# Pitmaster IQ 110



## cabin fever

As some of you may know I bought a Pitmaster IQ 110 a few weeks ago and have had nothing but problems with the unit so I ended up shipping it back. The company just sent me an e-mail saying that they received the 110 and tested it out. They said there was absolutely nothing wrong with my unit or the probe and that they could either send it back to me or offer a 50% refund. I opted for the refund. The 110 is an extremely simple unit to use and I did everything I was told to do and then some, but I had the same results each and every time.

I burned through three 23 pound bags of Kingsford doing six test cooks with the 110. My WSM leaks a good bit from the access door and around the bottom of the lid, but then again so do most WSM's. As a matter of fact I don't know of many smokers that are truly 100% air tight, but apparently they need to be for the 110 to work properly. This still doesn't explain why the fan would continue to run almost constantly resulting in all of the charcoal catching fire.

One would think that when up to temp the fan would just barely run to keep the fire going. Anyway, a lot of people own these units and are completely happy with them, but for some reason it didn't work out for me so I ended up wasting some money. Just remember folks, you get what you pay for.


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## SmokinAl

Thanks for your honesty. In my opinion any company that won't give a full refund on their product is not a company that I would do business with. With the number of people on this forum, I would't think they would want to have a bad reputation here. You were very diplomatic pointing out that many people had success with their unit, but why leave a bad taste in your mouth by not giving you a full refund. Is one sale going to break them? One dissatisfied customer does more damage to your business than 100 satisfied ones do it good.


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## jirodriguez

Sorry to hear about that. I agree with Al, it would be nice if companies would actually stand behind their product .


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## alelover

That sux dude. I agree with Al as well. Some companies just don't get it. They will throw away $100 to save $1.


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## cabin fever

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I'm one of the nicest guys you could ever meet and I always tried to be fair when talking about my issues here with the iQue 110. Oddly enough though, when they emailed me back with the options of either a return or 50% refund, they pointed out that they had sold several of these units all over the country and that I was the only one to ever have an issue. Not very classy. Oh well, it is what it is.


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## michael ark

It takes years to gain a loyal costumer base and only seconds to lose it.With the Internet now word of mouth is a whole new ball game.You should of videoed the test runs posted here as a review and you tubed it . A picture is worth a thousand words so video would be worth at least a million.Then they would have been more hospitable to their units short comings.


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## scarbelly

I would send them a note refererencing this site and the bad publicity they are getting as a result of their decision to not give you a complete refund or at a minimum 75% since you did use it a few times. If it works so well they can clean it up and sell it as refurbished to recoup their costs.


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## cabin fever

Scarbelly said:


> I would send them a note refererencing this site and the bad publicity they are getting as a result of their decision to not give you a complete refund or at a minimum 75% since you did use it a few times. If it works so well they can clean it up and sell it as refurbished to recoup their costs.




I tried that buddy, believe me. They told me the best they could do for a refund was 50% as they could only demo the used unit since they can't re-sell it. At this point I'm just washing my hands of this ordeal and moving on.


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## scarbelly

Man that sucks. Just do a bump on this thread every few months to warn other folks off


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## smoke em out

I Own 2 and have never had a problem and I bought mine back in November.


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## SmokinAl

Smoke Em Out said:


> I Own 2 and have never had a problem and I bought mine back in November.




What kind of smoker are you using them on? Why don't you swing over to roll call & introduce yourself.


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## flyweed

Cabinfever...thanks for posting this...I too have read alot of GOOD reviews for this product, and a few negative ones too.  Both the Stoker and BBQ Guru are tried and true pieces of equipment with good backing from lots of people. so not sure what unit I am going to go with now

I did contact the Pitmaster people and they were very eager to sell me a setup  I value your honest, and intelligent opinion on your experience with this unit.

I cannot believe they wouldn't issue you a full refund (even minus shipping).  They could have cleaned the unit up a bit, and maybe add the unit to their "for sale" list as a scratch and dent unit, or a refurbished unit.  Lots of companies do that, and it works out great for all involved.  Heck..they could have just said "the customer is always right" given you a new probe with the unit, and maybe that would have solved the issues....don't know, but it's what I would have tried.

I think I'll be writing to them and doing a copy and paste to this thread link to they can see the negative press they are receiving for what should have been a very simple "fix" on their part.

I did read their "satisfaction guarantee"..it's a bit misleading...First they say they'll give you a 90 day refund on faulty or defective units.....BUT...further down..they say if the unit has been used, it cannot be returned....well my question is...how do you know it's faulty or defective IF you don't use it????????


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## smoke em out

SmokinAl said:


> What kind of smoker are you using them on? Why don't you swing over to roll call & introduce yourself.
> 
> I use mine on two 22.5" WSMs. I saw these guys at the "Jack" last year and really liked there setup so I went with it. I also had a Guru but sold it once I purchased two of these. In my honest opinion these work great.


