Noob needs advice buying

[Wizzard]

I’ve read so much about smokers I have no idea what to get they all seem to have so many issues. I’m in a condo with a large balcony so I’m thinking a 575. However after reading all of the issues I’m not sure I should even go Traeger??? Help !!! Please

 

[dunawayfamily]

We've been very happy with our PRO 780 - no showstopper issues since it was deployed Mid-Feb (we use it 2-5+ times per week) ... we don't cook a lot of fatty proteins (primarily lean meats), but when we do cook Pork or Burgers, we make sure to look for any grease that may have not made it down the drip tray as expected and clean it up ... we also spend most of our time grilling/smoking between 170-350 degrees ... we will go up to 435-450 to finish off burgers ... haven't started trying to do any reverse sears at 500 degrees as of yet ...

Get into a maintenance routine based on the type(s) of grilling you are doing ...

As far as initial setup issues - it seems that a lot of grills are being unboxed with an excess amount of oils, so I would strongly suggest wiping down everything with some paper towels before doing the initial seasoning/burn-in ... following a more gradual temp step-up for the burn-in is something else to consider ...

Lastly, WiFIRE is great when it works ... a vast majority of Traeger Owner's are able to get it working with little-to-no issue ... then there is a certain percentage of those who are having issues where they don't understand the technical tweaks that may be necessary to get the initial setup/pairing completed ... then there is a very small percentage who received a WiFIRE Controller that is either susceptible to Firmware corruption, or has old(er) versions of Firmware installed that simply will not work - when this happens, a replacement controller is needed ...

Lots of people willing to assist on this forum, and considering the SNR is a lot lower than you'll find on the various Traeger-related FB Groups, you should be able to get the assistance/direction you require (if needed) ...

 

[RemE]

I'm on my 2nd Traeger, started with a Junior Elite and now a Timberline. The nice gas grill sits idle these days. Most forums are visited when there are questions or problems, there is a huge population of owners out there just smoking their hearts out. So forum complaints can skew ones opinion. Traegers are pretty well made and pretty easy to service. There can be an improvement here and there and that's what some of us share in the forums.

If you are concerned, buy direct from Traeger, or a big store like Costco who stand behind the products should you have an issue.

I will say that wood fired food is great, and pellet grills make it easy and consistent to repeat favorite recipes.

Happy shopping!