Not an owner yet, but conflicted

[T from FL]

Hey there. First post

First a little about the gear that I currently own. I've always had Weber gas grills... Currently have a Genesis II 4 burner (33" cooking service) and I use GrillGrates when doing steaks. They turn out great.

I also own a vision kamado 18 in. It has the kamado Joe divide and conquer rack. Very fuel efficient, and I like using it but it is lacking in area.

So I was thinking about going for the weber 24" Summit kamado for a thousand bucks or so.

But I'm also seriously considering a pellet grill. So I did a lot of research. It appears that all of the brands have some warts of some kind

I think I've settled on the traeger brand and I am considering the ironwood and timberline products.

Okay, so here is where my head is at:
- I like the real estate of the ironwood 885, mainly the very large lower grate
- the ironwood 650 seems a little cramped?
- I like the timberline, especially the added insulation and grease management system, and the heavy duty stainless steel grates. But I live in florida. It's not like I'll be smoking in the very cold so the insulation I may not benefit from?

So now I have a few questions, so thanks for bearing with me.

1. I'm confused on the ironwood if it still has that leaking smoke issue? I recall reading recently that some of the iron woods from a few years back, maybe 2 years ago, suffered an issue with production with the lid. Has that been resolved with the latest version?

2. The timberline 850 is probably as high as I want to go in $. 1800 there's a lot of dough for someone who never owned a pellet grill before. It's got three grates but it's not that wide. Anyone here with a a traeger that's not that wide, like the timberline 850, find it cumbersome to cook large meals using two grades? Where I'm going with this is is that 2nd level grate kind of constricting your movement to get to the food etc

3. I did read some issues concerning paint bubbling and or peeling. I also saw some videos of the timberline with the 500 degree internal temperature and the user was able to put his hand right on the lid without getting burned. Do you think it's worth the upgrade on the timberline to prevent bubbling and or peeling paint?

4. The smoke flavor. I know this is highly subjective. I smoke on my kamado but I'm getting smoke Plus the charcoal flavor. With a traeger I suspect I'm getting just smoke.

Does that super smoke feature really work? Or is it a gimmick?

5. I don't know if I will ever take the pellet grill over 350°. I'm really looking at something that's nice and automated, and I don't have to babysit it so much like the kamado.

6. Any other feedback is welcome.

On a side note, Best buy is offering 10% off because of a birthday coupon. And I've got another $300 in Best buy certificates I can use. So if I go with the timberline 1300 (which is 200 bucks more than the 850), I save 500 bucks. Ironwood 885, I save 450 bucks.

Thanks in advance.

 

[RemE]

I have the Timberline 850, I like it but if doing it again I'd go TL1300 as I think it's better overall for heat distribution. I'm the one who added ceramic wool insulation between the walls, that's why I can put my hand on most of the outside areas, you can't normally.

An Ironwood would perform about the same but the Timberline construction is really nice.

 

[Dan-H]

Hey there. First post

First a little about the gear that I currently own. I've always had Weber gas grills... Currently have a Genesis II 4 burner (33" cooking service) and I use GrillGrates when doing steaks. They turn out great.

I also own a vision kamado 18 in. It has the kamado Joe divide and conquer rack. Very fuel efficient, and I like using it but it is lacking in area.

So I was thinking about going for the weber 24" Summit kamado for a thousand bucks or so.

But I'm also seriously considering a pellet grill. So I did a lot of research. It appears that all of the brands have some warts of some kind

I think I've settled on the traeger brand and I am considering the ironwood and timberline products.

Okay, so here is where my head is at:
- I like the real estate of the ironwood 885, mainly the very large lower grate
- the ironwood 650 seems a little cramped?
- I like the timberline, especially the added insulation and grease management system, and the heavy duty stainless steel grates. But I live in florida. It's not like I'll be smoking in the very cold so the insulation I may not benefit from?

So now I have a few questions, so thanks for bearing with me.

1. I'm confused on the ironwood if it still has that leaking smoke issue? I recall reading recently that some of the iron woods from a few years back, maybe 2 years ago, suffered an issue with production with the lid. Has that been resolved with the latest version?

2. The timberline 850 is probably as high as I want to go in $. 1800 there's a lot of dough for someone who never owned a pellet grill before. It's got three grates but it's not that wide. Anyone here with a a traeger that's not that wide, like the timberline 850, find it cumbersome to cook large meals using two grades? Where I'm going with this is is that 2nd level grate kind of constricting your movement to get to the food etc

3. I did read some issues concerning paint bubbling and or peeling. I also saw some videos of the timberline with the 500 degree internal temperature and the user was able to put his hand right on the lid without getting burned. Do you think it's worth the upgrade on the timberline to prevent bubbling and or peeling paint?

4. The smoke flavor. I know this is highly subjective. I smoke on my kamado but I'm getting smoke Plus the charcoal flavor. With a traeger I suspect I'm getting just smoke.

Does that super smoke feature really work? Or is it a gimmick?

5. I don't know if I will ever take the pellet grill over 350°. I'm really looking at something that's nice and automated, and I don't have to babysit it so much like the kamado.

