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BGE vs. Traeger?

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QDude
QDude Posts: 1,052
in EggHead Forum
I have an XL and a small already but my wife won't use them - too much work for her.

For those of you who have tried a pellet smoker, like a Traeger, are the results comparable?  I'm guessing that the Egg will come out better most of the time.  

The reason that I ask, it that a local hardware store has a Traeger at half price and I was thinking about adding it to the arsenal.  Thanks for any advic eyou may have.

Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • revolver1
    revolver1 Posts: 372
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    I have two in-laws with Traegers and they love them.  
    Dan, Columbia,Mo.
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  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,194
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    Only negative I have heard is pellet cost. Sounds like a good deal.
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  • logchief
    logchief Posts: 1,415
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    I was about ready to buy one, when I found the Egg.  Friend has one and loves it, but you just can't get the really hot fire like the egg, but they're pretty easy to use.  I'm sure glad I went with the Egg though.


    LBGE - I like the hot stuff.  The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA 
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  • BigWader
    BigWader Posts: 673
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    My dad has a pellet smoker.  Seems really easy to use - no soot all over the side tables, no 30-60 min wait for clean smoke.  His has the option for a digital temp control which would make it really really easy.

    Only downside is the limitation of hopper size for long low and slow cooks.  Some people add on to the hopper for all nighters - otherwise needs a refill every few hours. 

    Toronto, Canada

    Large BGE, Small BGE

     

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  • weekender
    weekender Posts: 61
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    I do not own a Traeger, but my buddies own them so I have some experience with them. 

    They are good for smoking and lower temps (below 400F), but you have to watch the pellets as sometimes the auger does not feed them.  Also it takes a long time to get to the higher temps and you cannot sear anything.   Some of the versions only have a low, medium and high setting so you have to take the temp it gives you which means if you are smoking you may be above the temp you want and cannot do anything to change this. 

    Good units, but I prefer the versatilty of the Egg.  Also prefer the lump vs, pellets.

    Northwest GA, Large BGE (w/Nest), Plate Setter

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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
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    My brother has one and for the most part he likes it. However if it is windy, the fire seems to become problematic. One more than one occasion he has had the fire burn out, then the pellets keep dropping and it reignites and spikes way over temp. Not foolproof all the time.

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,615
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    are they smoke only or are there neutral pellets that just generate heat without imparting a strong smoke flavor?
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  • weekender
    weekender Posts: 61
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    You can get different types of pellets based upon what you are cooking.  The smoke setting will produce the most smoke flavor, while the Med and High settings (or other temps) will be less smoke flavor, but still some depending upon the type. 

    Northwest GA, Large BGE (w/Nest), Plate Setter

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  • gabriegger
    gabriegger Posts: 682
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    Sort of an odd forum for this discussion - however - not a fan of Traeger.  Have eaten food cooked by a pitmaster and although good, nothing compares to the food from an Egg.  Besides, they are ugly as all get out to look at.  The Egg is a great conversation piece.

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

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  • scottc454
    scottc454 Posts: 94
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    They don't produce very much smoke flavor. I think it's because of the fan constantly blowing over the meat - it doesn't give the smoke a chance to land. 


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  • PNWFoodie
    PNWFoodie Posts: 1,046
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    I had one and...meh. Slow cooks were fine, higher ones, not so much. Both my friend and my sister have one and love it though, so YMMV.
    XL, JR, and more accessories than anyone would ever need near Olympia, WA
    Sandy
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  • bwarner
    bwarner Posts: 23
    edited October 2014
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    The electric components seem to fail- auger and igniter. What will you do when the dealer is closed?

    Buy the egg you won't regret it

    Besides are you really grilling. Just like propane or natural gas grill.

    Buy the EGG.

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  • bo_mull
    bo_mull Posts: 363
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    I say if you got the green then go for it. I want one of everything in my arsenal. Pellet cooker, Blackstone griddle, and most of all a Stumps gravity feed smoker,  

    Cleveland, TN.

    LG BGE, PSWOO2, Stoker WIFI.

