First pellet smoker advice

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tenny80

New member
I am looking at getting my first grill and have about a 1000 to spend. I was originally looking at a weber bbq but I think I'd rather try something different and the reviews on these seem very positive.

I am leaning towards a lil tex traeger but am open to other ideas as well.

I am concerned about them being made cheaper now and also a bit confused about it. The legs i've read are no longer welded on.. I see that almost as a positive... if a leg gets bent I can replace it. I don't want to spend a $1000 on something unless it's going to last me 10 years. This will also be my only outdoor cooking equipment so would i be better off with a propane bbq?
 
TentHunter

TentHunter

Moderator
Tenny,

First, welcome to the forum!

If you can swing the extra $299, look at the MAK 1 Star. It'll be the best $299 investment you'll make in a grill purchase.
 
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rsp076

New member
Like mentioned above. If you can spend a little extra money the Mak 1 star is a good choice and the Rec Tec is another good choice. Try to stay away from Traeger they are not anywhere as good as they were 5 years ago.
 
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Stone

New member
Tenny, I would give Big Poppa a call - he won't steer you wrong.

I moved from a Weber to a MAK 2 star pellet grill. I am amazed at the versatility and the overall improvement and variety in my cooking. This past week I cooked a 13hr pork shoulder, planked halibut with asparagus, and amazing burgers. It really does do it all. Plus the customer service you get from Big Poppa as well as MAK is second to none. Really top notch. If you can swing the MAK, you'll be stoked. But realize it will become an addiction, so use caution!


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tenny80

New member
thanks guys, have reading a lot of good things about the mak and a lot of negatives about the new treagers.

Problem is that I live in Canada though,t here is a dealer a few minutes from my house for the traegers and i cant even find anywhere in canada that even sells the maks.
 
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RemoGaggi

New member
I have had the opportunity to see the new Traegers side by side with the MAK and I must say there is absolutely no comparison - do what you can to save a few more bucks and get the MAK. BTW, I have a Traeger (070 - USA Made) and my Traeger is built like a tank compared to the new Lil Tex. But, in looking at the MAK, it is clearly a superior piece of equipment compared to my USA Traeger.
 
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tenny80

New member
mak grill is out as i cant get one here.

what about the green mountain grills? there is a dealer a couple of hours away.

the thing i like about the traeger is 3 year warranty and about 20 places that sell them locally. the one place even does over the counter parts for warranty issues for the full 3 years.
 
51Phantom

51Phantom

New member
I am in Canada as well so our choices are limited unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for shipping. I bought a Green Mountain Grill- Daniel Boone. i know it is not quite on the same field as the MAK products but it is still a fine smoker and much better than the Traeger IMO.

rules of the road...edited post
 
Scallywag

Scallywag

New member
tenny80 said:
thanks guys, have reading a lot of good things about the mak and a lot of negatives about the new treagers.

Problem is that I live in Canada though,t here is a dealer a few minutes from my house for the traegers and i cant even find anywhere in canada that even sells the maks.
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I'm in Canada and BP sold me my MAK, as a previous Traeger owner I can honestly say the MAK blows it away. As far as shipping costs it was verey reasonable and worth it to get a grille I will likely own for many many years.
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
51Phantom said:
I am in Canada as well so our choices are limited unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for shipping. I bought a Green Mountain Grill- Daniel Boone. i know it is not quite on the same field as the MAK products but it is still a fine smoker and much better than the Traeger IMO. There are dealers for the GMG in Canada. you could get a GMG DB for under $1000
Click to expand...

Hey could you please refresh the rules of the road...we really discourage talking about where to buy something and how much thanks a bunch
 
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tenny80

New member
thanks for all of the advice guys, I think after thinking it all over I am going to go with the lil tex elite.

I know it's not as good of a grill, but being available locally is just such a huge plus for me. Being able to go get the part I need 10 minutes from my house compared to having to order a part from another country and have to deal with customs and brokerage fees is the biggest factor.
 
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tenny80

New member
thanks! bought it this morning. They are delivering it this afternoon. Going to order the grill grate and some spices from you!
 
Jables

Jables

New member
I live in Canada as well. Cooking on a lil tex. Pellet cooking is an addiction, and the lil tex will get that rolling. I've had it for almost two years. One of these days I'm going to give BP a call and arrange to pick up a two star from the factory. 400 miles and 12 hours away from me, but totally worth it.
 
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