Opinion wanted

[jon515]

I currently have a OBS and have liked it ok, lately the temperature not holding steady and temperature recovery times are a bit frustrating, recently my door broke and I really don't want to modify my smoker with different elements, fans, PID etc... So my question is I am considering replacing my Bradley with a Traeger Pellet Smoker.  Does anyone have experience with both and would like to share?

Thank you,

Jon

[KyNola]

Comparing a Bradley to a pellet grill is like comparing apples and oranges.  Both have their place and both are vastly different.  With a pellet grill, the smoke application will not be as "heavy" as a Bradley will produce.  Most pellet grills have a much wider heat capacity range, typically 175-450 so it is more versatile in its cooking ability while a Bradley is limited in its range.  I still own and use my Bradley for specific uses and I also have a MAK pellet grill.  My MAK 2 Star General will get up to 650F degrees.  My first pellet grill was a Traeger and while it did its job I wasn't all that impressed with it.  It had its own idiosyncrasies just as a Bradley has their own. In my opinion a Traeger is an adequate entry level pellet grill but if you are going to use a pellet grill a lot I think there are better options out there. 

The Traeger brand pellets themselves are horrible.  I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.  They are 100% alder wood with the oils of the "flavor wood" added.  Alder does not burn hot and produces a lot of ash.  Look for a brand that has a base wood of something like oak with actual flavor wood added.  Oak is a hardwood, burns much hotter and produces much less ash.

The above is my personal opinion.  You should do your homework and then make the decision as to what you think will work best for your needs.

[Doug in Alaska]

I agree with KyNola with most of what was posted but not all of it.  I have a Traeger Texas Pro and love it.  It is great for cooking anything I throw on it for dinner.  I use Traeger hickory chips mostly and I'm very happy with the smoke taste.  I am now planning to add a Bradley to my arsenal because I like to cold smoke bacon and the new Traeger won't allow me to do so.  The new control panel throws an error and shuts the grill down if it runs at less than 125ºF for more than 10 minutes.  Honestly, I really think you need both but this is just my humble opinion.

Doug

[jon515]

KyNola and Doug from Alaska,

Thank you both for your opinions, I am very on the fence of what to do.  I was looking at Traegers over the weekend, but then did some research and showing the lil tex elite didn't hold temps either.  I'm really stuck here on if I modify the Bradley, (I only really cold smoke cheese) or say forget it and get something else.... UGH Decisions.

[Doug in Alaska]

Agreed,  Jon515, if you only cold smoke, don't get the Traeger!

[jon515]

Oh sorry, I meant the only thing I cold smoke is cheese!

[Wildcat]

I have a Green Mountain pellet grill and it does fine. I also have an OBS, 2 small charcoal grills and a large charcoal/hard wood unit. They all have their uses. I mostly use the pellet pooper.

[Toker]

So Larry, what brand of pellets could you suggest to me to buy please?

[KyNola]

I prefer BBQer's Delight.  They are also private branded as B&B for some specific chain stores such as Academy.  The base wood is oak,70% I believe and then 30% of the flavor wood is added.  Oak burns hot so you use less pellets to maintain the heat and they produce much less ash than alder based pellets.

Again, just my personal preference and opinion Francois.

[TMB]

I prefer BBQer's Delight.  They are also private branded as B&B for some specific chain stores such as Academy.  The base wood is oak,70% I believe and then 30% of the flavor wood is added.  Oak burns hot so you use less pellets to maintain the heat and they produce much less ash than alder based pellets.

Again, just my personal preference and opinion Francois.

That's all I use!   We buy by the pallet here at work and split the bags between 6 to 7 people just depends on who needs pellets at the time..      Save lots of $$$$$ buying by the pallet

[Wildcat]

I prefer BBQer's Delight.  They are also private branded as B&B for some specific chain stores such as Academy.  The base wood is oak,70% I believe and then 30% of the flavor wood is added.  Oak burns hot so you use less pellets to maintain the heat and they produce much less ash than alder based pellets.

Again, just my personal preference and opinion Francois.

Ditto

[Toker]

I'M a Canadian and they won't ship to me, sorry

[TMB]

I'M a Canadian and they won't ship to me, sorry

Can you not find B&B pellets?   That's what BBQ's Delights are under another name

[Toker]

Would you know their web site address please?

[TMB]

http://assets.academy.com/mgen/71/10191371.jpg?is=640,640

Best I can do right now.   Sorry