Stampede RT-590 or Traeger Pro 575?

[Caps_Shield]

Hello! I'm considering getting into the world of pellet smokers.

BACKGROUND
I first started to like them by following Traeger. So a Pro 575 was what I wanted. After a lot of research I found somethings I didn't like about the Traeger smoker. For example, they can peel and chip and the temps can have wide swings in what it is really at verse what it says. I recently found the RecTeqs and I so far cannot find any issues like this. I am not sure if this is because Traeger has a larger market share, hence more possible complaints or if it is all true.

QUESTIONS
So here are my questions. I understand that you all my be biased because you have one vs another but I thought I would give this a try.
1) Why did you select the RT-590?
2) Do you see wide swings in temps?
3) Anything you wish RecTeq would change about the smoker?
4) Can use use Traeger pellets (since they are sold at local stores) in this smoker?

Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to read this and answer!

 

[Lager1829]

1) reported build quality, customer service reputation, recommendations, bad reviews of Traeger products
2) no - never. The PID controller is awesome
3) get to high temp quicker, but I just got a Bullseye and plan to use that for the higher temp cooks
4) yes probably but there are arguably better pellets. I have only used recteq ultimate blend and am very satisfied with those.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Before you spend any money, ask yourself if app notifications is an important feature of your next smoker. If so, look elsewhere.

Some users don't seem to care that this feature is broken with Recteq smokers but if that's something you value... do some research about this problem that has been going on for over a year now. There is no fix in sight and Recteq appears too busy counting their money from their recent buy-out to bother fixing what they promised us.

If you don't care about that, then Recteq is a better device in just about every measurable way that's important. Sadly. they don't seem to care about the "smart' aspect of their smokers even though they market it as such. If they put any effort at all into their app solution this could be a segment-leader for ALL consumers and not just those who don't mind spending more for features they're not getting.

If you are fine with spending $1k for a "dumb" smoker that's made of good hardware... you found your device!

Personally, I'm done waiting for RT to get their ish together so I'm currently researching their competitors. None seem w/o their negatives but so far the Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha+ is the current front runner for me and my needs. Wish it had more than one meat probe but otherwise it seems nearly perfect for me and offers some really nice features that RT doesn't. Once of those is a double-walled barrel and a pause feature that both are really nice for colder climates. RT is in Texas so I'm not surprised they don't put much value in these things and for most people that's a non-issue. Since I see you asking about temp (your profile doesn't display your location) I assume you may have colder seasons to contend with, as I do. It seems as though Grilla Grills has thought of more of these issues we face being as they're in Minnesota. Makes sense. All of this at a lower price point too. There's some other contenders I've seen mentioned (Camp Chef comes to mind) but most are missing one or two things that are non-negotiables for me on my next smoker.

Either way, best of luck with your search and enjoy the fruits (meats?) if your labor once you get your feet in the mud so to speak.

 

[Chevys10zr2003]

Before you spend any money, ask yourself if app notifications is an important feature of your next smoker. If so, look elsewhere.

Some users don't seem to care that this feature is broken with Recteq smokers but if that's something you value... do some research about this problem that has been going on for over a year now. There is no fix in sight and Recteq appears too busy counting their money from their recent buy-out to bother fixing what they promised us.

If you don't care about that, then Recteq is a better device in just about every measurable way that's important. Sadly. they don't seem to care about the "smart' aspect of their smokers even though they market it as such. If they put any effort at all into their app solution this could be a segment-leader for ALL consumers and not just those who don't mind spending more for features they're not getting.

If you are fine with spending $1k for a "dumb" smoker that's made of good hardware... you found your device!

Personally, I'm done waiting for RT to get their ish together so I'm currently researching their competitors. None seem w/o their negatives but so far the Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha+ is the current front runner for me and my needs. Wish it had more than one meat probe but otherwise it seems nearly perfect for me and offers some really nice features that RT doesn't. Once of those is a double-walled barrel and a pause feature that both are really nice for colder climates. RT is in Texas so I'm not surprised they don't put much value in these things and for most people that's a non-issue. Since I see you asking about temp (your profile doesn't display your location) I assume you may have colder seasons to contend with, as I do. It seems as though Grilla Grills has thought of more of these issues we face being as they're in Minnesota. Makes sense. All of this at a lower price point too. There's some other contenders I've seen mentioned (Camp Chef comes to mind) but most are missing one or two things that are non-negotiables for me on my next smoker.

Either way, best of luck with your search and enjoy the fruits (meats?) if your labor once you get your feet in the mud so to speak.

I do agree that their notifications should be better than they are. Not a deal breaker for myself as I always use my Fireboard for meat temps and ambient temps but they should work if you are going to have them.

