Which pellet grill I should buy? Traeger, Camp Chef or Req Teq?

[DougE]

The place i bought the grill from threw in the winter cover for no extra cost but a welding blanket would do the trick also. Im not sure what campchef uses as an insulation in their blankets but mine weighs a ton.

Corey

Far as I recall, it's a fiberglass cover. same stuff welding blankets are made from.

The welding blankets are pretty heavy too.

Yeah, it's a little dirty, so I may spring for a new one this fall. It's seen a lot of cooks. To open the grill, I just grab the edges near the top of the lid and fold it up on top.

 

[civilsmoker]

Im not Cory, but I run my Rec Teq all winter in SLC. I think most people with pellet grill run them in the cold and snow. Rec Teq used to sell a cold weather cover that was fitted. I have one and it works great. They stopped selling them because they said it wasn't really needed. the Rec Teq will reach and hold temp in any weather, but when its around freezing or lower it will use more pellets to do so.

Many people use welding blankets for the same purpose because they wont burn.

I also run my RT 1250 in the winter, ran it at -7 deg this past winter with 20-25 mph wind....No problem and didn't need a blanket. FYI the 1250 will go up to 700 ish deg.

 

[CoolbreezeBBQ]

Michigan ranked 3rd for worst winters in US, I’m hoping this Traeger will pull through. I like to smoke meat year round. I’m hoping it will.

 

[CoolbreezeBBQ]

Michigan ranked 3rd for worst winters in US, I’m hoping this Traeger will pull through. I like to smoke meat year round. I’m hoping it will.

 

[1MoreFord]

Another happy Camp Chef SG24 owner here. I really enjoy the features. The pellet dump is great if you want to change to, or try a different pellet and the firepot dump saves a lot of cleanup. It cooks great too. I bought the SG for it's price instead of the WoodWind. You loose two temp probes but I've never missed them.

 

[DougE]

I bought the SG for it's price instead of the WoodWind. You loose two temp probes but I've never missed them.

Same here. An inkbird 4 probe therm is way cheaper than the extra dough the Woodwind goes for.

 

[Curtis Claymont]

Love my Camp Chef. It's an older one (original Woodwind series) and I'd love some of the new features, but it ain't broke and cranks out some great work, so no need to make a change now.

 

[912smoker]

Which model worked the best for you ?
Do you have a favorite of the 2 that you currently have ? I would think that would make your decision much easier.


Keith

Asking again of the OP.

Keith

 

[Robbie71]

Hi! I'm planning to buy the best pellet grill. I need your thoughts on either of these 3 pellet grills or any other ones if you want to recommend them? I would like to buy at Amazon if possible for easy return if the grill has a problem.

1. Traeger pro 780
2. Camp Chef Woodwind 24"
3. Rec Teq RT 700

I just bought a Lone Star Pellet grill but I live in Houston so I went to the factory in Conroe (just north of Houston) so I could see how they are made. I used to own a Memphis builtin but I sold it when I sold my house and would have bought another one but they are now made in China and I wanted to get something made in the USA. I have looked at a lot of pellet grills and the Lone Star is better built that almost anything I looked at. It is all welded together and the only assembly required is bolting on the smoke stack. I think it really deserves a look. The only negative is that there is a 4-5 month wait for delivery.

 

[rileybowler]

Personally I think that Req Tec is way over priced and they have had problems since reorganizing and for the money and features as well as reliability I think that Camp Chef is your best bet and they do have great service. I am sure there will be an abundance of opinions on which is the best. I can say that I have had a Camp Chef for 6 years with no problems and I did purchase the Rec Tec Bullseye and the temp spikes are terrible. Good luck on the choice that you make a have a blessed day.

Hi! I'm planning to buy the best pellet grill. I need your thoughts on either of these 3 pellet grills or any other ones if you want to recommend them? I would like to buy at Amazon if possible for easy return if the grill has a problem.

1. Traeger pro 780
2. Camp Chef Woodwind 24"
3. Rec Teq RT 700

thing that Rec Teq is way over priced and I think they have had problems since being reorganized

Hi! I'm planning to buy the best pellet grill. I need your thoughts on either of these 3 pellet grills or any other ones if you want to recommend them? I would like to buy at Amazon if possible for easy return if the grill has a problem.

