The Texas BBQ Forum

Hi all!

i am new to this Forum. I am in the market for a new pellet grill/smoker. I have narrowed it down between these two. Any suggestions?

Traeger Timberline 1300
vs.
RT-2500 BFG WOOD PELLET GRILL

I have cooked many briskets in a vertical electric smoker but I need to make the move to something bigger..

thanks in advance

You are going to find that the Traeger owners will suggest the Model T but the RecTec owners will push for the chrome horns.
I have owned Traeger (2), Pit Boss (2) and Cookshack (1) BTW still have them all and I am going to tell you to do research looking for facts not opinions pertaining to what you want from a cooker.
Expect that there will be some differences characteristic to brands.

I am sure either of the two you mention will do a good job for you.

RecTec hands down. If for no other reason the customer service is hands down the best in the biz.

Cincojoe wrote:RecTec hands down. If for no other reason the customer service is hands down the best in the biz.

We all, no doubt, have a pit we use and love. It helps tremendously if you include details as to why YOU love the one you recommend!

Txdragon wrote:

Cincojoe wrote:RecTec hands down. If for no other reason the customer service is hands down the best in the biz.

We all, no doubt, have a pit we use and love. It helps tremendously if you include details as to why YOU love the one you recommend!

I believe he already answered the question. Rec Tec`s customer service is awesome from all reviews that I have read. I also believe the warranty is great. I have only had mine for about 6 weeks and have not had any problems so I cannot attest to the quality of neither but I am extremely happy so far. I spent almost a year reviewing and reading forum post about pellet smokers and Rec Tec won out hands down.

BTW, Howdy and Welcome to the Forum
Good Luck with your Pellet Pooping

tpack wrote:
I believe he already answered the question. Rec Tec`s customer service is awesome from all reviews that I have read. I also believe the warranty is great. I have only had mine for about 6 weeks and have not had any problems so I cannot attest to the quality of neither but I am extremely happy so far. I spent almost a year reviewing and reading forum post about pellet smokers and Rec Tec won out hands down.

I wouldn't purchase a Jambo or a Lang JUST because the customer service is awesome. I look for many aspects, like you, before I decide to take the plunge on an item. I read reviews and search for any forum posts and the like. All I intended was getting a bit more information for another documented forum post similar to what we look for when we're buying! Stimulating some positive forum interaction with somebody that may be as excited about their chosen product as I'd be.

Thank you for the answers to my question all is very helpful!!

I might end up getting a Traeger ironwood 650 even though I’d probably rather have a Rec Tec 700. My son works at Ace Hardware and gets a pretty good discount on them. Hopefully I won’t regret my decision.

Bryzzo

Cincojoe wrote:RecTec hands down. If for no other reason the customer service is hands down the best in the biz.

Yes, on the Rec Tec customer service. I called on a weekend and did not leave a message. Monday morning they called me. I had a couple of parts damaged in shipment, and they sent me replacements no questions asked. I also had a problem connecting to the wifi, and their wifi expert worked with me twice to get it going before sending me a replacement wifi board. It turned out that the problem was not the wifi board but the VPN on my phone.

I bought a Rec Tec based on strong recommendations from dedicated barbecuists. Here are several reasons I recall:

1, Heavy duty construction and build quality. The RT-700 is made from stainless steel.
2. Very good temperature control. They claim + or - 5 degrees, but mine stays right on the set temp. Others say the actual is + or - 2 degrees. Have read that Traeger is + or - 15 degrees.
3, Top notch customer service.

I've owned two REC TEC Grills (RT-680 and Bullseye) and I will say for the price point they are built better than similar Traegers.

Just now RTG customer service is so good, because they have had a lot of practice. Both my grills came to me not working properly and I had to reinstall a fan on my 680 and replace the severed RTD probe on my Bullseye. Not a fun thing to do on a one year old grill much less a brand new grill.

Great advice Papa Tom!!!

In the topic of Traeger vs RecTec, how does the RecTec stack up for baking? I’ve previously had a Traeger Big Tex, and baking on it was AWESOME. Torino’s pizza came out great, crispy crust. Pumpkin pie, well, perfect is the only way I can describe it. Bottom line, the heat was distributed evenly.

I have a 7 year old Traeger, does a decent job, would characterize it as an ok substitute for a gasser because you can also smoke with it though the gasser will probably cook a better steak. We use it at cooks as an auxiliary to the stick burner and a food warmer. But it will never touch the quality of what I produce out of my stick burner Rosebud for smoking or my cast iron caveman wash pot. Just a Prius trying to qualify for Daytona.

I have used the Treager Timberline series at a friends vacation home on the Gulf for a week a few years back and was not impressed with the smoke profile at all on any setting. At the time I thought if this is pellet smoking at its best....no thank you.
A few months afterward I experienced the REQTEQ 700 RT at a social gathering and was so impressed with the build quality, smoke profile and price in relation to Treager Timberline that I ordered my own and have been more than satisfied with it.
So much so that I have not fired up my 22 inch WSM with IQ-120 since purchasing the ReqTeq over a year ago and I was fanatical about the WSM. Good BBQ made simple and easy. Do your homework before you buy and good luck.