Harbor Freight Gets Up In Your Grill

Surfing for BBQ-ing tips the other day, I wandered into some chat forums where it’s “All-Barbecue, All the Time.” Make no mistake, those “Q-ers” are serious about cooking their meat. The best cuts, types of fuel, which wood for smoking, the tools, curing, venting, seasoning & preparing, temps and times. To them, grilling a steak is like customizing a car-- the body may be pretty, but it’s all about what goes under the hood.

Not happy with their out-of-the-box units, some guys retrofit their BBQ grills (as I said, like a car). For example, Phil Lee of Hawg Heaven Smokin’ Barbecue modified his smoker…

...with 10” air tires (#30900) to better deal with mobility on lawns, parks, campsites and such.

My favorite modification is the BBQ trailer: A Q-er will either remove the legs from their BBQ grill, and then bolt or weld them onto a utility trailer, or build one up from scratch--making them über-mobile! Here’s a great example of a customized, homemade barbecue trailer-- created by a fellow named Spankerchief-- on SmokingMeatForums.com…

...using the Haul-Master 1720 Lb. Capacity Super Duty 48" X 96" Utility Trailer with 12” Wheels (#94564). In fact, every BBQ forum I clicked on had at least one thread where an adventurous “trailer Q-er” incorporated a Haul-Master utility trailer from Harbor Freight. Several put their projects together using the popular & affordable Chicago Electric 90 Amp Flux Wire Welder (#68887).

The online BBQ cooks were all loaded for bear with gear that supported their grilling operations. The Propane Torch with Igniter (#91037) was a favorite-- for its turbo performance and for its great, low price. The Instant Read Digital Thermometer (#95382) was also popular, for its accuracy and, again, price. Also included were the Compact Food Slicer (#42787), Electric Meat Grinder (#99598) and plenty of protective wear like nitrile, PVC-dipped and/or welding gloves.

Needless to say, I was bitten by the BBQ bug and ended up getting a “barrel-style” barbecue grill with smoker side box, as well as the igniter and thermometer. I also picked up this pair of welding gloves, and, of course, a BBQ cookbook. I'll probably get the 10” wheels next (they look cool).

Now all I have to do is experiment on the meat and hope I don’t burn anything vital... like Sunday dinner.