Going to be an interesting year for new grills I think

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Typical pellet grill issues you should have kept the MB. I purchased mine from the company itself and had 0 damage but damage can't really be blamed on the makers. Hope u find something that works for you.
 
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I actually still have it. I was really onboard with it but my gut is telling me it's not going to last very long. It just seems too cheaply made. Aside from the frame damage, one of the pieces that holds the handle was cracked out of the box and the display has a couple of dings in it. I saw one with a broken handle in the store as well. I know it works awesome, I've seen too many videos and people talking about how awesome it is to dispute that. Longevity is my main concern. I hope yours works out great for you.

A friend of mine has a pit boss and he really likes it. Pellet grills seem to be gaining in popularity as well, so that leads me to believe most people aren't having issues.
 
I ran my first cook on my 560 yesterday. Smoked chopped peppers. 225'. 6 hours.
Went very well. It was very windy and in the mid 50's. The hopper lasted the full 6 hours. Held the temp very well. Brought back to temp quickly after opening the door.
The only thing I might do to improve the pit is replace the rubber seals with heat rope.

The beauty of the 560 is the simplicity of design and the lack of moving parts. The only things that would need to be replaced are the fan and the controller which are simply 4 screw R&R.

I LOVE IT !
 
Hi everybody, I'm new here but felt like I need to chime in. I've been shopping for a pellet grill for some time now and saw the new Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX and immediately wanted it. I bought it about a week later and immediately had all kinds of issues. It tripped my breaker several times, wasn't holding a steady temp, and almost started a hopper fire. The pellets in the auger were on fire and smoke was coming out of the hopper. On top of that, ash was everywhere, which makes the ash cup mostly pointless. I'm sure I received a defective grill, but after using it I realized there were many design features that make this grill undesirable and I returned it to get my money back.

With that being said, I decided to buy the new Masterbuilt gravity grill and it was dented pretty bad even though the box looked to be in good shape. Customer service was fantastic and offered a replacement, but after more thought I've decided to return this as well.

I'm looking at the new Cuisinart which seems pretty solid to me. The lack of reviews and no prior experience with pellet grills keep me skeptical. Also thinking maybe spend a little more and get the new Weber. I think that will be a great product, but again, no reviews. With all of that being said, I'll most likely go with the Pro Series PB from Lowe's. I think at least with it I'll get a solid, dependable grill that I'm confident will work as intended for at least a few years.

MrEarl, if you’re set on getting a Pit Boss Pellet Grill, their Platinum Series Pellet Grills should be your first option. For $747.00, you can have up to 2000 sq inches of smoking and bbqing space, PID Controller temp control, high temp grilling and searing, plus a 5 year warranty. The Pit Boss Pro Series Pellet Grills, still have the old non PID Controllers on them, so temp swings and temp fluctuations will be an issue... Just something to know if you do go that route. A few weeks ago I saw and inspected the new Cuisinart Pellet Grills and the PB Platinum Series Pellet Grills side by side... Hands down, the PB Platinum Series Pellet Grills were better. It also pays to do your research before you spend your hard earned money on any brand or type of bbq grill. On a side note, the Cuisinart Woodcreek Pellet grill states on the box and website, that it has a 30 lb. pellet hopper capacity... It’s not even close, more like 20 plus pounds and they just rounded it up to 30 lbs for print. I’m not trying to knock Cuisinart, just stating what I saw. As for the Masterbuilt 560 GF, it does look tempting, but to many unknowns as far as long term wear and tear. Also, 560 square inches of cooking space may be just fine for some, but I would prefer to have a little to much space, then not having enough space and wishing I did. Lastly, if you enjoy a nice smoke flavor on your bbq, always use 100% wood type pellets like, 100% Hickory, Pecan, ect. from pellet brands like Lumberjack. Stay away from the pellet blends unless you enjoy a very light flavor profile on your bbq. Good luck in your decision.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
 
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I went ahead and got the pro series grill and I'm very happy with it. I actually wanted a grill with a PID controller, but I just don't like the Platinum series. The more I thought about it I just don't think the PID makes the food taste any better. I can always get an aftermarket controller if I change my mind about it anyway. Thanks for the info on the pellets. I'll definitely try out the 100% wood types.
 
MrEarl, if you’re set on getting a Pit Boss Pellet Grill, their Platinum Series Pellet Grills should be your first option. For $747.00, you can have up to 2000 sq inches of smoking and bbqing space, PID Controller temp control, high temp grilling and searing, plus a 5 year warranty. The Pit Boss Pro Series Pellet Grills, still have the old non PID Controllers on them, so temp swings and temp fluctuations will be an issue... Just something to know if you do go that route. A few weeks ago I saw and inspected the new Cuisinart Pellet Grills and the PB Platinum Series Pellet Grills side by side... Hands down, the PB Platinum Series Pellet Grills were better. It also pays to do your research before you spend your hard earned money on any brand or type of bbq grill. On a side note, the Cuisinart Woodcreek Pellet grill states on the box and website, that it has a 30 lb. pellet hopper capacity... It’s not even close, more like 20 plus pounds and they just rounded it up to 30 lbs for print. I’m not trying to knock Cuisinart, just stating what I saw. As for the Masterbuilt 560 GF, it does look tempting, but to many unknowns as far as long term wear and tear. Also, 560 square inches of cooking space may be just fine for some, but I would prefer to have a little to much space, then not having enough space and wishing I did. Lastly, if you enjoy a nice smoke flavor on your bbq, always use 100% wood type pellets like, 100% Hickory, Pecan, ect. from pellet brands like Lumberjack. Stay away from the pellet blends unless you enjoy a very light flavor profile on your bbq. Good luck in your decision.

