Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables.

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Default Traeger electric auger smoker

Are they any good?

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"mark" > wrote in message
oups.com
> Are they any good?


It depends on what you are looking for. Some people like them.

If *I* were looking for a pellet-pooper, I'd take a close look at the "Fast
Eddie" made by Cookshack. I know several people that swear by them.

BOB


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"mark" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Are they any good?
>


We have a Traeger... got it about this time last year. We love it.

It is convienent, easy to clean, great smokey flavor, and you have a lot of
control over the heat. Basically instant fire-up -- 15 mins and you are
cooking. As fast as a gas grill. Service is phenomenol -- when we had a
problem, they sent us *everything* to make sure that we could fix the
problem, very promptly.

Just make sure you get/use good quality pellets.

Sheila


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"mark" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Are they any good?
>

I have had mine for better than three years. Have had excellent service from
Traeger, and very good results from the unit, as long as you follow the
directions for cleaning the firepot, and keep the pellets dry.

John


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On May 19, 1:33 pm, " BOB" > wrote:
> "mark" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com
>
> > Are they any good?

>
> It depends on what you are looking for. Some people like them.
>
> If *I* were looking for a pellet-pooper, I'd take a close look at the "Fast
> Eddie" made by Cookshack. I know several people that swear by them.
>
> BOB


Just looking for a smoker. Not a grill.



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"mark" > wrote in message
oups.com
> On May 19, 1:33 pm, " BOB" > wrote:
> > "mark" > wrote in message
> >
> > oups.com
> >
> > > Are they any good?

> >
> > It depends on what you are looking for. Some people like them.
> >
> > If *I* were looking for a pellet-pooper, I'd take a close look at
> > the "Fast Eddie" made by Cookshack. I know several people that
> > swear by them.
> >
> > BOB

>
> Just looking for a smoker. Not a grill.


The Fast Eddie *is* a smoker.
http://www.cookshack.com/index_produ...p?product_id=1

Or, just Cookshack, *not* the Fast Eddie, but not pellets
http://www.cookshack.com/index.php?c...ty=residential

http://www.cookshack.com/

Or, you could get a Stump's Smoker. It's gravity fed. It is an offset
smoker. The charcoal goes into a charcoal chute and gravityfeeds it down to
the firebox. Temperature control is amazing, + or - maybe 5 degrees. Add a
"Stoker" and you can get the control down to about + or - 1 degree.
http://www.stumpssmokers.com/products1.htm

Have fun.

BOB
who is enjoying some smoked cheese, right off of the Stoker controlled
Stump's GF 222 CM
Smoked @ 150° F for about 1 hour with some apple wood


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Default Traeger electric auger smoker

mark wrote:
> Are they any good?


I bought one a month ago - the 075 model "Texas." I've done overnight smokes
twice. The first one went great. Last night, the fire went out. Got up
around 8 a.m., smoker was cold. Turned it off, then on again. The Traeger
got so hot it blistered the paint, and burnt my Brisket and Boston Butt
roast to a crisp. Threw the meat into the trash. After the smoker cooled
down, I cleaned it out. There were pellets everywhere.

I called the place I bought it from and told the whole story. They're going
to call the distributor and tell me what went wrong and what they are going
to do to fix it so it doesn't happen again.

And yes, I cleaned out the whole smoker before I started my overnight smoke.
Vacuumed out the ash, etc. Made sure I got the fire going real strong - it
was smoking fine for 2 hours before I went to bed.

So, while my experience with the Traeger is fair to above average on things
that don't have to cook all day, like ribs, chicken breasts, veggies,
steaks, even pizza, I'm one for two on overnight smokes. What bothers me the
most is, the Traeger has now proven to be unreliable. Luckily, I hadn't
planned to entertain a housefull of guests. The brisket was to be given to
help out a family whose child is sick in the hospital until August. The
Boston Butt was for us.