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## smoke em out

flyweed said:


> Cabinfever...thanks for posting this...I too have read alot of GOOD reviews for this product, and a few negative ones too.  Both the Stoker and BBQ Guru are tried and true pieces of equipment with good backing from lots of people. so not sure what unit I am going to go with now
> 
> I did contact the Pitmaster people and they were very eager to sell me a setup  I value your honest, and intelligent opinion on your experience with this unit.
> 
> I cannot believe they wouldn't issue you a full refund (even minus shipping).  They could have cleaned the unit up a bit, and maybe add the unit to their "for sale" list as a scratch and dent unit, or a refurbished unit.  Lots of companies do that, and it works out great for all involved.  Heck..they could have just said "the customer is always right" given you a new probe with the unit, and maybe that would have solved the issues....don't know, but it's what I would have tried.
> 
> I think I'll be writing to them and doing a copy and paste to this thread link to they can see the negative press they are receiving for what should have been a very simple "fix" on their part.
> 
> I did read their "satisfaction guarantee"..it's a bit misleading...First they say they'll give you a 90 day refund on faulty or defective units.....BUT...further down..they say if the unit has been used, it cannot be returned....well my question is...how do you know it's faulty or defective IF you don't use it????????


I have my 2 right now but I am going to be purchasing a 3rd in the next few weeks when I get done with my UDS. I stand by what I said previsouly that the 2 I have now have been working great. I currently use them on 2, 22.5" WSMs with no problems. Here is what I found on their website just now.

"Unless otherwise noted, all pitmasterIQ.com products are warranted against defects in components and manufacturing for ninety (90) days from date of purchase. Failure to use products in manner described in Owner's Manuals will void warranty."
  

So they do carry a warranty if the product is defective, and it sounds like they dont accept returns on used items becuase they dont want joe shmo ordering one and using it for a weekend and then returing it when he is done using it.


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## mdboatbum

Just out of curiosity would you further detail your troubles with it? I've been considering one, and it seems pretty simple and straightforward. How did you set it up and where did you put the probe? You mentioned the fan ran almost constantly, so it seems like either the thermostat or the probe was faulty, or maybe it was directly in the path of the incoming air? Sorry for your troubles, and that is pretty classless of them to handle the situation the way they did.


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## flyweed

After I posted to this thread, I contacted Matt at Pitmaster...I have been in communication with him a few times....as I have been interested in possibly buying one of their units.  He replied promptly to me today, and this is what he had to say:

"My dad and I saw it this morning as well and have tried taking care of it with this guy. His mom called us today to give us his credit card info so we can refund him his money. This guy apparently did not read our return policy page. Thanks again for informing us.

Hope this helps a bit

Dan


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## SmokinAl

I'm glad they finally came to their senses & gave the guy a refund. That was the quickest way to end this whole thing.


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## cabin fever

flyweed said:


> After I posted to this thread, I contacted Matt at Pitmaster...I have been in communication with him a few times....as I have been interested in possibly buying one of their units.  He replied promptly to me today, and this is what he had to say:
> 
> "My dad and I saw it this morning as well and have tried taking care of it with this guy. His mom called us today to give us his credit card info so we can refund him his money. This guy apparently did not read our return policy page. Thanks again for informing us.
> 
> Hope this helps a bit
> 
> Dan


My fiancee ordered the iQue for me as a late birthday gift which is why she had to call and give them her credit card information. What my mother had to do with this I have no idea.


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## hardslicer

guess your fiancee sounds like your mom?  thanks for the heads up on this product....sounds like not something I want to get involved with when there are so many other companies eager for your business......


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## cabin fever

hardslicer said:


> guess your fiancee sounds like your mom?


I'm still trying to wrap my head around that. I don't know why it surprises me at this point but it does.


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## flyweed

Matt said he talked to a "woman"....so he assumed it was your mom I guess.  I guess he could have assumed it was your wife, girlfriend, fiance..whatever...but he said "mom"

Oh well...as long as you got  refund it's all good I think...I think I still would have asked them for a replacement probe, and tried that first.

Dan


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## cabin fever

flyweed said:


> Oh well...as long as you got  refund it's all good I think...I think I still would have asked them for a replacement probe, and tried that first.


When I sent the 110 back and they tested it out, Matt assured me there was absolutely nothing wrong with the probe or the unit itself. That's why I didn't bother ordering a replacement probe.


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## fan1970

I also have had tons of problems with the IQ110, it seems to run about 75* to hot and the blower fan continues to run even when the red light is solid red. In the past I had contacted Pitmaster but was told nothing was wrong and that I need to tape up my inlet/vent pie openings to nearly block all the openings.


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## alaskanbear

Well, with responses from Pitmaster and the likes, I can scratch off one of these on my to-get list. I am a man of my word and refuse to deal with those who only care about the dam dollor and NOT the reputation and/or product.  Shameful in my opinion.

Rich


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## tyotrain

I would have a hard time letting go of my Guru


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## jirodriguez

Makes you appreciate bussinessmen like Todd Johnston even more. He makes a good product and stands behind it 100%, and he is rewarded with lots of good word of mouth.


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## fan1970

I talked with John at Pitmaster this afternoon and they are trying to help me resolve my issues. He was really decent and spent time explaining things to me and is sending me something to try to help me use it with better results on my Big Steel Keg, so we will see how this does.


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## flyweed

yeah, I think the guys at Pitmaster (matt and john) are both decent guys.  They just have a fairly new product that is having some issues, so hopefully they'll be able to work out all the little bugs and offer another great product choice to us smokers.  I don't think they are trying to scam anyone, or not "make good" on their products.

