# GMG vs. Traeger?



## illini9 (Jul 1, 2019)

OK guys, first time posting here.  Have been reading the forums for tips and suggestions for a long time.

I'm looking to upgrade my grill/smoker.  I have an older Weber charcoal grill, a 10year old Weber Genesis and a MES 30" Smoker.  The Weber Genesis is on its last leg, so I'd like to take the opportunity to get a pellet smoker/grill to replace all 3 devices, and I would keep the MES & Charcoal grill for any backup or tailgate needs.

I've looked at or read about more pellet smokers that I thought even existed, and am down to two that fit what I'm looking for:  

Traeger Ironwood 885

Green Mountain Grill Jim Bowie Prime wifi

Any feedback you guys could give without absolutely bashing a brand would be appreciated.  I'd like to get something that is going to last 10-12 years like my current grill did.

Thanks


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## banderson7474 (Jul 1, 2019)

I would think hard about Traeger.  There is another post of a guy going thru a lot of pain with his and I've recently learned that Traeger went with a cheaper model of controller and it's really gotten bad reviews.  What I don't know is if that is for all traegers or a specific model so I could be giving you bad info.

Good luck!


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## bregent (Jul 1, 2019)

illini9 said:


> I've looked at or read about more pellet smokers that I thought even existed, and am down to two that fit what I'm looking for:
> 
> Traeger Ironwood 885
> 
> Green Mountain Grill Jim Bowie Prime wifi



It would be helpful to know what drove you limit to those 2 grills. What is your criteria, what features do you need/want, and price range.


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 1, 2019)

bregent said:


> It would be helpful to know what drove you limit to those 2 grills. What is your criteria, what features do you need/want, and price range.



Good point.


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## sweetride95 (Jul 1, 2019)

Rec Tec or Grilla should be top of your list.


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## leejay99 (Jul 1, 2019)

In my very amateurish opinion, I would lean heavily towards the Traeger.  I have a Traeger Lonestar, about a year old, and a GMG Daniel Boone, about 3 years old.  When I do things like ABT's on the GMG, they don't cook evenly.  I have to rotate everything once in a while to get it even.  I don't have that problem with the Traeger.  On meat, ribs/brisket/etc, they are comparable, even cooks on both. I don't know if I am doing something wrong with my GMG on the appetizer-type stuff but I use my Traeger for the smaller things exclusively now. 

Like sweetride95 said, look into the Rec Tecs.  I am currently saving up for my Rec Tec.  Everything I have read about those is positive, from the cooking to the customer service.


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Jul 1, 2019)

Never had a problem with my Rec Tec.  Awesome customer service as well!


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## illini9 (Jul 1, 2019)

Sorry got busy at work.  Reasons why I like both:

Larger cooking surface for when we are entertaining or neighborhood bbqs.

Wifi & app control (for when I am busy with other things, which is pretty often)

There are certified dealers for both in my area, and I have a rare opportunity to get the Traeger Ironwood for near the same price as the GMG Jim Bowie Prime Wifi


My neighbor has the RecTec 590, which he's had great luck smoking meats, but not as happy grilling with it just yet.  I don't know anyone that has the RT-700, which would be the model I'd consider.  Like to be able to see something this expensive before buying it...


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## illini9 (Jul 1, 2019)

Id put my price range at about $1000 max


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 1, 2019)

illini9 said:


> Sorry got busy at work.  Reasons why I like both:
> 
> Larger cooking surface for when we are entertaining or neighborhood bbqs.
> 
> ...



I have a Rec Tec 590 and I'm delighted with it's grilling capabilities as well as it's smoking capabilities.

If your budget is $1,000.00 and the Rec Tec Bull is the only one in the Rec Tec lineup that you'd be interested in, well then the Bull is going to exceed the $1,000.00 mark by about $200.00.

While the RT 590  wouldn't.  But it gives up about a 6in wide x 19in long grilling  space to the RT 700.  In other words, the Bull is about 6 inches wider than the Rec Tec RT 590.  They both have about the same depth.



illini9 said:


> Id put my price range at about $1000 max



The RT 700 is $1199.00.  The RT 590 is $899.00.


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## illini9 (Jul 1, 2019)

What do you think separates RecTec from the others?

Pros & Cons?


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 1, 2019)

illini9 said:


> What do you think separates RecTec from the others?
> 
> Pros & Cons?



