I need a new "cooker"

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have been using a old turkey Fryer. Like most folks I guess. Unknown BTU's I have owned it for decades. First time using it last year, I had to replace hose, then again as it cought fire!!!!! I added a 6" steel nipple then coupler and another new steel mesh covered hose. It worked, but slowly and with long orange/yellow flames. No matter the settings.
I didnt know how slow I was, till my buddy bought his own setup with a 10.000 btu burner and pot with lid. He can melt lead at honest 3x my speed! As propane burns at same temps regardless its his burner. Complete blue flames.

Last week @ Cabelas I ran across a flash sale where the double fish fryers was 40% off! So I grabbed it. I haven't yet used so maybe it will work but my buddy has me doubting the 58.000 btu rating. Thats when I learned his was 100,000 btu's.

What do you use and whats the BTU's.
CW

 

[Bret4207]

I use a gasoline plumbers furnace I snagged years back at a flea market. Most folks think they are bombs and certain death, so I got it for about $15.00. Blue flame about 3" across and 2 feet high when it's warmed up, I'd guess a gazillion BTU's. It'll melt a dutch oven full of WW's and trash in maybe 6-10 minutes depending on how much is there and air space. Definitely an outside toy. Very, very impressive at night!

 

[Ole_270]

Bayou burner? About 10" across, got it through a restaurant supply site. I use a 20 lb propane tank cut about 2/3 of the way up, can put 60 lbs of range scrap in it and be ready to flux in about 15-20 min.

 

[JonB]

CW, you are making me wonder what BTU my smelter stove is.
I am on my second vintage small Coleman gasoline camp stove (the first finally burnt out).
A quick google search came up with this review.

Coleman Dual Fuel 2-Burner Review

The Coleman Dual Fuel 2-burner is the most iconic camping stove of all time. It was revolutionary 70 years ago and remains very popular today. It is...

www.outdoorgearlab.com

In that review, they state the following:

Our Analysis and Test Results​

Time to Boil​

The right burner packs an incredible amount of heat in a low-BTU number. This is the stove that made us rethink how import BTU ratings are. It "only" has has 7,500 BTU on the right (main) burner, but somehow boiled water almost as fast as the Camp Chef Pro 60X which has 30,000 BTUs in each burner. Go figure. In fact, the little burner is so powerful, we found we couldn't leave on full blast with a bot without burning the paint off the side of the stove (not the best smell… eeww).
.....................
Gasoline delivers a lot of BTUs...
Years ago, I did a boil test (this was during my beer brewing days), I wanted to know how much faster the small coleman stove would bring 6 qts of cool tap water to a full boil, compared to the natural gas cookstove in my kitchen (I don't know the BTUs of that burner). The kitchen stove was at a full boil in 16 minutes. The Coleman, running FULL BLAST was at a full boil in 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

Lastly, Lead alloy:
It takes about 25 to 30 minutes to get 40 lbs of COWW from room temp to molten using a thick SS 4qt soup pot (that is also room temp) on the Coleman with flame at full blast. That'd be the first pot full, if I leave 1/2" of molten lead in the pot, then add 40 lbs of COWW, crank the heat up, and then that 40 lbs of alloy will be molten in about 17 to 20 minutes.

That's my story

 

[Dimner]

This is the one I bought a couple months back.

So far, I have smelted, fluxed and poured at least 500lbs(pre smelt weight) worth of range scrap. As well as consolidated about 300 lbs of other various ingots

I've never cranked this thing up to max. Does great for me. I can keep an alloy at 650* pretty easily for a while. No complaints at all.

It melts as fast as I want it to. I'm not really a fan of super turbo quick melting. So I do not use my burner to it's full 65k BTU potential

Before I bought this, I spent a couple weekends at fleamarkets and garage sales trying to find a cheap used one. Finally, I said screw it, my time is worth any extra expense.

GasOne B-5300 One High-Pressure Outdoor Propane Burner - Sixty bucks.​

Amazon.com: GasOne B-5300 One High-Pressure Outdoor Propane Burner Gas Cooker Weld, Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com: GasOne B-5300 One High-Pressure Outdoor Propane Burner Gas Cooker Weld, Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

 

[bruce381]

Turkey fryer, got mine on line somewhere mid west camping place I think.

Has a red knob that is higher pressure?
Sounds like a jet on high, think was 80-100,000 BTU bought it cause
has 4 legs thought would be more secure with a load of lead.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Im looking at this one. Cause bugger must be better!

