Traeger is offering to replace Ironwood 650

[Beaser]

It's been a bumpy road with the Ironwood. I've been able to put the Wifire connection issue to bed but I still have the poorly fitting door leaking smoke . Beyond that, it's my opinion that the plennum design and the new style heat shield will continue to present problems, The older style heat shield was prone to warping but it did a very good job . I could run the Junior up to 460 deg F with nary a problem, even on a dirty grill.. I had one mother of a fire cooking 3 burgers @ 475 on a clean grill.

I had sent pictures of my door showing all of the gaps and they sent me a hinge kit, which took 2 months to get here, it's the same one that's on unit now, so what good is it gonna do! While cleaning the exterior of the barrel I noticed paint burned and discoloured last week and on a cook last week I noticed the open flame coming out from the sides of the heat shield.again I called traeger (silly me) , spent 30 min on hold and then reached a rep that I could barely understand. After telling her my problem I got cut off. Called back and reached a rep that said she would retrieve the door pictures I sent 2 months ago and get back to me by phone or email. After 4 days no answer, so I called again, I asked what the notes from last week were, they had condensed 2 conversations down to a very short paragraph. This rep called me back and asked if I want a new grill.

I had seen where some members had their grills replaced. Does anyone know if there has been any very recent improvements to the product that would even start to address issues with the door gaps . How is the attention to detail on the newer Ironwoods. So far as issues with open flame coming out of the heat shield and igniting grease, I think that remedy is far away. The problems seem to be hit and miss, some have them, some don't and some don't really care. I don't care about a shiny new grill but I really do want Traeger to fix these issues and not just throw parts at me. I would put a gasket on as a temporary fix but it's up to Traeger to fix the issues perminently. My $550 Junior's door fit perfectly, no leakage at all, so it can be done.

I've told them I want to think about the swap, changing something of this value should be for a valid reason.

 

[pkitch]

I have not had any issues with fires but have only done a few cooks higher than 400.

When you say heat shield, are you referring to the drip tray or the heat shield underneath it? Trying to understand better what's happening with yours (and therefore pre-empt what might with mine).

 

[Beaser]

Thanks for responding Pkitch. I'm talking about the heat shield over the flame pot. When things get roaring flames and sparks (hot ash no doubt) will be visible outside the perimeter of the flame shield. When I had my first fire my grill was clean with fresh foil on the drip pan and I was cooking burgers @ 475 with rack at the lower position. When I flipped them the grill turned into sheet of flame. took me a while to clean the soot off and I had to change my under wear. I cooked Johnsonville brats one day and those snausages are very fatty, that turned out to be a major inferno. I used the Traeger Junior ballz to the wall on a daily basis with no issues, but it had a heavy sheet steel box isolating the flame pot. The exposed flame makes a difference me thinks. You get a feel that something isn't right.

Every time I've run high temps in the bottom rack position, I've wound up with a mess, I'm getting a strong feeling it may be due to the leakage around the door. My front shelf and the stainless side shelf get pretty warm and the paint adjacent to the widest gap is starting to burn. The cheapest way out of their door issue is to provide a gasket kit. They'll spend a fortune on shipping hinges or doors, especially if their fix doesn't work.

I think they'll eventually rework the heat shield as it will wind up costing Traeger sales as well as a slew of unneeded parts and bad press. Same holds true about the door leaks. Tonight I cooked burgers and snausages with the wire rack in the higher position. Before I started I vacuumed the plenum and firebox. replaced the foil on the drip pan and cleaned the grease trough. I started the cook @ 400 degrees and after a few minutes noted that there was little fat runoff on either product I stepped the temp up to 450 deg F. I could see the flame and some hot ash (look like sparks) but the burgers and sausage were lean and the higher position seems to help. When I do steaks I smoke @ 165-225 depending on my available time and sear on my weber. It takes less time to run the weber than clean the Ironwood.

 

[pkitch]

Thanks for the detail, makes sense. I don't use the lower position (and usually use the Weber for final sear) and don't cook that high too often so hopefully I'll escape that nightmare - I hope... Hopefully a gasket will prevent, like you I was offered a replacement grill (for the controller) but also figured what's the point, so much waste and effort...

 

[BarricadeGT]

Hearing this story is making me wish I either spent the ludicrous $900cdn more on a timberline 1300 or found a different brand.

I also have door gap issues, they sent a replacement lid, and the lid arrived BENT in the corner face palm, it took over a month to get the first replacement lid, and the 2nd replacement lid is expected sometime in October, and something tells me it will have the same problem.

So now I wait for my 3rd lid, do I simply give up and apply lava lock, and accept their product if flawed and make the best of it, or keep requesting lids?

As for your flair up issue, I have not experienced this on my ironwood 885, I've had it hot doing chicken wings, burgers and steaks, no problems, but perhaps the larger surface area of the 885 vs 650 makes the difference.

Finally, I wonder if they offer an upgrade program, to pay a fraction of the cost, and get the higher quality timberline.

 

[pkitch]

Hearing this story is making me wish I either spent the ludicrous $900cdn more on a timberline 1300 or found a different brand.

I also have door gap issues, they sent a replacement lid, and the lid arrived BENT in the corner face palm, it took over a month to get the first replacement lid, and the 2nd replacement lid is expected sometime in October, and something tells me it will have the same problem.

So now I wait for my 3rd lid, do I simply give up and apply lava lock, and accept their product if flawed and make the best of it, or keep requesting lids?

As for your flair up issue, I have not experienced this on my ironwood 885, I've had it hot doing chicken wings, burgers and steaks, no problems, but perhaps the larger surface area of the 885 vs 650 makes the difference.

Finally, I wonder if they offer an upgrade program, to pay a fraction of the cost, and get the higher quality timberline.

I think the difference is very marginal between the Ironwood and Timberline personally, though certainly seems having the seal all around is of benefit though still TBC on if might prevent fires. I certainly wouldn't pay the delta. I can also state that the controller is the same as I am rocking the Timberline controller in my Ironwood.

I think as Beaser has suggested it's more likely related to the firebox which is definitely more flimsy and open than the one on the Junior (which I also used to have).

 

[Beaser]

Barricade GT, would GT be greaterTO ? Dollar wise I think they'd be further ahead to offer a fully gasketed door. That much air exiting through gaps in the perimeter have to have a negative effect on any air flow pattern. That and that flimsy flame guard.

 

[BarricadeGT]

Barricade GT, would GT be greaterTO ? Dollar wise I think they'd be further ahead to offer a fully gasketed door. That much air exiting through gaps in the perimeter have to have a negative effect on any air flow pattern. That and that flimsy flame guard.

Afraid not, GT is from a model car I own. I live in Southern Ontario.

 

[Beaser]

That really narrows it down ?