I believe RT is based in Georgia and Grilla Grills is in Michigan. I could be wrong. Still warm south versus cold north so your point is still valid but thought I would let you know.

 

[sdynak]

Speaking for the 700..

I would not buy another Rectec if I were in the market just from they way their customer service dismiss glaring issues. Such as high temps that do not come down for like 10-15 minutes and blame you for opening the lid when you inquire. Well duh.. it's a grill so at some point I need to check my cooks since the notifications are not reliable. You have to be careful on shutdown also.. they dump pellets into hot coals at the shutdown cycle. So if you are coming from a high heat cook you need to get it back down to like 225 before you can shut it off with any confidence. This can take a 1/2 hr or longer depending on what your settings were. It does not like to go low once high. I am not sure why but my 2 cents for what's it worth. Of course the reviews on their site are all screened. You will be hard pressed to find any issues there.

I'm not sure if there is something better though but I would likely try a American made unit given the price increases.

I would never go back to Traeger.. that is for sure. They got me 2X before I learned my lesson.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I do agree that their notifications should be better than they are. Not a deal breaker for myself as I always use my Fireboard for meat temps and ambient temps but they should work if you are going to have them.

I believe RT is based in Georgia and Grilla Grills is in Michigan. I could be wrong. Still warm south versus cold north so your point is still valid but thought I would let you know.

You're right. I stand corrected. Now the horns are even more stupid.

 

[Thor8594]

I too have a RT-700, I have not experienced as many app issues as others but I will not lie, I have had some. I have owned a Traeger and will never do that again, I have owned a Yoder and it was gone in 6 months (rusted in a dry climate). The build quality is great on the Rec-Teq, not issues in almost 2 years. The customer service is awesome.
As for other manufacturers, Grilla is ok, Memphis is awesome but costly.
As for temp swings, I have only had 1 and it was a hi-temp cook, I learned from that.
Pellet wise, there are so many, they all seem to work ok, just need to look for long pellets they are the ones that cause issues (bridges).

So my suggestion is to get what fits into the budget and live with the flaws, they all have them.

 

[RipJones]

Well, as "Chevys10zr2003" stated, Rec-Teq is located in Evans, GA, which is also where I happen to live. And yes, Grilla is in Michigan. As to your question, "Caps_Shield", I have to agree with your conclusion. To begin with, Bob Traeger invented the pellet grill technology years ago. And they appear to be happy with the controller technology they use. I saw that they have just released a new $4K monster, with the same controller. Others like Rec-Teq and Grilla have built a better mouse-trap controller (PID), which does not give you the "swings" in temp. I just got done with the April Rec-Teq Academy. The class is taught by KCBS champions and two Rec-Teq people, for a total of six. NOT A SINGLE ONE, uses/mentioned a grill/smoker app, from ANY of their grills, including the ones that competitively cook on Rec-Teqs. They all use a third party temp remote probe. One probe is in the grill, to act as a grill temp alarm. What I am trying to say is, you're buying a grill, not an app. I own a Bulls-Eye from Rec-Teq, and like you, will be looking at the 590. Contrary to the other comments, Rec-Teq OWNS the Customer Service arena. They are the best. If you are really hung up on the "app", call them, and grill them (no pun intended, well....). Traeger is a huge company, and I personally think they are too big to be manageable anymore. The proof of this is the $4000 grill they just released, to throwing a bunch of spare parts together, and calling it a $600 grill for QVC's Today's Special Value. How do you customer service a swing that large. They can't and they don't. Bottom line, I think you would be happy with either grill manufacturer. You will get more stainless steel, and better Customer Service with Rec-Teq. My two cents..... Rip

 

[Ostrichsak]

Well, as "Chevys10zr2003" stated, Rec-Teq is located in Evans, GA, which is also where I happen to live. And yes, Grilla is in Michigan. As to your question, "Caps_Shield", I have to agree with your conclusion. To begin with, Bob Traeger invented the pellet grill technology years ago. And they appear to be happy with the controller technology they use. I saw that they have just released a new $4K monster, with the same controller. Others like Rec-Teq and Grilla have built a better mouse-trap controller (PID), which does not give you the "swings" in temp. I just got done with the April Rec-Teq Academy. The class is taught by KCBS champions and two Rec-Teq people, for a total of six. NOT A SINGLE ONE, uses/mentioned a grill/smoker app, from ANY of their grills, including the ones that competitively cook on Rec-Teqs. They all use a third party temp remote probe. One probe is in the grill, to act as a grill temp alarm. What I am trying to say is, you're buying a grill, not an app. I own a Bulls-Eye from Rec-Teq, and like you, will be looking at the 590. Contrary to the other comments, Rec-Teq OWNS the Customer Service arena. They are the best. If you are really hung up on the "app", call them, and grill them (no pun intended, well....). Traeger is a huge company, and I personally think they are too big to be manageable anymore. The proof of this is the $4000 grill they just released, to throwing a bunch of spare parts together, and calling it a $600 grill for QVC's Today's Special Value. How do you customer service a swing that large. They can't and they don't. Bottom line, I think you would be happy with either grill manufacturer. You will get more stainless steel, and better Customer Service with Rec-Teq. My two cents..... Rip

