Anyone here have a Pit Boss Austin XL? Is it any good? I saw this smoker at Walfart yesterday and was pretty impressed for the price at $497.00. I'm heavily considering pulling the trigger on one, but before I do I thought it best to get the scoop on them here since this is hands down the best place on the web to get real world info on any of the currently available pellet grills (or any smoker for that matter).
So here is my situation... I have been without a smoker for two years and need something new. I had a MES 30 which died (it was too small and I wanted to replace anyways), and I have decided to go with a pellet grill. I was planning to get a Rec Tec RT 700 Bull last year and decided I just couldn't swing it and would wait until this year. Now here we are and once again due to other commitments and house projects I have succumbed to the fact that once again I just can't pull the trigger on the Rec Tec yet. All in with the cover, searing kit and other various things the Rec Tec comes in at just about $1,500.00. I do believe the Rec Tec is 100% worth the price, and I still plan to get an RT 700 Bull as my permanent solution when I can swing it in probably another year, but I just can't do it right now.
So I started thinking since I just can't pull the trigger on the Rec Tec now, and since I just can't wait another year to start smoking again, I should look for a temporary solution, something decent that will get me through the next 1 to two years until I can get my Rec Tec. Since it is a temp solution, I'm looking for something no more than $500, but it also has to be one of the larger grills though, not a mid size ( I learned my lesson going too small on the MES 30).
I have also looked at various models from Camp Chef and Green Mountain Grills, but the only model from GMG that is under $500 is the Davey Crocket and that thing is just way too small and honestly, even the bigger GMG models the construction just looks cheap to me and not worth the money. Camp Chef looks better and has a couple decent looking grills for $499, but they are smaller than the Austin XL and more of a mid size which I don't want. I even briefly considered the Rec Tec Trail Blazer or Bullseye, but decided the cooking area was just too small on both and the Trail Blazer breaks my budget. I could do it.. but I just don't want to spend more than $500 on a temp solution that is smaller than what I really want.
I should also be clear that I fully understand that for a full size grill for $500 or less none of these will be in the same league as the Rec Tec... and there will certainly be temp swings, but again my current goal is something temporary that will get me smoking now and will get me through one, maybe two years at the most until I can FINALLY get the Rec Tec RT 700.
So this brings me back to the Pit Boss Austin XL. I saw it yesterday at Wallfart and was pretty impressed. The construction seemed really good for the price of $497 (seemed way sturdier and more heavy duty than any of the offerings from GMG regardless of size and price), I liked that it has two meat probes, has a 31 LB hopper, and I also really liked the searing feature as I do plan to grill steaks on it as well, and now I hear they have increased their warranty on all of their pellet grills to 5 years! All of these things have me thinking this is the one (for now lol).
I would love to hear some thoughts from anyone that has one. What is the good, the bad and the ugly on these?
So here is my situation... I have been without a smoker for two years and need something new. I had a MES 30 which died (it was too small and I wanted to replace anyways), and I have decided to go with a pellet grill. I was planning to get a Rec Tec RT 700 Bull last year and decided I just couldn't swing it and would wait until this year. Now here we are and once again due to other commitments and house projects I have succumbed to the fact that once again I just can't pull the trigger on the Rec Tec yet. All in with the cover, searing kit and other various things the Rec Tec comes in at just about $1,500.00. I do believe the Rec Tec is 100% worth the price, and I still plan to get an RT 700 Bull as my permanent solution when I can swing it in probably another year, but I just can't do it right now.
So I started thinking since I just can't pull the trigger on the Rec Tec now, and since I just can't wait another year to start smoking again, I should look for a temporary solution, something decent that will get me through the next 1 to two years until I can get my Rec Tec. Since it is a temp solution, I'm looking for something no more than $500, but it also has to be one of the larger grills though, not a mid size ( I learned my lesson going too small on the MES 30).
I have also looked at various models from Camp Chef and Green Mountain Grills, but the only model from GMG that is under $500 is the Davey Crocket and that thing is just way too small and honestly, even the bigger GMG models the construction just looks cheap to me and not worth the money. Camp Chef looks better and has a couple decent looking grills for $499, but they are smaller than the Austin XL and more of a mid size which I don't want. I even briefly considered the Rec Tec Trail Blazer or Bullseye, but decided the cooking area was just too small on both and the Trail Blazer breaks my budget. I could do it.. but I just don't want to spend more than $500 on a temp solution that is smaller than what I really want.
I should also be clear that I fully understand that for a full size grill for $500 or less none of these will be in the same league as the Rec Tec... and there will certainly be temp swings, but again my current goal is something temporary that will get me smoking now and will get me through one, maybe two years at the most until I can FINALLY get the Rec Tec RT 700.
So this brings me back to the Pit Boss Austin XL. I saw it yesterday at Wallfart and was pretty impressed. The construction seemed really good for the price of $497 (seemed way sturdier and more heavy duty than any of the offerings from GMG regardless of size and price), I liked that it has two meat probes, has a 31 LB hopper, and I also really liked the searing feature as I do plan to grill steaks on it as well, and now I hear they have increased their warranty on all of their pellet grills to 5 years! All of these things have me thinking this is the one (for now lol).
I would love to hear some thoughts from anyone that has one. What is the good, the bad and the ugly on these?