Well, ......you asked what I think.  Though if you've thoroughly researched the two grills that you mention alongside the Rec Tecs mentioned, some of the following you may already know.



illini9 said:


> What do you think separates RecTec from the others?
> 
> Pros & Cons?



In a nutshell,  the things that I think separate Rec Tec from some of the others, are construction and construction materials, expected durability of parts,  customer service, the Rec Tec PID controller and algorithm, warranty length, and price point for all of the aforementioned.

Regarding the Rec Tec, well, 304 Stainless construction in multiple areas.   The cooking chamber, fire pot, grates, drip pan, diffuser, pull handles, emblems and horns.  304 stainless offers better corrosion resistance than the  steel used in some of the other manufacturer's products.

The Traeger doesn’t seem to have much, if any, stainless steel in it.

OTOH, the GMG that you’re looking at, well at least the lid, diffuser and drip pan are stainless steel. But what about the rest of the cooking chamber?  If it had 304 stainless in it, seems that they’d tout that. They don’t. They just say what gauge steel they’re using. Which doesn’t say much about corrosion resistance.

Ask about the construction and construction materials of the fire pot, some of the other components mentioned above, the cooking chambers,  and igniter rods of the other two grills that you are considering.

You mentioned that you wanted something that would last for years. Well the newer stainless steel Rec Tecs are a safe bet.

The cooking chambers in some of the others are constructed of cold rolled commercial steel vs the more corrosion resistant stainless steel of the Rec Tec Bull and Stampede.

6 year warranty on the Rec Tec Bull.  4 yrs on the RT Stampede 590.  The Traeger Ironwood 885 you mentioned has a 3 year warranty.  GMG also states a 3 year warranty.

Ask yourself; "why would Rec Tec offer a long warranty unless they had confidence in their product and it's components, and were confident that there would not be very many warranty claims to deal with?"

Then ask yourself; "why the shorter, sometimes significantly shorter, warranties on some of the others?"

If you own some of the others for a longer period  and something goes wrong with it, it rusts out, controller goes out, the auger, the fan, then you're left holding the bag.

Companies offering warranties on their products, take into consideration how many warranty claims they can expect over a given period of time, and they determine their warranty periods accordingly.

PID controller and algorithm, that is so respected, that some owners of other brand grills such as Pitt Boss, Camp Chef and Traeger have retrofit their grills with Rec Tec PID controllers.  For proof of this, do a bit of research on this site and others like it, and check YouTube.  There, "how to" videos on the matter can be found. It begs the question;"why have those owners gone to the  expense and trouble, sometimes jeopardizing whatever warranty they have in the process, for such a modification?"

The Rec Tec controller has 2 meat probes which can be read remotely in the app, along with the actual and set temperature of the grill and the meat probes.  It is easy to calibrate them if necessary, and also easy to calibrate the grill's internal thermometer with a third party thermometer if desired, and adjust minimum feed rate, etc. if desired, with the controller.

I believe that the Ironwood  885 that you mentioned, has one meat probe. And it does not have 304 stainless steel grates.  It has porcelain coated steel grates.

Porcelain coated steel grates in the Ironwood 885  vs 304 SS grates in the aforementioned Rec Tecs.  Painted mild steel construction in the Ironwood model that you mention  vs 304 SS in the Rec Tec.

You set your target temperature, when it hits it, you put your food on.  This might sound like a "given", or something to expect from a pellet grill, and maybe would make you say "well, duh" if someone brought it up.     But just a few days ago we discovered that it is not necessarily a given depending upon which grill you buy.

Rec Tec gives their Bull and Stampede model grilling size specifications based on the primary or main rack.

702 sq in on the Bull, 592 sq in on the Stampede, vs 570 sq in on the main rack of the Ironwood 885.  And the Jim Bowie Prime Stainless Wifi 658 sq in.

The other 315 sq. in in the Ironwood 885 comes from a secondary or top level or shelf.  It is important to take into consideration how much food can be put underneath that top shelf  as well as on it.  In other words, how useful is the top shelf.

But  assuming that it is quite useful and speaking of top shelfs, the Rec Tec Bull has an available top shelf which will expand it's total cooking area from 702sq in,  to 1054 sq. in.  The second shelf cost about $65.00.

40lb pellet hopper on the Bull.  30lb pellet hopper on the RT 590.  The Traeger Ironwood 885 that you mention, has a 20lb hopper.  The Jim Bowie has an 18lb hopper.

