Wood Pellet Grill
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
Who runs one? What brand? Why that brand?
Traeger. Because it's the brand I won in a raffle. It's really good for smoking. For grilling I have trouble keeping it above 400 degrees, especially in the winter. My father in law has one of the green mountain tailgater ones and it gets hot. I'm not sure about their full size ones.
I have a Traeger, works well. True, 400 degrees can be tuff to reach in the winter, but since it can't flare up no need to keep opening the grill to flip the meat. Smoker works great
I've had a Green Mountain, Daniel Boone model for many years. Very little issue with it over the years just clean out the ash about once a month with normal use. Living in SW Kansas we have lots of wind and gets pretty cold. I have a thermo cover on mine and it gets to 500 no matter what the temp outside. Will also run clear down to 150 for doing extreme low and slow. But if money isn't an issue look at a Yoder brand. Whenever my Green Mountain gives up that is what I will be looking at.
Green Mountain. Excellent build and customer service.
Lots of good pellet units out there I've heard about. I don't own one, mainly because nobody sells pellets near where I live. I also wanted a unit designed for high-temp searing (steaks at 600, etc) but could do pizzas and anything from 175 to 600+ degrees. I ended up with a Kamado Joe
I've had bot traeger and green mountain. The green mountain is a much better unit! Reaches a higher temp and has some neat features with the ability to use the app to control it.
Anyone ever used a Camp Chef?
I have the Louisiana Grill. Make good pizza.
Smokin' Brothers. They worked for Traeger and started building their own when Traeger went in China.
Anyone ever used a Camp Chef?
"I have the Louisiana Grill. Make good pizza." Definitely +1 on the pizza's on a pellet grill. GM just came out with a pizza accessory as well.
Just buy a GM and get done with it, Jake. I can give advice on accessories as well. I have the insulating blanket and the Godke Down Draft. Both good additions.
My brother has a Traeger. Smoked a wild turkey on it last year turned out being the best turkey I ever had. Use it all the time. I use a Pit Boss I got at Cabela's. I smoke all my own deer jerky and snack sticks and stuff on it. Got rid of my gas grill I love it so much. Pellet grill and charcoal grill all I got now. My pit boss has more temp. options than his older traeger but I don't know how the new traegers are.
What kind of pellets? Deer? Rabbit? Elk?......... moose pellets would be best I think..... found a winter grounds in ID once they were 4-6" deep and in a very small area you could have scooped up 5 or 6 drums worth with a grain shovel in a short time.....
I use a Yoder YS640. I love it but it's heavy, a bit over 300lbs. I went with it over the Traeger because it gets up to 600 degrees so I can sear steaks and use it as a grill if I want to. It also has a 10 year warranty on the body. They are made it Kansas but I don't hold that against them. With the rack installed there is about 1100 square inches of cooking space. Just look at these butts!
Yoder's are king of the pellet grills IMO. Very pricey but never heard a bad thing about them.
Another vote for the Yoder.
I have the smaller unit I think it is a 480, since typically I'm only cooking for 2. The only thing that would make me think about something like the rec tec would be pellet consumption, but I have no idea if they are actually more efficient.
On a 6 hr cook, I will use about 8 lbs of pellets.
Overall I am very happy with the Yoder
Kevin, I wanted the same thing as you so I bought a Kamado Joe also. I can get my KJ up to 700 degrees easily or it can hold at 225 degrees for over 15 hours without adding more lump charcoal.
I love my Green Mountain. Best gri/smoke I have ever owned.
I have the green mountain and love it I agree though that if it ever were to die it would be replaced with a Yoder. Not thinking it's going to die in the foreseeable future though.
I've got a Blaz'n Grill Works, made in Nebraska. Works great and is heavy duty.
Pellet Grill's Link
I have a Camp Chef, It's work great! I think the Camp Chef is the best brand for the popular budget.
My Traeger is broke down again..... I have had poor luck with it even though I do love cooking on it. Looking at pit boss right now.
Turn in your man card if you gotta plug your grill in
They also work great for Jerky on the lowest smoke setting. You have to rotate out of the hot edges though. I've sold thousands of pounds of jerky smoked in front of my country store on a green mountain.
Pit Boss 750 i think. Took a little to figure it out but it is definitely the way to cook. So convenient, use it almost every night. Traeger has the deal on spice. Big Game and Blackened Saskatchewan on everythang, steak, chicken, fish whatever..
