Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker
The most steel for its grate over $700, from a maker that publishes no warranty — A welded offset sold at Academy: 920 sq in of cooking area, a 17.75 × 26 in main grate, 225 lb by Old Country, and "11ga with 3/16" doors" by Academy's spec table. Owners rate it 4.3★ across 110, but that base is years old and partly incentivised, its critical reviews describe failing welds and leaks, and Old Country publishes no warranty.
Contender in the Welterweight division — The Best Offset Smokers Over $700 (2026): Longhorn Reverse Flow vs Broil King Regal, and the Steel Only Two Makers Print
Specs
| Primary grate | 461.5 sq in (17.75 × 26 in main grate, Academy) |
| Total area | 920 sq in (Academy) |
| Weight | 225 lb (Old Country) |
| Steel per sq in | 0.49 lb (225 lb ÷ 461.5 sq in) |
| Steel thickness | 11 gauge with 3/16 in doors (Academy's spec table; Old Country prints none) |
| Firebox grate | 234 sq in (17 × 13.75 in firebox, Old Country) |
| Design | Traditional offset (welded) |
| Warranty | None published by Old Country; Academy lists 1 year on parts |
| Owner rating | 4.3★ / 110 |
Pros
- 0.49 lb of pit per square inch of grate, the most in this class, on 11-gauge steel by Academy's spec
- Ships welded and assembled; Academy adds free assembly with store pickup
- An owner comparing it with Oklahoma Joe's: "Significantly heavier gauge steel so it keeps temp better."
Cons
- Old Country publishes no warranty, and critical reviewers say the maker did not answer them; Academy lists 1 year on parts
- Critical reviews describe welds failing (a firebox door "falling off"), leaks and rust within months
- No thermometer comes with it, and no credentialed outlet has tested it
Welds, leaks and a silent maker. Critical reviews describe the firebox door "falling off" when its welds failed, a rack bracket "broken at the weld", a pit that "leaks like a sieve", one that would not climb past "about 220 degrees" (May 2024), rust and bubbling within months, and owners who wrote to Old Country and heard nothing: "Warranty means nothing to manufacturer."
13 of 110 Academy reviews are one or two stars (2026-10-18); all 18 one-, two- and three-star reviews read, the newest from 2024 · critical reviews read 2026-10-18
“It was awesome - the only problem we had was guessing at the heat”— oujia601, Academy
FAQ
Who is the Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker for?
You want the heaviest steel per square inch in this class, you can buy it at an Academy store and look it over before it goes home, and you will add your own thermometer
What do owners say about the Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker?
4.3★ across 110 owner ratings (Academy, read 2026-10-18 · incentivised base). What owners complain about: Welds, leaks and a silent maker. Critical reviews describe the firebox door "falling off" when its welds failed, a rack bracket "broken at the weld", a pit that "leaks like a sieve", one that would not climb past "about 220 degrees" (May 2024), rust and bubbling within months, and owners who wrote to Old Country and heard nothing: "Warranty means nothing to manufacturer."
What does the Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker cost?
About $749.99 at Academy, checked 2026-10-18. Prices move — the buy link above goes to the live listing.
What is the warranty on the Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Smoker?
None published by Old Country; Academy lists 1 year on parts
Record
- — Added as the most-steel pick in the Welterweight offset smoker showdown: Academy $749.99, 4.3 across 110 (old, partly incentivised) read with all 18 critical reviews.
Warranty — and what changes if you buy it on Academy
None published by Old Country; Academy lists 1 year on parts · you are buying this on Academy
Read it yourself: Old Country BBQ Pits warranty document · we read it . Terms change without announcement, so treat this as a dated snapshot. How warranty works by buy path →
✓ Safety: no active recall — No active CPSC recall found (checked 2026-10-18): every "Old Country" hit in the CPSC recall API is a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store product; none is Old Country BBQ Pits.
Size your pool first → ·All pool gear →
Data last verified: 2026-10-18. Ratings are real, dated reads — never scraped or invented. Full methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.