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Posted: 12/6/2016 4:16:39 PM EDT
[#1]
Love my Traeger. Got it from Costco.
The only issue is when it rains heavily and I don't have it covered, water will seep into the pellets and gum up the entire auger mechanism. Other than that it puts out great meat. Invest in a good meat thermometer to go with it. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:09:03 PM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
I bought a Masterbuilt electric smoker last month and had to exchange it since it would not hold the correct temperature set point. The replacement one won't either so I'm returning it in the morning. Tell me about your Traegers. I do not have any person experience with Traeger. Everything that I have heard from members in my BBQ club have all been good. Only thing to look out for is that it eats the pellets. Make sure you have many bags on hand if you plan to smoke something for a long time. I currently use a MBE smoker and love it. I am just curious what model you were using that had such a problem. I am using the 30in model without any glass. When I finally decide to step my game up and move from my current electric smoker I was considering a pellet smoker. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:12:14 PM EDT
[#3]
I picked THIS up Sunday. Not a Traeger but Traegers aren't exactly Traegers anymore (now built in China). Mostly chose this one because I had lots of Cabela's bucks to use and also had a few coupons they let me apply towards it. Ended up being about half the cost of the comparable Traeger. That said I think the Traeger is a step above in terms of quality compared to what I bought but at least it will have the Cabela's warranty which is better than the Traegers. Edit: I you are after top shelf consider the MAK grill. US made but $$$$$. https://www.makgrills.com/ |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:14:56 PM EDT
[#4]
We've had a Traeger for about 6 months, and love it.
We use it at least once a week. So far we haven't found anything it won't cook well. We've done chicken, turkey, polish sausage, ribs, pork butt, reverse sear steaks, salmon, meatloaf, burgers, and pizza. They have all turned out great. They do use a lot of pellets though. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:19:15 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I do not have any person experience with Traeger. Everything that I have heard from members in my BBQ club have all been good. Only thing to look out for is that it eats the pellets. Make sure you have many bags on hand if you plan to smoke something for a long time. I currently use a MBE smoker and love it. I am just curious what model you were using that had such a problem. I am using the 30in model without any glass. When I finally decide to step my game up and move from my current electric smoker I was considering a pellet smoker. I bought the 40" glass door model. It starts up and runs fine for several hours then overshoots the temperature setpoint and stops controlling. I set it to 225 this morning and a few hours later I checked it and it was a 271 and was still heating. It's done this a half a dozen times so I'm giving up on it. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:20:20 PM EDT
[#6]
I love mine. It was a hand-me-down from a friend of my folks, it was made in Oregon. I think they were $1K+ new, I wouldn't spend that kind of money on one.. New ones are imported.
At least now Home Depot sells the pellets so even if I run out I am probably not screwed. 
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:24:28 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/Cabelas/s7_551493_imageset_02?wid=127&hei=127 I picked THIS up Sunday. Not a Traeger but Traegers aren't exactly Traegers anymore (now built in China). Mostly chose this one because I had lots of Cabela's bucks to use and also had a few coupons they let me apply towards it. Ended up being about half the cost of the comparable Traeger. That said I think the Traeger is a step above in terms of quality compared to what I bought but at least it will have the Cabela's warranty which is better than the Traegers. Edit: I you are after top shelf consider the MAK grill. US made but $$. https://www.makgrills.com/ Yup. MAK or RecTec are better options nowadays. that said, I got a used Traeger for $225, and I love it. No matter what you buy, if you intend to smoke meat on it, buy an A-Maze-N smoking tube to supplement smoke output. https://www.amazon.com/Amazen-Pellet-Tube-Smoker-12/dp/B00CS6YFIC?tag=vglnk-c102-20 |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:28:20 PM EDT
[#8]
If you live near saltwater I wouldn't recommend it. The computerized parts didn't hold up for me.
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:33:33 PM EDT
[#9]
I have a Camp Chef. No complaints but I dream of a Yoder pellet smoker. I use Perfect Pellets with good results. It helps that I can drive to PP and buy pellets cheap and avoid shipping.
