Wanting a new Pellet Grill

W

willwillx

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
land o...
Name or Nickame
william
So i have an assassin behemoth gravity-fed smoker $3000 plus about 6 years ago, but it's a lot of work to get going when i just want to make some wings or chicken thighs or a rack of ribs, i bought too much for a machine for my 2 person house. Anyway, i had a zgrill that worked well until someone stole it. (walmart delivery driver)

Anyway. I almost pulled the trigger on a Pit Boss Pro series for 1000$ at lowes, but then i read the reviews. I had been checking out Traegers, but then i stumbled on Camp Chef WW Pro i am sorta worried the 24 might be too small, but i don't want to go up to $1500 for another grill, was trying to keep it 1200 or less. Lowes tempted me with the free assembly for the pit boss. But, at the same time, the reviews were just so bad.
 
I have never regretted spending extra on something to avoid buying crap. good stuff is usually worth the extra coin especially if it's something you're gonna use like, for instance, a grill.

a friend of mine once told me "I can't afford to buy cheap stuff" more or less saying if you can't afford to buy something twice, better to spend a bit more and get something you wont have to buy again when it breaks or sucks.
 
I bought a Pit Boss 700 two years ago because I was in the market for a gasser and figured I might as well get a pellet grill since I've never owned one. I've used it countless times and aside from a few flame outs which I think was me rushing and not letting it warm up, this thing has never let me down. I'm still wood and charcoal at heart but for $350 and a 5yr warranty I have zero complaints about my PB. I cant see myself not having one from now on. Good luck in your search.
 
I currently have 2 Pit Boss pellet grills the Tailgater and the pro 1600. The tailgater has been a real work horse for when it's just me and the wife. The pro 1600 is absolutely fantastic.
 
Vision said:
If it was me I'd go Camp Chef WW Pro 36 and not look back.
Click to expand...

I like the reviews on campchef and the extra ability to add smoke with the wood chunks. It basically comes down to putting it together i guess.
 
Callahan-que said:
I currently have 2 Pit Boss pellet grills the Tailgater and the pro 1600. The tailgater has been a real work horse for when it's just me and the wife. The pro 1600 is absolutely fantastic.
Click to expand...

I did read once you add the two mods or one mod for the temp probe heat diffuser, it's solid. I realize a lot of the reviews on lowes are unique situations or things that can be addressed easily, at the same time. I do like the campchef, just don't look forward to putting it together heh
 
willwillx said:
I did read once you add the two mods or one mod for the temp probe heat diffuser, it's solid. I realize a lot of the reviews on lowes are unique situations or things that can be addressed easily, at the same time. I do like the campchef, just don't look forward to putting it together heh
Click to expand...

I haven't done any mods, didn't need to.
 
You can spend much less, but you won't go wrong with a Yoder. Mine will outlive me.
 
I bought a Recteq Bullseye a year ago because my other pellet and offset smokers are too large when I just want to do BBQ for two, and really not convenient for weeknight cooking. It is even better than expected. Really convenient for both low temp smoking and high temp grilling. I can fire it up to high temp when we get home from work and grill chicken or pork chops, etc. for dinner in a short time, or run it for a long low temp cook on the weekend to do pulled pork, ribs, or a brisket.
 
Lone Star Grillz and Yoder are two solid options. They aren't cheap. But when you compare them to the $2K+ Traegers and the like, LSG and Yoder are far superior for build quality and components. If you're on a budget, I'd recommend Recteq. The family chipped in to buy a Flagship 1100 for my bro-in-law at Christmas. He wanted a new Traeger to replace his old one. But I called the ball to go Recteq, simply because the other made-in-china brands add bells and whistles, then make the chambers thinner to improve the profit margin. It's gotten really bad. Recteq is made from chinese parts. But the company has a much higher QC standard. And final assembly/QC is done in Georgia. And all customer support is based there, not overseas. Bro-in-law is very happy with the new grill. Much better bang for the buck if you can find a model that meets your needs. Food for thought...
 
willwillx said:
So i have an assassin behemoth gravity-fed smoker $3000 plus about 6 years ago, but it's a lot of work to get going when i just want to make some wings or chicken thighs or a rack of ribs, i bought too much for a machine for my 2 person house. Anyway, i had a zgrill that worked well until someone stole it. (walmart delivery driver)

Anyway. I almost pulled the trigger on a Pit Boss Pro series for 1000$ at lowes, but then i read the reviews. I had been checking out Traegers, but then i stumbled on Camp Chef WW Pro i am sorta worried the 24 might be too small, but i don't want to go up to $1500 for another grill, was trying to keep it 1200 or less. Lowes tempted me with the free assembly for the pit boss. But, at the same time, the reviews were just so bad.
Click to expand...
Don't over think or over spend it. Perfect for a two person household...

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=301336&highlight=woodfire
 
During the winter, I just love the convenience of a pellet grill. But my experience has been that with most low to mid-range pellet grills that I have owned or had food from, the word grill is correct. You can cook on them but you have to try hard to convince yourself that the food has been smoked. We have a friend who has a Rectec who insists that it puts a good smoke flavor on meat, even with an extra smoke tube, but we and others don't taste it. He does produce very good food... but no smoke. To be fair, it is an older grill, and Rectec may have done things to remedy that since then. I do hope so because there are some very good qualities there and their customer service seems to be second to none.

The problem is that you pay out the backside for smokers that smoke. I bought a MAK-1* 6 years ago for that reason. It was highly recommended on this forum and I am grateful. I love the flavor, but darn the cost stings. I even got the least expensive model which I do rarely, but I had to prove it for myself first. I have to admit, it is a true smoker and of high quality. There is still not a trace of rust on it. I too cook for my wife and myself 98% of the time and it is a good size for that purpose. I have been eyeballing their newer Two Star General which would be even more painful. Anyway, I doubt that this is of any help to you, Mr. OP. I do hope that you find what fits your needs and actually smokes food. It may be out there at a reasonable cost but I haven't seen it or more importantly, tasted good smoked food from one. I also hope that this rant helps someone else who can and/or wants to afford a better outcome. They are sure as heck convenient, but OUCH!!! Is it just me or does it seem like someone could get very rich by putting a controller on a cheaper smoker that does things to the fire that makes it produce... smoke? I'm just saying...
 
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