traeger, green mountain, or Louisiana?

[buglebuster]

Just purchased our 2nd home and it has a huge nice deck. I've been wanting a pellet grill and this is the perfect reason would like 1st hand experiences with each. Thanks guys!

[MtnMuley]

I think they all will please you. I chose the traeger because I got a great deal. Rec Tec is another you might want to look at.

[Jolten]

Why not a stick burner offset?

[buglebuster]

Simple, I want a pellet grill lol, fill it with pellets and walk away for the most part.

[270Shooter]

I like the traeger because it's really easy to find replacement parts if you need them, we have them all at steins. The lousianas are fancier and have more luxuries like a meat probe and flame broiler but I don't really think they are that much better than the traeger.

[buglebuster]

Well I think my decision is made. A friend of mine can get me the traeger texas,  which is $999 for $613 whenever I'm ready

[bigbds61]

@buglebuster  Check out Ranch and Home in Kennewick.  They sell a pellet grill called "Pitboss" for $600 including some bags of pellets usually.  I have one and it works great.  American made and very solid.  It is a good size and worth a look.

[buckfvr29]

I've got a traeger, about 2 yrs old. A buddy works at a locally owned hardware store that carried them. They stopped, I think about 6 months ago, he said they sold out, are no longer made in the USA, and quality went way down. Another buddy has a green mountain and his neighbor has a traeger so he's used both. He prefers the green mt, says he can get the temp a lot lower and it holds the temp more accurately. Off the top of my head, my only complaint is the heat deflector is made out of thin metal. Mine warped and doesn't sit right now.

[CMG]

I think they all will please you

. Not much difference between any of them. A lot of co-workers have the treager, and are pleased. I went for the Green Mtn. for a few reasons and at the time made sense.
 - Brisket is my favorite to cook and the GM had an internal thermometer and a remote, which is very handy when cooking overnight.
- The GM components (hopper) including gauge of steel steel were more robust. I believe the electronics are probably made from the same manufacturer as I see no difference between the GM and Treager's.

 Although pellet smokers take little effort to use, IMO they just do not provide the same flavor as real wood, I have tried just about every brand and flavor of pellets. Because I like the ease and smoke a lot, I would recommend to anyone using a pellet smoker to look in to purchasing a "Smoke Daddy" for their pellet smoker. What a difference! Best of both worlds, and you can cold smoke!.

[roy...s]

I own a Treager and love it.  However, when  it dies I'll replace it with a Green Mountain, it's just a better built unit.  All of them will produce excellent food. Get the unit you want learn how it cooks and adjust as necessary.  Your meat selection, rubs, injections, and cooking process has far more to do with producing great tasting Q than than whatever name happens to be on the outside of your smoker.

[Quackwhacker]

I currently have a Bradley,  but will be going to a GM when it dies.

[Netminder01]

I have a Traeger Lil' Tex Elite and have had it for 4 years. 

I use the crap out of it - maybe 4-5 times every week, all year around.  If you dial in dry/soft rubs to your pallet, there aren't too many things I'd hesitate to put in the smoker.  I've done deserts to pizza to cinnamon rolls to turkey and all the normal stuff.

On the downside - my Traeger is as temperamental as a stiff wind.  I've replace the circuit board 3 times, thermometer twice and so on.  I keep mine covered and outdoors so to be fair, it takes on a portion of the elements.  Had it not been for the delicate nature of parts, this produces great food - almost all the time.

When it's time for a new one, I'll still do a pellet fed smoker as opposed to some of the others just because I like multi-tasking while things are on the smoker instead of constant taking of the temp through more conventional smokers.

Customer reviews on some of the bigger box sites are revealing and I'd start there.  If you can buy used, troll CL for used units (pick your brand) where you can get into smoking less expensively.  Believe me - it's a cult and you can really get into it like most things.  My next smoker might.... be a traveling smoker I can take to competitions.

Good luck!

[Sliverslinger]

It's been a while since I researched all of them, but I went with the GMG because it had clearly better specs and thicker metal. It went both lower and hotter than traeger. I love it, and the remote is awesome. I can check the meat temp without even leaving the couch.

[haugenna]

I have a Traeger and enjoy it but if I had to do it over again, I would get a Rec Tec or look into the GMG.

I don't trust the traeger to keep the temperature right.  Case and point, I tried to smoke some ribs for the 4th and couldn't get the dang thing below 350 on the smoke function. 

I have yet to try out the warranty department at Traeger.

[Goldeneye]

I have a Traeger and enjoy it but if I had to do it over again, I would get a Rec Tec or look into the GMG.

I don't trust the traeger to keep the temperature right.  Case and point, I tried to smoke some ribs for the 4th and couldn't get the dang thing below 350 on the smoke function. 

I have yet to try out the warranty department at Traeger.

There is an adjustment on Traegers for the feed rate on the pellets.  You might be able to turn down the feed rate and get lower heat.  I have mine going at 180 on smoke. 

http://tipsforbbq.com/Definition/Traeger-P-Setting