Scored a Traeger BBQ075 cheap

[migraine]

went to Habitat 4 Humanity's Restore(Sacramento, Ca) yesterday and picked up a Traeger BBQ075 for $300.  Wife convinced me to buy it. It is in full working order and used maybe once (was a return form Costco)  I just need a manual and a drip bucket and pellets.  They had a little one for $160.  People were practically fighting over that one.  Now, it's time to learn a new method.

Any recommendations for pellet brands?   Todd's are probably too costly for bulk heating/smoking

I need to break it in this week because the wife is having work friends this coming weekend.  Maybe a pork roast and bacon wrapped chicken skewers as a backup plan .

Thanks, Brian

 

[graywolf1936]

Brian, I am just down the road from you, pastDavis. I get Q pellets from Dees meats in Gault. Really like them. You can find them on the Web.

 

[thomas phillips]

You can order 20 pounds bags of pellets from traegers website for about $20

http://www.traegergrills.com/

I wouldn't use heating pellets for cooking though (just from what I have read)

-Thomas

 

[seenred]

Hey Brian...nice score!  Congrats on the new toy.  

For pellets, graywolf is steering you in the right direction, although i haven't personally tried Q Pellets.  Its generally best to find local dealers to buy your pellets so you can avoid shipping costs.  Some of the more popular brands include Lumberjack, CookinPellets, BBQr's Delight, Q Pellets, GMG (there's probably others I'm forgetting).  You should be able to use their websites to do a dealer search...and hopefully find a dealer near you.  I found a brand called B&B pellets at my local Academy Sports and Outdoor.  They are said to be rebranded BBQrs Delight, for around $11 per 20 lb. bag.

Red

 

[captain bandana]

Hey Brian - nice purchase, congratulations.

Does your 075 have the rectangular pellet hopper or the older round one? If it is round, then it won't need the drip bucket. Also, be careful if you  buy the lower shelf and the folding front shelf because they won't fit. The problem is that the legs on the older units (round hopper) are on the outer corners of the unit and the legs on the new units are set inside about an inch on either end. I was able to get an old-style wire fixed front shelf for mine and then I modified the lower shelf by adding 1x1x1/8 aluminum angle along the length of the shelf so it could reach the brackets that are attached to the legs. (In fact, the lower shelf does a great job of strengthening the whole unit and preventing the legs from 'corkscrewing' when you are moving it).

I have decided not to buy the Traeger pellets because a) they are expensive and b) I believe the supplier for Traeger adds flavored oil to the pellets and I prefer a natural smoke. But, just don't buy heating pellets - they are not hard enough and the sawdust will eventually clog the auger. No big deal but it's an afternoon and a bottle of wine to dismantle it all and free it up! I know!!

Regardless of all that, I love my Traeger and I know you will also. Check out the cold-smoke attachment once you've mastered some of the other basics. And, the Traeger service guys in Oregon are brilliant. Their website will give you the phone number. 

Smoke on, Brian!

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Congrats on the new to you rig, pellet grills are fun! Enjoy !

 

[migraine]

Thanks to your and others' replies

. 

This is a new(er) model, I think.  square hopper box   Built 5-31-2013.

I spoke with Taeger today and they told me that it is covered under warranty for 3 years because  H4H sold it to me.   We'll see if and when I need warranty and how they work with me at that time.

I don't have the manual and the online version is basically 13 pages.  I started to browse the internet and came across pellethead dot com  and people started talking about setting p0-p5(?) so there must be other info that I'm not seeing.   

I bought a bag of pellets today so I'm heading out back to fire it up.  The lawn mowing can wait till tomorrow

I'm now wondering if my masterbuilt analog will become the "red headed step child"...

does anyone use a amazn pellet tray with a their Taeger?

-Brian

 

[seenred]

does anyone use a amazn pellet tray with a their Taeger?

-Brian

I use the amazin tube in my Rec Tec.  I tried the tray, but it just didn't perform as well as the tube.

Red

 

[migraine]

Thanks for the reply.

I guess I'll wait for the next sale on the Amazn site

I tried running the traeger yesterday afternoon and the auger would only turn sporadically and needed a little help.  So I started poking around trying to trouble shoot.  I found some rough gouges on the edges of the auger and figure it must have jammed and broke the drive unit.  Sure enough, opened up the gear box and there was a gear/flywheel that had broken teeth.

I called traeger and said "no problem, we'll sent out a new drive unit tomorrow."  They didn't need me to send it back, or want to see a picture. 

Great customer service!

 

[seenred]

 
Thanks for the reply.

I guess I'll wait for the next sale on the Amazn site

I tried running the traeger yesterday afternoon and the auger would only turn sporadically and needed a little help.  So I started poking around trying to trouble shoot.  I found some rough gouges on the edges of the auger and figure it must have jammed and broke the drive unit.  Sure enough, opened up the gear box and there was a gear/flywheel that had broken teeth.

I called traeger and said "no problem, we'll sent out a new drive unit tomorrow."  They didn't need me to send it back, or want to see a picture. 

Great customer service!

Its always nice to hear when a company stands behind their product and takes care of customer problems no questions asked.

Red

 

[captain bandana]

No fooling, Red.

I can't say enough about the great folks I have met in the Customer Service Department at Traeger - especially the guys that talked me through the auger freeze-up problem I had when I bought my used (older) 075 unit. They directed me to a great video on the web that walked me through the whole dismantling process and also told me I would wish that my fingers were smaller when trying to get at the drive screw that holds the auger to the motor shaft. How right they were!

 

[catchyname]

I get Bear Mountain pellets from Cash and Carry just near downtown off of Richards blvd, they are like $10 a bag there, oh and tons of cheap bulk meat prices there too.

 

[migraine]

Thank you for the reference. I had already picked up some there last weekend.

I have access to Restaurant Depot just down the street.  A friend has an Indian restaurant in Davis

BTW, One block down Richards is 10th st.  At the end is Habitat 4 Humanity.  That's where I got the Traeger.

If your a local, it's not a bad place to browse around.   You never know what you will find.

-Brian

 

[catchyname]

I live a few miles Sac State so not too far, I've never heard of that place.

 

[migraine]

Here's a heads up you or anyone else considering a pellet grill:

I was just at Habitat 4 Humanity in Sacramento and they have 2 med size units for $250 each. They have been used and look in pretty good shape. But, I don't recall seeing covers for them  Traeger has been to me in dealing with parts.   They are backing mine with a 3 year coverage.  The guys at H4H have said they have good experience with them, too.

 

[captain bandana]

One thing about a Traeger Grill that I have experienced is that when you put the control on 'smoke' it will smoke. But, that may not be an indication that the auger is actually feeding pellets into the burner. When you are considering a used unit, please be sure to run the unit long enough to see that the auger is actually feeding the burner. Smoke on!