Bull Resolved! So this is the first thing I see... after unboxing

[flracer43]

Just call rec Tec they should make it right

 

[Brian Vallotton]

Just call rec Tec they should make it right

I have a call coming from Zach soon. I just don't know what "making it right" in this case would mean. So I will talk to him and find out what he has to say. I hate to ship it back and wait another 2 Weeks...

 

[pbison]

Thanks buddy. I feel better this morning. Zach from Rec Tec is going to call me in a bit. I don't know what to do. I don't really want to have to ship it back and then wait another 2 WEEKS... Many say they will compensate me in some way. Not sure.

One thing to keep in mind is that the pitting is not going to affect longevity or performance. I know it's still frustrating, but as you use it I think you'll find stainless doesn't look as nice as your old Traeger anyway, which I assume was powder coated. All the soot and grease shows and as others mentioned it scratches fairly easy too. That's the tradeoff for not having to worry about corrosion or paint problems years from now. You'll see most of the grills here look well used fairly quickly. There are a few people that keep theirs looking pristine but that requires a good bit of effort. That's just the nature of a stainless smoker.

 

[Brian Vallotton]

One thing to keep in mind is that the pitting is not going to affect longevity or performance. I know it's still frustrating, but as you use it I think you'll find stainless doesn't look as nice as your old Traeger anyway, which I assume was powder coated. All the soot and grease shows and as others mentioned it scratches fairly easy too. That's the tradeoff for not having to worry about corrosion or paint problems years from now. You'll see most of the grills here look well used fairly quickly. There are a few people that keep theirs looking pristine but that requires a good bit of effort. That's just the nature of a stainless smoker.

That is a very good take on things. I am not the type to be cleaning and shining it. Now my wife has a 7K WOLF stove... I leave the cleaning to her... so I don't mess it up! Any thoughts on compensation though? It does bother me that it came like it did.

 

[macabra11]

I've got Motorcycles In That mix too

Hey do you have one that starts with a G? hehe GGGG. Like a GHarley or GHonda?
[/QUOTE]
Grills, guitars, girl (coming up on 17yrs), guns, and motorcycles (road GLIDE) for me too

Regarding your issues with the new rec tec... I can completely understand your frustration at prior pellet grill experiences, but you have to remember that those have nothing to do with RecTec. This issue is one that definitely needs to be taken care of, and I do not doubt they will handle it. However, I am not going to tell you that everything else with this grill will be rainbows and puppy dogs. You've read about the terrible app and alerts. You've read about the warped deflectors and drip pans. You've read about the inconsistent heat-up times/max temp issues. Not everyone will have one or more of these issues, but some people do. I assume that most people get the grill and are just happy as pigs in sh!#. But I can surmise you aren't that type of fella.

If my grill was sub $1k, I don't think I'd complain about it nearly as much as I have. And if I could do it all over again, I'd ignore the skewed reviews and marketing hype and probably not own one at this time. This grill does not produce anything my 10 year old Traeger Lil Tex Elite couldn't do. That thing ran like a damn champ, but I was drawn into the hype of PID, all stainless, larger cooking area, and a wifi controlled app with alarms so that I could monitor cooks from when I am in the hospital with my son.

It's never going to be easier to return the grill that it is right now... boxed up on a pallet. There is no magic unicorn that is perfect. Even grills that cost twice as much as the Bull have flaws. You just have to admit what you are willing to live with and pay for.

 

[Brian Vallotton]

Hey do you have one that starts with a G? hehe GGGG. Like a GHarley or GHonda?

Grills, guitars, girl (coming up on 17yrs), guns, and motorcycles (road GLIDE) for me too

Regarding your issues with the new rec tec... I can completely understand your frustration at prior pellet grill experiences, but you have to remember that those have nothing to do with RecTec. This issue is one that definitely needs to be taken care of, and I do not doubt they will handle it. However, I am not going to tell you that everything else with this grill will be rainbows and puppy dogs. You've read about the terrible app and alerts. You've read about the warped deflectors and drip pans. You've read about the inconsistent heat-up times/max temp issues. Not everyone will have one or more of these issues, but some people do. I assume that most people get the grill and are just happy as pigs in sh!#. But I can surmise you aren't that type of fella.

If my grill was sub $1k, I don't think I'd complain about it nearly as much as I have. And if I could do it all over again, I'd ignore the skewed reviews and marketing hype and probably not own one at this time. This grill does not produce anything my 10 year old Traeger Lil Tex Elite couldn't do. That thing ran like a damn champ, but I was drawn into the hype of PID, all stainless, larger cooking area, and a wifi controlled app with alarms so that I could monitor cooks from when I am in the hospital with my son.

