Pellet Grill direction

[tigerscowboy]

I enjoy and prefer my offset wood burner. But...

Going to purchase a starter pellet grill. Want the option and additional flexibility. Plus, wife and son can use w/o intimidation.

Even Embers 28 or Pit Boss, 746 in?

Thanks.

[Quackerbox]

My pit boss copperhead (vertical) is easier to get running than the traegar style camp chef I have. Id have to 'prime' the camp chef now and then.

[270Sendero]

I too love my offset smoker. Decided I wanted a pellet smoker also. I got a Reqteq 700 and love it. Push a button and it fires right up. I use their all purpose pellets and I have no ash build up. It sears burgers and steaks when cranked up to high. Food tastes great. Good luck with whatever you go with

[captainsling]

Love my PittBoss.

[220swift]

I have a Green Mountain. I’ve been happy with it. Their customer support is exceptional.

[Ham]

Been using a Pit Boss PBV5CS. Love it! + there is an app for it, which I've found very useful on long smokes.

[luv2hunt]

Have the pit boss also. Never failed me in 3 yrs now. Have cooked just about everything

[Treeshark]

I believe I am in need of a pellet grill as well and have zero knowledge of using them. How safe are they to use for example on a wooden deck or in a burn ban in Colorado? I need something safer than charcoal to use at our cabin in Colorado

[friscopaint]

after looking at all of them I went Rec Tec but it's definitely not a lower end brand, I tossed around Yoder, Rec Tec and Pitts and Spitts. Been a couple of years and has been great and holds temps perfectly.

[Walker]

I was given a traeger that didn't work. A new burn cup with igniter was $24. Easy to on. Easy startup. Just turn the knob.

[friscopaint]

Originally Posted by Walker

I was given a traeger that didn't work. A new burn cup with igniter was $24. Easy to on. Easy startup. Just turn the knob.

Makes sense, I've known 2 guys give away their Traegers that didn't like them. One wouldn't keep temp up and another fluctuated to much. Dealer told first one he needed a welding blanket for it and this was a very big dealer in Weatherford or at least that direction.

[bowfishin fool]

The first traeger I had in North Dakota was awesome.

Bought a pit boss about three years ago, and it’s been nothing but problems.. same with the pit boss I bought for my in-laws.

Going to try Yoder when we get the coin


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[K. Lane]

I've had 1 Oklahoma joe...rider I believe it was called, JUNK
I've had 2 pit boss' a pro series 1150 & a Brunswick Platinum. Better than decent but did have issues with both igniters going out and although customer service was great and got replacements to me quickly, they were a PITA TO CHANGE OUT
I know have the pit boss copperhead 7 vertical...AWESOMENESS

[MountainMan]

Originally Posted by Treeshark

I believe I am in need of a pellet grill as well and have zero knowledge of using them. How safe are they to use for example on a wooden deck or in a burn ban in Colorado? I need something safer than charcoal to use at our cabin in Colorado

I use mine all the time on my wood deck in Colorado.

Very safe and work fantastic.

[Treeshark]

Originally Posted by MountainMan

I use mine all the time on my wood deck in Colorado.

Very safe and work fantastic.

What grill do you have?

[Dc78]

Have had a Pitboss for several years. Has treated me well.

[Twist]

Originally Posted by bowfishin fool

Bought a pit boss about three years ago, and it’s been nothing but problems.. same with the pit boss I bought for my in-laws.

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PB definitely had a QC issue a couple of years ago, at least on some models anyway.

My first pellet grill was a PB 1000 SC2 that was an Academy exclusive. It worked fairly well, though I did get some temp fluctuation. Nothing what I’d call overly extreme, but 20° in either direction wasn’t uncommon. My brother tried to buy the same grill a couple of days later, but Academy was sold out so he snagged another one of their exclusive grills which was the 850 Pro model.

Absolute disaster. He had serious temp flux from day 1, and I mean it wasn’t uncommon for the grill to go from 50° low to over 100° above. Contacted Academy and they said to get with the manufacturer. He did, and I basically rebuilt that grill for him from the new parts they sent. Literally did the same thing. I tried dropping a brisket on it after an initial fire up and had to take it back to our place and cook it on the 1000. He ended up giving that grill away and bought a Green Mountain, which has been great. They called the models out by people’s names back then, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, etc, but he bought the big on.

I was impressed by how it cooked, so I bought one myself but they no longer call them out by people’s names. The big one is now called the Peak Prim+, and I’ve had that grill for about 15 months. Cooks great, I do have to rotate what I’m cooking if there’s a wind because there could be a hot spot on one half of the grill or the other, but temps hold awesome. I’ve never had more than about a 5° flux on it.

I did buy a Pitts and Spitts Maverick a few weeks ago, which is what I went looking to by before the GM but the shop I was looking at was sold out at the time. This one is ridiculous, but there is definitely a price difference between the 3 grills.

OP, knowing now what I didn’t know when I first bought one, step it up a notch and look into a Traeger at least. Again, PB may have gone through a QC, or growth phase, but every one of those grills I’ve been around just seems kind of flimsy, build wise. I’d personally spend a little more now after my experience.