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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,615
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    lol, read the original post.  he has eggs, wife doesn't like to use them herself, wants something more simple.  not an egg vs traeger thing, but are traeger's good, good for wife to use
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  • tkleager
    tkleager Posts: 539
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    gabriegger, this one is kinda cute.

    image
    Know people who swear by them, but I haven't enjoyed the food off of one.
    No Name City, just between Scottsbluff and Mitchell, NE   Crown!  More Crown!
    Egg: 1 Large with 18" BGE CI Grid, Plate Setter, Lg V-Rack
    Maverick ET-73 and Bear Paws
    Eggheads Everywhere Map
    Eggheads Everywhere Stat Sheet
    Barbecue is the answer, but while you’re waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions. – Woody Allen
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,025
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    I would imagine clean up is a pain in the arse.
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • cactus_darrell
    cactus_darrell Posts: 68
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    I have a Treager and been cooking on it for 8 years.  It is very easy to use and I have cooked some great BBQ on it.  A full load of pellets will last at least 16+ hours on a 225 setting. I think mine holds about 15 lbs. I have found it produces a very dry heat compared to the Egg.  Steaks are great as long as you do a reverse sear. I think it is a lot easier to cook on compared to the Egg, especially if you are a newbe to smoking.   The learning curve is really minimal with the Treager. As far as smoke flavor I have found the brand of pellets you use has a direct relation to the amount of smoke.  Treager brand really does a better job than any other I have tried. For slow low cooking it is excellent. I have been struggling with my Egg to achieve a 200 -225 cook.  I have over smoked a couple of cooks with the Egg so far. Clean up on the Treager is very simple also as long as you cover the drip shield with foil.  I don't have hardly creosote build up in the Treager,  I attribute this to the efficient fire box. In 8 years I have had to replace the igniter (hot rod) one time, bought the part on ebay for less than 15 dollars installed myself. My model was built in USA and I think they are now produced in China.  Dealing with the service depart was great, they walked me through replacing the hot rod and were very helpful and friendly. It took me less than 15 min to replace. The Egg is a great cooking machine, especially for high heat cooks.  I really like the moisture the meat retains.  I think the cost of fuel may be pretty close between the 2.  I have had the Egg for 2 months now and used 4 - 20lb bags of lump.  Mostly steaks and chicken,  and couple of 5 hr cooks. Both are great cookers, wouldn't sell either. Both have their types of cooking they are better at. This is just my opinion, so please don't take any offense.  Cactus darrell

    BGE, Treager LilTex, Terinan 48 SOB, Custom electric smoker, Weber kettle, Weber gas grill, Masterbuilt SS smoker, last but not least UDS

    I've never meet a cow I didn't like, with a little salt and pepper.

    Amarillo, Texas

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  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
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    If you want a pellet grill that cooks like a egg get a black olive. I wish I could give a review on it but I have been waiting on my dealer @DaveShady‌ to get me one for the same reason as it would be easier for the mrs. But be forwarded they are around 1600.00
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
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  • Grillin_beers
    Grillin_beers Posts: 1,345
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    Can I ask what it is she is having a problem with? My wife won't use the egg, but then again my wife can't use the stove. On a related note @badinfluence needs another grill liked need my wife to have a positive pregnancy test, lol! Just kidding buddy your egg collection is an inspiration to us all, or me at least. I want a picture of the whole "family" that I can use as a motivational poster for my marketing team!
    1 large BGE, Spartanburg SC

