Can you use smoke fluid in an old pellet smoker??

I am not sure if you should...but I am living proof that you can!

It worked.

Small amounts only.

Greg

I use it in my 2026; no problem. Just don't drown the unit!

Yes but if you put more than a 2 or 3 drops in it'll slobber out and make a mess. Pellet units are usually not sealed as well as liquid units.

Thomas

I have rebuilt some of my postwar engines and used the pellet style heater and new wadding in them.

I use smoke fluid and seems to smoke better. I think because you have a larger heating surface, so it produces more smoke.

Are they relatively simple to open up??  I have plenty of wadding material, tiki torch wick, from the fan driven units I've modified.

Yep, just carefully pop the cap off the top (I usually stick a small screwdriver just inside the opening and pull it up.  Just watch the heating element when you do it)

Thanks Jake!

Since the old element is still working, no need to change it. A FEW drops of fluid and your all set. Only negative may be the old wadding might be hardened and not soak up fluid well.

I have a 1947 Lionel 675 steam engine in which I have been using smoke fluid in it for years without any issues. As has been stated put in no more than one or two drops of fluid at a time and you will be fine. As a matter of fact I like the old smoke units better than the modern wick units because you don't have a wick to be concerned about not having enough fluid in it to keep it wet. By the way my unit does not have any wadding material in it and a local postwar train repair guy told me not to bother using it as it works fine without it. 

I have the 2 2025's both with smoke pellet units and new wadding.  i use 2 - 4 drops and works fantastic!  The key is to NEVER put too many drops in or it will flood the inside of the engine and create a big mess and interfere with the e-unit from cycling.  Here a quick video.

Here's a better video with one 2025 running with Megasteam fluid in a pellet unit at speed.

The best little smoker I have is a battery-powered Dollar General 0-6-0  from several years ago.  I repainted it mostly black, leaving the silver front end and the red cab roof.  It is coupled to a hybrid Marx/Lionel tender, with the Marx "Nickel Plate Road" body atop the Lionel chugging chassis.  The best smoke effect is gotten with the train room light off, because the high headlight on the loco spills its illumination into the smokebox and stack.  As she goes down the track, the smoke is lit by the light, and the effect is wonderful, with the brightly lit smoke pouring out.  I don't know how the smoke mechanism works, but it just keeps on putting out the white stuff.  The engine is pulling a short freight train, which is my version of steam era operations on the Minster Branch, which runs south from St. Marys, Ohio, to its namesake town, and is still used today.

I recommend using smoke fluid in your postwar steamers. For  over 10 years I have only used fluid in the pellet type units. It seems to work better than the pellets.  

Thanks for all the comments and videos!  I put my newly acquired 2018 thought a good service and no smoke. Turned out someone had removed the smoke lever.  Now assembled it smokes, but not very well.  I'll try some JT's later.

How did you configure these engines to double head?

as stated above the fluid will work, but there is nothing that brings back the memories of childhood like the smell of the original pellets. if you open the unit up you will find a white crust that is the remnants of the melted pellets. scrape it out and reuse it.