Timberline 850 vs Ironwood 885

[Philly G]

Happy Holidays All,

I have been looking to pick up a Traeger for year and am looking for advice. I have a Weber that I have never liked, terrible temp control, but it's well built and I compensate for it's deficiencies.

What I'm looking for:
I'm down to the Timberline or Ironwood. I grill year round and like the idea of the fully insulated Timberline holding temperature better than the Ironwood. Plus the safety factor!
It's just my wife and I, but we have the kids over frequently so I think the size of each is good. I have a big extended family so I could cook for 10-12 ppl, when they come over.
I do a fair bit of sous vide cooking and see this another way to go low and slow with good temp control.
I'm not a huge BBQ guy but do enjoy the flavor, would like to learn more on how to do it.

Concerns:
EVERYTHING I own gets damaged by our weather! Rainy, snowing and very damp. I am concerned about the electronics being damage over time. Any cold weather ppl have this problem?
From reading this forum, "You get some smoke flavor but it's not a pit smoker." Is this a big problem? Again, not a big BBQ guy but would like to future proof my purchase if I want to get deeper into this area.
Searing, I know this says 500 deg, is the sear good enough? Thinking to keep the Weber for that duty. Thoughts?
Sales pricing, do these things ever go on sale?

Thanks!

 

[Philly G]

Forgot one thing, any must have accessories?

 

[KraZ440]

Forgot one thing, any must have accessories?

Traeger "Must Have" Accessories - Master Thread

I think having one master "Must Have" accessory list for the Traeger would be helpful, especially for people that have just discovered the Traeger community. Please post in this thread items that you think are a must have or very handy to have. I'll continually update the first post to keep...

www.traegerforum.com

 

[TheGrumpyGriller]

Insulation on the Timberline is great (I have a T-1300) and in terms of searing....I will crank up to 400 or 450 maybe with GrillGrates that do a very nice job of searing. You can also use a skillet to sear, but I did 15 lbs. of Prime Rib for Christmas with a sear at 400 and it was quite yummy. Regardless of your choice, a quality cover (I have the Traeger) is definitely a need, but the electronic components are well protected. For my own comfort, I have a pop-up tent over mine, so that helps keep rain/snow off the grill a bit, but again, it's more for my comfort than anything else.

You will not get the same level of smoke with the Traeger as you would with a stick-burner, BUT, most of us here us one or two smoke tubes to supplement the smoke. You just fill them with pellets (or wood chips) and it does a great job of adding more of the smoke flavor, particularly at the higher temps.

Good luck!

 

[Philly G]

Insulation on the Timberline is great (I have a T-1300) and in terms of searing....I will crank up to 400 or 450 maybe with GrillGrates that do a very nice job of searing. You can also use a skillet to sear, but I did 15 lbs. of Prime Rib for Christmas with a sear at 400 and it was quite yummy. Regardless of your choice, a quality cover (I have the Traeger) is definitely a need, but the electronic components are well protected. For my own comfort, I have a pop-up tent over mine, so that helps keep rain/snow off the grill a bit, but again, it's more for my comfort than anything else.

You will not get the same level of smoke with the Traeger as you would with a stick-burner, BUT, most of us here us one or two smoke tubes to supplement the smoke. You just fill them with pellets (or wood chips) and it does a great job of adding more of the smoke flavor, particularly at the higher temps.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info, so GrillGrates are a $75 must have, I read about the Smoke tubes too. I want to grill on my deck but may move it to the garage as it's "winter home". It's a pain but that is the best place to keep it out of the winter weather.

 

[TheGrumpyGriller]

I have mine on the deck during the winter, and with the Traeger cover and soft canopy it's fine. Cold weather startup is part of the Timberlne at least, so it works well in the cold.

Good luck and be prepared for lots ofmfun accessories you'll want me over buy

 

[miguelb]

I live in Chicago but looking to smoke some ribs and whole chicken in the next few weeks. I keep my grill cover (traeger). I have an Ironwood 885. I did use it in November for the turkey and it performed perfect but the weather wasn't that old.

