Here we are going to compare the Pit Boss vs Traeger in these pellet grill reviews. Wood pellet grills make a great addition to any backyard because of their versatility in combining both a smoker and grill together in one. Some models will allow to you smoke meats like ribs or brisket while cooking regular items like hot dogs, burgers or steak simultaneously.
Pellet grills deliver great tasting food for the whole family to enjoy. Most pellet smokers have plenty of cooking surface to cook enough food for a party or gathering. Pellet grills have really started becoming popular in the last several years and for good reason.
Before you purchase a pellet grill, give some thought as to how often you will actually use it. Plus how long will it last, to determine if it’s a good decision, given the financial commitment. Also stick with the proven brands in wood pellet grills like Pit Boss and Traeger. This way you’ll at least know you are getting a high-quality pellet grill.
See our reviews of the top models of both Pit Boss and Traeger that we’ve chosen, so you can get a better understanding of the best to buy for your needs.
View our Pit Boss vs Traeger wood pellet grill reviews to see which is best for the money. You can’t go wrong with either a Pitboss grill or Traeger smokers
Best Pit Boss Pellet Grills
Pit Boss 1000SC
This Pit Boss PB1000SC offers one of the largest cooking spaces of any pellet grill with 100Pit Boss 1000 Traditions Pellet Grill0sq inches. This huge cooking surface is porcelain coated with an S tier rack. Perfect for big groups of 8 or more, enough to feed the family and friends with ease. Temperature range on this Pit Boss Grills PB1000SC is 180 degrees to 500 degrees. Equipped with digital controls and a flame broiler. You can set the temperature and relax or chose to sear your meat over an open flame. No hassling with charcoal or running out of propane. Get great tasting food with all natural wood pellets. This high-quality pellet grill is built to last. Smoke, grill, sear, bake, braise, char grill or barbecue with restaurant quality results with this Pit Boss pellet grill.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 67 x 28 x 49.2 inches
- Weight: 196 lbs
- Cooking surface: 1000sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Temperature Range: 150 – 550 F
- Grate: Porcelain coated cast iron
- 1000sq inches of cooking space
- 28 pound wood pellet hopper
- Flame broiler
- Porcelain coated cooking grate for better non-stick cooking
- Lower storage cabinet with doors
- Locking wheels
- Weight
Pit Boss 1000 Traditions Pellet Grill
This Pit Boss 1000 Traditions (PB1000T1) is almost identical to the PB1000SC other than the storage compartment on the bottom. This model has an open design with a rack for storage and only has two large wheels for maneuvering. The cooking space is the same as well as the temperature range of 150 – 550 F. Same digital controls and porcelain-coated cast iron grates. Both of these models have a port on the control panel for a meat probe to monitor internal meat temperature. Both have an upper rack for warming food until the rest of the food is done. This Pit Boss pellet grill is less expensive than the 1000SC model by over $125. Plenty of cooking space to cook for just about any occasion you have.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 67 x 27.8 x 49.2 inches
- Weight: 182 lbs
- Cooking surface: 1000sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Temperature Range: 150 – 550 F
- Grate: Porcelain coated cast iron
- Large cooking surface of 1000sq inches
- Over $125 less expensive than the model with storage below
- Digital control Panel with LED read-out
- Built to last
- No known cons
Pit Boss 700S Pellet Grill
Specifications
- Dimensions: 52.7 x 26.6 x 46.7 inches
- Weight: 131 lbs
- Cooking surface: 700sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Temperature Range: 180 – 500 F
- Grate: Porcelain coated cast iron
- Digital control Panel
- Easy to clean
- Searing ability
- Issues with holding a consistent temperature
- Issues with auger motor not working properly, must empty hopper of all pellets after each use to avoid them getting wet and causing problems
Pit Boss 440TG1
Take the Pit Boss 440TG1 (PB440TG) wood pellet grill on the road. This portable smoker and grill was created to take anywhere you go. Once you get to your destination, set up is convenient and easy with it’s folding legs. Just set your desired temperature and sit back while this Pit Boss pellet smoker maintains consistent cooking with it’s rear exhaust convection system. You can be sure meals turn out perfect with it’s digital control panel and LED display. Like the other Pit Boss smoking units, this one comes with the unique flame broiler to sear meats. This Pit Boss pellets grill is perfect for cooking delicious steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and more. Take this portable Pit Boss smoker 440TG with you to your next tailgate party, camping trip or outing.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 40 x 22.5 x 41 inches
