Traeger Help

[lif]

Finally getting ready to bite the bullet and buy a pellet smoker/bbq. Any advice would be appreciated to aid me in my purchase. I think I want a 4’ or bigger. But maybe some of you can help me decide. Any do’s or don’ts will help. Thanks.

 

[prm]

I’m following. Was just researching grills today to include a Traeger.

 

[bojangles808]

it kind of turns into a ford vs chevy debate but i got a pit boss because it was a lot more grill for the money. this was 2 years ago so not sure whats changed, but im sure youtube has some good comparisons. the comment sections in those comparison vids usually had good info too as guys chime in. or look on reviews on lowes, amazon etc. you can get an exposed flame too on the pit boss which is great for searing which i don;t think traeger has. i would get a model with the probes included i think now some models you can get an app and adjust the cooking with your phone but that might be the super pricey models

i will add that the trager prime rib rub has become my go to seasoning for a variety of dishes

 

[Oregon]

I have a Louisiana Grill. What feature I appreciate most is a “cold smoke” box on the side. Rarely gets above 100 degrees and I do my cheese, salmon and smaller cuts of meat on it.
Duck breasts for example, cold smoke an hour or 2, then transfer to the heat side to finish.
Make sure it has a meat thermometer.
A hopper box is a great extra as well. Doing brisket and butts you don’t have to worry about running out of pellets

 

[Kenn]

I had a Traeger for years and it was not very reliable and required a paint job at least every other year. Since then I bought a camp chef woodwind and have been happy with it. My understanding is that Traegers are now made in China. My neighbor got a Rec Tec (online only) and it’s great.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I love mine. Purchased it in college a while back. It's been used a ton in the past 10 years. I got the smallest one that they made at the time. It was all I could afford. If I bought another I'd go with the middle size. I can barely fit 3 racks of baby backs on the one I have now. Mine has been very reliable. I used it yesterday to smoke a ham. It was delicious.

 

[KurtR]

I have a pit boss and really like it if i was to go another way i would be looking at camp chef. I have to be able to sear and the traeger i have been around dont get near hot enough.

my favorite is a tri tip cooked slow till 120 then crank it up and open the sear plate and 1 minute on each side.

 

[Bubblehide]

I have sold Treager and Louisiana grills on the side and used both. I currently own a couple Louisiana grills, they are a better smoker. I have a few cold smoke boxes if anyone wants one. I am in the Los Angeles area. If you are close by and want a smoker at a super price, hit me up.

 

[cmahoney]

I had a Treager about 10 years ago. It was a made in China POS and never got much hotter than 400. It was very thin metal put together with sheet metal screws. It was alright for smoking but hard to maintain temperature.

5 years ago I got a made in USA Yoder that gets well above 500 and came with a searing grill. It was totally worth the extra money for as much has we use it.


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[skyler_2010]

Just remember no matter what brand you get, the circuit boards, motors, and augers are all built by the same company. Meaning you can get a "lower end" smoker and then if something happens with the or something you can go to traeger or whomever and get components.

 

[Touchdown88]

I saved up for years to buy a Traeger but ended up buying a Green Mountain Grill Jim Bowie Prime. The prime model GMG grills come with wifi and a higher temperature range than the Traegers. All of my brothers/sisters and my wife's brother/sisters own Traeger grills and you would have to spend several hundred dollars more on a Traeger to compete with the GMG.

Also, the pizza oven attachment for the GMG grills is worth its weight in gold. With it, you can cook pizzas (of course) and sear steaks at 800 degrees.

 

[KineKilla]

I love my Traeger. I haven't used my propane grill since I bought it last spring. I have the Pro 780 which seems to be quite reliable and efficient. I don't have any other brand experiences to base any bias off of.

This one allows me to cook a large turkey easily, two large pizzas if desired and fits my dutch oven inside with room for ribs, wings and pork shoulder at the same time.

 

[Challis]

I also ran Traeger for 10 years but went with a MAK Grill about a year ago and have been very happy with the quality and components.

 

[ridgefire]

Not what you were looking for but I had the Traeger and now have the GMG and would definitely buy the GMG before the Traeger for reliability and consistency in temperature. The Traeger may have been slighty better when used as a smoker though.

 

[Rob5589]

Wife bought me a Traeger for Fathers Day about 4 years ago. Used it 5 times, stopped working 3 of those times. Traeger cs sucked as far as helping out. Luckily the wife bought it at Costco so it was an easy return. On the flip side, my buddy has had one for years and loves it. Never had an issue with his.

 

[switchback270]

Recently went through the Traeger/GMG/Camp Chef debate and settled on a Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 with a sear box. I've had it about a month and have made chicken breast, steaks, ribs, pulled pork, hamburgers, ham, and pizza so far. Haven't had any regrets up to this point. The sear box is a game changer and was the deciding factor for me.

 

[kickemall]

Take a look at this thread - https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/pellet-grill-smoker-recommendations-under-700ish.119696/ - you may have to search it as my linking ability sucks.
After much research I have a Grilla Silverback Alpha. Works great and built very well. If I had to do it again I'd probably go to Costco and get a Traeger Silverthorn for $699. Has most of the features of the one I have, although not the quality of build, at a lot cheaper price. Has Wirefire wifi and that is a big plus as well as Costcos return policy. Almost any of them will work fine for most home cooking.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Rectec, Yoder, fast eddies or the new Webber pellet would likely make you far happier than a traeger. They’re very entry level in the world of smokers and more importantly have a reputation for being unreliable

 

[Elk97]

We've had our Traeger for a couple of years now and its been great! Not sure what model ours is, it's the gold colored one with the enclosed storage area underneath which is really handy. It also keeps critters out of the grease bucket. The only thing I would like is a little lower temp on the smoke setting, it's usually around 140. Just did a whole pork belly of bacon, and it's great for smoking salmon. So far very reliable and seems well built

 

[prm]

Now if they’d just make more in the US of A. Tires a few, but tend to be very high end units.