Help! Looking to Purchase.. reading too much

[jdebuhr]

So I am purchasing a new gas grill and a pellet grill. I currently have a 17yr old Weber and I am replacing that with a Weber

I am also buying a Traeger or planning to.
I am looking at the Pro 575, Pro 780 and the Costco Silverton 620.

Now I have read and been told about issues with the Silverton Ambient sensor. IS that true?

I like the features of the silverton and the price is right now ~$750. but the other 2 are within budget as well, if I could I would do the Ironwood 650, but that is a bit out of my range.

please tell me pros and cons of each.. What would be the best for me? This will be my first pellet grill

Thanks

 

[CMTiger]

I think the Costco ones aren’t made as well….even compared to the entry level pros that Traeger sales direct. But that’s just what I hear/read. I have a Pro575 and love it but would prefer the 780 for the space

 

[jdebuhr]

I think the Costco ones aren’t made as well….even compared to the entry level pros that Traeger sales direct. But that’s just what I hear/read. I have a Pro575 and love it but would prefer the 780 for the space

Interesting that it might be not as well made. The features are what drew me in, I wish I could buy the Ironwood 650, but cannot so what, if anything, am I giving up if I go with the Pro 780?

I thought the down draft system is improved over the chimney? Again this is my first and I will use it along with my Weber Gas Grill

 

[CMTiger]

Interesting that it might be not as well made. The features are what drew me in, I wish I could buy the Ironwood 650, but cannot so what, if anything, am I giving up if I go with the Pro 780?

I thought the down draft system is improved over the chimney? Again this is my first and I will use it along with my Weber Gas Grill

I wouldn’t say you were giving up at all. I have the 575 which is just a small 780 and love it. Check out the what’s cooking today threads at all the stuff Timmy cooks on his 780.
As to the chimney and down draft I can’t really say much on that. I like the look of chimney but that’s not really a function lol. I assume behind the pricier models have the downdraft that is considered superior, at least at Traeger, but I don’t think a chimney is going to ruin your experience. Hasn’t ruined mine

 

[DJDDay]

I wish I could buy the Ironwood 650, but cannot so what, if anything, am I giving up if I go with the Pro 780?

*** raises hand ***

Pro 780 owner here. I feel like I can chime in on this, as the Pro 780 was also my first pellet grill. As for what you are giving up, you are absolutely giving up the Super Smoke feature that is on the Ironwood 650... and that's about it. The pellet sensor can be bought seperately and installed in 5 minutes by yourself on the Pro 780 (I did). And you get far more room inside of the Pro 780, which comes in handy a lot more than you think - even for small cooks (I only have a family of 3, myself included).

As for the Super Smoke feature, indeed I do miss this - but there are ways to address it - some easy - and some requiring some modifications. If you want to do easy, you can just pick up a smoke tube/basket/tray/maze and burn extra pellets inside of it while you cook. If you don't mind doing mods, you can add a Smoke Daddy Magnum PIG like I did:

Traeger Pro 780 + Smoke Daddy Magnum PIG cold smoke generator = HEAVEN

Full disclosure: This will be a pretty comprehensive review that will be updated over the coming year as I gain more experience using it. I bought the Smoke Daddy Magnum PIG to modify my Traeger Pro 780, which is a fantastic pellet grill and highly recommended - that offers little to no smoke...

www.traegerforum.com

 

[jdebuhr]

I wouldn’t say you were giving up at all. I have the 575 which is just a small 780 and love it. Check out the what’s cooking today threads at all the stuff Timmy cooks on his 780.
As to the chimney and down draft I can’t really say much on that. I like the look of chimney but that’s not really a function lol. I assume behind the pricier models have the downdraft that is considered superior, at least at Traeger, but I don’t think a chimney is going to ruin your experience. Hasn’t ruined mine

Thanks.. this helps. I always like having honest opinions based on actual experience. End of the Day I will probably end up with the 780 over the 575 just for a bit extra space and all the wheels

I want to take advantage of the Holiday deals. I need to physically look at them again to pick the size I need/want

 

[DJDDay]

Count on picking up a ream of LavaLock High Temp BBQ Gasket for your 780 - the lids do have a tendency to "leak". That said, if you're not OCD like me it'll be fine without it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JO00S04/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[jdebuhr]

Well, I am the only one in my house that like smokey food.. I am hoping to convert the rest of the family, slowly. So reading that these are NOT super smokey is good to start with.

As for mods, yes those could happen. I have already started looking at a 3rd party Thermometer setups as well

 

[CMTiger]

I think having the extra wheels or extra space either one makes the 780 worth the price increase from the 575 to the 780. Getting both makes it a no brainer IMO.

 

[drich]

over the years I have had 4 different Traeger grills. My worst was the Pro 575. I returned it because of temperature issues, then I splurged and bought the Ironwood 650. It has been the best of all of them and well worth the extra $. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

 

[jdebuhr]

over the years I have had 4 different Traeger grills. My worst was the Pro 575. I returned it because of temperature issues, then I splurged and bought the Ironwood 650. It has been the best of all of them and well worth the extra $. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

Interesting.. What was your issue with the Pro 575? what other ones did you try?

I like the idea of the walls of the Ironwood, but it is out of my price range.. even the Pro 780 will be a stretch. as I would also be looking at the cover and shelf.. The Silverton offers those with it, however it seems the front shelf, from what I read, with the Silverton is shallower than the added shelf for the others (that might be incorrect)

 

[DJDDay]

I like the idea of the walls of the Ironwood, but it is out of my price range.. even the Pro 780 will be a stretch.

I don't have any temperature issues with my Pro 780. That said, in deep winter (it frequently stays in the Fahrenheit teens here during winter and can drop single digit or negative at night), I do use a thermal blanket over my barrel, otherwise I'd burn through too much fuel too fast.

 

[traeger860]

I would go with the Pro 575 or 780 over the Costco model as well. Both are on sale right now. They usually run sales around this time of year and also around Father's Day. Parts and accessories are easier to find for the "mainstream" models. If (or most likely WHEN) something goes wrong with your Costco model, the only real option is to bring it back to Costco to get your money back. Costco does have a very friendly return policy if you decide to go that route. I have an Ironwood 650 and would still choose a Pro 575 or 780 over any of the grills in the Costco lineup.

 

[Murphy's Law]

I have a Pro 780. When I first got it I thought it was too big for my little family but would never give up the space now.

The Pro 780 and Ironwood have the same controller minus super smoke, so any temp issue on one will also be present on the other.

And you will have a temp issue! You will find that most here use a 3rd party external thermometer such as FireBird 2 or ink Bird (more on that in other threads).

The Ironwood does have a different design which has been addressed, and some more insulation in the lid, I believe. None of that should be a deal breaker when it is weighted against budget, at least to me.

Here’s the thing re budget - you will spend “X” on the grill but will likely spend 100’s more on accessories so don’t shoot your entire wad of cash on just rhe grill!

 

[CMTiger]

I don't have any temperature issues with my Pro 780. That said, in deep winter (it frequently stays in the Fahrenheit teens here during winter and can drop single digit or negative at night), I do use a thermal blanket over my barrel, otherwise I'd burn through too much fuel too fast.

I don’t either. I’m in Alabama though so my winters aren’t the brutal. Thanksgiving was around 30 when I fired it up though and it performed like a champ.