Aside from an inaccurate thermometer, my Bradley has been trouble free, easy to use and I wind up with what I think are great results. Everyone should try smoking a turkey.

Bradley, 6 rack, Digital! Moose/Venison Sausage, Turkeys, Briskets, Whitefish, Goldeyes, Salmon, Trout.
At -C temps, have had Big/Little Chiefs, converted fridges, Plywood boxes!
Now I have had the Bradley for 2yrs. ,it's great, but I still fuss and don't just set and forget.

I too have used the Big and Little Chief smokers as well as the Totem. They do what they are supposed to do, as long as you babysit them. Three years ago I bought the Bradley Digital 6 rack, love it. I can load it up with pucks, set the temp. and oven time for up to 4 hours initially and go about doing whatever without worrying about the BURNT pan of wood chips. After that depending on what product I'm doing is when I start to review how the final process is turning out, and usually it is only to reset the oven timer, and temp. or course if you want more smoke you will reset that as well. Once you figure out how long and at what temp. you are able to finish your product to your liking, then it's a piece of cake, or should I say a piece of Salmon

My vote is for the Bradley.

I have never used a Little Chief so other than having eaten fish out of one, which was certainly good, I can't comment. I have used a variety of home made smokers from fridges with hot plate and car warmers to a big box with a table top propane bbq for heat and smoke and a variable speed squirrel cage fan for air movement. All worked quite well, providing you paid attention. Last year the Queen got me a Bradley (not digital) with her Save On Foods points. Two weeks ago I burnt the old smoker I had been using for the last 8 years. I do like the Bradley. There was a bit of a learning curve and I am still experimenting, but the versatility, design etc. are great. And while it doesn't look that big, it will handle a lot of fish in one load. Double up the racks. The controls are a bit touchy and vague, digital may help that, but it is just a matter of getting used to it. High humidity is the biggest problem due to the tight construction, so I am going to mount the small fan off my last home made one on to it to force a bit more air through. I like to be able to dry rather than cook at times and that takes air.

I don't think the digital is worth the extra $100. Good luck with your decision.

Bradley all the way. I had a big chief for years and made some good smoked product with it but it varied alot with outdoor conditions that were out of my control. The Bradley eliminates almost most of that with it's insulated walls and door etc. My wife bought me the 4 rack digital last year and I will never go back and I am in fact looking into some smokers that are better than the Bradley.

You can't walk away from a Bradley and if you read their literature they don't ever suggest that. I am on it except for maybe 2 hours of smoking time. Other than that I am changing the temp etc.

Puck plug? what is that. I have never had a puck plug or failure or whatever someone posted. NEVER. If this happened? it must of been a puck exposed to weather or something.

I put ice cubes in the catch bowl to start my smoking at low temp with just the smoker going with out the oven on. When done smoking I turn the oven on at various degrees depending on the product that I am smoking.

You want a cool to hot gradual gradient for the best product.

FG,

Did you buy a new machine yet? and if so what is it?

Cheers,
FA

Cheers All,

I picked up a Bradley 6 Rack Digital Smoker and today I picked up a couple of large boxes of pucks. Hope to get some smoking done next week.

Thank you all for your advice and input. Definately a great site and the help provided only enhances my opinion.

Thanks again....

Most sincerely....

Way to go on the Bradley FG, You will love it. Guess I will have to get this little gift to you now that you are a Bradley owner.

Cheers,

FG, I will try to remember to give to Cuda 68 this Saturday. Figured it my be quicker then me delivering and we know he runs a great service after him helping us out with that puller.

Cheers,

I have a freezer full of salmon, so I borrowed my father in-laws little chief smoker, I took one look at it and went and bought a 4 rack digital bradley smoker, I have never smoked a fish or anything ever. We candy smoked our first Coho, and it was perfect awesome. With the digital heat and smoke, with timers, makes life way to easy. The only thing I had to do was marinade the fish and move the bottom rack to the top every two hours. Too simple.

Bradley digital smoker all the way.