You can go a nice long time without having to refill or top off the hopper of a Bull or Stampede.  A long, overnight cook, won't empty or nearly empty your pellet hopper on a cold day that turns into a cold night, or in warm weather for that matter,  if you started out with a full  or near full hopper of pellets.

Ceramic igniter rod.  Intended to last the life of the grill.  Again, check on the ignitor rods of the other grills you are considering.

Wifi controlled using iOS or android apps on those respective devices.  The app is intuitive, easy to use, and adjustments to the grill can be made right on the app.

Customer service which is simply second to none.

30 day, no questions asked return policy.  If you decide that you don't want it, you can return it to Rec Tec within 30 days.

Not saying that other grills out there do not offer some of the same things mentioned above.

But at it's price point, it's hard to beat the Rec Tec Bull and Stampede for what you get.

IMO, for what you get,  taking into account warranty, construction materials throughout, customer service, customer satisfaction, one really has to spend a lot more money and go Yoder, MAK, or Fast Eddy, if you're going to beat the Rec Tec.

The Ironwood 885 retails for $1399.99.   While you say that you can get it for near the same price as the GMG that you’re looking at, anyone else who has to pay retail might want to take that into consideration.  The Rec Tec Bull sells for $1199.00.


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## bregent (Jul 2, 2019)

I think that the new line of Traegers are a definite improvement over those from a few years ago. But you are still going to pay a (retail) premium for the name. I've seen the Ironwood in person and the build quality looks good. I haven't seen the new RecTec, but I've cooked on the older 680 and if the quality of the 700 is similar I'd say it's a step up from the Ironwood. For the retail price, I'd go with the RecTec, but if you can get a great deal on the Traeger, I think you'd be happy.


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## Winterrider (Jul 2, 2019)

Slow... You pretty much hit every angle. How long have you worked with Rec Tec.  (Lol, just kidding)  Materials used is a huge factor. Grilla's  are very respectable also. When the time comes for a pooper for me, the thicker the material for me the better for cold weather climate.


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## mike243 (Jul 2, 2019)

In cold weather the only thing that helps any of them is insulation, thickness wont help much imo, same surface area still wicking the heat from the unit


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 2, 2019)

mike243 said:


> In cold weather the only thing that helps any of them is insulation, thickness wont help much imo, same surface area still wicking the heat from the unit



I tend to agree.

Also, the more food I have on it on a cold day or night, I’d expect more fuel consumption.

Which is why I want a good sized pellet hopper.

I noticed that the GMG has a “low pellet alarm”.

When you load up with 30-40lbs of pellets at the start of a cool fall or winter overnight cook with a grill loaded down with food, well then the confidence that  you aren’t going to run the hopper dry if it wasn’t absolutely topped off without room for even one more pellet before you started, is a plus.


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 2, 2019)

Winterrider said:


> Slow... You pretty much hit every angle. How long have you worked with Rec Tec.  (Lol, just kidding)  Materials used is a huge factor. Grilla's  are very respectable also. When the time comes for a pooper for me, the thicker the material for me the better for cold weather climate.



What you’ll find is that a lot of their customers are impressed with their products and customer support. Their customers tend to be vocal.

For example, they upped the warranty for all previously existing Stampede owners from 2 years to 4yrs. Just like that.

Did so without any request.

I bought a Stampede. When I bought it, it had a 2yr warranty.

Then two months later, they offered the Stampede with a 4 yr warranty.

I called them up to argue that I had just bought this thing.  Why doesn’t mine have a 4 yr warranty?  “Had I known this, I would have waited.”

Before I could even finish, they told me that not only did mine now have a 4yr warranty instead of the 2 yr warranty that I bought it with, but that anyone else who had bought a Stampede before or since mine, now had a 4 yr warranty.

That’s customer service.

And it’s also a demonstration of their confidence in the product that they had “already” sold me. Months ago.

They would not have doubled mine,  and other Stampede owners’ warranties, and  “unrequested”, if the product was a piece of crap and likely to fail inside of that 4 years and leave their company swamped in warranty claims and risk sullying  their  own reputation.

They’ve been known to not only ship a replacement grill in the event of proven shipping damage, but on occasion include an additional item or items, free of charge for that purchaser’s trouble and hardship in the event of damage.

Treat someone right and with good products and service and that person  might tell a few people.

However, treat someone wrong and sell them a crappy product, with poor customer support, and they’ll go out of their way to tell any and everyone.   Friends, strangers, anyone who will listen, of their less than optimal or unfair experience.

