120 gallon wheels help

[Mo Smoke]

I’m planning a 120 gallon reverse flow smoker. It’s big enough to mount on a trailer but I want to keep it backyard/patio style so I can push it on to a trailer along with my other cooker and transport both of them. I need ideas for wheel size, type, and placement to be able to move it easily around in my backyard. The wheels on my 120 stubby are ok but it’s still tough to push something that heavy around in dirt or grass.


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[Dirtytires]

Unless you are going to put tractor/golf cart wheels on it, a pit of that size belongs on cement. Any wheel in the 1-2 inch wide range will not be easily moved on soft surfaces. I have 6x2 inch hard rubber over steel center wheels on mine and moved it into the dirt once. Only once....and never again.

[MattJ]

Dirtytires is spot on. I recommend golf cart wheels.

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[Mo Smoke]

Golf cart wheels [emoji848]. I like the sound of that. And I like that rig too. Black with the Red rims. All you need is a 12” subwoofer in the firebox and it’s game over !


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[Mo Smoke]

How wide is the wheel base ? How does it move on grass? Almost looks like 1 man could pull it.


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[MattJ]

I can move it around the yard without any help. I think I have the axle width at 36" but I could have done 30".

[Mo Smoke]

Aw man that’s perfect. If you can move that monster around on grass without any help that’s definitely the way to go.


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[Mo Smoke]

Matt have you ever tried putting your cooker on a trailer to transport it to a park or something? Or is it too heavy to push up the ramp? Any chance it can be hooked to a hitch and pulled without a trailer?


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[Dirtytires]

Pretty sure your local D.O.T. would have a field day if they caught you just flat towing a smoker on the highway, lol. No safety chains, improper coupler, no taillights, unregistered trailer.....and the list goes on.

With that said, I need a winch to get mine up on a trailer as it's just too heavy to push.

[Mo Smoke]

Sounds like I might get a stack of tickets or fines trying that…What does your cooker look like DT? Size? Pics? Never thought about using a winch. Makes sense tho. I can push my 120 stubby around the yard but never tried pushing it up a ramp onto a trailer. Prob need 3 or 4 guys for sure.


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[hogaboomer]

I finished building this one for my neighbor back in February. I forgot to get pics after it was painted. Wouldn't want to try pushing it up any ramps.

[Dirtytires]

It's a 20 x48 with an insulated firebox and 4 shelf warmer. Everything is 0.25" so it's pretty heavy. It's a chore just pulling it on level ground, absolutely no way I would even attempt to push it up a ramp no matter how many guys I had with me.

I've only moves it once and decided it wasn't worth the effort. On the bright side, a 2500# atv winch will do it and those can be found fairly inexpensively.

[Mo Smoke]

I like that winch idea. Gotta look into getting one of those. And sounds like I might want to give up on building a backyard 120 and go for a trailer mount instead.


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[Mo Smoke]

I like that cooker Hboomer! Sometimes I prefer them without paint… to pretty looking.


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[Dirtytires]

Really depends on what you will do with it. It is easier for me to cook at the house, even on the rare occasion that I cater an event. All my supplies are here and I can use the time to cook sides in the kitchen if needed. Full size sink and fridge are way easier to work with than an ice chest and jug of rinse water. I have a bunch of catering pans of all sizes so transporting is pretty easy. On the other hand, if you are wanting to cook at live events often, then a trailer mounted pit is the way to go so you can load up all your coolers, tables and wood on the same trailer.

Another consideration for many is where they want to cook. A trailer mounted unit sometimes means they have to keep it in the driveway. I'm my case, having my pit out back on the patio saves me a ton of walking during a smoke.

[towtruck]

I built my smokers/bbq's into one street legal trailer. I have enough room at my property to have it on my back patio, behind my garage, or under the carport. Lots of choices depending on weather. I usually keep it behind the garage and do all my home smoking and bbq'ing with it there as it's easy to grab and take it on the highway. It's handiest there. I can bring it on the patio for any backyard get together though, it's just harder to move in and out across the yard. I often pull it in the carport on rainy days.

The whole trailer is fairly short for what it has on it. There are two reverse flow smokers in the center, a Yoder style 2'x4' bbq/ smoker on the left, a double burner propane cook top on the left front. I also have a small rotisserie in the big bbq, soon to be getting a 4' long spit rod.

I don't have pictures but I did see a nice reverse flow ,around 250 gallon, that had big steel wheels for pushing it around the yard and he adapted a small utility trailer with four pockets for the wheels to nest in. He hand cranked it on and it pinned in place....very nice dual purpose cooker.