought the price was high for what you got. Then I started looking around at the cookers I mentioned above and realized that they weren't as out of line as I thought. I just don't have the room for a pull behind cooker and that would really suck to fire up at home for a butt and bird. I feel that would get expensive quick.
Edgar I don't want to spend the cash for two of these right now. Do to work being slow. So would you suggest the Rodeo over the Marshall with the difficulty you guys ran into? Or maybe the Marshall now and once I find that I'm digging the competition scene spring for another one?
I thought I heard somewhere that these cookers run about 12 degree's different from bottom to top. Is that not true?
JimRhino I would love to spring for what you got but I will have to do that in steps. I'll get one of these first then add trailer and lone star later when work is more stable.Thanks for your info guys
UrbsPosted 9 months ago # -
Whichever model you end up with, you will not be disappointed! The last smoker you'll have to buy. :)
BTW...at competition, my smoker doesn't even see the smoker. I strictly use the Lone Star grill (off-set) and have done quite well with chicken the past couple of years.
Urbs, Where are you located?
Carpe 'Que,
Jim RhinoP.S. Feel free to contact me via website, email, or phone if you want to talk. If you're close enough, you're welcome to come pick-up my Chuckwagon for a week for two! Let me know! Online: http://www.BanditBBQ.com/goodone Email: rhino@banditbbq.com .
Posted 9 months ago # -
Thanks Jim. I'm located in KC. Really appreciate your offer. That's outstanding service and I'll keep you in mind. I called Ace of Hearts a couple of week ago and found out that I'm with in 4 miles from them. Again could not believe this either but Rob from there offered the same thing. In fact he's the one who suggested me to get on hear and see what you guys have to say about the good one's. I went onto you tube and looked at a couple of video's that's posted. The cookers seem to cook like what I want.
I'm only being cautious because that's a lot of money right now with the how work is lately. I'm prob. gonna wait until Feb. to buy one. You guys helping with your info is making my choice a lot easier.
I really want the combo that Jim has but I'll have to do that in steps. I know this, what I buy I want to last a long time.
Do any of you have any pics or vids?
Posted 9 months ago # -
Urbs - It really depends on how much you compete vs. cook in the backyard and for how many you typically cook for. We host a lot of parties and I can feed large groups off of the Marshall, 50+ easy (see the amount of meat posting to get an idea what each cooker size will hold). Personally for me the Rodeo would be overkill especially since we use two cookers at comps. A lot of guys use cheaper alternatives for their Chicken at comps like a Weber kettle grill, a Weber Smokey Mountain, group prayer, etc. We actually use an Open Range because my buddy already had one. If you went that route, the space on the Marshall wouldn't probably be an issue. All that being said, you really need to assess your needs. You may prefer the extra space. Heck, maybe in a few years I will wish I had the space. I will reiterate though that the biggest issue for us at comps and trying to use one cooker is not space, it is the 20+ degree temp difference from the top to bottom. There is a good performance test for the cookers on the website. I am trying to link here http://www.thegood-one.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/final-report-marshall.pdf . Maybe you would say that if I had the space of the Rodeo that I could cook more food on the same shelves for temp consistency, but that seems to kind of defeat the purpose of the rack system of this design. What I have been trying to do lately though is cook the chicken up top followed by the ribs and the the butts and briskets lower. I like to cook chicken and ribs a little hotter anyway. OK, I'm going to stop typing since I'm not sure any of this makes sense...hope you can glean something helpful out of this. Happy to help if you have more questions. BTW, the opportunity to cook on one before purchase is huge.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving,
Mathew
Posted 9 months ago # -
Urbs...I don't have very many pics/vids of me cooking on The Good-One, but sounds like a good video series I'll work on next spring and summer. The pictures I do have are posted on my MySpace and Facebook pages. MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/banditbbq ; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/banditbbq .
Mathew...LOL...'Chicken at comps...group prayer...' I know waaaay to many guys cooking using this method! :)
Carpe 'Que,
Jim RhinoPosted 9 months ago # -
Thank you guys I really appreciate all your info. Hopefully I'll be sharing stories with you soon.
Posted 9 months ago #
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