Ironwood vs Timberline

[EDuggar]

I started out with a Traeger Lil Tex about 6-7 years ago. I upgraded to a Gen 1, Pro 64 Bronze model in 2016. I am now looking at upgrading again to the Ironwood 885 or the Timberline 1300. Can anyone tell me the pros/cons of either model?

 

[PriceMP5]

If you live in a state that actually has a cold winter and you want to use the grill year round then I would go with the timberline due to the extra insulation.

 

[RemE]

I chose the Timberline because I really like the solid construction, the double walls, especially the double walled lid with nice full surround seal and hearty hinge design.

Later, as I began to really get into the grill, the Timberline is a great unit to mod further, if you are inclined.

The Ironwoods are very good value if money is a factor.

 

[GrillMeister]

I chose Ironwood over Timberline mainly because I don't like the drip pan design. I think it poorly designed and if you do not keep it very clean, it becomes a fire hazard. One last point on the drip pan is capacity. If you are doing loads pork butts or briskets, IT WILL OVERFLOW, making a mess.

If you don't do long cooks of fatty meats and you keep the drip pan and drip path clean, it's a cook pellet grill.

 

[EDuggar]

Thank you all. I would appreciate any other responses. I have to agree with GrillMeister, I am leery of the drip design on the timberline with the tray since I have only had the bucket drip.

 

[n_maher]

I went thru the same exercise this spring and ultimately couldn't justify the cost difference for some features that were better (insulation) and others that were worse (front shelf, specifically). Some, like @RemE, have done an amazing job modifying their grill to make it even better but I wanted something that didn't require a ton of modification to do what I needed it to. I ended up with the IW885 and haven't regretted that choice once. I was lucky enough to find it in stock locally, on sale, with the cover and two bags of pellets included. Since the purchase I've done a few small mods: gasket around the lid ($20), cutting board over the pellet hopper ($15 for the board, $5 for magnets, I have machining tools that made this easier than for most), and a bottom shelf ($10 in scrap flooring). For now that's made this a great grill/smoker for me for several hundred less than either Timberline offering. I do plan to add the front folding shelf at some point but so far have been doing ok without and have similar thoughts as RemE did to make it a little more functional and aesthetically pleasing than the stock offering.