No matter what type of Traeger grill you have, never trust the temperature controller readout. Always verify the actual cook temperature independently near your cook, but not so close that the protein will affect the readout, Because of the probe placement, the controller sometimes read accurately at some temperatures, but will often read either higher or lower than actual. It sound like your probe is reading lower than actual. My Ironwood is pretty close at 200F, but at a setting of 450F, the cook temperature is only 400F. Do not be concerned about swings in temperature around the setpoint, that is normal. The controller is programmed to have some variability, just like a manually controlled stick burner might have.
;Cook times and temperatures in recipes are just guidelines to allow you to plan your cook. Never assume that the cook will be completed at the time indicated. If your grill is hotter than you think, the cook time will be shorter than expected. If the grill is cooler than you think (perhaps because you keep opening the lid to check the cook), it will take longer than expected. Always use an independent measurement of internal meat temperature to determine when the protein is done. Some pitmasters have made so many cooks that they can tell by appearance and feel when the meat is to their liking, but that level of expertise is only garnered with much practice;. If you are not cooking every day, you might never reach that level.
I make it a practice of priming the auger of my Ironwood before every cook. The auger normally runs a little over 2 minutes and then shuts down. It should not run much longer than that. Something is wrong if you have to shut it down manually.