Anyway......I wish them all the luck and hope they can make a go of it.  I'll probably be picking up a Guru in the near future.

Dan


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## carpenter fred

I've been wanting a temperature controller and have been looking at the iq.  I cane across this forum and wanted to get the strait scoop so i called jon at pitmaster.  he said they gave the cabin fever guy a 100% refund.  he also said that there was noting wrong with the controller and that in cabin fevers first post he said the iq worked perfect and he was impressed with it.  he used it yesterday to do a practice cook on chicken and it worked perfect. i have read to many positive reviews and only this one bad. i think im gonna give one a try. more to follow.


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## flyweed

hell...I'd do a full, unbiased review of their product for them, if they'd like....all they gotta do is send me a unit to test out free


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## cabin fever

Carpenter Fred said:


> he also said that there was noting wrong with the controller and that in cabin fevers first post he said the iq worked perfect and he was impressed with it.


I said that at a time when I didn't know that pit control devices are not supposed to run constantly. That was my first time using any kind of pit control unit so as far as I could tell the 110 was doing what it was supposed to do.


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## SmokinAl

Carpenter Fred said:


> I've been wanting a temperature controller and have been looking at the iq.  I cane across this forum and wanted to get the strait scoop so i called jon at pitmaster.  he said they gave the cabin fever guy a 100% refund.  he also said that there was noting wrong with the controller and that in cabin fevers first post he said the iq worked perfect and he was impressed with it.  he used it yesterday to do a practice cook on chicken and it worked perfect. i have read to many positive reviews and only this one bad. i think im gonna give one a try. more to follow.




Why don't you go on over to the roll call section & introduce yourself so we can give you a proper welcome. You sound like you work for IQ.


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## carpenter fred

SmokinAl said:


> Why don't you go on over to the roll call section & introduce yourself so we can give you a proper welcome. You sound like you work for IQ.


please explane the roll call section


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## sqwib

I was gonna stay clear of this thread but had to check it out

Quote from website

_pitmasterIQ.com is here to provide you with tools and information to help make you a BBQ genius!

Our flagship product is the iQue 110 Automatic Temperature Controller. It features a set-it-and-forget-it design to give your charcoal cooker kitchen-oven-like temperature control and stability. In fact, it will give your pit far better temperature control than the vast majority of kitchen ovens! Imagine how easy that makes it to cook smokey, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth ribs, brisket, tenderloin, even burgers! Just dial in the temperature, wait the amount of time specified in the recipe, and just like that your family and friends think you're a BBQ genius!_


_Contact pitmasterIQ.com
Call us during regular business hours CST at (636) 447-7972. Our fax line is (636) 447-8581.

Email general questions to [email protected]
[email protected]_


_Privacy Notice: pitmasterIQ.com respects your privacy. Your contact information will not be shared with anyone. We will only use this information to notify you when new products become available.

Unless otherwise noted, all pitmasterIQ.com products are warranted against defects in components and manufacturing for ninety (90) days from date of purchase. Failure to use products in manner described in Owner's Manuals will void warranty.

We try to ship in-stock products within 48 hours of receipt of order.

Fifteen (15) day money-back guarantee on unused items with all original packaging. A 20% restocking fee will apply. Used items cannot be returned.

Your credit card information is not stored by pitmasterIQ.com._

So the statement in red is basically saying if  you look at it and don't like the way it looks, then you can send it back for a refund minus a 20 percent restocking fee, so if the item is $139.00, you are charged $27.80 for them to place it on the shelf?

But if you use it and it don't perform like it should you get $0.00 back.

So the warranty only applies to defective or unused product, not to customer satisfaction.

Playing devils advocate, the consumer can make the choice not to purchase the product based on the warranty.

Hell I think I'm gonna start my own business.


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## kjlued

SmokinAl said:


> Thanks for your honesty. In my opinion any company that won't give a full refund on their product is not a company that I would do business with. With the number of people on this forum, I would't think they would want to have a bad reputation here. You were very diplomatic pointing out that many people had success with their unit, but why leave a bad taste in your mouth by not giving you a full refund. Is one sale going to break them? One dissatisfied customer does more damage to your business than 100 satisfied ones do it good.


Ding ding ding.

I agree 100%

Not that I planned on buying one at this point, but now I doubt I ever will and I am sure this thread even though I don't think it was the intentions will cost them a few sales.


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## BGKYSmoker

I have a IQ110 on my MC PR36 and have had no problems with it. It holds 225* on the far end of the grill. Very happy with my $150 purchase.


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## jirodriguez

Nepas.... could you help by describing how your IQ normally operates? Does it run non-stop like CabinFever's did? It would be interesting to see if what he was experiencing was the same as the positive results you have gotten.


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## SmokinAl

nepas said:


> I have a IQ110 on my MC PR36 and have had no problems with it. It holds 225* on the far end of the grill. Very happy with my $150 purchase.




Nepas, I thank you for chiming in on this & I'm sure there are far more IQ customers like yourself who are very satisfied with the unit. The fact remains that they did not refund the purchase price of a customer who had a bad experience with their unit until the bad press got to be too much for them. I hope they have learned from this experience & have changed their policy. All you have to do is look at a company like A-MAZE-N smokers to see what customer service should be like.