    My dog thinks I'm a grilling god. 
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    Like comparing Peyton Manning to Ryan Leaf. ... looks jk broski. My neighbor has one but it is limited.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • RickyBobby
    RickyBobby Posts: 744
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    @badinfluence‌ ~ There is a black olive in my area that a dealer has marked down to $1000 ... I was considering it. I wonder how long a smoke a fella gets on that thing with a full hopper of pellets? I almost bought the black olive couple years back and then decided to go with my XL egg ... it still intrigues me. Wish you wouldn't have mentioned it. Now I'm wondering about it again!
    My PitMaster IQ120 FREAKIN ROCKS!!!!!!! Current BGE arsenal: XL & MiniMax
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  • BearQ
    BearQ Posts: 174
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    I've had a Treager for approx 5 years and a WSM for 3. My Treager has a digital thermostat and holds temps very well. It's a set & forget cook you only need to keep an eye on the hopper, @ 225 on a cold winter day the hopper will go approx 4 hours or so, on a hot summer day I've gone 8 hours + without replenishing. The best that I can say is that for large meats like pork butts and brisket where your not likely to get a lot of smoke penetration the Treager is great. Ribs, chicken and faster cooks are infinitely better on the WSM and BGE due to a better smoke flavour. The Treager pellets no matter what flavour you get are mostly Alder with the named hardwood added. The Treager is a low & slow device, although they advertise turning it on high for steaks and stuff I've never had mine past 350 and then Only to finish.
    Barrie,Ont.,Canada.
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    We sell both. If you get a Treager, make sure you get the digital thermo. There are ways to increase and decrease the burn rates by pushing a small button on the control unit. This gives you better results for high heat and allows you to do real cold smoking if you want. The units come preset in the middle setting, I believe. The results are good, although not quite on par with the Egg.
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  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
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    @RickyBobby‌ i would be all over it. Thing about the tr eager i don't like is wind and cold weather REALLY affect the performance of it.
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
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  • mcmac
    mcmac Posts: 496
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    I have a couple of Traegers and have purchased a couple more for our parents to use as they are very easy to operate.
    I am a fan of them and think they produce pretty good BBQ. Just so easy to use. The primary downside that I see, and has already been addressed here, is they don't get real hot... no searing on a Traeger. If you want more of a smoky flavor, leaving it on the smoke setting longer helps do the trick. If you can get one for half price I would personally jump on it. 
    From a reliability standpoint, I have replaced both hot rods (the rod that initially lights the pellets) and some temp probes in the units. They units are easy to work on should any of the components malfunction. 
    The Egg pros are they retain heat much better, will last a lot longer, nothing electrical to malfunction, and of course they can sear those steaks we all love to eat. 

    If you or your wife ever want to just go push a button to get the firing going, then a Traeger is worth the price of admission.
    Hope this helps a little.
    XL BGE -  Med BGE - Mini BGE - Traeger Pellet Grills

     Hillsboro OR
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  • bcsnave
    bcsnave Posts: 1,009
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    bwarner said:

    The electric components seem to fail- auger and igniter. What will you do when the dealer is closed?

    Buy the egg you won't regret it

    Besides are you really grilling. Just like propane or natural gas grill.

    Buy the EGG.

    @bwarner...he already has 2 eggs....read the original post

    The Dude..a Mini and a Large Egg..a DigiQ DX (BGE Green)..some Cast Iron...a Thermapen.............and an Ol' Fashion

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Glenbeulah, WI

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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    @QDude‌
    Brother dude, I can't speak for the Traeger as I have never personally used one. However the Yoder 1500 can more than hold it's own with any smoker out there. It also lends its self well to grilling as it can hit 700+ degrees. Not to bad for a pellet pooper. I have been considering getting one myself. Build quality is top tier as well.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • RickyBobby
    RickyBobby Posts: 744
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    SGH said:

    @QDude‌
    Brother dude, I can't speak for the Traeger as I have never personally used one. However the Yoder 1500 can more than hold it's own with any smoker out there. It also lends its self well to grilling as it can hit 700+ degrees. Not to bad for a pellet pooper. I have been considering getting one myself. Build quality is top tier as well.



    Yep, Yoder would be my choice in a pellet cooker
    My PitMaster IQ120 FREAKIN ROCKS!!!!!!! Current BGE arsenal: XL & MiniMax
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  • RickyBobby
    RickyBobby Posts: 744
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    .... other than the black olive which is ceramic
    My PitMaster IQ120 FREAKIN ROCKS!!!!!!! Current BGE arsenal: XL & MiniMax
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    No question of it. At the moment they are unchallenged.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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