- Weight: 92.8 lbs
- Cooking surface: 440sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Temperature Range: 180 – 550 F
Pros
- Portable design to take anywhere
- Foldable legs
- Digital controls with LED display
- Searing ability
Cons
- Not as much cooking space as non-portable models
- No meat probe to monitor internal temperature
- Wood pellet hopper only holds 5 lbs
Best Traeger smokers
Traeger Lil Tex Elite 34
Traeger smokers are the #1 selling pellet grills on the market. This Traeger Lil Tex Elite 34 packs 646sq inches of cooking space, enough to feed family and friends. You can fit 32 hot dogs, 24 burgers, 9 racks of ribs or 6 whole chickens comfortably. Get delicious tasting food every time with 100% all natural Traeger grill pellets, no binding agents or fillers. Equipped with auto-start electronic ignition and a digital elite control panel with LED display. Porcelain grill grates for easy non-stick cooking and clean up. Maneuver around with locking wheel casters. This Traeger smoker is versatile and built to last for years to come.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 22 x 54 x 49 inches
- Weight: 150 lbs
- Cooking surface: 646sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Hopper size: 18 lbs
Pros
- Large cooking space at 646sq inches
- Large pellet hopper
- Locking caster wheels
- Digital controls with LED display
- Electronic auto-start ignition
Cons
- No meat probe, separate thermometer must be used for internal meat reading
- Not the least expensive model
Traeger Lil Tex Elite 22
Never hassle with charcoal or gas again with this Traeger Lil Tex Elite 22. Get delicious wood-fire taste with 100% all natural Traeger grill pellets. This Traeger pellet smoker is perfect for 3-2-1 smoked ribs, steak and burgers. Here’s what you can comfortably fit on the 418sq inch grilling area, 24 hot dogs, 16 burgers, 5 racks of smoked ribs or 4 whole chickens. As with most other Traeger pellet smokers it comes equipped with digital controls, porcelain grill grates, electronic auto-start ignition and built to last. As you’re starting to notice after reading these Traeger grills reviews it’s hard to go wrong with a Traeger pellet smoker.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 42 x 22 x 49 inches
- Weight: 98 lbs
- Cooking surface: 418sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Hopper size: 18 lbs
Pros
- Best pellet grill for the money, good mid-range option of price/size
- Large pellet hopper
- Digital controls with LED display
- Electronic auto-start ignition
Cons
- No cover, sold separatelyTraeger Bronson 20
- No meat probe to measure internal meat temperature
Traeger Renegade Elite
The Traeger Renegade Elite smoker is one of the smaller models offered. It does come with more exterior options like a tool caddy rack to keep your rubs and sauces close by, plus to hang your tools on. The wire prep rack on the front is a great addition and gives you plenty of space to prepare your food with rubs and sauce. The 380 sq inches of cooking space is just the right size for a family. If you’re looking to feed a large group you may need to chose a large size model. This 6-in-1 can – grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise and barbecue an array of food for your next cookout.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 42.2 x 23.5 x 9.8 inches
- Weight: 120 lbs
- Cooking surface: 380sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Hopper size: 18 lbs
Pros
- Tool caddy rack and prep rack
- Large pellet hopper
- Digital controls with LED display
- Electronic auto-start ignition
Cons
- Cooking space a little small compared to price
Traeger Bronson 20
This Traeger Bronson 20 wood pellet grill is the least expensive model in our Traeger grills review but also has the smallest cooking space. With just 300 sq inches of cooking space is fine for the family, don’t expect to cook for the whole neighborhood. You can comfortably fit 4 whole chickens, 12 burgers or 3 racks of ribs. One unique aspect of this Traeger smoker is it’s HOA-approved, so you can cook with it out on your condo patio or deck. Other than these things, it has the same functions as the higher-end Traeger pellet grills.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 22 x 35 x 38 inches
- Weight: 77 lbs
- Cooking surface: 300sq inch
- Controls: Digital
- Hopper size: 18 lbs
Pros
- HOA-approved for condo’s
- More affordable option
- Large pellet hopper
- Digital controls with LED display
- Electronic auto-start ignition
Cons
- The least Cooking space of Traeger’s in this review
Traeger vs Pit Boss Compared
At first glance wood pellet grills may look similar to regular barbecue grills, although some may have a firebox on the side for smoking meats, vegetables or other food. It’s important to compare both companies and the features of grills, as they both have great customer reviews. The following are a few of the details we recommend in looking for before purchasing your next pellet grill.
