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(More customer reviews)My Lil Tex (075 model) is now over our years old and has had some heavy use. The first two years, I couldn't stop cooking in it. I have since settled down to be a once or twice a week all seasons cooker.
The indirect cooking created by the barrel-shaped oven, the even heat and the use of wood food grade pellets make for some delicious meats and veggies. I won't go into the debate over pellets vs propane vs charcoal. Everyone's got their own opinion and tastes.
This review is not about the cooking but the overall quality and cost.
A disclaimer: I used to work for a retailer that sold Traeger's. I was the in-store expert on cooking and selling these units. When we first picked up the brand, I knew that spending $700 on a barbeque was outrageous. Then the company rep came around, did some demos in front of the store, and after trying chicken, pork roast, salmon and even acorn squash and other veggies, I was sold on the flavor of everything that can be cooked on a Traeger pellet grill.
Granted, I got a 30% discount from the company, but I still think the $700 retail price was fair, considering the results. Oftentimes, retailers have the 075 unit on sale for around $650.
It didn't take me long to become an expert on how to cook, barbeque and smoke with this grill. I had used a Weber Silver B propane barbeque for several years before this and I still believe that unit is outstanding. I wish I had kept it. It's easier and faster to BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs on a fast-heating propane flame than the slower heating wood pellet grills. I know wood pellet lovers have their rebuttals for this, but in my opinion, quick and easy means propane. I have supplemented my Traeger with a Weber Q series table top grill for hot dog days.
Who needs wood-flavored smoky taste on a hot dog, anyway? Just cook it, I say.
Now to the quality. My Lil Tex (075) is U.S. made, just down the road in Mt. Angel, Oregon where the Traeger thing all started. After four years of very heavy use, the auger motor and the 3-speed thermostat went under. The auger motor cost about $65 from a Traeger vendor in McMinnvile, OR. I got the thermostat from a dealer in West Linn, Oregon at a close out price of twenty bucks. Considering the amount of use I've put the unit through, it held up well. What a lot of people don't realize is that this is a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment that sits outside, usually uncovered in all types of weather.
(As I am writing this, a whole chicken is cooking on the 075, a half and hour on high and then 45 minutes to an hour on smoke. It's cold outside, about 45degrees, and cooking time is a bit longer than normal.)
A bit about pellets; there are many flavors of Traeger wood pellets from oak and mesquite to "sweet" pellets like maple and cherry. I use so many spices and marinades on the stuff I cook that I simply cannot tell the difference. Garlic pellets smell a lot different than mesquite while cooking, but honestly, I can't tell the difference in the final product. Get them on sale. Most vendors have specials from time to time, three bags for the price of two, etc., otherwise, you can expect to pay about $15 per 20# bag.
As for quality of the unit itself---I figure what I paid for replacement parts mentioned earlier is justified, considering the heavy use the unit gets and the superior taste of everything I cook or smoke on it.
Now to the China Syndrome.
If the legs on a Traeger are bolted rather than welded, it's Chinese. I assembled a few China Traegers before I left my retail company and it was disheartening when I had to add my own home-made shims to make the unit stable and not wobbly. Other than assembly, I have no experience with these units but have read negative reviews regarding the quality of the electrical components. Indeed, the West Linn, OR. company that sold me the replacement 3-speed thermostat have given up on Traeger and now sell another brand of pellet cooker.
Bottom line for me--my Traeger has cooked up the best food I've ever eaten from an outdoor or indoor cooker of any kind. I highly recommend the unit that's smoking away in my back yard right now. As for the newer foreign built models, I say ask around if you can about the quality--maybe they've improved. Check the warranty. It used to be a pretty good one. And check the dealers. Make sure they're happy with what they're selling and will help you with any warranty issues.
That's it. Good luck.
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