are all of them abt the same or is there a legitimate reason to spend 2x more for one identical to another. was eyein a pit boss at tractor supply today for $400. a friend got one for $750 that is almost identical in size but swears up and down it’s the best thing since sliced bread .

Get the pit boss for 400. I got one no complaints. Some people think if it is expensive it is better.

I can't answer your question. But I can say I have this one below. Was a gift from my son for fathers day a few years ago.

My grill/smoker

I like it, it does the job it's designed to do. It grills and smokes. I've no complaints at all.

It doesn't smoke heavy like an old style smoker. I do miss that a little. But I use pellet tubes and they come close to generating the smoke I like.

If I had more folk in my house that eat BBQ, I'd use it more.

The only other thing I want is a small flat iron griddle.

Lowe's has some special edition Pit Boss grills. I love mine. Think it was about $600.

Grilla Grill is what i'm gonna get for an outside oven 🙂

There’s a reason things cost more or less. Sometimes it doesn’t matter and other times it does. I’d imagine with pellet grills it be the thickness of the metals used as a cost savings. Electronics and motors would be most important. The cost savings is somewhere but then again it may last a long time. I’d bet the electronics and motors would be similar or the same for cost reason and the build would be where the corners are cut.


I’m torn right now wanting a Yoder but they keep going up. They’re heavy and the design eliminates some problems I had on my Pitboss 1100 pro. I did like it for smoking but hamburgers flamed up a lot. Most pellet grills would be similar by design until you get into the higher dollar ones.

I had a Traeger , sold it and bought a Pit Boss.

Got a traeger from a buddy…go on Facebook marketplace and find some deals. They are all good

I have had a Pitboss Austin XL for about 5 years now. It has been great, I use it 2-3 times a week. The only problem I have had with it is the fire pot. It finally burned out and I replaced it. If you keep it maintained/cleaned they will last a long time.

I bought one of the Walmart brand pellet grills.... it's still in the box I'll
Make someone a good deal on one if someone wants it

Higher end ones are built heavier with better components. This helps them cook more efficient, as well as last longer, structurally. They usually have better cooking manners (less flame-ups, more even cooking, better smoke volume, easier cleaning access, pellet dump port, etc), but not always.
That being said, there are a few companies that have successfully incorporated some higher end features in their more affordable models, Pit Boss being one of them. I’ve heard very few that were totally disappointed in their’s, and most of those didn’t replace them with another pellet grill.

I have a pit boss and it is OK. I dont think it heats as evenly as my old Brinkman Bullet smoker. Smokin Brothers are the go to around here.

I'm not complaining because I got my pit boss for free.

I have a pit boss pro series and a traeger iron wood. There's no comparison, the traeger is much better. Down flow keeps the temp more even. Pit boss had always been hotter on the right side. Pit Boss also has caught on fire several times.

Masterbuilt Built Gravity Series

That's interesting, my experience with Traeger and Pit Boss is reverse . I think I have more even heat on the Pit Boss and I never had a fire on it. I had several fires on my Traeger. The Pit Boss will reach hotter temps than the Traeger I had also.

Did your traegers have the smoke stack or the vent on the back side?

Traeger had a stack. The Pit Boss has the long , slot vent on the back of the lid. I think that may be the difference or at least part of it.

That's all the difference in the world! This traeger had a long slot vent on the back right below the lid

I researched a lot of pellet grills and settled for a recteq . Highly satisfied with the quality of all the components. No hiccups at all.