Watch them put to a disadvantage and through no fault of their own, and then take a “well, that ain’t our problem, it’s your problem, we have other customers besides you” approach, and make no mistake, customers will remember it.

But yes, materials used, and where they are used in the product is a big factor to consider if you’re planning on purchasing something intended to last.

And if by chance it doesn’t last, well then you want a solid warranty and good customer support working in your favor.

But if it’s something you don’t mind replacing every few years, or you know that you’re going to want the next big thing which comes out when it comes out,  well then it makes sense not to spend big and go in knowing “hey, this thing is going to be replaced in 3-4 seasons, so what the heck..I'll just buy the next version or it, or something else when it wears out in a couple or so years."


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## illini9 (Jul 8, 2019)

Thanks guys for all of the info and feedback.  After working through all of the comparisons, I ordered the RecTec RT700.  It was a bit more than I was expecting to pay, but I'm willing to pay more for higher quality.

I'm excited for it to be delivered and get started.


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## banderson7474 (Jul 8, 2019)

illini9 said:


> Thanks guys for all of the info and feedback.  After working through all of the comparisons, I ordered the RecTec RT700.  It was a bit more than I was expecting to pay, but I'm willing to pay more for higher quality.
> 
> I'm excited for it to be delivered and get started.





Nice!  I think you are going to really enjoy it.  Did you get any of the attachments?  I know it can up the price pretty quickly.


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## leejay99 (Jul 8, 2019)

OK, now that illini9 has his picked out, is there anyone out there that has seen or played with the Rec Tec BFG RT-2500?  I am trying to whittle down things for a large cooker.  I am looking at a larger-sized stick burner, a Backwoods vertical charcoal smoker and the RT-2500.  As everyone has stated above, the Rec Tecs are great with great customer service.  Does the RT-2500 live up to those Rec Tec expectations?  

I am looking at the stick burner because it seems to be a traditional, eye-catching way to smoke.  Upside: once I figure out the temps, it seems like it would be easy to keep the temps where I want them and the meat would have a strong smoke flavor.  Downside:  where to get the wood and it takes some space to store the wood.  

With the Backwoods, I have a WSM so cooking with charcoal would not be too big of a change for me.  They have a lot of space and good reviews.  Haven't heard anything about their costumer service, though. I really don't have anything on the down side, too.

With the Rec Tec, I am familiar with pellet smoking since I have a Traeger and a GMG.  Obviously, the RT-2500 is exceptionally larger so I don't know how the size difference affects the basics of a smoke.  

I am looking in the $3,000-$5,000 range and using it for competitions and probably some roadside smoking.

Any thoughts, ideas, pros, cons, etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks!!!!!


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 8, 2019)

illini9 said:


> Thanks guys for all of the info and feedback.  After working through all of the comparisons, I ordered the RecTec RT700.  It was a bit more than I was expecting to pay, but I'm willing to pay more for higher quality.
> 
> I'm excited for it to be delivered and get started.



You made a great choice.

For the money, and what’s comparable to the product, 6 year warranty and service, it’s hard to beat the Rec Tec Bull.


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## illini9 (Jul 8, 2019)

banderson7474 said:


> Nice!  I think you are going to really enjoy it.  Did you get any of the attachments?  I know it can up the price pretty quickly.



So they had a bundle available for the 4th of July, it came with the searing grates, cover, large interior shelf, and front folding shelf, plus pellets.  Couldn't pass that up, just figured I'd cut some costs elsewhere over the next couple months to compensate.   It was too hard of a deal to pass up...


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## SlowmotionQue (Jul 8, 2019)

illini9 said:


> So they had a bundle available for the 4th of July, it came with the searing grates, cover, large interior shelf, and front folding shelf, plus pellets.  Couldn't pass that up, just figured I'd cut some costs elsewhere over the next couple months to compensate.   It was too hard of a deal to pass up...



I saw that deal when they announced it around the 4th.

Wow. That is a very attractive package.  Covers all the bases. 

There’s really nothing left to add to it  Except food.


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## mrowsley (May 17, 2020)

Now that you have had your grill for a while what are your thoughts? I'm looking into getting a new grill as well and am also considering a Traeger, Rec Tec, or possibly a Masterbuilt electric charcoal smoker.



illini9 said:


> Thanks guys for all of the info and feedback.  After working through all of the comparisons, I ordered the RecTec RT700.  It was a bit more than I was expecting to pay, but I'm willing to pay more for higher quality.
> 
> I'm excited for it to be delivered and get started.


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