I think all the entry level pellet smokers are all about the same. God I want a Yoder! |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:34:08 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We've had a Traeger for about 6 months, and love it. We use it at least once a week. So far we haven't found anything it won't cook well. We've done chicken, turkey, polish sausage, ribs, pork butt, reverse sear steaks, salmon, meatloaf, burgers, and pizza. They have all turned out great. They do use a lot of pellets though. Same here. Went to buy it from Costco, ended up buying one at spa place next door. Smoked pork butts and shoulders, beef brisket, many racks of ribs. And now, my favorite thing is, steak. Cold smoke for 1 hr, cook for 6 minutes on high. Perfection! |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:41:01 PM EDT
[#11]
Guy in Costco buying about 30 bags of pellets swore by his Traeger. Took the gamble and picked one up. It absolutely makes the best meat I've ever smoked/grilled. Kids love it. Burgers come out perfect, no flare ups, or burned edges. Stears turn out better. I've had it a few years now. With that being said would I buy another Traeger? No. Impulse purchase but I should have done my homework. Traeger is cheap China stamped metal. I keep mine in the garage and roll it out. Legs scare me as they look flimsy and afraid they might bend. I just added a shelf on the bottom to increase strength. The screws that hold the lid on started backing out on one side and I will have to either drill through and nut and bolt it or retap. Probably nut and bolt.
My next smoker /grill will be a Yoder. This thing is a beast and will far outlast the Traeger. Made in the US with plate steel. 335 lbs of goodness. Yoder is what you seek. Buy once, cry once. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:47:19 PM EDT
[#12]
I have a Traeger knock-off pellet grill (going on five years now) and I love it.
I have four different types of outdoor grills and the pellet grill is the one that gets used the most. The only things I'll say slightly negative about pellet grills is that depending on how well you like your meats smoked, you might find that the pellet grill won't smoke as heavily as a dedicated smoker - but that also means that it is almost impossible to over smoke the meat. And the other thing is that it won't get hot enough to sear a steak so you'll still need a gas or charcoal grill to achieve super hot grilling temps. I'll never be without a pellet grill. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 5:58:32 PM EDT
[#13]
Cooked my Thanksgiving turkey on a treager
Best bird I've had and easy |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:01:46 PM EDT
[#14]
If you want to stay around the Traeger price point, This is what you seek.
http://www.rectecgrills.com/ If price is no issue, go with a Yoder I looked at the Traegers at Costco. They felt like a cheap aluminum can. Very thin and flimsy metal. I ended up ordering a Rectec on the advice of a friend, and it is so much better built then the Traegers. It holds temps very well. It has a bigger hopper then the Traegers (40 lbs) It also has twice the warranty of the Tragers (6 years). I have done several briskets, butts and a turkey on it, and everything has come out amazing. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:05:09 PM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
I bought a Masterbuilt electric smoker last month and had to exchange it since it would not hold the correct temperature set point. The replacement one won't either so I'm returning it in the morning. Tell me about your Traegers. How much do you want to spend? See Below...I added the prices (rough) of the various types. pelletheads.com is a good resource... The PG500 (all 304 Stainless, US made) has the control to go from 170 degrees in the smoking area (which gives a good smoky flavor..then bump the temp up a bit higher for the rest of the cook) to... 
(that's a testing by an independent guy...the grill was set to 600 degrees in the main smoking area...right over the firebox was the 900+ degree temp...I think that will sear fine.....  )
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:07:36 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How much do you want to spend? (You can get: Camp Chef ($400) Traeger ($500) Rec Tec (or Firecraft..new to the market). ($1k) Yoder. ($1k) Fast Eddie PG-500 ($1500) MAK ($2k) Memphis ($3k)). In ascending $ (roughly). If you want a nice pellet grill/smoker...and go $1k..that's the Rec Tec range... AFARR |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:11:10 PM EDT
[#17]
The Louisiana Grills are a happy medium between Traeger and Yoder. The Yoders are awesome, but the price is not.
