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Not happy with pit boss - switch smokers?

We had a wsm 22 and 18 and loved them. Thought we needed a pellet smoker so badly and sold those and got our pit boss. Paid 600 for this one. Now regretting not having the WSM's.

Dansons makes pitboss and Louisiana grills....I feel like they are one in the same for the person who said that's a level up?

We wanted a yoder but the cost was so much more. I guess you ultimately get what you pay for?
 
I am going to use the broken record saying around here...build a UDS. Then you can save money for a quality cooker or another UDS? If it is overnight reliability (a team I had judging class with said a pellet cooker let them sleep during competitions) you want, maybe a quality pellet cooker is the way to go. But if you need a combo grill/smoker without a cord, there are plenty to choose from.
 
My husband is pretty handy but I don't think we would have the first inkling about where to start with a drum smoker building ourselves.
 
aimcat said:
My husband is pretty handy but I don't think we would have the first inkling about where to start with a drum smoker building ourselves.
Click to expand...

You can find lots of helpful links.
http://howtobbqright.com/udssmoker.html but hey, they are sold already made. Pit Barrel, Barrel house, or Weber Smokey Mountain would be cheaper ones. 200-300 Or save more money and get a higher barrel or better grill/smoker. You also cant go wrong with just a Weber Kettle for $100ish
 
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How's the humidity at your location? What you described is a flame out. Since you said you just cleaned out the pit it may be due to the pellets. If you've had plenty of humidity and rain lately the pellets may have disintegrated in the hopper. Or weakened and the auger pulverized them. If it's a new pit I'd keep on Pit Boss to replace it.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk
 
I've never owned a pellet smoker either. You said WSM. imho is does not get any better for back yard. For quick weeknight cooks, hard to beat a Weber Gasser.


Best of luck! :thumb:
 
We are in VA humidity is average and the day this happened it had poured rain all day and was pouring rain during this as well. Not sure if that's related at all?
 
was the unit setting out in the rain? seen 1 setting outside last week but wasn't running but had been raining,I wondered if folks try to use them outside while it was raining. I can see the ones with smoke stacks being on but the ones that have holes in the top not doing to well
 
Yes it has been setting out in the rain as our patio is not covered and it had been in the rain being prepped to be used. Ours has the smoke stack with cover. I never thought of that having anything to do with it as we have used it in the rain many times before.
 
You have to decide what is right for you......everyone likes to tell you to "build a UDS", but the fact of the matter is that it isn't for everybody. I do not personally like the food that comes off of it as much as my pellet cooker or my offset when I had it.

I bought a pellet cooker because I like the convenience. Yeah, the stick burner is rustic and romantic, but after a few years of staying up all night and throwing sticks every 45 minutes, I chose the convenience route. I have had no problems with my used Yoder I bought 4 years ago. I do however vacuum out the firepot and insides after each cook, and mine is parked in the heated garage out of the weather. If mine lived on the patio, I'd have a bucket head vacuum and suck the pellets out each time to a 5 gallon bucket and store inside. Humidity is a fickle factor in consistent operation of pellet grills.
 
Cat797 said:
...
If mine lived on the patio, I'd have a bucket head vacuum and suck the pellets out each time to a 5 gallon bucket and store inside. ...
Click to expand...

Wouldn't vacuuming out the pellets into a bucket tend to break them into a powdery mess?
 
bschoen said:
Wouldn't vacuuming out the pellets into a bucket tend to break them into a powdery mess?
Click to expand...

I could see where that would be the case, but I don't think that I would leave pellets in the hopper if it was always outside. I think at least the Pit Boss and maybe Traegers have an access door where you can empty the pellets out of the hopper too.
 
SmittyJonz said:
I have charcoal smokers and stick burner smokers and grills - just decided I didn’t need One.
Don’t really see any benefit over what I already have and I decided I was just wanting one because everybody was getting one .......6- 8 months or so Ago there was a Pellet Pooper Buying Craze on here........this Place can be a Bad Influence on Folk..... :mrgreen:

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=262241
.
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Don't I know it - it got me!
 
I just read thru all 3 pages of this post and have to wonder what were you thinking????? Pit Boss owes you nothing as to warranty. Your poor judgement as to the use of the smoker caused your problems.
Not following the instructions that came with your smoker to start with.
Common sense says not to use any type of electrical appliances in the rain.


Here's a couple things I read just scanning through the warranty booklet that comes with your Pit Boss...


DO NOT use your grill in the rain or around any water source

If the grill is stored outside during the rainy season or seasons of high humidity, care should be taken to insure that water does not get into the pellet hopper. Wood pellets, when wet or exposed to high humidity, expand greatly,break apart, and could jam the feed system.

Ensure your pellet fuel stays moisture free. Open bags of fuel should be stored in an airtight container and empty the hopper if you are not using the grill over longer periods of time


It's a wonder you didn't get electrocuted using it in the rain. Extension cords, wet appliance, wet ground, wet exposed cord plug-ins. And you said you had done this several times.
Sorry I don't blame the smoker for having problems. Only the owner/user for poor judgement.



JMHO-YMMV
 
1.
aimcat said:
So my husband and I have a Pit Boss pellet smoker we have had a year. Before this we had another pellet smoker as well as a WSM (we had the WSM for 5 years). Needless to say we know how to own and operate a pellet smoker so its not like what happened here was user error...
Click to expand...

2.
aimcat said:
Yes it has been setting out in the rain as our patio is not covered and it had been in the rain being prepped to be used. Ours has the smoke stack with cover. I never thought of that having anything to do with it as we have used it in the rain many times before.
Click to expand...

3. OSD posted it best... Straight from the Owners Manual.. Do Not use Your Grill in the Rain or around any Water source... ect....

4. Water is any Pellet Grills worst enemy.. You were lucky it didn’t happen before, using it in the rain... Not only can it damage the electronics of the Grill, it can damage and compromise the wood pellets as well. Your PB suffered a Flame Out fire caused by rain water in your pellet hopper and possibly in the grill itself due to End User error. I’m not going to pile on... Just caulk it up as a lesson learned and to always follow the instructions and information in the Owners Manual... And that’s with any Pellet Grill Manufacture.

PB Austin XL in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi
 
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