New to Traeger

[bcumbie]

I purchased a Pro 22 a couple of months ago and it's my first go round with a pellet grill. I really like it so far and everything I have cooked has been delicious. I did have a few concerns, mainly in the area of rust. I have noticed that the heat deflector and areas on the fire box are already showing signs of rust. It was kept in the garage for the first month and them moved outside with a cover for the last month or so. Should it be rusting this quickly? I vacuum after every cook and I just did a full cleaning yesterday to remove any residual grease. Is there a solution for rust prevention? Any insight would be very helpful.

 

[drich]

I purchased a Pro 22 a couple of months ago and it's my first go round with a pellet grill. I really like it so far and everything I have cooked has been delicious. I did have a few concerns, mainly in the area of rust. I have noticed that the heat deflector and areas on the fire box are already showing signs of rust. It was kept in the garage for the first month and them moved outside with a cover for the last month or so. Should it be rusting this quickly? I vacuum after every cook and I just did a full cleaning yesterday to remove any residual grease. Is there a solution for rust prevention? Any insight would be very helpful.

I have had Traeger grills for over 12 years. Little Tex, Little TexElite and now a Pro 22. The two previous ones all rusted in the areas you talk about almost from day one. The rust never caused a problem with the operation of the grills so don’t worry about it. I kept my old ones under cover outside always and both of them rusted on the outside of the grill and had to be painted after several years of use. My Pro 22 appears to have a better coating of paint on the outside of it so I am hoping it will not need to be painted. I purchased the 22 last fall and have only used it twice (to cold in Montana). I have issues with the temperature. Smoke is good 160-170, but high fluctuations between 450 & 400. How does yours perform?

 

[Flatlander]

There's no issue with the rust. It's unfinished metal and will rust. But you're not eating off it so you're golden. Happy Traegering!

 

[primeone]

Welcome to the forum @bcumbie - Congrats on the Pro 22! I have similar issues with my Ironwood and I keep it in the garage 100% of the time if it's not in use.

Here's a pic of my firebox after 1 year.

 

[bcumbie]

I have had Traeger grills for over 12 years. Little Tex, Little TexElite and now a Pro 22. The two previous ones all rusted in the areas you talk about almost from day one. The rust never caused a problem with the operation of the grills so don’t worry about it. I kept my old ones under cover outside always and both of them rusted on the outside of the grill and had to be painted after several years of use. My Pro 22 appears to have a better coating of paint on the outside of it so I am hoping it will not need to be painted. I purchased the 22 last fall and have only used it twice (to cold in Montana). I have issues with the temperature. Smoke is good 160-170, but high fluctuations between 450 & 400. How does yours perform?

So far the temp seems to pretty steady. A little fluctuations but nothing drastic. I always clean the internal temp probe after each use and maybe that helps. I've done a couple of long cooks and times and temps seems to hold up. Thanks for the input the rust. Just didn't want to have any issues. Stay safe!

 

[bcumbie]

Welcome to the forum @bcumbie - Congrats on the Pro 22! I have similar issues with my Ironwood and I keep it in the garage 100% of the time if it's not in use.

Here's a pic of my firebox after 1 year.

View attachment 1187

Thanks for the input. This is my first pellet grill so just making sure there wasn't some preventative maintenance I was missing. Stay safe!

 

[RemE]

I will add this. Ash is very alkaline, it's corrosive, so it is a good practice to keep it off the metal. Many of us have dedicated vacs to clear the ash more often than waiting for the warning message. I clean mine often since it just takes a couple of minutes.