But, if I had planned to feed 25 or 30 people who were coming over today
expecting real barbecue, I'd have taken that Traeger back where I bought it
and dropped it on their doorstep, refund or not.

EZ


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Denny Wheeler wrote:

<snip>
> Strikes me that your (potential) reaction is a bit overmuch. You
> state that the dealer's going to find what happened and resolve the
> problem.
>
> (a) shit happens.
>
> (b) Traeger does have enough control system that something potentially
> could go wrong--that's inherent in such a device.
>
> Q: isn't the auger electrically powered? And wouldn't the fire likely
> go out if one way or another the power flow to it were down for ___?
> (fill in blank with suitable time--I doubt a 1-minute outage would
> have an effect, but a 1-hour one?)
>
> My thinking is that the real test here is seeing just how Traeger's
> reps (in this case, dealer & distributor) get it fixed.
>
> -denny-


Thanks for your reply, Denny,

Yes, I admit I was pretty ****ed when I wrote the post. And, I agree that a)
shit happens and b) something could go wrong with any device, including
Traeger's control system. As far as the electricity is concerned, no, there
was no power outtage overnight. Actually, if there had been a power outtage,
it would have restarted the Traeger, since the glow plug kicks on for 4
minutes when the switch is first thrown.

I spent a great deal of the day yesterday online researching. I also posted
a similar email message to the traegergrills group on Yahoo, and received
this reply (below the *******). Apparently, I am not the only one who has
had this problem.

If it is true that, out of the box, the Traeger cannot operate at the
"smoke" setting without going out, and a digital thermostat is needed to
make a Traeger work properly, then the Traeger company should either provide
such a thermostat with every grill sold, or at the very least send one to
every customer who experiences this problem. I spent over a thousand bucks
on this grill, by the time I bought the suggested cover, and after taxes,
etc. I bought it to do overnight, unattended smokes. If it is true that I
now have to spend another $189 plus tax plus shipping and spend several
hours of my own time installing a thermostat that should have been there in
the first place, I'll have little respect for the Traeger company in
general.

I just read another reply to my email message from a fellow who says
"The 3-position thermostat is not reliable. I used to have similar
experiences to yours and ultimately switched over to the digital controller.
While there are plenty of issues with the digital controller it is much more
consistent because you can fine tune the temperature.

At this point I'm not sure why Traeger doesn't include the digital
controller in all units."



Anyway, I have sent email to the Traeger company as well. We'll see what
happens-I don't yet have a reply from them. As far as the Original Poster is
concerned, I would ask your Traeger dealer about these problems, and get him
to put down in writing what he will do if you experience these problems,
before you put your money down.



EZ

************************

Sorry to hear about your misadventures with your new 075. I also bought an
075 last August with the standard 3 position switch. On the smoke setting,
the unit quit three times in the middle of smoking meats. While I don't do
overnight smoking, preferring to start early in the morning, I've had this
reliability issue as well. Same thing as your situation, but after it quit
each time (I would guess around the 4-5 hour mark), I took out the grill
racks and base pan to clean out the unused pellets that had accumulated in
the chamber (since the auger doesn't "know" when the fire has gone out),
then restarted the unit. Thankfully, I caught the temp issue every time
since I also use a remote digital probe thermostat and keep a pretty close
eye on things. I really resent having to "babysit" my Traeger, since the
whole idea of getting it was to do hassle free smoked meats. I'd be pretty
torked if I had a $100 standing rib on there and it got trashed by this
problem, so I've stuck with cheaper cuts of meat such as boston butt, baby
back ribs, beef round roasts and brisket for now. When I do a sirloin tip,
I really watch the unit closely.

