More maintenance or cleanup to a pellet grill?

[Brightwhite]

I’ve been a propane grill + dedicated smoker guy forever. But my Weber is about ready to be retired and I’m thinking about the pellet grill route. Is there any more cleanup, maintenance, etc., to be done to the pellet grills than what you have with propane?

With my propane grill I have 3 tanks I have filled about 2-3x per year. Scrape out some funk and clean out the drips trays about the same times. So pretty low maintenance and easy in my mind. I don’t want to add more complicated.

 

[sndmn11]

No

 

[Dos XX]

I bought a small shop vac and dedicated it to vacuuming ashes. Works great.

 

[PNWGATOR]

It’s not complicated.

When the unit is new, wrap the drip tray/shield thingy in a double layer of aluminum foil. Use the smoker and clean the grates with a wire brush after every use as normal. After several bags of pellets, you’ll notice the aluminum foil is dirty and doing it’s job. Allocate 10 minutes to pull the grates and remove and replace the foil and vacuum the combustion chamber and inside of the unit. Literally 10 minutes a couple times per year. Zero issue.

 

[Brightwhite]

Sounds good. I use a shop vac on my smoker as well to clean out the ashes and such, so familiar with that. Makes sense.

I know Traeger is the popular one, but if a man was on basically no budget, what’s sort of the gold standard that if I bought one I wouldn’t regret it 7-8 years down the road? Anyone have an opinion on that?

 

[sndmn11]

Sounds good. I use a shop vac on my smoker as well to clean out the ashes and such, so familiar with that. Makes sense.

I know Traeger is the popular one, but if a man was on basically no budget, what’s sort of the gold standard that if I bought one I wouldn’t regret it 7-8 years down the road? Anyone have an opinion on that?

We can grill on grates, sear on cast iron, and smoke on our Yoder, and I don't have a fear of it falling apart in a year.

If you are around Denver, Proud Souls is a good place to shop https://www.proudsoulsbbq.com/

 

[go4thegusto]

My son and I avoided a pellet grill for years because of another perceived maintenance and babysitting hobby. Finally pulled the trigger on a RecTeq last summer.
MAN WERE WE WRONG. Seamless low maintenance even cooking grill. We like it better than the gas grill for virtually everything. My wife runs it and raves about it.

 

[Agross]

My son and I avoided a pellet grill for years because of another perceived maintenance and babysitting hobby. Finally pulled the trigger on a RecTeq last summer.
MAN WERE WE WRONG. Seamless low maintenance even cooking grill. We like it better than the gas grill for virtually everything. My wife runs it and raves about it.

Which one did you get

 

[go4thegusto]

Which one did you get

The smallest portable. Did a 13 lb brisket for a crowd. All I need and takes less pellets than big ones.

 

[Dos XX]

Sounds good. I use a shop vac on my smoker as well to clean out the ashes and such, so familiar with that. Makes sense.

I know Traeger is the popular one, but if a man was on basically no budget, what’s sort of the gold standard that if I bought one I wouldn’t regret it 7-8 years down the road? Anyone have an opinion on that?

Yoder YS 640, regular or competition cart. I've had one for 2 years. I've burned almost 1000 lbs of pellets in it. With the heat plate with removeable door and grill plates, it is killer for searing steaks and burgers. It weighs over 300 lbs, which is a chunk.

I still want one of their Loaded Wichita wood burners.

Yoder Smokers, Pellet, Offset Smokers and Accessories | All Things Barbecue

Made in the USA, Yoder Smokers has proven to be the leader in the production of quality smokers and grills. All Things Barbecue is proud to carry the full line up of YS smokers and grills.

www.atbbq.com

 

[Brightwhite]

Those Yoders look sweet!

 

[Brightwhite]

We can grill on grates, sear on cast iron, and smoke on our Yoder, and I don't have a fear of it falling apart in a year.

If you are around Denver, Proud Souls is a good place to shop https://www.proudsoulsbbq.com/

Thanks, I am well north of Denver, but that drive to Littleton might be worth it.

 

[sndmn11]

Thanks, I am well north of Denver, but that drive to Littleton might be worth it.

2400 block of North Federal is the other location.

 

[WinterT]

quick clean after long cooks such as brisket or pork butt. Doesn't take too long just a vacuum out and maybe a quick scrape. Other than that roughly around each hopper full of pellets will require a quick vacuum.

 

[Jacobo2012]

I won a Traeger at work 7 years ago… and the damn things bullet proof.
Two times it’s flamed up due to me not cleaning the drip tray and cranking it up the the max temp did nothing more then bubbled the paint a little bit. And I’ve vacuumed it out with a shop vac a hand full of times in 7 years
The main things is keeping that drip tray changed out I used to line it with foil but anymore I just buy the Traeger tear offs and do baked potatoes in the pressure cooker instead of on the smoker lol.


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[KID]

I bought home depot's version of the Green Egg, or Komotto Joe, they burn on lump coal. Best decision I ever made. Several people I know have pellet grills and constantly fight them. I can slow cook at 200 degrees for 12 hours or sear a steak at 700 it's all in air vents and controlling the fire. I smoke all my wild game on it as well. It's extremely versatile. There's lots of good you tube vids. Just a thought you might consider it. ( The mess burns up in the fire). Once in a while you clean up a little ash. It's easy. No starter fluid just an electric hot iron to get the coal burning...

 

[sndmn11]

Thanks, I am well north of Denver, but that drive to Littleton might be worth it.

I will follow up. Last night the Yoder was tripping the GFCI outlet on the porch when it would hit about 480deg. An email into Yoder got a response before I was done with the gym and running. They had said that it was likely the ignitor and asked what was the serial number and mfg date (on the name plate on the grill). I wasn't home and called Proud Souls to see if there was a chance that info was on their sales records, but it wasn't. They offered to let me come grab an ignitor on the agreement I would come back and pay for it if I was outside the warranty, or they would deal with Yoder in getting their stock replaced if it was a warranty thing.

At some point in early 2020 they switched from an ignitor with a 1 year warranty, to a ceramic one with a three year. Mine had the ceramic in it with the three year warranty, and before lunch Yoder sent me two day air tracking info because I told them I was out of town tomorrow. They would have overnighted it if I needed to cook tomorrow.

 

[Bearsears]

Camp Chef pellet grills dont suck either. Although Ive only had mine a year, Ive put a ton of hours on it with zero issues. Buy quality pellets