Here's one of the "you're not buying an app" Recteq apologists now. F1 racers don't have airbags and they're better drivers than me too so with your logic should I go sabotage them so they don't work so I can be just like my heroes?

My livelihood isn't made by smoking and competitions so I don't want to babysit my smoker 24/7 when I'm doing long smokes. I have better things to do. Especially in an era where my alarm clock has more information than entire libraries.

Why do people the need to call people out on this forum who have a LEGITIMATE complaint about a feature that is broken? It makes no sense at all. None.

Admit it, you're the same guy who complained when the electric starter was invented because "real men walked to the front of the car and cranked a crank to start their cars back when men were men" aren't you? Are you still riding horses everywhere and hand writing letters to mail to airlines to book your plane tickets too?

 

[Caps_Shield]

Here's one of the "you're not buying an app" Recteq apologists now. F1 racers don't have airbags and they're better drivers than me too so with your logic should I go sabotage them so they don't work so I can be just like my heroes?

My livelihood isn't made by smoking and competitions so I don't want to babysit my smoker 24/7 when I'm doing long smokes. I have better things to do. Especially in an era where my alarm clock has more information than entire libraries.

Why do people the need to call people out on this forum who have a LEGITIMATE complaint about a feature that is broken? It makes no sense at all. None.

Admit it, you're the same guy who complained when the electric starter was invented because "real men walked to the front of the car and cranked a crank to start their cars back when men were men" aren't you? Are you still riding horses everywhere and hand writing letters to mail to airlines to book your plane tickets too?

@Ostrichsak I have a question for you. You asked before if I am buying this grill for he app. I think the answer is no. Really what I like is to be able to see what temp the meat is at a given time. I thought the app would help me with that but it doesn't seem like from both your posts it will. So for someone who, like you stated doesn't do this for a living, what do you suggest? I read that the quality of the smoker itself is better than Traeger. I just want to get a good reading on the meat temp and the temp in the grill. Thoughts?

 

[Ostrichsak]

@Ostrichsak I have a question for you. You asked before if I am buying this grill for he app. I think the answer is no. Really what I like is to be able to see what temp the meat is at a given time. I thought the app would help me with that but it doesn't seem like from both your posts it will. So for someone who, like you stated doesn't do this for a living, what do you suggest? I read that the quality of the smoker itself is better than Traeger. I just want to get a good reading on the meat temp and the temp in the grill. Thoughts?

Do yourself a favor and research the app/notification/connectivity issues before you spend any money. Don't take my word for it. Lots of unhappy owners or Recteq products out there who were all duped by the "best customer service" claims you read on this forum... hell, in this thread. It's real easy to send someone a $5 part that you sourced from the lowest bidder to correct something that shouldn't have happened in the first place. Apparently that makes "great customer service" these days.

I don't know how you can claim their customer service is the best when there's a known issue that basically breaks the "smart" features of this product almost entirely for over a year now. That's awful customer service no matter what metrics you use.

How long would Apple be in business if they sold iPhones for $1,000 each that couldn't make or receive calls or text messages but hey... the browser and Words with Friends still works great! Meanwhile every other phone made does that and can send/receive calls for less than $1,000. Only true fanbois would defend that type of behavior.

 

[sdynak]

@Caps_Shield

If you have a real issue.. not just a part swap, customer service will blow you off quicker than a hooker at a truck stop.

Still the unit is solid and nobody can argue that. Nothing is perfect. Just don't expect because someone puts something in all caps to yell at you that customer service is the best, to expect that when you have real issues. These are inherent to the product.. not one off issues to speak of. I have no stake if you purchase one or not. My day will be fine. I have a Bull and do enjoy it. It does work and is way better than a Traeger.

Good luck..

 

[Caps_Shield]

I'm sorry, it must be that I am new to this world and just do not know yet. All the issues I can find are with the app not notifying with an alarm or not being able to control the temp from the app. I fail to see the issue when the grill itself, I assume, has the ability to read the temp, adjust the temp, and see the meat temp. Again, I could be wrong. Why wouldn't i just walk over to the grill and look at these things?

