What brands should I stay away from? What should I consider?

[mike243]

Also the swings are engineered into some of these units in order to produce more smoke,

 

[NU2SMOKE]

Some folks make a mountain out of a mole hill and temps swings are common on most smokers and all ovens, folks can be anal about everything under the sun imo, if something works why buy the newest toys lol, they will be out of date before long any way when the new part comes out

I respect your opinion and your right...some people can be anal and I know I am one of them. My thought is if they make a unit that eliminates one variable (temp) then why not? Lets face it...there are a lot of variables that go into great food coming off of a smoker. I never mastered the "art" of maintain a fire. I never had that much time to do so. Now along comes a unit that you literally set it and it does all the work...sign me up. I want to spend what little time I have with this enjoying my friends and family and not hovering over a fire while everybody else gets you enjoy everybody company. The people that do have that mastered I do envy you because you are that much better in this hobby and to do so is not easy.
If you have 2 pellet smokers side by side...one with PID and one without...and I know the one without will put out great food but I have to babysit it more to do so...Ill save for the other....which I did and its what I bought. If somebody cant afford the one with then no problem they will learn its quirks and put out great food as well.
Call me lazy ...I wanted it to be easier...ehh the food is great...LOL

 

[sweetride95]

I put a PID on my Traeger. It now holds +/- 5-7 degrees. Not sure it's made the food any better, but it has helped me focus more on the food. My brain could care less on the make and model of the grill, but the 25+/- temp swings were driving me crazy. A little more homework up front very likely would have driven me to a Grilla or Rec Tec, but until I need to upsize, I am very happy now.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I respect your opinion and your right...some people can be anal and I know I am one of them. My thought is if they make a unit that eliminates one variable (temp) then why not? Lets face it...there are a lot of variables that go into great food coming off of a smoker. I never mastered the "art" of maintain a fire. I never had that much time to do so. Now along comes a unit that you literally set it and it does all the work...sign me up. I want to spend what little time I have with this enjoying my friends and family and not hovering over a fire while everybody else gets you enjoy everybody company. The people that do have that mastered I do envy you because you are that much better in this hobby and to do so is not easy.
If you have 2 pellet smokers side by side...one with PID and one without...and I know the one without will put out great food but I have to babysit it more to do so...Ill save for the other....which I did and its what I bought. If somebody cant afford the one with then no problem they will learn its quirks and put out great food as well.
Call me lazy ...I wanted it to be easier...ehh the food is great...LOL

As you allude to, there are so many variables involved in getting a good result.

Because of this, I want to eliminate as many variables as I can.

As to the position that some pellet grills use temperature swings to their advantage and give more smoke.

Well, few if any pellet grills are going to give the degree of smokiness that a stick burner or WSM, or UDS, is going to give.

However my WSM won't hold temps as tight as my Rec Tec.

I figure that everything is a compromise. In exchange for being able to not have to babysit a smoker or grill, in other words, run my cooks in a pellet grill and being able to do other things in the meantime, I am going to sacrifice some depth of smoke taste when it comes to my foods.

However if I'm going to have to deal with temperature swings, well then what is the point if my reward after dealing with them is the light smoke characteristic of pellet grill food?

I can live with the lighter smoke that a pellet grill gives, and have actually developed a taste for it. I can deal with that in exchange for the convenience of "set it and forget it."

However I'm entirely not willing to deal with light smoke AND watching temps bounce all over the place, same as, if not worse than what I see on my WSM, and for less reward in smoke taste of the finished result.

But I think that the proof is in the pudding, so to speak, and to use a food analogy.

Think about it NU2SMOKE, and anyone else who wishes to comment.

How many people do we see swapping out non PID controllers for PID controllers?

Now, how many times do we hear about someone who bought a grill WITH a PID controller, swapping it out for a non PID controller, supposedly because it gives better smoke flavor?

People can see right through that. Even if the discussion is about "smoke". Again, no pun intended.

Those manufacturers arguing that non PID controlled grills give "more smoke flavor" than do PID controlled grills, because the temperature fluctuations are somehow a "plus" towards getting more smoke flavor, are typically the same exact companies which are "late" to the party in bringing a PID controlled grill to market and to the public.