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## sawzall

Well I have been wanting a temperature controller to use with my WSM and UDS and this was near the top of my list.  Not anymore. with that kind of customer service, they ain't getting any of my money.  Now it's between the Auber and BBQ Guru NanoQ.  I like the price on the Auber but the NanoQ looks a little better quality.


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## michael ark

Good detective work al .I though the same thing.


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## scarbelly

This thread has totally sold me - on someone elses product when I get mine


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## mdboatbum

I think we're not getting the whole story here. I wonder if the temp probe on the offending unit was situated to be in the path of the incoming airflow, thereby cooling it to the point that the fan stayed on. Might explain the Pitmaster guys' assertion that it was perfectly functional. But I agree, the way it was handled by them sounds pretty bush league. Hard to say what's at fault, but it is disappointing to hear that a low cost alternative product might not be all it's cracked up to be.


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## butch cassidy

But the issue is, there was a problem with his unit.   Customer service should have ask a few simple questions, where was it mounted ? Was it blocked? They should know the answers to most problems that someone might have with their product.  They should try to solve any issue with their product. Then work out a solution to the problem. 

I would not look at them seriously about buying their product.


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## exhaustedspark

Well this thread has sold me. I will be putting one of the vipers on my Christmas list. 

Convection cooking the only way to go.


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## BGKYSmoker

I have not had any issues with my pitmasterIQ

The Auber is mor a electric smoker or item where you want the temp controlled at certain times and temps. I use one with my Bradley. Guru can be used with electric or pits but more $


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## sawzall

nepas said:


> I have not had any issues with my pitmasterIQ
> 
> The Auber is mor a electric smoker or item where you want the temp controlled at certain times and temps. I use one with my Bradley. Guru can be used with electric or pits but more $


Auber makes one for charcoal smokers now.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?m...id=170&zenid=90dae4d5e2e63a923f545c2b1967400c

Looks alright for the price.  Aparrently it's basically a fancy PID.


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## BGKYSmoker

sawzall said:


> Auber makes one for charcoal smokers now.
> 
> http://www.auberins.com/index.php?m...id=170&zenid=90dae4d5e2e63a923f545c2b1967400c
> 
> Looks alright for the price.  Aparrently it's basically a fancy PID.




Thats pretty cool to.


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## cabin fever

Mdboatbum said:


> I think we're not getting the whole story here. I wonder if the temp probe on the offending unit was situated to be in the path of the incoming airflow, thereby cooling it to the point that the fan stayed on. Might explain the Pitmaster guys' assertion that it was perfectly functional. But I agree, the way it was handled by them sounds pretty bush league. Hard to say what's at fault, but it is disappointing to hear that a low cost alternative product might not be all it's cracked up to be.


During the first couple of cooks I placed the probe right in the middle of the top grate just as John showed in the installation video on their web site. I too thought it was an issue with airflow hitting the probe so throughout the rest of my test smokes I placed the probe at various other locations around the grate and always had the exact same results.


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## flibble

I am brand new to smoking and received an 18" WSM and a Pitmaster IQ 110. I read the instructions very carefully and in hindsight I'm glad I did. If I had just connected the controller i probably would have been as dissatisfied as the author of post #1. It makes me wonder if he read the instructions. He stated the red light was always on and that it is known that the WSM leaks air. Well it is also known that it takes just a little effort adjusting the aluminum doo to make it airtight. My pitmaster iq is the coolest little invention. But the instructions that came with it are just as good as the device. It mentions things I would have never thought of . 

You get what you pay for.  And this is the best $$ somebody spent buying this for me.


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## dunknballer21

Hello all.  I'm new to smoking, but I became interested in it recently.  So I joined my friend's competition bbq team for the weekend to see how it's all done.  We cooked using a 22.5 WSM and a 18.5 WSM.  He brought out all these fancy thermometers and gadgets, and the iQue110 really caught my eye.  He told me how he had to adjust the vents all night long before.  Well, I thought this was the greatest invention for smoking ever...until we used it.  And we had problems with it all night long.

The smokers kept running hot.  Like 20 to 50 degrees (!) too hot.  Way over our desired temps.  We set up the iQues for 225, and the mavericks we used to double check the temps were showing 250 to 280.  And the iQue just kept blowing more air!  We ended up adjusting the iQue settings down to 200 and below to try and get the true temps down to 225.  But we were scratching our heads for a while wondering what was going on.  We had to keep fiddling with the iQue all night long to get our desired temps.  Not what it was intended for.

Just to let you know, my friend's been participating in competition bbq for over two years now.  He's very meticulous with his equipment, and this was his third time using the iQues in competition.  He told me he had problems with them in the previous comp as well.

I was considering getting these for my setup as well.  That's why I came on to the internet and these forums to check on reviews to see if my friend's problems were just an anomaly for that night.  But I'm glad I checked to find that others have problems, and the company itself is not that great to deal with in the first place.

I'll be looking for other products for my setup.