The unit is protected on two sides by a deck, so I doubt that wind is an
issue. I use only Trager pellets and shop vac out the pellet chamber and
bottom of the grill after every smoke job, as I've heard that ash
accumulation can cause this problem. A month ago, I switched over to the
digital thermostat and so far haven't had any "going out" issues, using the
unit three times since. One thing to note about the digital thermostat is
that the installation "directions" that come with it are completely useless;
there's only a wiring diagram as a guide, and they don't tell you to remove
the two screws and plate on the front of the pellet hopper to make accessing
the wires and Molex connectors much easier. I learned only by calling them
for installation instructions, and while not a complete electrical idiot, I
would have spent a lot more time than necessary installing it had I not
called. It also didn't help that the self drilling sheet metal screws they
used to affix the three position switch plate were stripped when installed,
so drilling out the old screws made the job even more of a pain.

With the digital unit, the lowest setting smokes between 170 and 185, while
the second setting cooks between 215 and 240 (with outdoor temps in the high
50's - low 60s). I was hoping for a little more consistency with the heat
range while smoking by spending the extra $189. I can't say definitively
yet that the digital thermostat has solved this "flameout" issue
permanently; perhaps the folks at Traeger or one of the pros on this board
can shed some light on things, but you're definitely not alone in having
this problem.


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Here's an update. I wrote earlier:

> Anyway, I have sent email to the Traeger company as well. We'll see
> what happens-I don't yet have a reply from them. As far as the
> Original Poster is concerned, I would ask your Traeger dealer about
> these problems, and get him to put down in writing what he will do if
> you experience these problems, before you put your money down.


George from Traeger emailed me a couple of times, and I've now spoken with
him on the phone. So, Traeger gets high marks for prompt response! He's
sending me a new firepot with fewer holes in it, so the pellets won't burn
out as fast on smoke setting before the auger kicks in and sends more
pellets to the pot. He also said the digital thermostat would solve the
issue, but it's set for the original firepot so if I get that, I should stay
with the original firepot.

Apparently, if I don't like the digital thermostat, I can always go back to
the three-position switch, put in the new firepot, and be good to go.

We'll see how this all plays out. I'd very much like to get it resolved,
because everything I've cooked on the Traeger tastes great. It's just this
slow smoking issue that is unnerving.

EZ


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"EZ" > wrote in message
...
> Here's an update. I wrote earlier:
>
>> Anyway, I have sent email to the Traeger company as well. We'll see
>> what happens-I don't yet have a reply from them. As far as the
>> Original Poster is concerned, I would ask your Traeger dealer about
>> these problems, and get him to put down in writing what he will do if
>> you experience these problems, before you put your money down.

>
> George from Traeger emailed me a couple of times, and I've now spoken with
> him on the phone. So, Traeger gets high marks for prompt response! He's
> sending me a new firepot with fewer holes in it, so the pellets won't burn
> out as fast on smoke setting before the auger kicks in and sends more
> pellets to the pot. He also said the digital thermostat would solve the
> issue, but it's set for the original firepot so if I get that, I should
> stay with the original firepot.
>
> Apparently, if I don't like the digital thermostat, I can always go back
> to the three-position switch, put in the new firepot, and be good to go.
>
> We'll see how this all plays out. I'd very much like to get it resolved,
> because everything I've cooked on the Traeger tastes great. It's just this
> slow smoking issue that is unnerving.
>
> EZ


George also provided us with great customer service. We were very
impressed.

We bought the digital thermostat with the unit, having read that this
*greatly* improves the performance. I don't know how it would work without
it, but... we love our Traeger with it!

Sheila




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On May 23, 8:13 pm, Denny Wheeler
> wrote:
> On Mon, 21 May 2007 12:17:50 -0500, "EZ" >
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >Here's an update. I wrote earlier:

>
> >> Anyway, I have sent email to the Traeger company as well. We'll see
> >> what happens-I don't yet have a reply from them. As far as the
> >> Original Poster is concerned, I would ask your Traeger dealer about
> >> these problems, and get him to put down in writing what he will do if
> >> you experience these problems, before you put your money down.