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:12:28 PM EDT
[#18]
MAK Grill
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:19:48 PM EDT
[#19]
A smoker is in my future.
I think I'm gonna get a Rec Tec full size. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:21:17 PM EDT
[#20]
I picked up a green mountain grill this summer and have been extremely pleased with it. Seems better built than the newer treagers.
My new Weber genesis s-330 has been collecting dust since I bought the gmg. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:21:35 PM EDT
[#21]
Got a Green Mountain pellet grill about a month ago.
Nothing but a pain in the ass frankly. So far, we'll see if the latest parts they shipped me fix the issues. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:22:02 PM EDT
[#22]
Tag so I can spend more money.
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:22:39 PM EDT
[#23]
My buddy and his son both have them...both love them...
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:29:36 PM EDT
[#24]
I have the Jr Elite from Costco and I love it. I want the bigger one now but this one does awesome.
I've done quite a few briskets and they turn out amazing. Ribs are fantastic. Did the thanksgiving turkey and brisket on the Traeger. Whole chickens are great. We did pizza on it last night and it was superb. Get one. My advice is to learn and research all you can about cooking on them. I look on the forums all the time for small tips. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 6:42:27 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
A smoker is in my future. I think I'm gonna get a Rec Tec full size. Good choice. The reviews on Amazon tell the story between an equivalent Trager and Rectec. Traeger Rectec The weight difference tells the story on build quality and metal thickness. 125lbs for the Traeger, 250 lbs for the Rectec. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 7:41:38 PM EDT
[#26]
I have a Trager XL. It is the large double unit. I fabricated a stainless chamber divider, and added a second controller and sensor. Along with some re-wiring the unit is configured to use as a single large surface or operate as two independent units. This has worked out very well and I am quite pleased with it. I can smoke a salmon fillet and grill chicken at the same time. I did the modification to aother unit owned by a champion BBQ competetor. He was pleased but unfortunatly has since passed away.
Bob |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 8:38:07 PM EDT
[#27]
I've had a Yoder YS640 for a couple of years now - it's an awesome pellet smoker. Didn't realize how much they had gone up until I saw this thread!
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Posted: 12/6/2016 8:49:21 PM EDT
[#28]
No matter which brand you buy, you need to take care of your pellets.
Use quality pellets and keep unused ones off the garage floor in an airtight container. After cooking, use a shop vac to remove any remaining pellets in the hopper and store them as mentioned. You will have far more consistent temperatures this way. I have a Pit-Boss from Academy, not the greatest but it was a starter grill. Used to just keep the unused pellets in the bag they came in on the garage floor and left the hopper filled. Temperatures fluctuated pretty bad. Then I started using quality pellets and keeping them as dry as possible -- now its about 5° +/- of what I set it at. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 8:54:48 PM EDT
[#29]
MAK is the pellet grill/smoker manufacturer that you are seeking...
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Posted: 12/6/2016 8:56:27 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Cooked my Thanksgiving turkey on a Best bird I've had and easy Fixed... |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 8:57:53 PM EDT
[#31]
Traeger owner here. No complaints and yummy meats!
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:02:27 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/Cabelas/s7_551493_imageset_02?wid=127&hei=127 I picked THIS up Sunday. Not a Traeger but Traegers aren't exactly Traegers anymore (now built in China). Mostly chose this one because I had lots of Cabela's bucks to use and also had a few coupons they let me apply towards it. Ended up being about half the cost of the comparable Traeger. That said I think the Traeger is a step above in terms of quality compared to what I bought but at least it will have the Cabela's warranty which is better than the Traegers. Edit: I you are after top shelf consider the MAK grill. US made but $$$. https://www.makgrills.com/ That's made by Camp Chef, who probably makes the best budget pellet grill. If you want to step up then buy a Mak. So yeah, I guess agreed on all points. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:22:00 PM EDT
[#33]
They are expensive but buy once, cry once. I've had one for five years or so now and love it. I use it at least once a week. I do all sorts of stuff on it. Just did a bacon wrapped meat loaf on Sunday and it was amazing. No end to what you can do.