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## bama bbq

I realize this is a one year old post however, I have a WSM 22 and an iQ110.  I've found thru trial and error that there is a certain way to be successfull with the device.  I do not use the minion method in the traditional sence because I've found the fire burns towards the auto temp controller.  I assemble the unlit fuel in a cresent shape and add approx. 1/2 a chimney of lit to fill the cresent with the device located on the opposite side of the smoker.  Once the smoker gets to about 220*-ish as determined by the maverick (which is fairly quick after adding the lit fuel, mid section and lid), I remove the power plug from the device and plug it back in.  That resets the device and from there on out it works as advertised and will maintain the smoker at what ever I set the device to.  If I do not reset the device it will get too hot and keep blowing as indicated by others earlier in this post.  I add the meat after I have performed the reset function and have been very successfull using this technique. .


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## BGKYSmoker

I use my IQ110 on my Meadow Creek and do what Bama does. It works very good.


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## atori2001

Used it today and it turned out great ribs! Maybe its the Miami weather but my Webber kettle was humming at 225F for 6 hours. I have the new version that has the adjustable intake damper. Tomorrow im throwing this puppy on the Char griller smokin pro.I'll let you all know how it goes.


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## dougkenney

How did it work on the char griller?


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## atori2001

Sorry for the late reply. The The IQUE did great! Here are some pics:

Heres the setup:







IQUE temp:







Other side of cooking chamber temp:







Beef ribs and Pork rib tips:







Beef ribs done!







The only thing that was bad about this whole experience was not putting enough coals in the basket! So I poured some natural lump charcoal over the lit ones and kept the firebox open until they were lit. IQUE took over after that. I'm actually doing a brisket and a boston butt tomorrow. If the weather cooperates I'll have some more pics...


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## flex

I'm sorry to hear about your issues with the Pitmaster iq 110. I'm very shocked to hear that they would only give you 50% back from your original purchasing price. That to me is very unprofessional, especially if they are going to stand behind their product, why not just send you a new one?
 I have two of them and absolutley love them, I use them on my uds smokeers. I am actually buying one for my brother as a gift. He has seen how well mine work, now he wants one, so I opted to buy it for him. 
I do understand your frustration though with companies that don't stand behind their products. I bought a Lonestar grillz smoker about six months ago and it arrived to my house with damages from shipping. I knew that the builders didn't do it, because the smoke stack was bent, one of the legs were bent, and the back of the veritcal smoker had deep scratches on the back as well as the fire box. I signed off on the delivery slip before unwrapping the smoker, as it was wrapped with surran wrap and card board boxes. But i did immediately call the builder as I unwrapped it and notified him of the issues, as well as sending him pictures of me unwrapping it. He informed me that the shipping was insured and he would submit  a claim into their shipping company. All I wanted was the shipping cost of the smoker reimbursed, as I knew it was them who did the damages and tried to cover it up with card board boxes, because the builder said he did not ship it like that. Anyhow, I have not received any compensation back, or have had any progress on the outcome ever since I initially submitted my claim. And I know they are not trying to fix the issues either. I submitted all the request that they asked for, and still nothing. It is very upsetting to me that I would spend $2,850.00 and it arrive in that condition. That is not what I paid for, a damaged product. And I don't think I asked for a lot in return.


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## flanntastic

I used my IQ this weekend on a Kamado type rig, i put on the meat at midinight @ 225, woke up the next morning 8 hours later and look at my maverick, the temp was 225, love it


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## rack em bbq

I recently purchased the pitmaster iq110. It worked great the first 3 times I used it. I decided to use it at a kcbs bbq competition on my wsm. I turned the unit on to 250 degrees. I walked away to prepare some meat and came back to a smoker temp of 330 degrees(that according to the wsm temp gauge and the 2 maverick probes inside the smoker).I removed the unit for the cook. I contacted the maker  for a replacement probe since I thought that was the reason. I was told it could not be broken and the unit was fine. If I wanted to test it, set my oven to 250 and place the probe inside. I did this and the unit said the temp was low and the fan continued to run. I sent them a video of this process and was told my oven must be running at the wrong temp, but I could send the unit back for them to test it at my own cost. This thing is not worth the money, and the customer service from Matt is horrible. They have yet to acknowledge that maybe their product is faulty in some way.

Rack 'Em BBQ


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## rack em bbq

I recently purchased the pitmaster iq110. It worked great the first 3 times I used it. I decided to use it at a kcbs bbq competition on my wsm. I turned the unit on to 250 degrees. I walked away to prepare some meat and came back to a smoker temp of 330 degrees(that according to the wsm temp gauge and the 2 maverick probes inside the smoker).I removed the unit for the cook. I contacted the maker  for a replacement probe since I thought that was the reason. I was told it could not be broken and the unit was fine. If I wanted to test it, set my oven to 250 and place the probe inside. I did this and the unit said the temp was low and the fan continued to run. I sent them a video of this process and was told my oven must be running at the wrong temp, but I could send the unit back for them to test it at my own cost. This thing is not worth the money, and the customer service from Matt is horrible. They have yet to acknowledge that maybe their product is faulty in some way.


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## tom roberts

I also have had a problem with the IQ 110. I used the unit a total of 4 times and then it would not even turn on. I have emailed them as well as left a few messages on their voice-mail system to no avail. They will not respond and my unit is clearly within the warranty period. So be warned, when the unit worked it worked great. However, when and if it fails be ready to not hear from them again. I will not settle for anything but a full refund and if takes a lawsuit then that is what I will do.