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

The only thing I'd say about the Platinum Series option is that the sq inches can be misleading. On the Lockhart specifically, you'd have to be doing very specific and different foods to be able to use all of it at once. That whole top section is really more of a cold smoker, unless you want to run the bottom really hot to maintain 225 up top. So, if you want to cook a ton of ribs or briskets all at once, the usable space may be half of what you think it is for that one meat type.

The PID controller and other features are very nice though, I do have to say. Just make sure you know how the cooking surfaces can be used.
 
The only thing I'd say about the Platinum Series option is that the sq inches can be misleading. On the Lockhart specifically, you'd have to be doing very specific and different foods to be able to use all of it at once. That whole top section is really more of a cold smoker, unless you want to run the bottom really hot to maintain 225 up top. So, if you want to cook a ton of ribs or briskets all at once, the usable space may be half of what you think it is for that one meat type.

The PID controller and other features are very nice though, I do have to say. Just make sure you know how the cooking surfaces can be used.

That’s why in my original post, I stated up to 2000 sq inches of Smoking and bbq space as the PB LockHart offers that and the PB KC Combo does not. The upper chamber in the PB LockHart can be used for both hot smoking and cold smoking. The End User would have to decide on what they want to bbq/smoke and how they want too... but the PB LockHart gives them that option when most other pellet grills can’t .

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
 
So I just got the Masterbuilt Gravity 560 and so far I am impressed with the concept. Assembly was easy enough and lighting is pretty simple. I wanted to give the temp control and try and was able to warm up some left over pizza by turning up to 425 before i threw a chicken on. I turned down to 225 and was there pretty quickly. Chicken is on and I am happy with the amount of space. I am going to get another warming rack for more space and it should be pretty sweet. I've seasoned it and have a chicken on for testing right now. I babysitting it because it's new but would envision being able to be less attentive as time goes on.

I haven't done a long smoke to see how the hopper life relates to the claim of 12-15 hours but I'm not sure it would last the full 15. The air shutoff seemed to work well and will save charcoal as I use it.

I am excited to try grilling with it soon and would suspect it will get a good sear on food. plenty of videos out there showing this.

Only issue so far is the masterbuilt app and bluetooth connectivity is a little spotty.
 

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Of those that own a 560, what are your opinions of the build quality and metal thickness? Do you think the finish of the painted parts will last?...JJ
 
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Not super thick but adequate...I think the build quality is pretty decent for price vs features..only time will tell for durability. Think most of us are in agreement.. decent deal on a hassle free smoker/grill.
 
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I'm a stick and charcoal guy, but do use a amnts (knockoff) to add smoke flavors that I don't have in my firewood stock.
Buddies with pellet poopers have been hard selling me to get one. I've avoided, but after a lot of thought, I'm thinking one might be a good add.
Wife doesn't like a lot of smoke and to me pellet poopers are very mild (even with 100% pellets).
The little Masterbuilt at Sam's is tempting.
 
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I got the 560 and we love it.
I have done two cooks on it and both times the hopper lasted 6 hours.
The build of the unit seems quite substantial.
I wondered about the rubber seals but they seem to be just fine.
There are only two things that you might replace ( fan and controller) but they are a simple 4 screw R&R and the Company seems to be pretty quick about standing behind their product.
I would say go for it.
You can turn the temp down to 150' or up to 700'.
 
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Well this is the spring I am going to get a pellet grill for smoking and cooking a steak and hamburger (under 1000)-- so I need a versatile one. I see the Pit Boss KC combo, the Cuisinart Twin Oaks and the Camp Chef Woodwind with Sear box- any other I should look at?
If you ever see yourself wanting to smoke a lot of stuff at one time, like say 3 boston butts or even just 2 briskets, I'd steer clear of those dual-chamber options like the KC Combo and Twin Oaks. Those things look huge at first glance, but they're really just a small smoker and a small gas grill stuck together, meaning the capacity of each dedicated appliance is rather small. Unless you know you'll never need to do a large cook, I'd always go with a single chamber model.
 
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If you ever see yourself wanting to smoke a lot of stuff at one time, like say 3 boston butts or even just 2 briskets, I'd steer clear of those dual-chamber options like the KC Combo and Twin Oaks. Those things look huge at first glance, but they're really just a small smoker and a small gas grill stuck together, meaning the capacity of each dedicated appliance is rather small. Unless you know you'll never need to do a large cook, I'd always go with a single chamber model.
Thanks. I am starting to focus on the Oklahoma Joe 900 Rider (when it comes out) or the CampChef Woodwind WiFI 24 with Sidekick. I like that they say the Rider 900 can sear meat in a hotspot just with the pellets.
 
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Well this is the spring I am going to get a pellet grill for smoking and cooking a steak and hamburger (under 1000)-- so I need a versatile one. I see the Pit Boss KC combo, the Cuisinart Twin Oaks and the Camp Chef Woodwind with Sear box- any other I should look at?
You might think about branching out a little and check out the Masterbuilt GF560 or the 1060 that will come out in the Spring. The 560 is $500 and the 1060 will b e around $700. The reviews that we read before buying the 560 told us of trouble with the pellet feeders and the controllers not being dependable so we went with a charcoal burner. Virtually trouble free and quick temps up to 700' !
 
Thanks. I am starting to focus on the Oklahoma Joe 900 Rider (when it comes out) or the CampChef Woodwind WiFI 24 with Sidekick. I like that they say the Rider 900 can sear meat in a hotspot just with the pellets.
Have you looked at the OKJ DLX? It's at my local Lowe's and has a really large "sear zone" or something like that right in the middle. They claim 650F sear temp. I'm not sure if the 900 has the same feature or not as I haven't seen that one yet.
 
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