Pit Boss Pro series 1100. I love it, best way to cook in my opinion. I got a buddy who had a traeger and wasn’t impressed with it ended up selling it and getting a pb, that’s why i went with them. No complaints so far.
I have a Traeger. I will not have another Traeger when this one bites the dust permanently. It has been junk from day one. Constantly dealing with issues. Flare ups and/or shutting off. Put a new temp sensor in it and circuit board which helped, but it still causes problems. The other day I was trying to use it, turned it on to heat it up walked away. Came back 15 minutes later, it wasn't smoking. Turned it off, took the grate and heat deflector out, the pellet pot was clear full of pellets and the auger was still running. Good thing it didn't ignite, it would have been a fire. My buddy has green Mountain comparable to my Traeger, never has had one single issue with it.
i have a green mountain and have never had a prob. costumer service will help with initial fire up of the grill. iv used it about 3 or 4 times a week for the past 2 years with nothing butt success!! plus there half the price of traeger
I bought my first one in March, a Rec Tec RT-700 Bull. Its the only one I've ever had but the grill and customer service have both been awesome!
https://www.rectecgrills.com/RT-700-Wood-Pellet-Grill
Another REC TEC Bull owner here and am very happy. I also have two other ones I am pretty happy with, the Stampede 590 and the smaller Trailblazer 340. All have been hassle free.
I have been using a Traeger for 5,6 years and I love it! I have replaced the fire pot but nothing else. I use it , let it cool and bring it onto the covered porch everytime. Bought the blanket for winter use and 450 on cold days is no problem. My friend in Montana has one and I've rebuilt his when it no longer worked. Parts are readily available. He leaves his outside and the moisture can jam the pellets up in the augers and cause other issues besides that. Hope it helps....
I got a Pit Boss 700 & have been liking if very much. Having the ability to open the flame grate to sear meat is great. This is one thing I held out for when researching grills. I've made bread rolls, tri tip, jerky, fish and of course elk & deer steaks & burgers. My wife has been loving everything we make on it. Still trying to get up the nerve to try brisket, but for the price & ease, the tri tip is hard to beat.
I have a Traeger. Its great for smoking ribs or a loin, but grilling a steak or anything else? Nah. . Won't get or stay hot enough. I'm sure there are good/ better wood pellet grills out there, but I've found that I still like a good ol Weber grill with charcoal the best. Food comes out hot and good.
Green Mountain gets my vote
Classic III
Classic III
I've had a traeger pro 34 for the last couple of years.
It has worked as intended, and is great for what it is. But like BK stated it doesn't get hot enough to sear.
Plus, electronics and compressed wood pellets are cheating.
I'm going to buy a kamado Joe Classic 3 soon. Smoke and sear with lump charcoal and real hardwood. Not compressed sawdust from the lumber mill floor.
Brotsky Dang, those look good. I'll head right up. You need to set a tent up at Sturgis, you could fund a good hunt.
I have had both Traeger and Green Mountain and the Green Mountain is a much better grill imo. I have had it for probably 6 years now and not one problem with it and I have used it a ton. The Traeger was nothing but problems, it would always go out or flare up. I may have got a little more smoke out of the Traeger though.
Big Green Mountain Grill fan here. But I'm only 4 months in ;)
Watching this thread. I’m in the market and my friends all love their Traegers. But online research points me toward Green Mountain. My brother likes his Pit Boss.
Green Mountain here for 8 years now and no problems. GMG gets my vote.
I have and love my Traeger Timberline 850. I have no problems getting mine to 500 degrees, even in the winter.
Have of you guys that have any of these brands of grills, had any issues caused by critters: ie mice, chipmunks, coons, etc.?
No problems with critters yet, but ya probably just jinxed me!
Mine has a little bucket that catches grease. It hangs off the end. I forgot to clean it out once and later in the week I found it in the yard. Probably got licked out by a coon. That was my own fault though for not cleaning up after myself.
My traeger is on it's last leg..... I've had it apart and back together 1/2 a dozen times this summer. Issues with the wiring, circuit board, auger, who knows what else. I've been researching smokers and think I have found my next one.... a Masterbuilt gravity fed charcoal smoker/grill. A lot less moving parts... no auger. Just a fan to control airflow/temp. And it will get to 700° F in about 10 minutes. Another thing about the Traeger I don't like.... might get to 425, which is in no way hot enough to sear a steak, so I always end up using a charcoal grill for that. Anyway, it makes sense in my mind.... we'll see.
I like my camp chef woodwind 36 w/ wifi!