Amazon.com : GasOne 200, 000 BTU Square Heavy- Duty Single Burner Outdoor Stove Propane Gas Cooker with Adjustable 0-20Psi Regulator & Steel Braided Hose Perfect for Home Brewing, Turkey Fry, Maple Syrup Prep : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : GasOne 200, 000 BTU Square Heavy- Duty Single Burner Outdoor Stove Propane Gas Cooker with Adjustable 0-20Psi Regulator & Steel Braided Hose Perfect for Home Brewing, Turkey Fry, Maple Syrup Prep : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

CW

 

[Rockydoc]

This is where I got mine. I like that it is stainless steel.

Backyard Pro Stainless Steel Single Burner Outdoor Patio Stove / Range - 55,000 BTU

This Backyard Pro stainless steel outdoor patio stove / range is perfect for turkey frying, steaming or boiling vegetables, clam bakes, frying fish or seafood, corn-on-the-cob and more! The single cast iron burner produces 55,000 BTUs of cooking power to provide efficient, controlled...

www.webstaurantstore.com

 

[popper]

Mine is a cheapy from academy but hose and reg. are on the barby now. Mixer tube on them gets clogged so mix is poor and flame goes yellow. Gasoline has twice the btu of natural, hydrogen (ammonia) is double gasoline.

 

[RBHarter]

I have a 100kbtu Camp Chief .

 

[Ian]

I use a Hearthmate fireplace stove with a hole cut in the top to closely fit a 20-lb propane cylinder with the top cut for a lid and handles welded to the side to keep it suspended above the fire. Fire is wood fed with forced air (hair dryer through 6' of 2" steel pipe). It does 150 lbs in about 45 minutes using half a wheelbarrow full of 3" and smaller cedar limbs.

 

[Brad]

I use some sort of turkey fryer, no clue on the BtUs.
It does 25 to 30# in 15-20 min.

I fill the pot then go do something else. No reason to just stand there watching.
If it takes me 2.5 hours to do 200-250# then so be it.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

This is where I got mine. I like that it is stainless steel.

Backyard Pro Stainless Steel Single Burner Outdoor Patio Stove / Range - 55,000 BTU

This Backyard Pro stainless steel outdoor patio stove / range is perfect for turkey frying, steaming or boiling vegetables, clam bakes, frying fish or seafood, corn-on-the-cob and more! The single cast iron burner produces 55,000 BTUs of cooking power to provide efficient, controlled...

www.webstaurantstore.com

Hows it work for ta? Thats close to the 58,000 I now have.

 

[bruce381]

Im looking at this one. Cause bugger must be better!

Amazon.com : GasOne 200, 000 BTU Square Heavy- Duty Single Burner Outdoor Stove Propane Gas Cooker with Adjustable 0-20Psi Regulator & Steel Braided Hose Perfect for Home Brewing, Turkey Fry, Maple Syrup Prep : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : GasOne 200, 000 BTU Square Heavy- Duty Single Burner Outdoor Stove Propane Gas Cooker with Adjustable 0-20Psi Regulator & Steel Braided Hose Perfect for Home Brewing, Turkey Fry, Maple Syrup Prep : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

CW

yeah thats the one I got was from acamdemy sports or something full melt 100Lbs in like 15-30 minutes.

 

[Rockydoc]

Hows it work for ta? Thats close to the 58,000 I now have.

It works just fine. I haven't timed it. If you have noticed in my photos of "where you cast" storage space is at a premium in my garage so I leave the cooker outdoors. The stainless steel holds up just fine. Others have rusted out. I live on the waterfront. Salt water.
Rocky

 

[Axman]

500,000 BTU weed burner and 18” long x18” half pipe with ends welded in.
5 gallon bucket of wheel weights ready to skim and flux in 30 min.

 

[Winelover]

I have a Cajun Cooker bought from Cabela's, years ago. There was an option to chose either the turkey fryer pot or the cast iron pot. I chose the latter, since I was purchasing it strictly for smelting lead.

 

[Matt_G]

I got this one instead of the cheaper one they make, not because I needed the BTU's, but because it looked much stronger than their 60 buck model.
The dutch oven I have can hold over 350 pounds of lead so I needed stout.
They say this burner puts out 200,000 BTU's.
I can have that dutch oven full of molten lead in about 30 minutes.

 

[fiver]

CW open your air intake/mix vent.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

CW open your air intake/mix vent.

I have taken it appart and adjusted it to both ends of the apectrum. Makes no difference. The assembly looks to be sand cast. I feel its just poor quality. (Nothing changes flame)