It's never going to be easier to return the grill that it is right now... boxed up on a pallet. There is no magic unicorn that is perfect. Even grills that cost twice as much as the Bull have flaws. You just have to admit what you are willing to live with and pay for.
[/QUOTE]
Great advice, and I appreciate you taking the time to share this. Perspective is a beautiful thing. I was happy with my Traeger Texas Elite. I never cared about the temp swings or anything like that. Further I have a gift from my stepson that is one of the remote temp devices that gives me alarms on my phone that works, so I really am not invested in caring about the wifi connections on this unit. In fact, I plan on not using the wifi. So as far as cooking goes I am a simple guy. I am a custom upholsterer for 40 years now. I have had jobs that I tried my best on go sideways. I may have maybe one or two comebacks a year. When they happen I apologize and do whatever I can to make it right. I suspect they are the same way and that is good enough for me! God have mercy on us all... my favorite prayer.

 

[Buttah Butts]

When I received my bull it had a minor blemish in the power coating on the cover. I had called Rec tec because I had a question regarding the app and during that process I had mentioned it. I wasn’t asking for a discount or really complaining 4 days later I get a package delivered with new lid and some swag. I would give Rec tec a chance to do the right thing. There a great company. It sucks yours came with the cosmetic issues it has. Good luck. I assure you that the Rec tec is worth the hype.

 

[Brian Vallotton]

When I received my bull it had a minor blemish in the power coating on the cover. I had called Rec tec because I had a question regarding the app and during that process I had mentioned it. I wasn’t asking for a discount or really complaining 4 days later I get a package delivered with new lid and some swag. I would give Rec tec a chance to do the right thing. There a great company. It sucks yours came with the cosmetic issues it has. Good luck. I assure you that the Rec tec is worth the hype.

Just had a nice conversation with Zach and they are working on giving me a good solution right now. I am glad I have taken the time to deal with it. I feel pretty good about things. It will either go back and I get one he is personally going to inspect or a fairly large company credit.

 

[bfletcher]

Congrats, Brian! I remember when I was assembling mine in December and was missing the pull bar... I called but no one answered and rather than leaving a message I decided I'd shoot them an email. Two minutes later they saw my missed call and called me back to ask how they could help.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

Excellent. Glad to hear their response.

 

[Uncle Bob]

That was an interesting few minutes of reading...........somehow I missed seeing this thread until now. Glad you got some concessions that brought you to a good place. I might have read your succession of failed attempts with three different companies as a sign to just not get into the pellet grill world.

 

[wfcook]

I’m glad this got sorted out. So far mine has been really great.

mans I don’t need no stinking Weber forsearing and grill marks:

 

[Blues1]

Just had a nice conversation with Zach and they are working on giving me a good solution right now. I am glad I have taken the time to deal with it. I feel pretty good about things. It will either go back and I get one he is personally going to inspect or a fairly large company credit.

Glad you got it worked out after the fiasco with the Smokefire. It made me a little gun shy too. A body can only take so much...

 

[Brian Vallotton]

Glad you got it worked out after the fiasco with the Smokefire. It made me a little gun shy too. A body can only take so much...

Enjoying some fatty chicken thighs and being grateful for this life. The only one we get. Oh and listening to Mark Knopfler... Telegraph Road... Oh yeah!!!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Enjoying some fatty chicken thighs and being grateful for this life. The only one we get. Oh and listening to Mark Knopfler... Telegraph Road... Oh yeah!!!

That sultan knows a little about guitars...……...

 

[Brian Vallotton]

That sultan knows a little about guitars...……...

Yeah, he can really get into the "swing" of things... hehe

 

[cutplug]

G...Glad to hear your breathing easy.
Life is about picking your battles. Is it worth all the stress and so on...
G.. get grilling...

 

[Gotcha]

Excellent news!
Tonight I am going to smoke some Giant Shrimp Prawns.
Best Greg

 

[Spieri]

I appreciate your kind words, but after a bad Traeger, a returned SmokeFire, I am not sure I am in for the ride.

Hey Brian. I’m looking into the SmokeFire. Can I ask why you returned it?

 

[Brian Vallotton]

Hey Brian. I’m looking into the SmokeFire. Can I ask why you returned it?

I am a member of the Weber SmokeFire forum and I had ordered mine from Weber. While waiting for it to arrive many people had received theirs already and reports on the forum and on YouTube with videos were showing everything from complete controller failures, auger issues, hopper feed issues, to greasefires. Even some of the most solid Weber fans were saying this unit is not ready for primetime. So in the midst of seeing all that I just decided to save myself the trouble and refused shipment. I then decided to get the Bull. I am very happy I did! There are happy SmokeFire users out there. I just did not want to deal with a beta product. I am sure Weber will be giving the competition a run for their money. In fairness to Weber I know many people have had someone actually go to their home and fix things! That is pretty amazing.