Pellets Treager v. Pit boss

[Daba's BBQ]

I use Pit Boss, Traeger, Bear Mountain, and Lumberjack. I find the PB and Bear Mountain to be the best. I only use 100% hardwood pellets; nothing with oils, fillers, etc. I spent $600 on a smoker. The last thing I am going to do is be cheap when it comes to the main heat source for that smoker.

That being said...I had a Trager Pro Series 34 for about 2 years. I sold it recently after one solid year of nothing but problems with the auger, hot rod, temp probe, and controller. I had to replace all of these items for a 2-year old product? Seriously? I cannot tell you how many cooks were ruined because it simply stopped working. I had enough and got rid of it. I picked up a PB Pro Series 850 about 3 months ago. The rig is awesome and makes great food. I'm rolling a 10-pound ham on it as I type this. I've never seen a rig hold the temp as solid as this one. Amazing product, with great customer service.

 

[Shedd]

I was at Tractor Supply today and they have their brand of pellets on sell. I’m going back tomorrow and get a couple bags, anyone here use them? Great price.

 

[RustyJake]

At that price, they would be worth trying.

 

[Daba's BBQ]

Never heard of them, but as RustyJake said, at that price it is worth a shot. Let us know what you think

 

[OldMayfield]

I was at Tractor Supply today and they have their brand of pellets on sell. I’m going back tomorrow and get a couple bags, anyone here use them? Great price.

Thanks @Shedd . I've posted this question on a couple of Forums (Fora?) over the past few months, no replies. My Tractor Supply stopped carrying any other brands of pellets once they started selling their own. Can't wait to hear your report.

 

[Cwgrizz]

I have used PB for a few years now. For $8.97 per 20lb (mesquite) they can't be beat. That is all I use anymore. Traeger is twice the price and the others I don't come across too often. WM for PB is the deal

 

[BillinTexas]

Was going to ask this very question after buying my first bag of Pit Boss pellets at Walmart -- post oak flavor (this being Texas and all). When I opened the bag to fill the hopper I was a little concerned that these pellets run up to two inches long, compared to the much shorter pieces in Traeger and Cuisinart bags. But when I fired up the Pro to bake a pizza last night, they seemed to feed fine.

 

[RustyJake]

For those of us north of the 49th parallel, Canadian Tire has Pit Boss on sale for a week starting June 6th
40 lb bag for $17.99 for the Competition Blend (about $13.25 USD)

 

[RayClem]

Was going to ask this very question after buying my first bag of Pit Boss pellets at Walmart -- post oak flavor (this being Texas and all). When I opened the bag to fill the hopper I was a little concerned that these pellets run up to two inches long, compared to the much shorter pieces in Traeger and Cuisinart bags. But when I fired up the Pro to bake a pizza last night, they seemed to feed fine.

As long as you can take the lengthy pellets and snap them between your fingers, they will feed fine. The reason Traeger pellets are shorter is that they are not as dense and they break apart easily. Unfortunately, this causes the creation of a lot of dust. That is why I do not use Traeger pellets.

I like Pit Boss pellets, but my favorites are Bear Mountain and Lumber Jack, both made by the same company in Wisconsin.

 

[BobbyQ]

For those of us north of the 49th parallel, Canadian Tire has Pit Boss on sale for a week starting June 6th
40 lb bag for $17.99 for the Competition Blend (about $13.25 USD)
View attachment 23777

At that price I would not hesitate to purchase

 

[TXpitMan]

I've always used Bear Mountain outside of the start bags of Traeger Signature I had. I recently bought a 40 pound bag of PB pellets from Wal Mart because Tractor Supply was out of Bear Mountain. They've worked just fine.

I really like the bear mountain oak.

 

[Parrothead1809]

I drove an hour away to a shop that had Lumberjack since someone said they were so great. Honestly, they don't impart any different flavor then the CostCo pellets that are very economical. I also watched a YouTube where the Mad Scientist BBQ recommended Knotty Wood Plum, so I may try them. But it's going to be hard to beat the Costco price.

As others have said, I find: (1) Traeger Pellets generate a lot of ash/dust and (2) I can't taste any different flavor between brands or between wood species of brands. Either my pallet isn't that discerning or they all just generate heat. Also, I've had mixed results with smoke tubes.

<Tangent Rant>
I have a gas grill too - which is great for the convenience, but doesn't impart any flavor on my meats. I did just re-watch the Weber Kettle Series from Chud's BBQ, so when I wanted a nice steak last week, I broke out the Weber and a bag of Kingsford (just like my father did for many years). It generated a great product with a great cooked-outside-with-coal flavor. Having watched Chud (Bradley) makes me want to try using that as a smoker. I may try it for ribs or chicken (first) before venturing to a longer cook.

Alas, the convenience factor is why I gave up my vertical smoker for the Traeger a few years back, now I'm looking for the flavor and willing to play with the wood/fire management. How can I just have my cake BBQ and eat it too?!?!
</Tangent>

-PH

 

[RayClem]

I have not tried the Costco pellets. They come in 40 lb bags and at my age, I had difficulty handling anything over 25 lb, so I purchase the 20# bags.

The advantage of LumberJack pellets is that they use no filler woods. If you purchase cherry pellets, they will be 100% cherry. Most other brands will say "Cherry blend" and will be mostly something like alder or oak with some cherry added. Of course, many people like cooking with hardwood blends such as the "competition" blends.

A couple of the Traeger blends like Mesquite and Hickory are filler wood (primarily alder) with mesquite or hickory flavor added. I guess they do that to reduce transportation costs. Those two products are identified as "Natural Flavored Hardwood" rather than "Natural Hardwood Blend".

 

[Shedd]

I have not tried the Costco pellets. They come in 40 lb bags and at my age, I had difficulty handling anything over 25 lb, so I purchase the 20# bags.

The advantage of LumberJack pellets is that they use no filler woods. If you purchase cherry pellets, they will be 100% cherry. Most other brands will say "Cherry blend" and will be mostly something like alder or oak with some cherry added. Of course, many people like cooking with hardwood blends such as the "competition" blends.

A couple of the Traeger blends like Mesquite and Hickory are filler wood (primarily alder) with mesquite or hickory flavor added. I guess they do that to reduce transportation costs. Those two products are identified as "Natural Flavored Hardwood" rather than "Natural Hardwood Blend".

I use the ones from Costco and like I’ve tried all the others and as far as taste goes, it’s the same with any. They truly are quality pellets and a great price.

 

[RayClem]

I use the ones from Costco and like I’ve tried all the others and as far as taste goes, it’s the same with any. They truly are quality pellets and a great price.

If Costco sold 20# bags, I would try them. However, like many things they sell, they carry the large, economy size.