>
> >George from Traeger emailed me a couple of times, and I've now spoken with
> >him on the phone. So, Traeger gets high marks for prompt response! He's
> >sending me a new firepot with fewer holes in it, so the pellets won't burn
> >out as fast on smoke setting before the auger kicks in and sends more
> >pellets to the pot. He also said the digital thermostat would solve the
> >issue, but it's set for the original firepot so if I get that, I should stay
> >with the original firepot.

>
> >Apparently, if I don't like the digital thermostat, I can always go back to
> >the three-position switch, put in the new firepot, and be good to go.

>
> >We'll see how this all plays out. I'd very much like to get it resolved,
> >because everything I've cooked on the Traeger tastes great. It's just this
> >slow smoking issue that is unnerving.

>
> I will *try* to remember, tomorrow, to make inquiry of the guy who
> runs the cafeteria at work. He's got at least 3 Traegers (does
> catering-smoking) and I know he's absolutely a fan; but with his
> having 3 (and I think maybe more) of them, he may know some useful
> stuff wrt this 'fire going out' thing. I wouldn't be amused either,
> btw. Probably be as steamed as you were, but hopefully would cool
> down quickly.
>
> -denny-
> --
>
> The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.
> The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


Thanks for your help. I'm looking to learning about what you find
out.
My Brinkman has always done a great job, but at the cost of constant
attention by the chef.

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I'm top-posting on purpose for clarity. What's happened so far is, I did NOT
get a new firepot in the mail from Traeger. The place I bought the grill
from DID get the digital thermostats in. And, I had a $10 off coupon that
came with my grill, so that's nice. The instruction sheet is every bit as
cryptic as folks say it is - it's just a wiring diagram. So, when I get
enough time together, maybe this weekend, I'll call Traeger and get somebody
to explain to me how to install the darn thing.

And, it's the newer thermostat, that starts at 225 degrees instead of 180.

EZ

mark wrote:
> On May 23, 8:13 pm, Denny Wheeler
> > wrote:
>> On Mon, 21 May 2007 12:17:50 -0500, "EZ" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Here's an update. I wrote earlier:

>>
>>>> Anyway, I have sent email to the Traeger company as well. We'll see
>>>> what happens-I don't yet have a reply from them. As far as the
>>>> Original Poster is concerned, I would ask your Traeger dealer about
>>>> these problems, and get him to put down in writing what he will do
>>>> if you experience these problems, before you put your money down.

>>
>>> George from Traeger emailed me a couple of times, and I've now
>>> spoken with him on the phone. So, Traeger gets high marks for
>>> prompt response! He's sending me a new firepot with fewer holes in
>>> it, so the pellets won't burn out as fast on smoke setting before
>>> the auger kicks in and sends more pellets to the pot. He also said
>>> the digital thermostat would solve the issue, but it's set for the
>>> original firepot so if I get that, I should stay with the original
>>> firepot.

>>
>>> Apparently, if I don't like the digital thermostat, I can always go
>>> back to the three-position switch, put in the new firepot, and be
>>> good to go.

>>
>>> We'll see how this all plays out. I'd very much like to get it
>>> resolved, because everything I've cooked on the Traeger tastes
>>> great. It's just this slow smoking issue that is unnerving.

>>
>> I will *try* to remember, tomorrow, to make inquiry of the guy who
>> runs the cafeteria at work. He's got at least 3 Traegers (does
>> catering-smoking) and I know he's absolutely a fan; but with his
>> having 3 (and I think maybe more) of them, he may know some useful
>> stuff wrt this 'fire going out' thing. I wouldn't be amused either,
>> btw. Probably be as steamed as you were, but hopefully would cool
>> down quickly.
>>
>> -denny-
>> --
>>
>> The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.
>> The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.- Hide
>> quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -

>
> Thanks for your help. I'm looking to learning about what you find
> out.
> My Brinkman has always done a great job, but at the cost of constant
> attention by the chef.



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