Replacement for my Traeger Pro Series 34?

[Daba's BBQ]

I own a Traeger Pro Series 34. The unit is about 2 1/2 years old, and I have been running into trouble with it several times now. The built-in thermometer died, and now the hot rod seems to have broken. I have no idea how this could happen. It is not as if I am moving the unit all over my yard. I use my Shop-Vac after every few cooks. I keep the exterior and interior spotless, and cover it 95% of the time. I am hoping that the new replacement hot rod will solve the ignition problem I am having with the firebox. But overall, I am not all that confident in just how long this unit will last before I have yet another issue, or it simply dies altogether.

All that being said, if I were to replace it - what other brands/models would you suggest? Given that a new Traeger Pro Series 34 sells for about $700, I could probably get $450-500 for this if I sold it. Ideally, I'd love to get a unit that offers the ability to sear as well as smoke. Therefore, my budget for a replacement would be in the $600-700 range.

Thanks in advance.

 

[RayClem]

If you try to sell a Traeger that is not functioning properly, you might not get anywhere near what you expect. If you sell it without disclosing the problem with the burn pot and the grill fails, you are going to have a furious buyer to contend with. Get the grill working properly and then decide whether to sell it.

As for getting a pellet grill that will sear steaks, perhaps the only option there is the Pit Boss that has a sliding flame shield so you can expose the steak to direct flame from the fire pot. Pellet grills are not really designed to sear steaks. I allow my steaks to smoke at a low temperature until they reach an internal temperature of 120-125 F. Then I sear them either on a gas griddle heated to 500F or above or in a carbon steel skillet on the gas stove in my kitchen. If you like rare or medium rare steaks, you might want to sear them first and then allow the steak to come up to final temperature on the Traeger. I used to really suck at cooking steaks at home, but now I produce steaks at home that I prefer to those from a restaurant.

Another excellent searing method is to use a "flame thrower" such as the Grill Blazer Su-VGun. It is a high powered propane torch that can reach temperatures of 3000F and sear steaks in a few seconds.

 

[Daba's BBQ]

I would never sell a damaged item. I will fix it and make sure it works before putting it up for sale