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## bomftdrum

No excuse for bad customer service.


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## john i que

Stupidity is my excuse for bad customer service.  Cabin Fever was one of our first customers (this happened nearly 2 years ago).  We were a very small company and I was fearful of the attitude people take nowadays about returning stuff to the store.  So I published our policy stating no returns of used equipment.  At least at that time, this was also the policy of our competitors.

Cabin Fever bought a controller and for whatever reason struggled with its use.  He asked to return it and I resisted.  I regret this every time I come across one of his posts expressing his displeasure.  I eventually agreed to let him return it and he got 100% of his money back (less shipping).  Yes, 100% less shipping despite what this thread would lead you to believe.  I am sorry for resisting him and causing him heartache. And since this bad experience, we have never turned down a request to return an IQ.

My initial fears of managing returns was unfounded.  Including Cabin Fever and the other gentleman that went through a similar experience, we have only had to deal with a dozen or so returns.  By an astronomical percentage, our customers are happy with their purchase.  And the few that aren't are satisfied in the end.

We have also been hard to get on the phone in the past.  However, we now have Barb in Customer Service.  She is committed to keeping everyone happy, although it is sometimes a monumental task.  Give her a call at 636.447.7974 if you like.

Once again, I am sorry to have upset an initial few customers including Cabin Fever and promise not to do it again.  I started pitmasterIQ for fun.  I saw an article in Circuit Cellar in 2000 about an engineer who used an industrial PID controller and computer fan to control his kamado cooker and I knew one day I had to do that.  Then years later I saw the BBQ Pitmasters episode where Harry Soo and Lee Ann Whippen were using their blowers.  I had to make my own.  It looked like Frankenstein but worked great.  Eventually, family and friends convinced me to bring it to the marketplace.  My industrial controls company, Digital Power & Motion, manufactures the IQ and markets it through pitmasterIQ.


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## sinnful-bbq

Let me be the first to say, Welcome to SMF John. My 2 cents, Thanks for posting and giving your side. Every story has multiple perceptions based on your viewpoint and side of the situation, its nice when we can get both and even better when honesty and understanding come together to create solutions.  Things happen and sometimes people make mistakes, or poor decision's. It takes guts to own up and also learn from them and put measures in place to see that they don't happen again. I admire anyone who is willing to own up and learn from their mistakes, I've made plenty myself  as have most people. Its not so much what happens as what we do about it. Thanks for throwing yourself out there it goes along way, believe me.  I personally haven't pulled the trigger on a pit controller yet and need to with the holidays approaching and I'm going to give your IQ another look simply because of your post, I hope other SMF members do as well.


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## nate70115

Let me throw my two cents in. Even after reading this thread, I still went ahead and bought a pitmasteriq. Used it 3 times and so far it has worked perfectly. After it gets up to temp, that little green light stays green for hours, even on my non insulated Weber bullet. The only problems I have had is me not reading the directions and thinking it was broken, which it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it is as simple as plug and play, it just needs to ramp up to temp.


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## nate70115

Quick updated on the PitmasterIQ: Since my last post I now trust it enough that last night I put a 9 pound pork shoulder on the Weber 18.5 and set it to about 225 and went to sleep. Checked it at about 0630 this morning(9 hours later) and it is the still maintaining temp. I thought I might have to add some coals, but I guess Louisiana winters don't get that cold. I should be able to go for about 12 or 13 hours before adding more fuel.


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## ray from mass

Well I bought one as well and the 1st time I went to use it the power supply failed. So I contact them for an RMA number, they sent it but then came back and said they'd send a new supply. OK, things happen. Then they wanted the failed supply back, no pre-paid UPS. So it cost me $7.50 to ship it back to them, not the end of the world but the 1st time out of the box and I have to pay them for their defective product? So the new supply showed up, I figured maybe they'd trhow in a few drink coolers or some consolation gift for my hassle.....nope, not even a note.  So if you're reading Pitmaster...you really need to improve your customer service  image. It's poor. 

Ray from Mass.


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## millerspal

I just received the IQ 120 for my WSM 18.5" and I did the "modified" minion method, using the crescent shape. I also got the smoker up to temp and unplugged and replugged the unit back in. It's been running for 13 hours without having to refuel. I am hoping to be able to go the entire time. I am using standard kingsford. I have 225 set and the Ivation is showing 232.

I had to move my pit temperature gauge at the beginning and set it next to the probe for my Ivation wireless thermometer. They are within around 7 degrees now. Good enough for a first try. At the beginning they were at least 25 degrees off because I had them on opposite sides of the grill.

Overall I am very happy with the IQ120 and the tips from this forum. The installation instructions were non existent from Pitmaster, so apparently I got it right.


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## lemans

I have a IQ 120 and it works great. You really have to read the instruction and see the YouTube videos to really understand the unit


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## millerspal

Lemans said:


> I have a IQ 120 and it works great. You really have to read the instruction and see the YouTube videos to really understand the unit


Where are you putting your probe at? And have you tried lump charcoal? I plan on doing a test run with lump doing the standard minion method and see what kind of issues I run into (time, temp etc).


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## lemans

I always use lump charcoal.... and i take a bamboo skewer and stick it in the meat and attach the prob to it...start with a small fire and slowly add fuel.. If you start too big you will over shoot your target temp..