That above, for me, settles the matter as to which is perceived to be, and IMO accurately so, "better".

If non PID controllers were "better" and gave better "smoke taste", well then people would not be buying PID controlled grills at all.

And those who did buy them, would be lining up to rip out the PID controllers and replace them with non PID controllers.

Of course though, we don't see very many descriptions of this.

Again, check with Rec Tec and others like Smoke Daddy who sell individual PID controllers.

Why are they successful at selling them? Why aren't they aggressively hawking non PID controllers, and telling people how good the food cooked with them taste vs food cooked on PID controlled grills and selling non PID controllers individually?

 

[NU2SMOKE]

Well My first smoker was a gift from my wife for our anniversary 5 years ago. A 40" MES. All she knew was I wanted a smoke but never once did I say which one I wanted. She got me that because it was elec and held temps easily and it had Blu-tooth and she know im A TECHIE JUNKIE. The woman knows me well... I have told here every day the other than my kids...its the best gift I was ever given and we enjoyed it thoroughly. It doesn't produce tons of smoke (unless you try to use pellets and then it almost catches fire...dont ask me how I know) and I loved the food it made. To me the smoke was just right.

Ya know S SlowmotionQue you have a stampede and I have the Bull...both of which has the super smoke setting so if I am looking to really pour it on then I set the first hour to super smoke then set the temp. Comes out perfectly. Did you see the smoke ring on those ribs...LOL

I love my grill and I hope everybody loves the model they chose for whatever reason they chose it. But when I'm asked what grill....REC TEC for me it is!

 

[TXvet]

All great points. I think I’ve decided on a smaller unit with a PID controller, just to get started. I’m brand new and could use the consistency the PIDs bring. If nexessary, I’ll toss on a pellet tube for some extra smoke. But I need to learn on something that’s as easy as possible. Need less stress is my life. Not more. Lol. Thanks for everyone’s input. It’s a great community, for sure.

 

[NU2SMOKE]

All great points. I think I’ve decided on a smaller unit with a PID controller, just to get started. I’m brand new and could use the consistency the PIDs bring. If nexessary, I’ll toss on a pellet tube for some extra smoke. But I need to learn on something that’s as easy as possible. Need less stress is my life. Not more. Lol. Thanks for everyone’s input. It’s a great community, for sure.

If ya get the Rec Tec...no pellet tube needed I promise. And the food is amazing! Not to mention...there is an entire forum dedicated to them which like here has great people for help and support!

 

[mike243]

1 thing that always make me laugh is folks claim how great a company's customer service is, do folks just call them up to say hey and thanks? I would have thought you call when you have some kind of problem lol and that's not just grills or smokers I see it about just about any product.

 

[Fishonshawn]

1 thing that always make me laugh is folks claim how great a company's customer service is, do folks just call them up to say hey and thanks? I would have thought you call when you have some kind of problem lol and that's not just grills or smokers I see it about just about any product.

Yeah you do call them when there is an issue. It's how they handle it that makes them good. Your usually already in a sour mood having an issue with a product ( which can and does happen with any product from any company) but some companies handle those issues better than others. Some blame you for the issue, some might act like its your fault but will replace it anyways and others apologize for the issue and try to go out of their way to not only replace or fix the issue but then give you something for your troubles. I don't quite get your post, are you saying that it shouldn't matter how the customer service is because you shouldn't have an issue to begin with?

 

[mike243]

folks brag about how great their grill or smoker or any thing is then tell how great customer service treated them, what made them have to contact them in the first place?

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

folks brag about how great their grill or smoker or any thing is then tell how great customer service treated them, what made them have to contact them in the first place?

I bought my Vision Grill at a discount because it was a display model. During its time as a display model one of the side trays was broken. I called Vision and they sent me a replacement free of charge.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

folks brag about how great their grill or smoker or any thing is then tell how great customer service treated them, what made them have to contact them in the first place?

Sometimes it’s just questions on operating the product.

Or better put, misinterpretation as to how to properly operate it and what’s to be expected during normal operation, and in turn perceiving an “issue”, which might not be one and calling about that.

Other times it may be a simple question about operation.

And yes, as with anything designed, delivered or built with human hands, genuine issues can developed and there may be inquiries and concerns with those.

