Bull BFG auger motor in the RT-700. It's awesome!

[Whalercat]

I have this one.

https://www.savannahstoker.com/products/traeger-2-5-rpm-replacement-auger-motor

I havent tried low smoking yet but it gets up to 500 degrees in under 15 minutes from dead cold.

I may do some pork belly this weekend and that will give me a chance to see how it works at low temperatures.

I know that one is higher priced but it is made in the US. I sourced it a couple of pages back.

https://howtobbqright.com/2017/04/17/pork-belly-burnt-ends/

This recipe came out fantastic

 

[Madflava]

I installed the recteq 3 rpm in my bull about a week ago and have run about 25# of pellets through it at varying temps since in an attempt to recalibrate the PID. Aside from the noted things above (lowering set temp when having it open for a longer time to avoid overshoot, taking time for the PID to adjust), ive found I have a very slight increase in temp fluctuation compared to my original 2 RPM (+- 5-7*). I know this is a VERY minor fluctuation, but was just curious if those who have had the 3 RPM in their bull for an extended time if theyve found this to be a consistent happening or if the PID eventually re-learns the accuracy it had with the original motor? Like I said, I know that higher fluctuation is minor, I was just curious if others found their bull regained its dead on accuracy after further cooks?

Dont know how useful this will be since its not apples to apples but I did a cook last night with the 2.5 RPM motor with temp set at 400 degrees. It stayed pretty much dead on the whole cook and even opening the grill didnt cause crazy overshoots.

 

[C. Keeper]

Dont know how useful this will be since its not apples to apples but I did a cook last night with the 2.5 RPM motor with temp set at 400 degrees. It stayed pretty much dead on the whole cook and even opening the grill didnt cause crazy overshoots.

I wasn't a fan of the 3 RPM. My next will be the 2.5 RPM.

 

[sdynak]

I wasn't a fan of the 3 RPM. My next will be the 2.5 RPM.

You predicted that from the onset

 

[C. Keeper]

You predicted that from the onset

Yeah, I hate it when that happens

 

[jhaines]

I wasn't a fan of the 3 RPM. My next will be the 2.5 RPM.

I bought the 3 rpm from smoke daddy and it didn’t fit. It needs the cover for the access panel to be out about 1/4” further so the fan isn’t bumping against it. Otherwise, it would have been an easy install. It worked fine without the cover on. Those who bought the 2.5 rpm one, you were able to connect it and leave the cover to the access panel on?

 

[Tommyp1018]

Hey guys, new to this forum, not new to recteq or the FB forums. Had my bull for a year and a half and I’ve always wanted it to get up to temp faster. Found this forum from one of the FB groups I’m apart of and decided to do this mod but went with a smoke daddy 3rpm because that’s pretty much one of the only options at this point. Install would be simple but this unit is much bigger length wise and wasn’t the easiest of installs. Lots of trial and error to get this thing on right with the back cover on. Simply put the motor/fan shaft is just too long and required an 1/8” circumcision, also I needed to swap the fan shaft bearing off of the 2rpm unit to allow the fan to slide further onto the shaft. Let it be known I also bought the smoke daddy bracket so the motor does not sag, sits perfectly inline with the auger itself and had to modify that but I’m finally done. Currently sitting beautifully at 180 on extreme smoke with MFR of 1. I will play with the settings more going forward but I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose the ability to maintain “xtreme smoke”. Thanks for the great idea, attempted it a week ago and was ready to sell the motor but after spending the whole day yesterday reading through this thread I had the confidence to tackle this. I’m sure there were other ways of getting this thing to fit but I didn’t want to go through a whole procedure to get the motor off in the future(replacing the cotter pin with a bolt and nut and pushing the auger in).

 

[jhaines]

Hey guys, new to this forum, not new to recteq or the FB forums. Had my bull for a year and a half and I’ve always wanted it to get up to temp faster. Found this forum from one of the FB groups I’m apart of and decided to do this mod but went with a smoke daddy 3rpm because that’s pretty much one of the only options at this point. Install would be simple but this unit is much bigger length wise and wasn’t the easiest of installs. Lots of trial and error to get this thing on right with the back cover on. Simply put the motor/fan shaft is just too long and required an 1/8” circumcision, also I needed to swap the fan shaft bearing off of the 2rpm unit to allow the fan to slide further onto the shaft. Let it be known I also bought the smoke daddy bracket so the motor does not sag, sits perfectly inline with the auger itself and had to modify that but I’m finally done. Currently sitting beautifully at 180 on extreme smoke with MFR of 1. I will play with the settings more going forward but I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose the ability to maintain “xtreme smoke”. Thanks for the great idea, attempted it a week ago and was ready to sell the motor but after spending the whole day yesterday reading through this thread I had the confidence to tackle this. I’m sure there were other ways of getting this thing to fit but I didn’t want to go through a whole procedure to get the motor off in the future(replacing the cotter pin with a bolt and nut and pushing the auger in).