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## millerspal

I will try the bamboo skewer method. It makes sense for sure. And with your charcoal are you using the minion method or some variation? And how long can you run your smoker for? (thanks for the info!)


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## lemans

image.jpg



__ lemans
__ Jul 15, 2014





I can maintain 250 for about 4 hrs without adding fuel.   Ps I dump my hot coal right in the center


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## lemans

image.jpg



__ lemans
__ Jul 15, 2014


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## bubba q

I also bought an IQ 110. Getting very frustrated with it, my WSM thermostat was bouncing between 190 and 250, the IQ fan was going on and off, but the IQ gave me a solid green light indicating it was within 5 degrees of target. After fussing with it nearly an hour, I went in the house and got a meat thermometer and stuck it in the vent on top of the WSM. in a few seconds it read 225 degrees and hold there constantly. the WSM about three inches away was bouncing like an elevator. As many articles have indicated, the WSM thermometer is pure junk. I am one to confirm it is USDA certified junk after seeing my results. My ribs came out competition quality.


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## addertooth

Let me state I have nothing but admiration for the Pitmaster IQ-120.  I did a torture test of the unit, and even intentionally stacked the odds against it:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/168045/150-degree-mini-wsm-low-temp-test-with-iq-120-stoker

Today, the pitmaster will be connected to the notoriously difficult Chargriller Akorn.  It won't be set up with the recommended "ring of fire" method, rather, it will be the classical Minion method (with very few coals started).  The Akorn has already had all the factory leaks addressed.  The stock leaky configuration of the Akorn (I believe) is a big part of the heartache people experience getting a stoker to work with it.  The stepped approach will be used to get it to temperature.  It will start at 175, then 200, then 225.  Stability will be checked, then it will be bounced up to 400 to season the brand-new grates.  Later tonight: Pizza!


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## addertooth

Test run so far is looking good.

Condition of test:

Chargriller King-Griller (Akorn/Kamado), condition new.

The unit has had all the applicable sealing modifications recommended by others.  One exception, the top vent was not sealed at the base; the current design uses an O-Ring which seals well.

The unit also has the optional "Smoking Stone" which is 5/8 inch thick.

Top top vent is open enough for the temperature probes to pass through the "half-moon" at the bottom of the vent slits. The bottom of the flat part of the slits are about 1/16th inch open.

The Griller was loaded with lump "B & B" lump charcoal in the classical cone pattern.  The top center coals were heated with a blowtorch for 60 seconds and the lid closed.

The IQ damper is set to a "2", this makes overshoot more likely, but reduces the chance of the charcoal going out from oxygen starve when an overshoot occurs.

The IQ was set to 175 degrees and started.  Initial (worst) overshoot was 8 degrees.

The IQ was then set to 200 degrees.  Initial (worst) overshoot was 10 degrees.

The IQ was then set to 225 degrees.  Initial (worst) overshoot was 13 degrees.

I am going to leave it at this setting for a few hours to make sure the fire does not go out (as others have experienced), or I don't have any greater temperature swings.

John I Que,

I have a serious code upgrade suggestion for you.  There needs to be an option to select "insulated" or "high-efficiency" on the stoker.  When selected, it reduces the stoking rate at Pit Set Temp minus 35 (or settable)  degrees (instead of the 25 degrees mine works at).  It needs to do a bit more taper on the air delivery when you are at Pit Set Temp minus 10 (or settable) degrees.  This will make people who have well-insulated/efficient smokers (such as Kamado style) experience less overshoot. 

There needs to be an opposite setting for "Low Efficiency" smokers (such as some offset smokers).  It does not reduce the stoking rate until you are within 10 (or settable) degrees, this way, they do not wait as long for their smoker to get up to temperature.  Both of these options could be achieved by a "taper at" setting; when the temperature hits "Pit Set Temp" minus "taper at" value, the fan reduces it's rate to get the last few degrees at a lower stoke rate (rather than the fixed 25 degrees mine does). 

Another great option would be the "Max Stoke" option, where it sets a hard limit on maximum fan speed the unit uses to raise the temperature.  This would also help some users from over-stoking and ending up with a huge overshoot. 

I use the IQ on my mini-WSM, WSM, Kamado Kooker and soon, a modified Kingsford grill.


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## addertooth

It took about 1.5 hours for the Kamado Kooker to shed the 13 degrees (darn but those things are ridiculously well insulated and efficient).  Now it is staying between 225 to 230 at all times.  The past hour it has been 225-227.  The blower is running at about 7.5 percent duty cycle (3 display indicator rotations per 40 second period).  I am going to ramp it up soon to 300, 350, 400 for pizza tonight.


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## addertooth

The rest of the temperature steps worked well without major overshoot.  I would do a Q-View on the pizza, but it evaporated as soon as it was sliced.  Beautiful crispy crust, the cheese was nicely caramelized.  It looked and tasted like it was cooked on a wood fired brick oven, awesome. At the time there were three stones in the Akorn, the smoking stone (diffuser below the main grate), a 15 inch pizza stone on the cast iron grate and a 13 inch stone on the warming shelf.  The two last stones were added at 225 degrees.  The temperatures were eventually ramped up to 400 for the Pizza (after doing a 4+ hour stability test at 225).   The issue is now settled in my mind; the minion method works on an Akorn, provided it is properly sealed. It does low and slow as well as high temperatures for doing pizza and searing.  No need to do a pesky snake or a ring of fire.  This way you have more charcoal in your firebox for potentially longer smokes.