1. Traeger pro 780
2. Camp Chef Woodwind 24"
3. Rec Teq RT 700

 

[runway1]

Looks like Rec Teq has a better warranty, after looking at rest of comparison it’s probably necessary. View attachment 637872View attachment 637873

1. Better warranty
2. Made in USA
3. Heavier gage, better materials, beefier construction
4. PID controller (mine holds dead nuts temp. Traegers are all over ±30°)
5. Call for info...an American answers the phone and doesn't transfer you anywhere. No buttons - a friendly human
6. I'm not affiliated in any way. I'm a 3yr owner in socal

NOTE: An opinion is an opinion. All valid and we all have them. I usually don't express mine on forums unless it's clear cut home run and I want to lend folks what I've learned. I smoke OFTEN here in HB, CA. This 3 yr old Recteq looks like it's 3 months old. My buddy's 3 yr old Traeger looks like .....you wouldn't want food from it.

 

[LoydB]

I’ve been doing this research as well, but am going with Lone Star. 100% USA.

 

[JWFokker]

Ignore the RecTec/RecTeq fanboys. They cannot evaluate competing cookers accurately. The only response you'll get is to buy what they bought. Totally unobjective. MAK and Cookshack are better hands down, but they wouldn't know that.

That said, Traeger is just a brand now, owned by an investor, the Traegers now work for Pit Boss.

Camp Chef is still family owned and they're trying to stay competitive.

If you can afford a Traeger look at MAK and Cookshack. Yoder and Camp Chef are also quality. RecTeq is just a marketing machine with unpaid brand evangelists. The brand worship is extremely weird.

 

[runway1]

Ignore the RecTec/RecTeq fanboys. They cannot evaluate competing cookers accurately. The only response you'll get is to buy what they bought. Totally unobjective. MAK and Cookshack are better hands down, but they wouldn't know that.

That said, Traeger is just a brand now, owned by an investor, the Traegers now work for Pit Boss.

Camp Chef is still family owned and they're trying to stay competitive.

If you can afford a Traeger look at MAK and Cookshack. Yoder and Camp Chef are also quality. RecTeq is just a marketing machine with unpaid brand evangelists. The brand worship is extremely weird.

Wow. Thanks for those wild-ass assumptions and poor comparisons, little Fokker.

I've cooked on Traegers and Camp Chefs...I like the CCs, but I felt the RT was clearly better and all American made. But I guess I wouldn't know. MAK ($3200 for RT-700 equiv.) and Yoders ($2139 for equiv) are fantastic and excellent - but clearly a HUGE step up in $$$.

I guess Mr. Fokker isn't understanding a Ferrari isn't a Mazda, but I might be a fanboy, or brand evangelist, I guess.

 

[JWFokker]

You definitely are. RecTeq doesn't do anything different than Camp Chef or Grilla.

And they're assembled in the US. Not made here.

You're clearly a RecTeq brand nut or you wouldn't be so offended when I mention the brand evangelist phenomenon. Don't feel bad. There's a brand cult on the other bbq forum too. Just not your brand.

Comparing RecTeq to Mazda is accurate though. Pit Boss is Honda.

 

[DougE]

Yeah, I see this ending well ................

I chose Camp Chef over the other offerings at my price point, but I don't disparage anyone who made a different choice. Camp Chef, Rec Tec, Weber, and Pit boss all make decent grills for what I was willing to spend and it all came down to what features each offered at my price point.

 

[Ishi]

Of the three listed I wouldn’t own any of them!! Talk about a bummer list and Recjunk would be last on that list due.

 

[Robbie71]

Of the three you mentioned, all of them are made in China. I think you should at least look at some of the grills made in the USA. The two that I am most familiar with are Pits and Spitts Made in Houston Texas and Lonestar Grillz made in Conroe Texas. I have personally been in both shops where they’re made and they quality of these two grills surpass any of the ones you’re talking about. Lonestar Grillz has a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing plant and they are so busy that they’re running 3 to 5 months delivery and people just keep buying them.

 

[Inscrutable]

First, you can make great food on anything (and the reverse also true). Everyone makes decisions based on their own situation and preferences. And the vast majority of folks simply offer info in good faith based on their own experiences, however broad or narrow it may be. You have to take all that for what it’s worth, without the character assassination.

So FWIW and IMO/IME … If I’d been willing to spend the significantly higher cost, I would have a MAK, Pitts & Spitts, or Yoder. (Wasn’t familiar with Lonestar at the time).
After my usual analysis overkill on several brands/models (curse of being an engineer) it came down to CC and RT based on features, cost, and perceived quality … I liked the features on the CC but the RT seemed a bit better built and went with that. Think I’d be happy with either (and probably several others).

 

[JWFokker]

Same here. An inkbird 4 probe therm is way cheaper than the extra dough the Woodwind goes for.

Inkbird is junk. I've owned two of their temp monitors. They both fell apart in less than a year. Cheap plastic held together by cheap glue.