Help! Looking to Purchase.. reading too much

[RayClem]

A friend has the IW 885, said it might be a bit big (family of 4). That is the same size primary as the Pro 780. So again, I need to get back into the store and physically look at them again.. the IW 885 is about $550 more, Is the $550 worth the double wall, Super smoke and Sensor? Down draft vs Chimney is the only other thing..

RayClem, I see you are in the Chicago Suburbs like me, have you used it in the cold weather we had around thanksgiving? how did it handle the cold for keeping temperature?

I do not find the IW 885 to be oversized, even for cooking for two. However, we plan to cook extra and freeze the leftovers.

I cooked the Thanksgiving turkey the Wednesday before. The weather was fairly mild, so smoking the turkey went well. It was one of the most tender, most juicy and most flavorful turkey I have ever eaten. I hope to do it again next year.

I was originally planning to do a ham in the Traeger for Christmas, but we decided to go out of town for a week before Christmas. We still have some ham in the freezer from last Easter, so we will wait before doing another. I probably need to cook some chuck roasts and pork butts during the Chicago winter. I might pick up a welder's blanket from Harbor Freight or Amazon to throw over the Ironwood for insulation. That should save some pellets. Most folks say the grill will be good even without it, but it will take more fuel.

I know the Ironwood is more expensive than the Pro grills, but if you can fit the Ironwood into your budget, I think you will be glad you did. The pellet sensor has prevented me from running out of pellets on several occasions. It is not that the hopper was empty, but the pellets do not always slide down the hopper walls smoothly, so you have the auger run out of pellets with the hopper half full. The pellet sensor will avoid that. If you plan on doing wintertime cooks in Chicagoland, you will find the double walls helpful. I have never used the SuperSmoke feature, so I cannot comment on that one.

 

[Shedd]

I think I might have just found me a fix for my 780Pro. A couple weeks ago I did a butt during the night and my Firebiard alerted me to temp drop in the early morning hours. It ran completely out of pellets. It wouldn’t let me re light without “cleaning the grill”. That was fun since we had a cold snap about 34 deg at 4 AM I had to unload the grill and all. I can’t see any reason my makeshift hopper extension won’t work. The pellet alarm (if I had one) would be helpful but not worth getting out of bed for or the price you pay, if my plan works. Luckily I have an outdoor kitchen but it’s under my porch and closed in so no worries of anything getting wet or frost.

 

[jdebuhr]

Narrowed down to the Pro 780 and Ironwood 885.. I do like the shelving configuration of the 885, but can the top shelf adjust lower?
Local Ace has an 885 they use there for Demos and such, they showed me that to get an idea of the size and rack configurations. I like it and saw that it looks to be just the sides that are double walled,

so that is where I stand now.. I know a size, just need to determine if the extra features are worth the money..

 

[traeger860]

If it’s something you’re going to use a lot, I think it’s worth the upgrade. If you’re only going to use it a few times a year, then it’s probably overkill.

 

[drich]

Narrowed down to the Pro 780 and Ironwood 885.. I do like the shelving configuration of the 885, but can the top shelf adjust lower?
Local Ace has an 885 they use there for Demos and such, they showed me that to get an idea of the size and rack configurations. I like it and saw that it looks to be just the sides that are double walled,

so that is where I stand now.. I know a size, just need to determine if the extra features are worth the money..

One thing about the Ironwood that I forgot to mention is the amount of time it takes for the temperature to rebound after the lid is opened is very short. Maybe 2-3 minutes. Raychem might be able to back me up on this also.

 

[jdebuhr]

If it’s something you’re going to use a lot, I think it’s worth the upgrade. If you’re only going to use it a few times a year, then it’s probably overkill.

That is the ultimate question, to which I don't know the answer. I like the shelf adjustment and full top rack of the Ironwood 885. I like the pellet sensor (can be added to Pro I know)

Other question is on the smoke outlet. I think the chimney might be more of a controlled area? On the IW does the smoke come out across the back? Or a small spot?

 

[CMTiger]

probably needs to be said to consider accessories in your budget. If you’re stretching to get to the IW, which I think is undoubtedly the superior machine, you may be accessoryless for awhile which stinks. Something to think about. At minimum you’ll need a good 3rd party probe. On a budget the InkBird would be hard to beat.

 

[jdebuhr]

probably needs to be said to consider accessories in your budget. If you’re stretching to get to the IW, which I think is undoubtedly the superior machine, you may be accessoryless for awhile which stinks. Something to think about. At minimum you’ll need a good 3rd party probe. On a budget the InkBird would be hard to beat.

InkBird is on my Christmas list

looking to get the grill, cover and front shelf.

What other things will I potentially need?

 

[Parrothead1809]

Interesting.. What was your issue with the Pro 575? what other ones did you try?

