retfr8flyr

Amazing talent, glad you enjoy doing something others can also enjoy.

I've had this Victorinox knife https://www.victorinox.com/us/en/Products/Cutlery/Chef's-Knives/Fibrox®-Pro-Boning-Knife/p/5.6603.15 for many years and I think it's the best bang for the buck available. I like the shape of the blade and it sharpens very easily. You must keep a knife sharp, especially a boning knife.

I have a Timberline 1300 and it sits outside on an open deck. I have had it for several years now and although I do use the Traeger cover, I have never had any issues with the pellets getting wet.

Why not spend $50 more and get a real Kamado Joe? https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kamado-Joe-Classic-Joe-18-in-Red-Kamado-Charcoal-Grill/1000707764

That hinge would not be recommended for a gen 1 BJ. KJ makes a replacement hinge for the gen 1 that is better than the original hinge but not an air hinge like that one. You will need the new gasket for this hinge also.

If you have an older BJ you will also need the new gasket to go with the new hinge. The gap in the rear, with the new hinge, is too large for the old type gasket to seal.

I think most of the variation came in the early models and was from changing suppliers. My BJ is an early model from back when they were having shipping problems, due to the LA Longshoreman's strike.

Not the same but I have a gen 1 Big Joe and when I got the Joetisserie it was too large to fit inside my grill, so there are variations in grill sizes.

Sorry for your problems. I also ordered the 4 bag deal and received mine without any problems. although surprisingly it came 2 bags one day and the other 2 bags the next day.

If I were doing a move like that I would break the II down, by removing the hinge and separating the top and bottom, then fit in in the SUV with lots of padding. The ceramic on the KJ is very fragile, especially after it has been used for a while and I wouldn't trust trying to ship it in one piece.

I have had the opposite experience. I have had the Buletooth IBT-4XS for a long time and it has been a great unit. It still works great and the range is very good, for Bluetooth. I wanted a second setup, for when I am doing multiple cooks, so I got the new Wifi IBBQ-4T last year. It is even better than the 4XS, due to the Wifi and it's probe connections are designed to be water resistant. I think the build quality is good and you get a lot for your money. Everyone's experiences will be different but I think it's well worth considering for anyone looking for a good remote temp system.

The soapstone will give you a better sear than the CI but is much less fragile and as stated takes a long time to heat up properly.

I had to upgrade to the mesh gasket when I installed the new hinge on my BJ 1. The new hinge will not work without the thickness of the mesh gasket. I would definitely go for the mesh gasket, it's worth the extra cost, especially if you need a new hinge in the future.

I have the Inkbird and have been very happy with it. https://inkbird.com/collections/wifi-bbq-thermometer/products/ibbq-4t

If you want something different, have you thought about getting a griddle? I have the Camp Chef Flat Top 600 and I use it almost as much as my KJ and Traeger grills. There are lots of things that just cook great on a griddle.

I have one I use mainly for my Joetisserie. I got it mainly for this specific purpose and it works well for this. I don't know if I would want to use them for my main temp probes but it is about the only game in town for rotisserie cooking.

The new hinge KJ is making will also require the new thick gasket, for it to work properly. The new hinge creates to large of a gap at the rear of the grill, so the new thick gasket is required. You should plan on getting both, if you are going to replace the hinge. They used to sell replacement springs, so you could just replace the springs in the current hinge but I don't know if they still make them.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum! Good first cook, it doesn't really effect the flavor much to finish it off in the oven. The meat has already accepted about all the flavor it can after the first few hours.

Welcome to the forum!

Personally, I don't think the KJIII is worth $600 more than the KJII. I would go for the II.