Looking at the Traegers - anyone use one and what do you think?
Also open to other suggestions

Thanks!

Green Mountain are good as well.

Recteq

Masterbuilt gravity. you can use a variety of fuel.

I have my biases but I'll leave them to the side here. My one suggestion, regardless of brand, is find one that is insulated. The thin sheet metal ones don't do well in extreme temps and will eat through more pellets in the winter. Find one that either is double walled or thick a$$ metal.

Yelp. Yoder. most of them use the same circuit board and programs made by fire board, so really comes down to build quality.

^

I’ve got a pitboss that’s been pretty decent and done a good job for what I’ve used it for. That being said I would probably not buy another and go with another brand.

Friend in KS has owned a Traeger, Green Mountain, and Yoder. Hands down the Yoder is the best built pellet out of the three.

I’m a Yoder fan myself, if you do the research or go hands on with them you’ll find the Traegers are Chinese through and through. I looked at a Timberline XL and figured out real fast their built out of a beer can and extremely flimsy with cheap electronics. If your looking for an elcheapo model then I don’t have a serious recommendation but if your looking for quality smoker that will last a lifetime or at least a very very long time then it’s either a Yoder or Lone Star Grillz in my opinion. Being totally honest I would have bought a Lone Star if the back hadn’t been almost a year at the time simply for the ability to dump the pellets but now that over a year has past I’m 100% confident I made the right decision on the Yoder after my friend bought his Lonestar and I ran it on several cooks. Yoder all the way for me….

If you happen to end up with a Yoder I’ve built a couple cool stacked racks for mine for jerky and loading it with smaller items so give me a shout if you need anything. “Will Work For Beer” LOL. Ive got 12 pounds of pork belly burnt ends and 4 turkey breasts smoking at home right now, the FireBoard they use is as good as it gets and far superior to anything else on the market but then again I guess that’s why Lonestar Grillz started using them as well

If you're going to spend the money on a yoder.....do yourself a favor and look at Pitts and Spitts. Made in Houston. The owner answers the phone, components are all quality, and did I say, made in Houston?

I was doing some research and liked the Lonestar grillz.

I’ve had a Treagor for a few years, use it a lot also, no complaints here. No idea about the other brands but they are pretty simple machines, I would not get too carried away about spending a lot of money on one.

Even the simple cheaper ones will probably work fine, but what you can afford and roll with it.

It’s just like anything else, don’t need a $120,000 bass boat to catch fish…

Pit Boss supposed to be the best low end pellet grill, I have a Green Mountain, it's okay but which ever one you get make sure it has a shelf above the bottom grill. The bottom grill on my GM gets burned ends on the meat. I only run 250-275 F and still get burnt edges

I have the cheapest RecTeq. The nice thing about it is it will do 200-225, but also do 750 if I want to do pizzas, sear steaks, etc. I've been very pleased with it. They have a newer model (B380X) with a couple more features that might be just about perfect. It's big enough to cook for quite a few people, but if you routinely cook small food (burgers and such) for large groups, you'll want more grill space.

Good luck, do your homework!

Only advice I will give is regardless of the brand you buy make sure it has WiFi so it can be controlled when you’re out hunting or on the lake. That is the absolute best part about a pellet smoker.
I can’t fish all day and cook a brisket on a stick burner like I can my Treager.

2100 for the cheapest Yoder! Wow!

How to get one and not let the better half see the invoice.

The other is that I have a built in gas cooktop and I would like to replace it with a pellet. I need one without the stand and wheels.

Pitts and Spitts or a yoder for sure, those others are junk

every time I get asked the smoker/grill question my go to answer is the big green egg, its just as "set it and forget it" as a pellet cooker

If you have the funds, I'd go recteq or Yoder. I have a vertical pit boss that's only 4 years old and it's already got a couple small rust holes in bottom of cabinet. It worked well for long overnight cooks while I was sleeping, set and forget. But with that being said, the smoke flavor just wasn't there for me. So bought a couple smoke tube. It was better but still not what I like. Haven't used it in a year at least. Probably about time to set it on the curb, have 4 other pits anyway.

Didn't know they made pellet smokers now, their shop is about 30 minutes from me. I know they make some pretty solid stick burners.

They also sell their pellet smokers in Academy.

Today a pellet smoker tomorrow a purse

Not without added electronics, I’ve got a ThermoWorks Signals I ran my Egg with and it’s a solid smoker but a PITA compared to a pellet. I’ve got an XL sitting next to the Yoder and it’ll never smoke another meat on it again, best grilling cooker on the planet though and it can make some great BBQ but it’s not a pellet burner.

This, with the cold smoke box. Smoked cheese and butter is the shiznit...

I second the Egg, no electronics at all, I have tried to use a bunch of different, ditched all that stuff. Fire it up, takes 30 min to get to temp and adjust the vents. Nice and easy, prob not the fastest but the flavor is way better imo. Holds the temp like a champ.