Decisions, Decisions....

[jamood77]

Hey Guys, I am new to these forums and really sorry if there is a sticky thread that I should have posted this to. I am really struggling with which pellet grill to get and was hoping that someone had some experience with the ones that I have narrowed it down to. I have narrowed my choices down to the Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX, Cabela's Pro Series 36" and Pit Boss Pro 1100. Obviously, size matters. I cook for a lot of friends and family on the holidays.

I love the versatility of the OKJ and Cabela’s models, and especially the big sear station on the OKJ. The Cabela’s seems especially easy to clean –up also. Just from what I have seen, the OKJ and Cabela’s are much easier on the cleanup and changing pellets. The problem is I have heard rough things about the performance of the units, especially the electronics.

Of course the Pit Boss is the Pit Boss. There is a ton of information out there about those and they seem like solid units, if not particularly fancy. The biggest turn off for me is the exact opposite of the other two. Changing of the pellets and cleaning seem like a pain.

The Cabela’s is currently on sale for $499 and I would get $80 back in points to spend in store. The OKJ is $649, but I may be able to get a discount. My wife will let me get whatever I want in that range. I would appreciate any advice you guys can give.

 

[JC in GB]

I know this is not on your choice list but if I were going to spend money on a pellet grill, I would most likely buy a Rec Tec Bull.

JC

 

[jamood77]

I know this is not on your choice list but if I were going to spend money on a pellet grill, I would most likely buy a Rec Tec Bull.

JC

I can't find anywhere that carries them locally. Do they have to be purchased on-line?

 

[bregent]

Just from what I have seen, the OKJ and Cabela’s are much easier on the cleanup and changing pellets.

Most pellet grills are all about the same as far as cleanup goes. Some like CampChef and OKJ have an ash dump, but this only empties the ash in the firepot. This provides very little utility, as you still need to open everything up to cleanout the body of the smoker. Most of the ash in the firepot gets blown out during shutdown anyway.

As far as changing pellets, most folks I know don't switch pellets often, or at all. I use only 1 type of pellet as I have found nobody that I cook for can detect the difference between different wood species on a pellet cooker. And lots of folks only put a touch more pellets in the hopper than they are using for the current cook - so there isn't a lot of excess to remove if you do want to switch.

My point is that I wouldn't put too much weight on those features when making a decision.

 

[jamood77]

Most pellet grills are all about the same as far as cleanup goes. Some like CampChef and OKJ have an ash dump, but this only empties the ash in the firepot. This provides very little utility, as you still need to open everything up to cleanout the body of the smoker. Most of the ash in the firepot gets blown out during shutdown anyway.

As far as changing pellets, most folks I know don't switch pellets often, or at all. I use only 1 type of pellet as I have found nobody that I cook for can detect the difference between different wood species on a pellet cooker. And lots of folks only put a touch more pellets in the hopper than they are using for the current cook - so there isn't a lot of excess to remove if you do want to switch.

My point is that I wouldn't put too much weight on those features when making a decision.

I appreciate the advice. Definitely some good points.

 

[Inscrutable]

I can't find anywhere that carries them locally. Do they have to be purchased on-line?

Yes, they are factory-direct only.
And quite a bit out of your $ range.