It is in how all of the above are managed which separates Rec Tec’s customer service for their products from some of the others.

Furthermore, and just as importantly, it’s in the relative “scarcity” of issue described in their products, as well as the “scarcity of of problems of certain types”, ie “common problems”, found in their product offerings, as compared to too many of their competitors.

 

[NU2SMOKE]

The only problem I have with Rec Tec is their advertising....THEY DONT! I came across them by accident and then found out thru word of mouth how great they were. Had I known about them 6 months ago I would have bought it 6 months ago. Hmmm a company that now 10+years old...growing fast that does no advertising....That has to speak volumes to their quality to me!

 

[gmc2003]

folks brag about how great their grill or smoker or any thing is then tell how great customer service treated them, what made them have to contact them in the first place?

Electronics can go bad it's a fact of life.
Moving parts can jam it's a fact of life.
Parts wear out it's a fact of life.
Items get damaged in delivery it's a fact of life.
Not every smoker is tested before it ships it's a fact of life.
Some incompetent employee at a store doesn't put the smoker together correctly. It's a fact of life.
The owner could just be a complete dolt. It's a fact of life.

There are many other examples. It doesn't matter why the call was made. It's how the company resolves/handles the issue. I'd much rather deal with a company that is open to helping then one that gives you the run-around.

Chris

Chris

 

[NU2SMOKE]

Electronics can go bad it's a fact of life.
Moving parts can jam it's a fact of life.
Parts wear out it's a fact of life.
Items get damaged in delivery it's a fact of life.
Not every smoker is tested before it ships it's a fact of life.
Some incompetent employee at a store doesn't put the smoker together correctly. It's a fact of life.
The owner could just be a complete dolt. It's a fact of life.

There are many other examples. It doesn't matter why the call was made. It's how the company resolves/handles the issue. I'd much rather deal with a company that is open to helping then one that gives you the run-around.

Chris

Chris

AMEN!!

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Electronics can go bad it's a fact of life.
Moving parts can jam it's a fact of life.
Parts wear out it's a fact of life.
Items get damaged in delivery it's a fact of life.
Not every smoker is tested before it ships it's a fact of life.
Some incompetent employee at a store doesn't put the smoker together correctly. It's a fact of life.
The owner could just be a complete dolt. It's a fact of life.

There are many other examples. It doesn't matter why the call was made. It's how the company resolves/handles the issue. I'd much rather deal with a company that is open to helping then one that gives you the run-around.

Chris

Chris

Well said.

And if I’m not mistaken, you own a MAK.

One of the most respected pellet grills out there, and yes, as well made as they are and as good of a reputation that they enjoy, still it’s not impossible for things to go wrong with them sometimes.

I recall Baby Back Maniac posting up about a WiFi connection issue he initially had with his.

But what you said above, is on point.

It’s in how the company handles those issues which will inevitably come up from time to time.

 

[gmc2003]

Sorry no MAK here. I'm a Weberholic.

Thanks
Chris

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Sorry no MAK here. I'm a Weberholic.

Thanks
Chris

Yeah, that's right. I must have gotten you mixed up with someone else.

At any rate, even the most highly regarded machines can have a problem now and then

 

[bregent]

Hmmm a company that now 10+years old...growing fast that does no advertising....That has to speak volumes to their quality to me!

That's incorrect, they've been advertising heavily on the web for years. Until very recently, they would always appear first in any search results for any brand of pellet grill. Other manufactures have realized they need to also pay to avoid getting bumped by RecTec in search results. But they still pay for premium ad placements on google and other search engines, youtube, etc. Nothing wrong with it, that's how you advertise these days.

 

[TXvet]

So I hate to throw a wench in things- I thought I had made up my mind. But a local outdoor store just announced a decent sale on their Green Mountsin Grills. I hadn’t thought about them much but I can get a Daniel Boone with WIFI for $649. So thy marked it down $150 but I’m not sold. I’m seen a lot of people online talking about quality issues, wide temp swings, even really uneven temps across the grill grate.

What do y’all think about the GMG? I can certainly get a larger cooking surface (taller too for turkeys, bee can chickens, etc.) for less money. Features seem to be comparable. Should I pick one up on sale or pass them by?