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:24:12 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
They are expensive but buy once, cry once. I've had one for five years or so now and love it. I use it at least once a week. I do all sorts of stuff on it. Just did a bacon wrapped meat loaf on Sunday and it was amazing. No end to what you can do. So, um, Traegers are not expensive pellet grills. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:26:02 PM EDT
[#35]
I've had one for about 10 years. Worth every penny.
FYI I use "hardwood heating pellets" from a local hardware store. They're $5 for a 50# sack, as opposed to $25 for a 30# sack of "BBQ pellets." |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:36:04 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
So, um, Traegers are not expensive pellet grills. They are relative to what you get. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:36:13 PM EDT
[#37]
I love my Royall Grill. Made here in WI, and extremely sturdy. Use it more than anything else
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:36:59 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
They are relative to what you get. Haha well played. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:44:28 PM EDT
[#39]
Our family members have owned 2 tragers. Both failed miserably within 1 year. One at 4months. Warranty would have covered it if we got it to trager. We gave it away. Auger issues, temperature issues and controller issues abound. I say avoid like the plague.
I got smart and bought an American made MAK 1 star general. My good friend liked mine so much she bought a 2 star. I have a chicken cooking on mine as I type. I can't begin to tell you how much I have cooked and smoked on these grills. A great example was this thanksgiving when I clocked two turkeys at once on the 2star. They turned out amazing! The MAK's work so well a couple friends bring me stuff to cook for them. Take a look at the MAK grills. Worth every penny! Fwiw, I had one warranty issue. MAK took such good care of me I will probably never buy another manufacturers grill! |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:51:26 PM EDT
[#40]
Had mine for a few weeks now. I love it. |
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Posted: 12/6/2016 9:54:42 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Our family members have owned 2 tragers. Both failed miserably within 1 year. One at 4months. Warranty would have covered it if we got it to trager. We gave it away. Auger issues, temperature issues and controller issues abound. I say avoid like the plague. I got smart and bought an American made MAK 1 star general. My good friend liked mine so much she bought a 2 star. I have a chicken cooking on mine as I type. I can't begin to tell you how much I have cooked and smoked on these grills. A great example was this thanksgiving when I clocked two turkeys at once on the 2star. They turned out amazing! The MAK's work so well a couple friends bring me stuff to cook for them. Take a look at the MAK grills. Worth every penny! Fwiw, I had one warranty issue. MAK took such good care of me I will probably never buy another manufacturers grill!  ...
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Posted: 12/7/2016 12:39:56 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've had one for about 10 years. Worth every penny. FYI I use "hardwood heating pellets" from a local hardware store. They're $5 for a 50# sack, as opposed to $25 for a 30# sack of "BBQ pellets." I am not sure that is a good plan. 
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Posted: 12/7/2016 2:29:20 AM EDT
[#43]
I agree with your comments about the sturdiness of the legs. Weak and wobbly. I've had a few problems with my Traeger (paint peeling, control board malfunction) but Traeger has excellent customer service. They sent me replacement parts without any problem They even replaced the main body of my Big Tex due to peeling paint, even after my warranty had expired a year earlier! That said, I occasionally have problems with the unit maintaining a proper temperature.
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Posted: 12/7/2016 3:16:26 AM EDT
[#44]
I bought an American made Blazn Grill. Step up from Rec Tec and highly recommend.
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Posted: 12/17/2016 12:23:04 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I am not sure that is a good plan. <img src=http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/smiley_confused.gif border=0 align=middle> Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I've had one for about 10 years. Worth every penny. FYI I use "hardwood heating pellets" from a local hardware store. They're $5 for a 50# sack, as opposed to $25 for a 30# sack of "BBQ pellets." I am not sure that is a good plan. <img src=http://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/smiley_confused.gif border=0 align=middle> this. |
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