I like the idea of the walls of the Ironwood, but it is out of my price range.. even the Pro 780 will be a stretch. as I would also be looking at the cover and shelf.. The Silverton offers those with it, however it seems the front shelf, from what I read, with the Silverton is shallower than the added shelf for the others (that might be incorrect)

When Mrs. P asked me, I opted for the Pro 780 since I KNEW I wanted to accessorize it. The cover and flip shelf were added to my fathers day gift this year. Yes - it's not the deepest shelf, but works for me. I also have a gas grill and small table in my bbq cooking area - so I have plenty of work space.

-PH

 

[traeger860]

That is the ultimate question, to which I don't know the answer. I like the shelf adjustment and full top rack of the Ironwood 885. I like the pellet sensor (can be added to Pro I know)

Other question is on the smoke outlet. I think the chimney might be more of a controlled area? On the IW does the smoke come out across the back? Or a small spot?

Here's a picture of the vent on the back of an Ironwood. Have you seen all of the models in person yet? The 575 and 650 models can fit a lot of food.

You can save yourself $75 or so by buying a cover on Amazon instead of buying the Traeger one. The Ironwood has a side shelf. The Pro doesn't. You can use the top of the pellet hopper on either grill as a shelf too. I like having the front shelf on my Pro 22, but I didn't ever use it when I had it on my Ironwood.

 

[jdebuhr]

I have seen all but the IW 650 in person. The 885 and 780 are big.. the 575 and 650 are about the size on my Weber as far as I can tell..

with all of them I will be able to buy the cover and shelf. but the biggest question is how much will I use it.. when I saw the 885 is was in the back of the store and I did not even think to look at the back so thanks for the picture.

Also I did not even realize the Pros don't have the side shelf.. something more.. For the amount I will be using it (speculating) the smaller size might be just right. It is one of those things don't know until you have it. but considering the family is not big into smoked stuff, that weighs the decision too

 

[RayClem]

I got the Ironwood 885. Some guys like smokestacks. I like the slots on the back of the Ironwood (I believe the Timberlines have a similar design). I used an infrared thermometer to measure across the width of the lid with the grill in operation. I saw very little side to side variation in temperature. With a smokestack, that end of the grill will normally be slightly cooler as the air flow is more or less side to side rather than circular.

Also the absence of a smokestack means you can use a universal grill cover to fit the grill. They are a lot less expensive than the Traeger OEM covers. I got a Rivanna 58" cover currently selling for $35.43 on Amazon vs $99.95 for the Traeger branded cover. The Traeger one might be better, but I doubt it is nearly three times better.

While you can purchase Traeger fold down front shelves, you can purchase clone versions that appear to be identical to the Traeger ones. I got one for my IW885 for only $34, much less than have the cost of a Traeger branded one. Unfortunately, the one I purchased is currently out of stock on Amazon. There are others that are slightly more expensive.

 

[Shedd]

I have seen all but the IW 650 in person. The 885 and 780 are big.. the 575 and 650 are about the size on my Weber as far as I can tell..

with all of them I will be able to buy the cover and shelf. but the biggest question is how much will I use it.. when I saw the 885 is was in the back of the store and I did not even think to look at the back so thanks for the picture.

Also I did not even realize the Pros don't have the side shelf.. something more.. For the amount I will be using it (speculating) the smaller size might be just right. It is one of those things don't know until you have it. but considering the family is not big into smoked stuff, that weighs the decision too

The front shelf you add on the 780 is really nice. Plenty of space right where you need it, then it’ll fold down easily too.

Not to be negative just truthfull, your family won’t have to worry about much of a smoke flavor. I put a butt on last night along with a long smoke tube and a good size smoke box full of hickory, oak and a few pellets. Had Bear Mountain Bold pellets. Let it start out for the first 3 hours on 195, hoping to get some smoke flavor. The problem is the fan forces all the smoke out so fast it doesn’t have time to linger around. My porch smells better than the butt. So far the only thing I like the Traeger for is ribs. But the cost of all the pellets for a long smoke is five times what lump cost for my egg so I’m really loosing interest. I’m happy I didn’t spend any money on buying this grill, I just hate my friend did but that’s the way he is. Now hopefully I can find something besides smoked meats I can cook on it, I don’t like to give up completely.

 

[jdebuhr]

Hey I need a favor.. anyone have a Ironwood 650 that could snap some pictures of the rack setup and spacing from the top rack to the top of the grill? Deciding between the 2 Ironwoods.. honestly I think I might be fine with the 650. the primary area is about the same as my Weber Genesis.. BUT I have not seen the 650 in person. I have seen both Pros and the IW 885, just not the 650. If I can find them both somewhere to compare it would be the best..

Also I assume the IW 650 has 4 wheels for moving it around?

Thanks

 

[RayClem]

When I got my IW885, I thought I would be OK without the folding front shelf, but after a few weeks, I realized that it is a huge advantage. I got the clone version. It fit perfectly and matches the grill appearance. I would never want to be without it again.