6. Any other feedback is welcome.

On a side note, Best buy is offering 10% off because of a birthday coupon. And I've got another $300 in Best buy certificates I can use. So if I go with the timberline 1300 (which is 200 bucks more than the 850), I save 500 bucks. Ironwood 885, I save 450 bucks.

Thanks in advance.

What foods are you wanting to cook on the pellet vs a gasser or the kamodo?

 

[T from FL]

What foods are you wanting to cook on the pellet vs a gasser or the kamodo?

The gasser I use just for steaks. That won't change since I like my GrillGrates.

The pellet would do almost everything I use the kamado for now. So thinking the pellet would be used for chicken/wings, ribs, pork butts, brisket, and pizza. That's the stuff I usually cook.

Would be nice to do 2+ pizzas at same time since the kamado limits me to one . Or 4-5 racks of ribs. Or more than 10 large chicken thighs.

Really looking for more space to replace the Kamado. The 18" Kamado is cramped.

 

[MidwestSmoker]

Since space is a major issue for you, I think you should get a larger version of the line that you can afford: Pro 780, Ironwood 885 or Timberline 1300.

Also, pizzas require really high temperatures I would not recommend them on Traegers. The gas grill should be able to handle that.

 

[RustyJake]

@T from FL , please keep in mind that there isn't a pellet smoker out there today that will impart the same smokie flavor of your Kamado. I have a Visions Kamado as well. I am not disappointed with the smoke flavor from the Traeger, but I also knew going in that it wouldn't be the same as what I had. It always sucks when people make the leap to a pellet smoker and their first post is about no smoke flavor. It is there, but not what they were expecting.
My advice from my IW650 purchase, go bigger. The 650 is fine, but if you tend to smoke or cook a lot at the same time, you quickly run out of real-estate.

 

[Dan-H]

@T from FL if you do go with a pellet, I'll pile on and suggest getting larger.

I use my pellet for ribs, because I can get three full slabs laying flat. I've started using water pans, and next time will try smoke tubes to get more smoke.
I use my pellet for tri-tip, and slow smoke at 180F grate until internal temp reaches 120, then reverse sear on my gasser
I use my pellet for steaks, same thing. slow smoke at 180F, then sear on the gasser.

I've cooked beer can chicken on the pellet, yet my family prefers the taste on the BGE. I can fit two easily or three on my 18" grate L-BGE

My pellet is too noisy for overnight cooks, and to be candid I'm concerned about having it run while I'm sleeping since it is close to the house, and the fence, and... Maybe the traegers are quieter.

You mentioned being frustrated with temp control on your kamado. I was in the same spot. I recently bought a temp controller with fan for mine, a Thermoworks smoke X4 and billows. First cook and I was convinced. It is now set-temp and forget for lower temps. Last weekend I did an overnight pork butt in the rain. I woke up around 2am, rain was coming down hard, checked grate temp without getting out of bed and temp was right at 220F meat was around 150F so I went back to sleep without thinking about it. There are several brands to add temp control to a kamado, and I would research this no matter what you end up doing with another grill. It has been a game changer because I can now set it, watch it remotely and not have to tweak temps.

Pizza is done on my gasser, and can easily get 600F + With a four burner you could probably put two rectangle pizza stones side by side. Just make sure the stone leaves some space around the edges so you don't warp your firebox. I use two stones double stacked and can crank out 14 inch medium crust pizzas in about 6 mins. If it is for me, I like thin crust and will go to 700F and these take about 4 mins.

I've cooked pizza on the kamodo, and it is good, maybe better than the gasser yet it is a bit of work and I burn through lump like crazy doing it.

Anyway, that's kind of long. I'm here as I'm also researching my next smoker. Part of my research was learning not to trust the built in thermometers on my pit boss 820 pro. I bought a thermoworks smoke and found my grate temps were 20 to 30 degrees higher than the PB controller temp leading to faster cooks, less smoke and overall less flavorful results. On mine I have 20 degrees left to right temp differences. Net result is I've adapted and am getting better cooks, yet I'm still not thrilled with it also haven't decided what my next grill will be.

good luck in your search.

 

[RustyJake]

A properly sealed Kamado grill and a temperature controller and you will have a rock solid smoker. Mine barely fluctuates from the set temp. I am using the Fireboard2 Drive for mine now. I was using a CyberQ. But the FB2 outshines that in ease of use and stability.
Key is to ensure the Kamado is sealed up properly. Once you get that, the rest is easy
My Kamado is more consistent and stable in temperature than my IW650

 

[Dcgunman]

Since space is a major issue for you, I think you should get a larger version of the line that you can afford: Pro 780, Ironwood 885 or Timberline 1300.

Also, pizzas require really high temperatures I would not recommend them on Traegers. The gas grill should be able to handle that.

I cooked pizza twice on my Century 885. pre heating a pizza stone at 450 for an hour. I’m getting ready to bake another pizza tonight but in my oven this time. Don’t feel like wasting pellets at high temp for a pizza.

 

[John S.]