If money is not an issue, I would take the timberline 1300. I think the insulation is better especially if you live cold season area. The reason why is not that IW won't smoke at temp but I believe Timberline will save you pellets during those cold weather.

Also personally, I like to have bigger real estate for cooking, I done two briskets at a time. One of the reason I didn't go with the timberline 650 due to the space.

 

[Philly G]

HI Miguelb,

Thanks for your input. Good point about saving pellets with the insulation during the winter, didn't think of that.

What does anyone think about the electronics being damaged by the environment? Everybody says no problem, but I have to wonder about the longevity of leaving, what must be sensitive electronics, out in the weather

 

[Murphy's Law]

HI Miguelb,

Thanks for your input. Good point about saving pellets with the insulation during the winter, didn't think of that.

What does anyone think about the electronics being damaged by the environment? Everybody says no problem, but I have to wonder about the longevity of leaving, what must be sensitive electronics, out in the weather

I live in CO and leave my grill outside year-round, but I do keep it covered when not in use. You have to figure we see temps from below zero to around 100 degrees as the seasons progress and I have never had an issue.

 

[GrillMeister]

I went with the Ironwood 885 because I think the drip pan in the TL1300 is inadequate for long cooks and is inside the cooker.

That's my only reason I went Ironwood.

 

[JPSBBQ]

I went with the Ironwood 885 because I think the drip pan in the TL1300 is inadequate for long cooks and is inside the cooker.

That's my only reason I went Ironwood.

There is merit in this comment. I have a buddy that caters and uses a couple xls and a couple TL 1300’s. When he loads the 1300 with 4 briskets he has to be careful as if he doesn’t start with a clean grease pan it can over flow. He’s gone to using foil pans below the grates to catch some grease as a matter of practice. I will say this is the exception rather than the rule. Most people never cook so aggressively. Some definitely do and this at very least needs to be known. The bucket can overflow too, but you can see it and it’s easy to forget about the hidden one.

On the flip side if you have a pooch they can’t get into the hidden grease tray. That’s real nice as opposed to your dog spilling it all over your patio or deck and himself. Ugh.

options are nice I guess. Good luck.

 

[miguelb]

I live in CO and leave my grill outside year-round, but I do keep it covered when not in use. You have to figure we see temps from below zero to around 100 degrees as the seasons progress and I have never had an issue.

This is where it stays year around.

 

[YYCRed]

I've got the TL1300 and it stays outside year-round. Cooked a Christmas turkey at -25C (-13F) with no problems. I actually started it earlier than I needed to as I thought it might take longer to get up to temp, but it hit 325 in about 15 minutes.

As far as the comments about the drip tray go, the internal one on the Timberline is a big win for me. My dog would absolutely LOVE the bucket on the other models. haha

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the front "shelf" which is almost useless, but I have a table I use instead. And I went with the 1300 over the 850 because, while there are just the 2 of us here, there have been a few times over the last year where I needed more space than what the 850 offers.

Good luck and let us know what you go with!

 

[JPSBBQ]

I've got the TL1300 and it stays outside year-round. Cooked a Christmas turkey at -25C (-13F) with no problems. I actually started it earlier than I needed to as I thought it might take longer to get up to temp, but it hit 325 in about 15 minutes.

As far as the comments about the drip tray go, the internal one on the Timberline is a big win for me. My dog would absolutely LOVE the bucket on the other models. haha

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the front "shelf" which is almost useless, but I have a table I use instead. And I went with the 1300 over the 850 because, while there are just the 2 of us here, there have been a few times over the last year where I needed more space than what the 850 offers.

Good luck and let us know what you go with!

I hear you about the front shelf. I have found myself using it more often than I thought but not for holding food obviously. It's fairly handy for your tongs or sauce brush or thermapen. I do like that its SS and is indented so it contains drips and spills for easy cleanup. The larger area in front of the controller can hold beers or sauce bottles too.

I agree wholeheartedly though most people would prefer a wider shelf they could set a tray or plate on.

 

[John S.]

My T1300 is out side all year long and while it doesn’t get all that cold, I have smoked @ 30 and in the rain… I put a try under the brisket then pull the grease along with the meat…