[RifleBowPistol]

We just got a Pit Boss 3 weekends ago, cooked something every weekend with it, so far I have not messed anything up. I can't give any comparisons to any other brands, other than to say the model we got, has a much larger hopper for the pellets than anything else I have seen. Which this past weekend, when we cooked a 18 lb. brisket for 10 hours, that feature was pretty nice. I would guess the hopper will hold around four or five 20 lb. bags of wood pellets.

These things make cooking food almost fool proof. So far, with no prior experience using a pellet grill to cook each of these items. We have cooked/smoked pork ribs, that came out great, mahi mahi, that came out great, then chicken breasts, that came out great. Then the brisket that also came out great. It's very easy to maintain a given temperature, then checking to see what temp you should cook a certain type of meat to, then stick the temp probe in the meat and leave it in the smoker till you achieve that temp, then call it done. Then the one we got has WiFi, so my wife can keep track of the temperature of the smoker, and the meat temperature, change the temp setting on the grill or even turn it off, from her phone.

[topher]

Luv my Pitboss!

[Iceman89]

You might look into Camp Chef. I’ve had one for a couple years and it’s worked flawlessly.

[JEW]

Had a pit boss for a few years, and liked it , now have a Recteq 700 and
love it, holds temp way better than pit boss.

[Clearfork51]

Bought a Recteq bullseye in December and am really pleased with it so far. Easy to start and adjust as needed and cooks great. Have done ribs, steaks, asparagus, and corn on the cob so far. Just me and the wife so didn’t need a large grill. Highly recommend.

[Mike D]

In the world of pellet grills you do get what you pay for. There’s a reason the top dogs cost what they do.


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[Easttxbowman]

I've got a pitboss and I was skeptical at first but it's awesome once I gave it time. I will say, I'm not a fan of traeger pellets. My one complaint is my lid thermometer will not get near what the digital readout shows, must be faulty as it'll sear very nicely cranked up high.

[retrieverman]

I got a Masterbuilt 560 for Christmas, and I love it.

[Chase4556]

I have the original Pit Boss copperhead series 5 vertical. Bought it in 2018 I believe. It’s been great. A few quirks, which most brands have, but I figured out the best way to set it up and get it dialed. I can load the giant hopper and cook for 24 hours if I want with no issues. I’ve cooked 8 pork butts on it at once with no issue. Lots of room. Caught it on Walmart clearance for $99. Can’t beat that.

New versions have wifi and all that fancy stuff.

Mine:
https://pitboss-grills.com/grills/ve...t-smoker-pbvp1

New fancy one:
https://www.academy.com/p/pit-boss-c...-pellet-smoker

[sasqy]

Recteq !
All day long

[BlackHogDown]

If not wanting to jump into higher end (Yoder and Pitts and Spitts) then rectec is the best of the remaining competition by far. Bit more expensive but stainless components, great CS, and rolls smoke at higher temps. Others only smoke on LO or SMOKE.

[MountainMan]

Originally Posted by Treeshark

What grill do you have?

I have the PitBoss Austin XL. Works like a champ, even in the cold.
I did steaks the other night and it was a balmy 5 degrees outside.

A good cover is a must. Any moisture in with the pellets causes them to expand and then you gotta take it apart and pull the auger out to clean it. That's a PITA job.

[TexasBob]

Originally Posted by 220swift

I have a Green Mountain. I’ve been happy with it. Their customer support is exceptional.

This was my opinion... until it wasn't. Parts, outside of basic stuff like an igniter, is hard to find and they wanted $90 in shipping to send me the parts. Using mine until it breaks all the way and I'll replace it. Works crappier each time. I wouldn't give them a dime. Go recteq or better and don't look back.

[eaglegolfj]

This is all I got.

[huntingarcher]

Originally Posted by Mike D

In the world of pellet grills you do get what you pay for. There’s a reason the top dogs cost what they do.


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This right here.I went with Lone Star Grillz,buy once cry once.Made in TX and are local to me.

[Chase4556]

Originally Posted by Mike D

In the world of pellet grills you do get what you pay for. There’s a reason the top dogs cost what they do.


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I’d agree, but I question what the end result really is.

My buddy and I both had Pit Boss Copperhead 5 verticals. He learned how to smoke meats on that. He found himself cooking every weekend and finally got a RecTec Bull something of another? Fancy contraption that he would start from his phone while at work so it was ready to go when he got home. Anyway, he paid about 3x what the pitboss would cost. I’d put the product that came off of mine up against his any day, end product was still great tasting meats.

His just did it with more flash, flare and pizzazz.

[TX_Kevin]

I got a RecTeq RT-700 for Christmas and I love it. You guys that want to babysit your stick burner go ahead. I used to do that. I'll just be over here taking a nap and cooking my butts, briskets, ribs, etc.

^^^^
Mine is the fancy contraption you can operate from your phone, which I also love.

