Pellet Grills

S

Stagg412

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Joined
Apr 7, 2018
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After a successful first elk hunt in MT and a follow up whitetail archery kill back home here in PA, I have a freezer full of meat and I want to treat it right. That means upgrading my grill set up and making it as easy and convenient for me to use. I've been doing some research and, as with pretty much every other product associated with my hunt, I'm overwhelmed with brands and options. I have it narrowed down to three that I'm really interested in. In order, I like:

1) Camp Chef SmokePro DLX 24
2) Traeger Lil' Tex Elite 22
3) Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone

Do any of you have any input on these specific or similar models from these brands?

Some things to keep in mind about my must haves:

  • Easy start up and clean up
  • Versatility (making pizzas, baking a giant cookie, etc.)
  • Reasonable cooking area small enough for my three-person family, but has enough room to accommodate cooking for a small-med parties

Thanks, everyone!
 
We got a Traeger (different model) for up north a few years ago. Super simple, works every time, can cook just about anything. There are some things I prefer the gas grill for though (super high heat to fast sear tenderloins for example).
 
I don’t own any of the ones you have listed (I own a RecTec) but I have friends with each of the ones you describe and they all cook delicious food. The differences in them aren’t significant IMO. Find one that has the features you feel you would use and appreciate and start cooking.

A couple features that were important to me were:

A large pellet hopper for longer cooks. Having to fill pellets in the middle of the night is a pain and I know myself well enough that I won’t remember to fill it before I go to bed.

A large enough cook surface to cook in larger quantities.

Temperature control that goes high enough to cook burgers relatively quick. (500F)

Thicker gauge metal construction and/or ceramic coating to help retain heat. I cook 365 days a year and it gets cold and windy in ND. The ability to put a cover or welding blanket over the exterior helps too.

Good reputation for customer service. There are moving parts and electrical components so something will eventually fail.
 
I have the green mountain. Absolutely love it. I didn't touch my propane grill at all this year and will be getting rid of it next spring. I'd see if you can find a store with multiple brands so you can compare them side by side. My parents have a traeger (no idea which model) but the metal on it is much thinner than my green mountain and I don't care for the temp control on it as much.
 
Compared Traeger and Pit Boss side by side & went with the Pit....then I saw my bud's Rec Tec....yep, pellet grill envy. The PB has the exposed blow torch vents for grilling & it works well...have just about retired the Weber Natty Gas.
 
Have a Traeger. Get a smoke tube if you like smoked meats. Pellet grills aren't known for a lot of smoke. Other than that, they're like an oven, if ovens made super yummy grilled food.
 
We have a Traeger at work, keep it meticulously clean, use it regularly and have consistent problems with it despite adjusting the p setting and using quality pellets that are kept dry. Have buds with them that are happy and others who have intermittent problems similar to what we’ve experienced (going out, over feeding pellets, hopper fires, etc).

Due to my personal experience with the Traeger I shopped other brands. Hands down the best pellet grill I looked at was the Kuma. Head and shoulders above any ‘common’ brand. That said, you pay for it and I simply couldn’t write a check for one.

Green Mountain was a strong contender and gets excellent reviews. RecTec too.

In the end, I chose a Grilla Silverback. We’ve owned it for about six months and it’s been flawless. Fair pricing. Quick delivery. Easy assembly. Well built. Simple to use. Turns out great food. Highly recommend considering the Grilla.
 
I have had a Traeger since 09 and love the ease of use and versatility. I had issues twice and service was fast, free and courteous. I can run a 12-14 hour smoke on a pork butt without having to refill the hopper. I use higher grade pellets and love the difference in the smoke :)
 
I shopped and compared a lot of brands, and in the end decided to save the money and bought a pit boss. Compared them and trager side by side and couldn’t justify the cost difference for a name. It has worked flawlessly. If I had decided to spend more money on a grill instead of saving it for tags I would have bought a rec-tec. They are superb. That said the pit boss is awesome and works great no issues and the food tastes great. I like pecan pellets best. I also bought a cover for it. I think it helps with moisture in the pellets I have had no issues there and have only vacuumed it out once this year.
 
Wife bought me a Smokin’ Brothers in 2014 and it gets used weekly, even in the winter. I’ve have zero issues with it. Just bought a Traeger Tailgater for the camper. It’s got a little different controls that I need to get used to, but I think it’ll do the job.
 
Rec-Tec is having a sale right now. $600 off of the Bull model and $400 off of the 2 smaller ones. Free shipping, too.
 
I wish they were better priced here in Australia, traeger base model is like 1200 bucks!!! still i am getting one this year!!
 
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