Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ?

   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #1  
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buickanddeere

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Anybody with any experience using those wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ?
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #2  
I watched their Info mercial and if the extra coin was available and my gas barb ques were worn out
They would already have a sale!..

Sure seems like a slick set up to produce some great quality food.
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #3  
buickanddeere said:
Anybody with any experience using those wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ?
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Nope not only do they cost a lot of money but and I'm a lump and chunk man all the way. I want real wood and have my choice of wood to suit what I'm smoking.
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #4  
buickanddeere said:
Anybody with any experience using those wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ?
Click to expand...
I have a family member that does BBQ competitions and uses one with great success.
I took the easy way out and bought an electric smoker that I like and make good food in
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #5  
Have looked at them...biggest concern is quality control of the pellets over time. I think I prefer not to have my stuff cooked over toxic stuff.
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #6  
My Bride got me a Traeger for Father's Day, and I really like not having to constantly check the temperature of what I'm smoking. That's really been great for smoking when you want "Low and Slow". It also works well for grilling, but you may find it will take a bit longer than when you just place the meat directly over the heat source, like with my Weber Kettle grill or my gas grill. But you won't have to worry about flair ups with a Traeger, because of the deflector.

My Dad and Step-Mom have a small Traeger at their home in Arkansas, and just bought another for their home in Kansas because they liked it so well, and one of my Step-brothers also has a Traeger. Several friends also have them, and I don't recall hearing any complaints from any of them.

I was on a competition championship BBQ team, and have been around a lot of different smokers and grills, with the exception of ceramic grills (ala Big Green Egg-that is one that is still on my wish list!). A Traeger isn't perfect, but it's as close to "Fool Proof" as I've experienced.

Good luck with your decision!
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #7  
teejk said:
Have looked at them...biggest concern is quality control of the pellets over time. I think I prefer not to have my stuff cooked over toxic stuff.
Click to expand...

No worries about that. I've had my Traeger for about 15 years now, and smoked 100's of lbs of meat on it over those years. I only use the Traeger pellets. They are manufactured with a high pressure process using water and wood fiber exclusively; no external binders are added. System is kind of like an Italian spaghetti press. The pellets, coupled with the Traeger feed control, yield a very consistent temperature response, and a wonderful quality smoke. I do wish that the unit itself was made of thicker steel, which would help maintain temperature in cold/windy conditions, but it still does a much better job of this than the Weber kettles I used to use.

Most pro/competition BBQ guys scoff at a Traeger setup. I'm not in that class, and don't have the wherewithall to build a competition-level smoker. That said, I don't get many complaints when I put on a feed!

There's plenty of reasons not to go with a Traeger, but I don't believe that pellet quality ("toxic stuff") is one of them...
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #8  
jcwells said:
No worries about that. I've had my Traeger for about 15 years now, and smoked 100's of lbs of meat on it over those years. I only use the Traeger pellets. They are manufactured with a high pressure process using water and wood fiber exclusively; no external binders are added. System is kind of like an Italian spaghetti press. The pellets, coupled with the Traeger feed control, yield a very consistent temperature response, and a wonderful quality smoke. I do wish that the unit itself was made of thicker steel, which would help maintain temperature in cold/windy conditions, but it still does a much better job of this than the Weber kettles I used to use.

Most pro/competition BBQ guys scoff at a Traeger setup. I'm not in that class, and don't have the wherewithall to build a competition-level smoker. That said, I don't get many complaints when I put on a feed!

There's plenty of reasons not to go with a Traeger, but I don't believe that pellet quality ("toxic stuff") is one of them...
Click to expand...
I didn't realize they were around that long. They are only now starting to appear around here. I would still be worried about some of the off-brand pellets though (especially if they have the "Made in China" sticker). Will check them out if and when my old Smoky Mountain smoker ever gives up.
 
   / Wood pellet BBQ smokers such as Traeger ? #10  
teejk said:
I didn't realize they were around that long. They are only now starting to appear around here. I would still be worried about some of the off-brand pellets though (especially if they have the "Made in China" sticker). Will check them out if and when my old Smoky Mountain smoker ever gives up.
Click to expand...

You oughta see what that put in charcoal briquettes, if you knew you'd become a lump charcoal fan right away.
 
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