Specifications
- 2124 square inches of smoking space on four racks
- 609 square inches of grilling space
- Separate grilling space allows for simultaneous grilling and smoking
- 11 gauge steel body with 14 gauge steel lids
- Precision control “spinner” air vents
- Two 10-inch wheels and two heavy-duty casters
- Removable ash catcher
- Removable drip pan
- Internal damper separates firebox (grilling chamber) from smoker box
- Total weight of 497 pounds
- Large wheels make the unit easy to move
- Made in the United States by Landmark Manufacturing
Full Review – The Good One Marshall Generation 3
PROS
- Excellent temperature control
- Heavy, solid construction
- Efficient fuel consumption and complete fire shut down
- Allows for simultaneous grilling and smoking
- Huge Capacity
CONS
- Very heavy
- Not insulated
Chris Marks and his Three Little Pigs barbecue team are one of the top teams in competition barbecue (8-time grand champion of the American Royal BBQ Competition) and The Good One is the smoker he used. On a fundamental level, this is a back offset smoker that has been the subject of a great deal of innovation. It has excellent temperature control, solid and heavy construction, and is very durable.
The large smoking chamber sits in the front and the firebox (which doubles as a direct grilling area) sits in the back. This does mean that all sides of the unit need to be accessible to operate, which isn’t unusual in a smoker like this. The firebox runs parallel to the cooking chamber and smoke and heat enter through a slot between the two chambers. There is a vent that closes this slot so they can be completely separated during cooking. This is a great feature when it comes time to refuel the smoker since heat can be trapped inside the cooking chamber and ash and sparks cannot enter.
Temperature is controlled by what they call spinner vents. These are bolt-mounted vents that dial down to close. Once you have the hang of these you find that this smoker has better temperature control than most and wind is not as much of a factor. The Marshall has three intact and two output vents. The tight-fitting vents and seams mean that this unit can be easily shut down. In fact, because the firebox can be isolated, the fire can be dampened quickly.
Recently improvements include a paint that is a higher quality powder coating for better durability and appearance. The slide-out ash pan has been replaced with a drop-in design to reduce the external openings and improve the airflow even more.
3 responses to “The Good One Marshall Smoker Review”
I just picked a used one of these up the other day. I’ve been looking at them for years and finally found a used one in my area. I have run it through its paces a couple of times now and it definitely puts out some good BBQ. The only problem I have is this thing is a charcoal eating monster. I am not sure where it gets a reputation as being an efficient cooker. The first seasoning run I did on it after cleaning it out, I threw about 14 lbs of B&B Oak lump charcoal in there. I fired it up and got somewhere between 4-5 hrs of out it. I threw 20 lbs of mesquite lump in there along with about 5 lbs of B&B briquettes on the 2nd run and loaded up the pit with some country ribs, pork belly burnt ends and some chicken. I ran it between 250-275 on the pit thermostat and all the meat was off the grill in about 5 hrs. I put a probe in the pit while I continue to let it run – just to monitor how much longer I could run the pit. It ran between 225-250 for another 3-4 hrs, but that’s with about 25 lbs of charcoal total at 8-9 hrs. Not sure what others are used to, but that is a LOT of charcoal to go through. I like the pit, but definitely not as efficient as I thought it would be.
I have one of you smokers similar to the Marshall. It’s about 20yrs old. The carriage on the grill side has rotted out. Can it be replaced?
Scott,
I suggest contacting the manufacturer to see what can be done with your smoker. You can find their contact information at: https://thegood-one.com/contactabout-us/