I've had one of the smaller Traegers for almost 2 years. Probably use it 2-3-times per week almost year round. Previous go to was a Weber Propane. Also have a Bradley electric that uses the pucks and used to have a New Braunfels smoker - always looking for that great brisket with minimal effort - lol.
Just did a large rack of spare ribs today following the 3-2-1 format. Turned out very tasty. Can't speak to other models or other manufacturers, but I'm generally satisfied:
Cons:
Can't get it much above 400-420 depending on ambient temp. Can't get that crust on steaks.
Tends to shut itself off on Smoke setting. Probably a fix for this, but I don't use that setting very often.
Never seems to get as much smoke flavor as I'd really like. I have tried multiple brands of pellets. Can't tell any difference. FWIW, Buccee's tends to have the best price on pellets I've found.
Pros:
Really easy for grilling and good results. We do a lot of salmon fillets, burgers, ribeyes, chicken thighs and breasts. No worries about flareups ever. Similar to propane but with more smoke flavor (though still a little less than I'd really like).
Does a really nice job for larger jobs like turkeys, pork butts, whole chickens, briskets, etc. Experimented with a Porchetta this last Christmas with a good outcome.
Relatively fast startup with little maintenance.
Consistent temps.
I will say I've had more pleasing results in recent months doing larger things such as turkey or brisket in a multistep process; I've smoked them in the Bradley first for a few hours before transferring to the Traeger. This gives more smoke flavor while giving a nice crispy skin or bark.