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## wade

Hi Addertooth

Thanks for the comprehensive test report. It is posts like this that take this forum heads and shoulders above the others.

I have been running my IQ-110 on Webers for several years and it has always done an effective job. The first couple of tries were not very successful as I was just trying to follow the meager instructions that came with it, but once I saw John demonstrate it on You Tube I could see what I was doing wrong. The biggest mistake I think people make when using the IQs is to have too big a fire to start with and already overshooting the temperature before the IQ has a chance to get in control.

I have not tried what you suggested about stepping up the temperature in stages until you reach target but will give it a try.

The IQ-120 seems to have a few more settings that you can play with. Do you think that these warrant upgrading from the 110?

Cheers

Wade


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## addertooth

Wade,

The short answer is yes.  The IQ-120 has a second probe for the meat, and can make smoker (pit) temperature change decisions based upon meat temperatures.  One of the tricks it can do is:

Cook a brisket/pork shoulder at 225 until the meat hits 200, then automatically drop pit temperature to 150, to rest the meat.  This allows you to avoid racing out, pulling, wrapping the meat in a towel, and throwing it in a cooler.  This trick will not work on Kamado style cookers, they retain their temperature too well, and the meat will overcook.  But, it does work well on Weber Smokey Mountain units and other smoker/grills which do not have insulation (provided you pop the lid on them to dump the temperature down to 175, then put the lid back on). 

The feature can work in the opposite direction as well.  Smoke a (turkey/chicken/Cornish hen) at 225 until the breast meat reaches (130/115/105) then have it automatically raise the pit temperature to 375 to improve bite-through on the skin.  This gives the greatest amount of low-and-slow for the bird, but eliminates the "rubber skin" texture of birds which are only cooked at a low temperature.

I really like the digital display on the 120.  It shows the current pit temperature and the current meat temperature.  At a glance, you have the status of everything.  It also lets you know the duty cycle of the blower, this gives insight to how much "life" is left in your coals. 

The damper on the IQ-120 seals well enough, when set to the zero position, it will completely snuff out the coals (assuming all the other dampers on your grill/smoker are closed).

Picture of snuffed coals the next morning (the orange stuff is corn-meal for the pizza, not rust):













DSCF1269.JPG



__ addertooth
__ Sep 14, 2014


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## rtcdn

I thought mine was not working at first. I think because the fire was already hot, it was working but not "fanning" due to my much lower temp setting. So I gave it a while and it worked fine. 
As far as working with the company, they were rude when I contacted them. I ordered the unit weeks ahead for last thanksgiving. When it did not arrive I contacted them looking for my order. They told me that I had ordered it a week later than I did. When I did receive it too late, I traced and found that it had been given to UPS a week after my order confirmation. The woman on the phone at the company was basically lied and blamed me! And, the unit came with no instructions!
I would look for an alternative product next time.


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## addertooth

Rtcdn,

What outlet did you order from?  I ordered mine through Amazon on two different occasions.  Both were delivered within a week of ordering.  And yes, the unit seems to look at the rate which the temperature is ramping up.  If it is climbing too fast, it reduces air delivery to reduce the undesirable overshoot of temperature. I have not had to deal with their customer service.  Perhaps my experience with the company would be quite different if that mechanism was used.  My most recent order has version 2.x of their software, it seems to have more tweaks to reduce overshoot, which can be a pain if you open dampers to speed the process of getting up to temperature.


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## flores915

Well.... I really wanted to buy an IQ110 but after reading about their customer service I have decided to look elsewher. Glad I found this forum before pulling the trigger. 

-Aaron


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## lemans

There customer service is slow , but they have a good product. I think it is a small operation with few employees so be patient


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## seenred

Flores915 said:


> Well.... I really wanted to buy an IQ110 but after reading about their customer service I have decided to look elsewher. Glad I found this forum before pulling the trigger.
> 
> -Aaron


Keep in mind that you've been reading a thread that's 5 years old...I'm sure many issues that customers had years ago have been resolved by now.  I don't own a Pitmaster product myself, but I think most folks who do are happy with them.  They are a more affordable option than other units...and like any other product, you kinda get what you pay for.  I believe these units are probably good entry level devices, but if you want a higher-end unit and don't mind paying more, take a look at BBQ Guru.  I have a DigiQ DX2 and like it very much.

Red


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## tropics

Flores915 said:


> Well.... I really wanted to buy an IQ110 but after reading about their customer service I have decided to look elsewher. Glad I found this forum before pulling the trigger.
> 
> -Aaron


Aaron I got one for Easter,Plugged it in fan came on.Went to do a smoke fan comes on as a test,never came back on.They took the unit back but it still cost me.

Richie


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## bubba q

Aaron, the customer service issues were from years back. I bought a 110 two years ago and needed a replacement thermo coupler. Prompt service, and very polite. I love this thing and have used it 20-25 times with perfect results. I don't think you will be sorry. I'm glad I bought mine.


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