Pellet Grills/Smoker

[beerhunter]

What do you got and what do you like about it.

Lots out there. I did a search and didn't shed enough light on what I should consider when purchasing. Traeger is good I heard but not necessarily the best.

Let see what you all have to say.

Thanks

[tool]

I've had a basic Traeger that was given to me second hand 11 years ago. It's been flawless and I use it a lot, with the exception of vaccuuming out the ash and wet pellets from time to time I have done nothing to it and it works great. I'm not saying Traeger is the best on the market, I'm just saying mine works very well and must be getting close to 20 years old. Mine has sat outside the whole time I've had it and could use a repaint.

When I do replace it I may try another brand because there are a lot of cheaper models out there but I wouldn't be afraid to buy another Traeger.

[moniaw24]

I have a LG pellet grill and a Pit boss vertical smoker and a Pit boss tailgater... all have been flawless and perform well... I think you will have good results on which ever brand you decide to go with... enjoy

[Jim Blake]

I bit the bullet and bought a Yoder YS-640. It is built like a tank!! I've only had it a couple of months but it has been a real pleasure to cook on and has produced some awesome BBQ.

They are not cheap but like they say buy once, cry once.

Lots of youtube videos on reviews and how they work. The podcaster Rum and Cook has some good ones out.

[AlbertanGP]

I have a Traeger Timberline 1300 and a equally fancy Napoleon gas grill right beside it. If I could have only one it wouldn't even be close...the Traeger would be gone in an instant. I actually barbequed less when I only had the Traeger because it took so long to heat up that everything had to be planned well in advance...no coming home from work and cooking a steak outside in winter. The control box on the Traeger also fails as often as it works. It makes great ribs and brisket if I watch it like a hawk. But when I just want to crack off a few steaks or burgers in short order the infrared on the Napoleon can't be beat.

[tirebob]

Budget is ultimately your determiner as to what quality of grill you want. Things may look the same but they certainly are not the same. Yoder if you want the great stuff and can afford it. They have much more reliable components, much better grade steel (heavier the better) and their reputation is backed up.

I have done a lot of great bbq though on cheaper things by far, but better is better and it comes down to how much money a guy can justify for the volume of cooking you do.

[HyperMOA]

I have a 15+ year old Traeger and it won’t die. I want to replace it with something fancier but it just keeps truckin along. I like all the fancy bluetooth/wifi control stuff, but all I have is an analog dial. I have made literally tons of delicious barbecue on that unit.

[Bigwoodsman]

I got a Trager from Costco a couple of summers ago. Great smoker, BBQ etc. I only use it as a smoker. And it's awesome. It'll be going hard from now to October.

BW

[Northwinds]

Yoder 1500,works flawlessly but mostly use a lang stick burner

[ALBTUFF]

[beerhunter]

I am willing to spend up to $3K but would rather spend around $2K I don't really want a very big large unit like I have seen. The mid size versions would be suitable.

The Yoder looks good but yes that looks like it's out of my budget.

[Hunter5425]

I have an old Louisianna Grill with 26" cooking service which works well for me but I changed the controller to a digital thermostat control to make life simpler. It's built pretty heavy and shows no sign of dying anytime soon.

[Off in the Bushes]

I have a Green Mountain Grill that is supposed to have wifi capabilities but I have never got that to work. But it works well without that feature. Setting the heat shield location seems to vary the temp on different location across the grill. I wouldn’t buy another.

[badbrass]

Just got a Traeger 855, love the way you can control it with your cell phone!
Just done hamburger's and such with it, but love it!

[DiabeticKripple]

Originally Posted by Off in the Bushes

I have a Green Mountain Grill that is supposed to have wifi capabilities but I have never got that to work. But it works well without that feature. Setting the heat shield location seems to vary the temp on different location across the grill. I wouldn’t buy another.

Which model do you have? Some of the choice versions aren’t actually wifi capable.

I run a small Davy Crockett GMG (now the Trek) and I also have a Peak Prime Plus.

I love both of them. I actually just cooked a tri-tip on the Peak tonight for dinner. It was amazing.

The GMG’s are great units and right in your price point. They also run off 12v so you can use a car battery if needed, and have variable speed fans which the competition does not. They have some of the best temperature regulation on the market. I have run my smaller grill off my truck many times. We even brought it on the houseboat for my bachelor party and cooked a wagyu brisket on the boat. Best brisket I’ve ever had.

We had a pit boss in my works parts trailer, it works but the temperature spikes are crazy to me. My GMG’s float within +- 4 degrees of the setpoint.

[yoteblaster]

Have a Traeger going on 15 years now. Nothing has failed on it yet. Pretty happy with it

[Savage Bacon]

I have a pitboss vertical smoker. Its great. I'd get the wider version next time tho.

Sent from my SM-S901W using Tapatalk

[CBintheNorth]

Been using the Cabela's 36" for about 6 years.
I've had zero issues, and I believe they addressed the couple issues that some people had with my model.
For under $1k, I'm very happy with it.

[bezzola]

I just bought the traeger century 885 from Costco didn’t even unpack it yet lol
Was called back to work.

[W921]

Bought cheap pellet grill from UFA and it only lasted few months. Electronics went. After a lot of fuss manufacturer sent me new computer and it lasted another month and broke again. Sent me a third one which was no good and whole thing went to dump and I bought as gas one.
My neighbor bought a expensive pellet grill at Peavy mart and his lasted a whole year before it broke but he doesn't use his very often.
Make sure whatever you buy has warranty so you can take old one back and exchange for a new one.