 

[sdynak]

I'm sorry, it must be that I am new to this world and just do not know yet. All the issues I can find are with the app not notifying with an alarm or not being able to control the temp from the app. I fail to see the issue when the grill itself, I assume, has the ability to read the temp, adjust the temp, and see the meat temp. Again, I could be wrong. Why wouldn't i just walk over to the grill and look at these things?

It is not just the app but for temps it works. It is not broken out of the box. It breaks when you might need it the most during holidays when everyone are online using their grills.

You can absolutely buy another 3rd party device as many do.

The bottom line do not expect perfection 100% but who does I guess?

If I were in the market, I would be looking at another brand knowing what I know today. That's all.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I'm sorry, it must be that I am new to this world and just do not know yet. All the issues I can find are with the app not notifying with an alarm or not being able to control the temp from the app. I fail to see the issue when the grill itself, I assume, has the ability to read the temp, adjust the temp, and see the meat temp. Again, I could be wrong. Why wouldn't i just walk over to the grill and look at these things?

If you don't care about any of those things (even the ability to see temperature and adjust is b0rk, not just alarms) then this is your smoker! I said that from the jump. If nothing else I said applies to you (or will in the future) then you're Recteq's ideal customer!

Personally, I have no idea why anyone would knowingly buy something that's broken even if you don't have a need for those features now when the competition offers betters smokers for less money with ACTUAL customer service to back it up. I wish I had known the truth before I sent them a grand because I never would have got involved with this outfit. Sadly, the problems started a few months after I bought mine. That's why now I volunteer my first-hand experience to save others from making the same mistake now that the issues are widely known.

But hey, it's your money.

 

[JGW]

Caps, the Sak is on a mission to discredit RT and it's app for well over a year now. Pay him no mind or his ridiculous comparisons to iPhones.

Grills, like anything else, are always going to be a depends on what you are looking for. Are you willing to drop a lot of coin for a high end, high quality grill, or are you looking to get a decently priced well built unit?

I came to Rec Teq from Traeger.

Traeger:

I personally never had an issue with my Traeger. Temps swings were much wider than the RT, and it didn't get nearly as hot as the RT does (important if you are going to actually try and grill something), but I didn't have any show stoppers other than the grill was really to small for the amount of people I have to cook for at times. Build quality is mediocre on the lower priced units. Made in China. That being said, I would consider buying another if it suited my purposes.

RecTeq:

Very good grill, NOT great. Better PID than Traeger, better build quality. Customer support seems to be good, but seem to be prone to just pulling shit out of their asses and making up excuses that violate the laws of physics and thermodynamics, given some of the responses people have posted here - esp after a holding company became involved. That being said, they do seem to actually try and make things right with their customers. Made in China. I would not buy another one as I would rather support US companies that actually build their products in the USA.

 

[Ostrichsak]

It is not just the app but for temps it works. It is not broken out of the box. It breaks when you might need it the most during holidays when everyone are online using their grills.

You can absolutely buy another 3rd party device as many do.

The bottom line do not expect perfection 100% but who does I guess?

If I were in the market, I would be looking at another brand knowing what I know today. That's all.

Minor correction: it started out as heavy-use weekends like holidays (which, as you said, is when you're most likely to use it) beginning Super Bowl weekend 2021 and major holidays thereafter but quickly expanded to basically just always being broken. Recteq didn't ramp sever resources to support the number of users so now their app is perpetually broken. If you get it to work it's a rarity and certainly nothing you can depend on for reliability. If you can't count on it then it's useless. Sure you can buy a 3rd party thermometer but why spend $1k on a "smart" smoker only to buy a smart device that actually performs what the smoker claims to feature from the factory? You shouldn't have to nor would you have to if the smoker worked as advertised.

 

[C. Keeper]

@Caps_Shield

If you have a real issue.. not just a part swap, customer service will blow you off quicker than a hooker at a truck stop.

Hey @sdynak Do you have contact info

 

[Pops]

I did the research and bought a 590. It has been the best grill I have ever owned. I have had, gas, weber charcoal, a Big Green Egg and even a Holland grill. None have helped me up my grilling game more than the 590. For me it has been idiot proof.
It is the most stable grill I have ever seen, I set it and it does not move. I have mentioned the stability several times here.
It has not let me down at all.

 

[pungo]

Funny how the same person keeps bashing the grill. Their inability to get the app to work properly must have really hurt them badly. It's like broken record, they just keep posting over and over about the same problem, maybe they got a lemon? Not sure why they didn't return if didn't work properly and they hated it that much, instead they spend endless hours on the forum complaining about it. Like most others, I've never had a problem with the app or the grill. The grill has performed well in my 2 years of ownership even in the winter with temps in the lower teens. I have zero experience with Traeger so can't comment on them.