5.1.3 SnP Pro vs. the NBBD and Hondo-------------------- [What is the difference between the Brinkmann Smoke'N Pit Professional and the New Braunfels Black Diamond/Hondo?] David A. Rogers-- The Hondo (read also Black Diamond) and the SnP Pro are functionally equivalent. Features The Hondo has a heating shelf over the firebox the SnP Pro doesn't. That's the only feature of difference. Construction The Hondo is made with a circumferential weld on both ends of both barrels. i.e. looking at the end of a Hondo, the barrel is welded all the way around. The Brinkmann is welded on the bottom third with three or four additional spot welds. The Hondo has a wimpy wire front shelf. The SnP Pro has a wood shelf. The Black Diamond model has a sturdy wood shelf. The lid on the SnP Pro rests against an angle bracket welded to the barrel for that purpose. On the Hondo, the lid rests against the smokestack. The Black Diamond comes with a welded firebox top door bracket. Tom Kelly--the SnP Pro stack has been modified since David's post to correct a potential safety problem. A bend was added so the lid would open further. Apparently, the previous position allowed the wind to blow the door closed onto your hands, tools, etc. In the new design, the lid rests against the smokestack, just like the Hondo/NBBD Both units are made out of the same gauge heavy-gauge sheet metal, about 3/32-inch thick. Design The SnP Pro has brackets to support the grills in the smoke chamber at grilling height. The Hondo has no grill brackets, but you can turn the grills 90 degrees to get them a little higher (they're rectangles). The grills sit on the inside wall of the cooking chamber. Tom Kelly- The grills on the SnP Pro are located MUCH higher than in the NBBD/Hondo. I measured the grill-to-door opening height and it was about 7-1/2 inches in the SnP Pro. This would be tight for a big turkey. The Hondo/NBBD grills sit several inches lower and thereby have more head room. Editor-- The smokestack on the Hondo is attached by a bolted flange and extends further into the smoke chamber than on the SnP Pro. List members report that the legs and wheels of both units are not as strong as they should be. Care must be taken when moving these units over rough ground and lawns. Neither design is perfect. Some BBQ List members have reported great success with their Hondo/NBBD and SnP Pro right out of the box. Other members have reported big internal temperature variations, leaking air and smoke from doors and have made modifications to correct these problems. The biggest complaint seems to be that the heat from the firebox on these units flows up and into the top of the smoking chamber and along the top of the chamber and out the exhaust stack, bypassing the meat on the racks below, and causing high temperature variations within the smoker. The modifications suggested keep the heat and smoke lower in the smoking chamber. The most ambitious of the changes brings the heat up from under the meat rack and gives the best results. See Section 7.2.2 for modifications on making your Hondo/NBBD/SnP Pro more efficient.
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