Well at least I know that it wasn’t just me. Good for you figuring out how to make it work . I was thinking it might be easiest to just make a new cover for the access panel that has more clearance room in the back.

 

[Tommyp1018]

Well at least I know that it wasn’t just me. Good for you figuring out how to make it work . I was thinking it might be easiest to just make a new cover for the access panel that has more clearance room in the back.

That was my thought as well but I’m a carpenter who is mechanically inclined (own 2 bmws). fabricating metal work is not in my wheel house so I wouldn’t even know where to begin, at one point I thought about getting a hole saw and cutting a hole out in the back and screwing a grate to the cover but this I thought was a better option.

 

[Tommyp1018]

does anyone know how to reset adaptation on the controller? I’m running into the problem if I set to 400 from cold start the motor just dumps pellets into the fire pot. I have to set to 180, let it fire up then adjust to 400 but even then, auger dumps pellets in, fire briefly smothers for about 30 seconds with tons of smoke, the fire catches up then climbs well up into 500s and after about 5-10 minutes it makes it’s way down to 400. My 700 being a year and a half old, it’s learned it’s way of working and now it needs to relearn everything. Was wondering if there was a way to speed up that process and just set it back as if it were new.

 

[C. Keeper]

does anyone know how to reset adaptation on the controller? I’m running into the problem if I set to 400 from cold start the motor just dumps pellets into the fire pot. I have to set to 180, let it fire up then adjust to 400 but even then, auger dumps pellets in, fire briefly smothers for about 30 seconds with tons of smoke, the fire catches up then climbs well up into 500s and after about 5-10 minutes it makes it’s way down to 400. My 700 being a year and a half old, it’s learned it’s way of working and now it needs to relearn everything. Was wondering if there was a way to speed up that process and just set it back as if it were new.

To the best of my knowledge, there is NO learning involved. All was hard coded.

 

[sdynak]

To the best of my knowledge, there is NO learning involved. All was hard coded.

So all the comments about the controller "adjusting" to the higher RPM motors is BS?

 

[C. Keeper]

So all the comments about the controller "adjusting" to the higher RPM motors is BS?

The MFR needs to be adjusted for the 3 RPM auger which RT acknowledged.
There isn't anything anywhere to suggest a "learning" mode.
EDIT: If there was a learning mode, I would not have removed the 3 RPM auger

 

[BradBQ]

So if the PID controller doesnt learn, then why do people state theres a "break in period" for new grills? If there wasnt a sense of "learning" this wouldnt even be a thing. Just trying to follow the logic here, not meant as a shot at anyone.

 

[sdynak]

The MFR needs to be adjusted for the 3 RPM auger which RT acknowledged.
There isn't anything anywhere to suggest a "learning" mode.
EDIT: If there was a learning mode, I would not have removed the 3 RPM auger

I kind of figured this but given the amount of feedback about it calming down after several cooks I thought maybe they did put some learning logic in the controller. Sounds like that is more hopeful than actual. Makes more of a point to get a 1250 controller to at least deal with the increased RPM and higher limits. Wonder when those will start hitting Flea Bay.

 

[sdynak]

So if the PID controller doesnt learn, then why do people state theres a "break in period" for new grills? If there wasnt a sense of "learning" this wouldnt even be a thing. Just trying to follow the logic here, not meant as a shot at anyone.

To do a burn in.. burn off the oils used in manufacturing.

 

[BradBQ]

To do a burn in.. burn off the oils used in manufacturing.

I was not referencing the burn in, but I appreciate the input!

 

[sdynak]

I was not referencing the burn in, but I appreciate the input!

Well, that is the only thing recommended so not sure what you were asking since the break in period is essentially the same.

 

[BradBQ]

Well, that is the only thing recommended so not sure what you were asking since the break in period is essentially the same.

I am referencing other posts in this forum, much like you did when you mentioned feedback of it calming down over time. Im not trying to argue a point. Just following along with the forums and trying to better my understanding of my own equipment. Again, I appreciate your input @sdynak .

 

[chadinsc]

So if the PID controller doesnt learn, then why do people state theres a "break in period" for new grills? If there wasnt a sense of "learning" this wouldnt even be a thing. Just trying to follow the logic here, not meant as a shot at anyone.

i don’t know if these controllers have the ability to learn anything. but my grill and several other peoples did seem to run better after a few cooks with the 3rpm. they will definitely overshoot temps faster than a 2rpm when the lid is opened for very long and the temps fall in the grill. but that is avoidable by turning the controller temp down if you know your going to have the lid open for a long time turning a bunch of meat or checking several temperatures. them turning it back to the desired temperature after you close the lid.