Price
This is the first detail many shoppers look at when making a buying decision. No one wants to feel like they over-paid for something or could’ve gotten a better model for the same price. Plan to spend considerably more for a high-quality wood pellet grill than you would for a more standard charcoal or gas grill. Some of the top models can cost upwards of $1000.
When comparing the prices between these two brands, Pit boss will have more lower priced models than Traeger. The price range for most of Pit Boss grills are $500-$700. If you are on a budget, Pit Boss may have the perfect pellet grill for you.
Traeger smokers has affordable options as well, although they can go up to the $1000 range. You can find quality options of similar price ranges from both of these companies to fit your budget.
Grill Construction
Price may be the first thing you look at, but quality of construction can be just as important if not more. You don’t want to make a large financial investment in a grill, only to have it last a couple years. Look for expert craftsmanship that will give you great tasting food for years to come. Traeger tends to have the edge when it comes to better construction. Using features such as cast-iron, clear nontoxic coatings to prevent rusting and from food sticking.
Pit Boss grills have similar construction features to Traeger but not better. Some elements on Pit Boss pellet grills don’t look as well made as Traeger. It’s hard to beat Traeger’s craftsmanship and quality by any brand.
Cooking Area
When comparing cooking area, the Pit Boss Grills PB1000SC is impressive with 1000sq inches of cooking surface. This is unheard of in any other pellet grill brands. Although the Traeger pellet smokers usually on average have more square inches of cooking surface than comparable Pit Boss pellet smoker models. That’s unless you buy the Pit Boss PB1000SC. 500sq inches is about the range for an average priced pellet grill.
Temperature Range
When comparing the temperature range between Traeger vs Pit Boss, you will find there’s not much difference. They are both pretty equal and have grills with minimum temperatures in the 100 degree range and maximum temperatures in the 500 degree range.
Pellet Hopper Size
Hoppers also referred to as a wood pellet hopper, is the large compartment mounted to the side in most cases to the pellet grill. This is where you pour in your wood pellets that get feed into the grill as they are burned up. Of course the larger the hopper the less you’ll need to fill it up. This becomes important if you are smoking for long periods of time. You wouldn’t want to come home to find out your wood pellet hopper ran out of pellets.
Traeger has most models that are designed to hold 18 pounds of pellets, including an ash catch system for less mess. Pit Boss has many smokers that can hold up to 10-12 pounds of wood pellets in their hopper.
Pit Boss vs Traeger: Winner is?
After reviewing so many models of both Pit Boss and Traeger, we have to say Traeger is the clear winner. Traeger smokers craftsmanship and features are hard to beat. Traeger pellet smokers are built to last with powder coating finishes and a 3 year warranty.
If you are new to wood pellet smokers or on a budget, Pit Boss is still a great choice. You will get the same tasty food as you would on any other pellet smoker. They have more affordable choices available to fit most budgets. We hope this Pit Boss vs Traeger Pellet Grill Review helped inform you of your choices and things to consider, before purchasing your new pellet grill.