Timberline 1300 and the 850 use the same heating system, the 850 the exhaust may be getting hotter as it is closer to the fire. I think the timberline was architected to the 1300 specifications and then the barrel was shrunk for the 850 without a lot of consider for the smaller mass. The 1300 is only 10% more than the 850. There are times when you will want the larger option . The “REM E” insulation project here in the fourm has cut.my burn rate to under 1 lb / hr. And the insulation keep the heat inside the smoker.. even at 500 the lid is under 100….

 

[TF_Member6575]

Hey there. First post

First a little about the gear that I currently own. I've always had Weber gas grills... Currently have a Genesis II 4 burner (33" cooking service) and I use GrillGrates when doing steaks. They turn out great.

I also own a vision kamado 18 in. It has the kamado Joe divide and conquer rack. Very fuel efficient, and I like using it but it is lacking in area.

So I was thinking about going for the weber 24" Summit kamado for a thousand bucks or so.

But I'm also seriously considering a pellet grill. So I did a lot of research. It appears that all of the brands have some warts of some kind

I think I've settled on the traeger brand and I am considering the ironwood and timberline products.

Okay, so here is where my head is at:
- I like the real estate of the ironwood 885, mainly the very large lower grate
- the ironwood 650 seems a little cramped?
- I like the timberline, especially the added insulation and grease management system, and the heavy duty stainless steel grates. But I live in florida. It's not like I'll be smoking in the very cold so the insulation I may not benefit from?

So now I have a few questions, so thanks for bearing with me.

1. I'm confused on the ironwood if it still has that leaking smoke issue? I recall reading recently that some of the iron woods from a few years back, maybe 2 years ago, suffered an issue with production with the lid. Has that been resolved with the latest version?

2. The timberline 850 is probably as high as I want to go in $. 1800 there's a lot of dough for someone who never owned a pellet grill before. It's got three grates but it's not that wide. Anyone here with a a traeger that's not that wide, like the timberline 850, find it cumbersome to cook large meals using two grades? Where I'm going with this is is that 2nd level grate kind of constricting your movement to get to the food etc

3. I did read some issues concerning paint bubbling and or peeling. I also saw some videos of the timberline with the 500 degree internal temperature and the user was able to put his hand right on the lid without getting burned. Do you think it's worth the upgrade on the timberline to prevent bubbling and or peeling paint?

4. The smoke flavor. I know this is highly subjective. I smoke on my kamado but I'm getting smoke Plus the charcoal flavor. With a traeger I suspect I'm getting just smoke.

Does that super smoke feature really work? Or is it a gimmick?

5. I don't know if I will ever take the pellet grill over 350°. I'm really looking at something that's nice and automated, and I don't have to babysit it so much like the kamado.

6. Any other feedback is welcome.

On a side note, Best buy is offering 10% off because of a birthday coupon. And I've got another $300 in Best buy certificates I can use. So if I go with the timberline 1300 (which is 200 bucks more than the 850), I save 500 bucks. Ironwood 885, I save 450 bucks.

Thanks in advance.

Howdy ...

I have a Pro22 .... do not get this model, too many foibles. It is on the small side, but we are a family of 2 with and occasionally cook for 4 to 6. It can get a little tight when cooking steaks, burgers, poopers and wings. But I manage with the size. It is well built and very sturdy. I tend to lean way more to charcoal grilling than a smoker. With a charcoal set up you can control the intensity of the smoke with chips and blocks. The oily black bark is less appealing to me, love the sear of charcoal. We have many contributors that know more about a Traeger than me.

My concerns are:

The auger and auger motor fail
Electronics to fail
Hot Rod Failures
TDR are way off, I checked mine with an oven thermo, the Traeger is shy by about 30 degrees
Traeger pellets suck, other threads in this forum on that
No power, no Traeger

 

[GrillMeister]

No power, no Traeger

That's where a cheap UPS comes in. I have one to make sure any power outages or glitches do not impact my cooks. This model will give you about 90 minutes of cook time if the power goes out, but even more importantly, does not make your Traeger reset in the event of a brown out or power glitch.

https://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1890641&Sku=40122892

 

[TF_Member6575]

That's where a cheap UPS comes in. I have one to make sure any power outages or glitches do not impact my cooks. This model will give you about 90 minutes of cook time if the power goes out, but even more importantly, does not make your Traeger reset in the event of a brown out or power glitch.

https://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1890641&Sku=40122892

I have a 6.6 KVA generator for the Ruh-Roh. But in general I am reverting back to good old flame cooking?

 

[Dan-H]

Howdy ...

No power, no Traeger

I have a 750W inverter, and I always have a spare 12V car battery hanging around.

 

[T from FL]

Thanks again to all who supplied information. Valuable information.

I won't enumerate all the reasons here, it's not all that interesting anyway, but I did end up going with the Weber Kamado E6 instead the pellet.

That $500 off from best buy, because of my coupon and rewards, was awfully tempting. I had that timberline 1300 or ironwood 885 in my cart many a day. Not at the same time though. Almost pull the trigger a couple of times.

In the end, for me, and knowing that I like food cooked on the kamado with that charcoal flavor and much more control over smoke, I went with another Kamado.