Pit Boss VS Traeger: Which Pellet Grill Should You Buy?

What to Expect With This Review

Truth be told, comparing two different grills is harder than what you’ve thought. It doesn’t mean that the one is cheaper, it is better than the other one. On the other hand, more expensive grills do not always justify their quality, considering their price. 

Therefore, we will give sound arguments and reviews about Pit Boss and Traeger and see which works best for you. From the year 2016, Pit Boss had an excellent griller that caught the heart of many. However, that product is already phased out. 

Now, Pit Boss got a new model we will present later in this article. Traeger stayed the same, but they changed the manufacturing location.

In this review, you will see the complete difference between these two grillers. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Of course, we will not sugarcoat the things we see negatively. But it’s up to you to know if it will work for you. 

We will also present the price variation to let you see how it differs from one another. Another thing we will show you are Features, Hopper Size, Cooking Space, Temperature Range, and last but not least – the price. 

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All About Pit Boss Pellet Grill and a Company Overview 

Pit Boss grills are popular because of their quality, durability, and craftsmanship. Dan Thiessen, including his two sons, discovered it in 1999 until they became a subsidiary of Dansons, Inc.  It’s not all about the product they produce. Thiessen’s family is famous since they have a unique style of business approach, which made their business grow more prominent in time. 

They came up with various designs and styles to meet all their customer’s expectations – the Pit Boss Tailgater to Pit Boss Austin XL massive grill. With their competency, Dansons awarded Thiessen with EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017. 

Interestingly, Joe Traeger, the founder of Traeger grills, signed their partnership with Dansons. So, they also partnered with Louisiana and Pit Boss grill brands. It’s good to know these two pellet grills companies work together. 

Traeger Pellet Grill and Company Overview 

Compared to Pit Boss, Traeger was established longer than Pit Boss. It started in 1985, then began to work on its design and craftsmanship in 1986. No wonder it became one of the best companies offering high-quality pellet grills. 

At first, Joe Traeger experimented with several wood-burning stoves before he came up with his masterpiece. Soon after, he finally became successful in his journey. He was top on the market for over 20 years. 

In the 20 years, they were known as a small family business from Oregon. Despite the competition, they still became trusted companies, especially when Jeremy Andrus became part of the team. Afterward, they moved to Salt Lake City to operate their business.

Traeger is still leading with more than $300 million-dollar worth of products sold every year among the pellet grills company.

The Difference Between Pit Boss and Traeger Pellet Grills 

Pit Boss 

• When it comes to price, Pit Boss is more affordable than Traeger. 
• Pit Boss’s firepot is in the middle to make a sliding slit system, allowing an open flame grilling. 
• Pit Boss has longer warranty years. They offer a 5-year warranty for their products starting from 2018. 

Traeger

• No doubt, Traeger built their name for nothing. It became one of the largest pellet grill companies. So, for sure, what you see is what you get. 
• They moved their manufacturing building from the USA to China for faster production, but the quality is still the same.  
• Traeger’s firepot is on the side of the grill.

Here are the features and specifications of Pit Boss Pro Series 1100 Wood Pellet Grill and Traego Pro 780 Pellet Grill.

Pit Boss Series 1100 Wood Pellet Grill 

	Specification
Cooking Area	1100 square inches
Hopper Capacity	35 pounds
Burger Capacity	56
BTU Value	40,000
Temperature Range	180°F – 500°F

Other Features:

• automatic start-up and cool down, 
• fan-forced convection cooking, 
• locking caster wheels, 
• solid bottom shelf, 
• tool hooks, 
• simple slide-plate flame broiler,  
• porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grids,
• 8-in-1 cooking system 
• Two meat probes

Traeger Pro 780 Pellet Grill

	Specification
Cooking area	780 square inches
Pellet Hopper Capacity	18 lbs
Max temperature	500° F

Other features: 

• Pro D2 Controller with WiFire® Technology 
• Single Meat Probe 
• 2-tier grate system 
• Hopper clean-out with magnetic door 

If you want to see the complete comparisons of the two, here they are:

Pellet Grill	Pit Boss Pro Series 1100	Traeger Pro 780
MSRP	$599.00	$999.99
Dimensions	31.70in x 62in x 53.5in	27in x 55in x 49in
Hopper capacity	35lbs	18lbs
Cooking surface area (sq in)	1100	780
SearZone™	Yes	No
Meat probe	2	1
Temperature Range	180°F – 500°F	180°F – 450°F
Burger capacity	56	34
Control	Dial-in Digital Control with LED readout	Pro D2 Controller (with WiFi)
Removable side shelf	Yes	No
Tool hooks	Yes	Yes
Pellet view window	Yes	No
Priming button (to maintain heat)	Yes	No
Pellet purge system	Yes	Yes

I found this table on the Pit Boss website, so it’s kind of biased. But you’ll see that it’s the real features and specifications of these two pellet grills. However, I found that Traeger has more durable and high-quality products. Of course, it still depends on how you use the product. But when it comes to a name or brand with a high reputation, Traeger always wins. 

If you are looking for more affordable and bang for a buck griller, then the Pit Boss pellet grill is ideal for you. 

Here are the top Pit Boss pellet grills

Top Traeger Wood Pellet Grills 

You can choose from Traeger’s product, depending on your needs. Do you want a bigger one to cook for the whole friends and family? Do you plan to buy a portable griller to assist wherever you go? Or are you the techie type who wants a grill you can monitor on your WiFi? Traeger covers it all. That’s their strength. They have multiple styles and designs to choose from, wherein they beat Pit Boss for that. 

So, here you go…

So, Which is Better – Pit Boss or Traeger? 

It’s hard to say which is better. But when it comes to affordability, Pit Boss wins. As you consider its sizes and capacity, your purchase is a bang for a buck! However, if you are looking for a more technology-based pellet grill, Traeger is the best brand for you. When you consider its price and features, you’ll see that it is promising, and at the same time, satisfying. You’ll get your money’s worth. 

For me, I prefer the Traeger brand more. I am a techie one, and I love their feature inclusions you can’t find everywhere. They have promising specifications so that it can justify the company’s higher prices than other brands.