[Outbound]

I have a Green Mountain Grill, the Ledge Prime model. Very happy with it. The temp sensor seems to be off by 20 - 25 degrees, but I use an Inkbird bluetooth thermometer to monitor ambient and meat temps anyways. The WiFi runs off 2.4Ghz, so I need to set up another band on my wifi system and just haven't bothered. I don't really need it and it works fine without it.

I have no reason to, but if I were to upgrade, I'd be buying a Yoder, ReqTeq or Pitts&Spitts smoker.

[walker1]

Originally Posted by beerhunter

I am willing to spend up to $3K but would rather spend around $2K I don't really want a very big large unit like I have seen. The mid size versions would be suitable.

The Yoder looks good but yes that looks like it's out of my budget.

You may want to look at what I have based on that info. Did not need the big one either but wanted some quality around 2k.
Bought the Traeger Ironwood 650. Came in around 1800 bucks. What I like is it is not the Timberline nor the price but has most of the features. Big to me was the extra side insulation as I smoke in all seasons and the down draft exhaust is nice as it is not effected by the wind as much as the regular vertical exhaust.
Temps seem to fluctuate more with wind than temp on some smokers but mine stays quite true as I measure with a second probe on most cooks.
The wifi for overnight smokes is AWESOME. I know a guy who has a Broil king and he never liked his app with the wifi.
As far as size on the two grates, I had 3 13 pound pork buts on last summer for my wife big 50 as we had 60 people in the back yard and there were leftovers. I could have put one more of about 10 pounds on if needed .
Lot of food!!!!!

Did a 21 pound brisket during the winter with -45 with windchill and it never missed a beat and was actually done on regular time but I dried it out thinking I needed way more time as for the extreme conditions. No one complained as we ate brisket and beers in the -40's!!!!

Have owned mine about 18 months now and have burned 500 pounds of pellets so it gets used!!!!!
Spoiled myself as I have a Napoleon prestige grill for the quick during the week stuff but I know these will last and get their use.
PM if you have questions . Happy to help!!!! Smoke on!!!!

[beerhunter]

Originally Posted by walker1

You may want to look at what I have based on that info. Did not need the big one either but wanted some quality around 2k.
Bought the Traeger Ironwood 650. Came in around 1800 bucks. What I like is it is not the Timberline nor the price but has most of the features. Big to me was the extra side insulation as I smoke in all seasons and the down draft exhaust is nice as it is not effected by the wind as much as the regular vertical exhaust.
Temps seem to fluctuate more with wind than temp on some smokers but mine stays quite true as I measure with a second probe on most cooks.
The wifi for overnight smokes is AWESOME. I know a guy who has a Broil king and he never liked his app with the wifi.
As far as size on the two grates, I had 3 13 pound pork buts on last summer for my wife big 50 as we had 60 people in the back yard and there were leftovers. I could have put one more of about 10 pounds on if needed .
Lot of food!!!!!

Did a 21 pound brisket during the winter with -45 with windchill and it never missed a beat and was actually done on regular time but I dried it out thinking I needed way more time as for the extreme conditions. No one complained as we ate brisket and beers in the -40's!!!!

Have owned mine about 18 months now and have burned 500 pounds of pellets so it gets used!!!!!
Spoiled myself as I have a Napoleon prestige grill for the quick during the week stuff but I know these will last and get their use.
PM if you have questions . Happy to help!!!! Smoke on!!!!

Thanks this is actually the one I had narrowed down to now. They are on sale pretty much everywhere now to for $1,500. $100 cover and I'm laughing. I like the size and seems to be medium level product inbetween the entry level stuff up to the Yoder higher end stuff.

Thanks

[dothepuff]

We had the kids purchase us a Treager 575 last week used it twice and took it back on Friday. It's a nice small grill BUT man you are paying for the name for a really basic grill. The wife and I were in Rona and saw a Pit Boss 850 pro series. It's a loaded grill with wifi/Bluetooth and has shelves unlike the Traeger that you gotta buy as an extra. This grill is heavier built than the Traeger like everything is twice as thick.
This might be one to look at for a midsize smoker/grill. Rona had them both set up and there is no comparison for 1K.

[Dick284]

I’ve got 3 smokers!

A 4 rack Bradley electronic.
A 6 rack Bradley electronic.
A Green Mountain Peak Prime(pellet grill)

I like the Bradley’s for things like sausage, jerky and bacon.
The GMG shines for things like brisket, spatchcock chicken and reverse seared steaks and chops.

[superuke]

When looking at the different brands, look for the thickness of steel. The thicker the steel the better heat retention. Once you get hooked on a pellet smoker you want a unit that you can use all four seasons.
Once I started using a pellet smoker but with the price of meat and vegetables you have to have good cooking skills. You can subscribe to many professional
coaches that are pro smoking champions. Sign ups are free. These pro's have super recipes and many make and sell their own sauces and spices. my favourite web is: www.houseofq.com he has awesome recipes and sauces.

With a good smoker you can enjoy the best tasting: Ribs, Roasts, Sausage making, Cheese smoking, Brisket, Pulled pork and my list can fill pages of great out of the box recipes. Buy good cuts of meat, good BBQ sauce, Good Spices.

[walker1]

Originally Posted by beerhunter

Thanks this is actually the one I had narrowed down to now. They are on sale pretty much everywhere now to for $1,500. $100 cover and I'm laughing. I like the size and seems to be medium level product inbetween the entry level stuff up to the Yoder higher end stuff.

Thanks

That description is about right. Only saw the Yoder in Barbecues Galore but they look stout. Did you buy yet?
Off note, I do not care much for the Traeger pellets. They sell due to the branding but there are better choices out there.
Good luck!!!
Did burgers on the barbeque yesterday for the family and mothers day. Awesome.
Long weekend coming will be a pork butt for pulled pork!