Newbie questions about older Traeger

[jablase]

I just became the new owner of an older (made in USA) Traeger, thanks to a great deal on FB Marketplace. That said, I am new to Traeger and pellet grilling, and the grill comes to me with a small list of issues that require some help to resolve.

1) The grill currently does not have its legs. Previous owner did not have then, so I will need to purchase them. Other than it being an older grill, I do not know what parts to search for and the label inside the hopper is faded and I cannot read the model number. Thoughts on the best/cheapest place to source older model legs or aftermarket equivalents?

2) The previous owner tells me the controller doesn't work. I haven't begun troubleshooting as of yet, but if it is failed, what is the best replacement controller that will work with this and not break the bank? Anyone have experience with an off-brand controller that they'd recommend? I've seen a few on Amazon with WiFi but don't want to buy just any controller as I know this is the brains that makes the magic possible.

3) Any mods folks can recommend to help improve the grilling/smoking experience? I've seen YouTube videos about adding a seal for the lid and plan to do that, but am open to any other suggestions as well.

thanks for your time. Looking forward to rescuing this one and having my own "Traeger experience"!

 

[RemE]

You might attach a photo?

 

[jablase]

Sorry. Was at work. Here's a couple photos.

 

[JamesB]

I would almost bet, that for the cost to make that usable, you could almost buy a new one.

 

[John S.]

Try sending the photo to Traeger CS they should be able to tell you what model you have...

 

[jablase]

Try sending the photo to Traeger CS they should be able to tell you what model you have...

Not a bad idea. Not really sure why I hadn't considered that, but thanks! Any idea what their email address is? The website only lists a telephone number for support.

 

[jablase]

I would almost bet, that for the cost to make that usable, you could almost buy a new one.

How much do you think it would cost for replacement legs and a controller? I have checked around and found an aftermarket controller for $49-69 and Traeger-branded ones for $135-160. If the legs cost $100, and assuming I went with the most expensive of the controller options (which I wouldn't), I would still be under the cost of a new one by a fair margin. Am I missing something?

 

[JamesB]

Are you sure that the auger motor is good? What about the fan, or the RTD. I was just thinking, from the looks of that unit, that the controller and legs is not all you will be replacing. Hope I’m wrong, but……

 

[jablase]

Are you sure that the auger motor is good? What about the fan, or the RTD. I was just thinking, from the looks of that unit, that the controller and legs is not all you will be replacing. Hope I’m wrong, but……

Understood. I won't really know until I can dig into it tonight, but for the less-than-$50 that I paid for it, I don't think I'm out much...yet. I know I need to clean out the hopper as a starting point and then troubleshoot from there. Any pointers on which things tend to fail, or is it generally random outside of total controller failure?

 

[JamesB]

Actually, I think it’s random, as far as failure of parts. Traeger does seem to replace an inordinate amount of controllers though. At least that’s my observation from the various reports here.

 

[jablase]

Not a bad idea. Not really sure why I hadn't considered that, but thanks! Any idea what their email address is? The website only lists a telephone number for support.

I called technical support. They basically said they've moved away from email support and use it only for Traeger-initiated communication with customers. I sent photos to the tech while on the call with him (using the tech-initiated email) and he identified the grill as a Lil' Tex Elite (model BBQ07E). Good news is they actually can supply the legs and all of the major components are still in production (auger, motors, controller, etc.). Tech did say not to damage or lose the emblem as it is not replaceable. Thanks for the tip @John S.

 

[jablase]

I've had a chance to dig in this evening and am happy to say that the controller, auger, blower, and ignitor all work. A single wire was loose and the previous owner couldn't figure out that this was preventing anything from working.

Super excited to get to work cleaning up the grill and installing the legs (once they arrive from Traeger).

 

[JamesB]

I've had a chance to dig in this evening and am happy to say that the controller, auger, blower, and ignitor all work. A single wire was loose and the previous owner couldn't figure out that this was preventing anything from working.

Super excited to get to work cleaning up the grill and installing the legs (once they arrive from Traeger).

 

[John S.]

Happy smoking…

 

[Slimpicker]

What part of STL you in???