[OldRiverRat]

I found a pit boss at tractor supply for $399, its very similar to the navigator model that academy sells only the TS model is bigger. I dropped another $100 and ordered the blue tooth control panel from pit boss and replaced the one that came with it. so far i love it. ive smoked cheese, fish, vegetables, pork, chicken, turkey, brisket, prime rib and cooked some steaks the other evening. very versatile. the pit boss isn't top of the line but they are built very well.

[Mike D]

Originally Posted by Chase4556

I’d agree, but I question what the end result really is.

My buddy and I both had Pit Boss Copperhead 5 verticals. He learned how to smoke meats on that. He found himself cooking every weekend and finally got a RecTec Bull something of another? Fancy contraption that he would start from his phone while at work so it was ready to go when he got home. Anyway, he paid about 3x what the pitboss would cost. I’d put the product that came off of mine up against his any day, end product was still great tasting meats.

His just did it with more flash, flare and pizzazz.

Heavier construction, better controller to control temp swings, better apps, etc….

Most of the additional costs are in the materials used and the controller. Otherwise they all have a fan, hot rod, pellet hopper and pellet pot.


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[kd350]

My pitboss is starting to give me issues after 3 years.

If budget isn’t a problem, I’d get a Traeger, rec tec, or pits and spitts

[stxhunter]

I had a camp chef several years ago as my first pellet grill, worked great no issues. Upgraded to a Weber smokefire that was great and had great flavor, but proved to be more trouble than it was worth and sent it back. Switched over to a masterbuilt gravity smoker that produced excellent flavored food. Recently gave it up and got a traeger timberline 1300. Only ran about 100lbs of pellets through it so far, but haven’t had any issues. It’s a much heavier unit than others in their lineup coming in around 240lbs. I will say, even when using smoke boost the smoke flavor is very mild, I’ve tried three different brands of pellets so far and added a smoke tube with little increased taste.

If money was no object and I wanted the best of the best I’d probably go with Lone Star Grillz Pellet grill. They’re using the fireboard controller and look to have the smokiness tuned very well.

[da_pepper]

Friend of mine bought the Wal Mart brand pellet smoker, and it actually performed very well. Great price, and was great for him to start out with! Never had anything bad come off of it!

[da_pepper]

It was this one I believe. Guy also does a review on it on You Tube. May be something worth checking out if wanting to start out on a budget?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Expert-Gr...oker/675237961

[Keith]

I just got a Recteq 590, but have not cooked anything on it yet. All I've done so far is burn the manufacturing oils off of it. My mom has been in the hospital for months but got to go home a couple of weeks ago. She has to have around the clock care, so I have moved in with her. My Recteq is just sitting on my back porch for now, can't wait to cook something on it.

[Holmes Cycles]

I have a Pitboss, the one with the gas grille on right and the pellet smoker on left, also has a little burner on the right outside of pit....not sure model but I couldnt be happier with it. If I had to choose something to change it would be a bigger smoker section so I could do 2 briskets at once. Right now its limited to 1 at a time. It also has the bluetooth wireless feature you can control with your phone, pretty ******

[Graysonhogs]

Originally Posted by K. Lane

I've had 1 Oklahoma joe...rider I believe it was called, JUNK
I've had 2 pit boss' a pro series 1150 & a Brunswick Platinum. Better than decent but did have issues with both igniters going out and although customer service was great and got replacements to me quickly, they were a PITA TO CHANGE OUT
I know have the pit boss copperhead 7 vertical...AWESOMENESS

The verticals are nice. Mine is used for Texas Twinkies


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[mzurovec]

I had really good luck with a Traeger Pro 34 over the past few years. The only time I had issues with it was when I put in some questionable pellets (very small, lots of dust). Otherwise basically flawless with very little maintenance. Temp fluctuations were a concern with 25* in either direction pretty common in regular weather. Not sure what kind of impact it had on the food, if any, as it always turned out good stuff and was easy to use.

Bought a Pitts and Spitts as we work through a patio remodel. Have only used a few times but it's a nice upgrade.

[Boomstick]

I've had a Weber Smokefire EX6 for about 3 years now and it's been great.

[Arrow Slinger]

Who carries the recteq pits? What about their pellets are they ready available for purchase at stores?

[TexasBob]

Originally Posted by Arrow Slinger

Who carries the recteq pits? What about their pellets are they ready available for purchase at stores?

Recteq is direct to consumer from what I’ve found. I wouldn’t worry about using their brand of pellets.


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[trophy8]

Recteq 590

[Graysonhogs]

Originally Posted by TX_Kevin

I got a RecTeq RT-700 for Christmas and I love it. You guys that want to babysit your stick burner go ahead. I used to do that. I'll just be over here taking a nap and cooking my butts, briskets, ribs, etc.

^^^^
Mine is the fancy contraption you can operate from your phone, which I also love.

A good stick burner doesn't need babysitting. FTR, I have both and they both have their place.

[Kenner97]

Does the Recteq 590 get hot enough for steaks. Going to buy a stick burner but thinking about replacing my gas grill with a pellet grill for the times when we want a quick meal.