These pellet grills are all to a decent standard, it just comes down to what is most important to you. I’ve suggested grills to guys for different reasons, and this is the collation of all that research and chit-chat.
Thanks for to BBQ North Ireland, Cairns BBQ Company, 4th Element, Traeger Reps, GMG Reps for all the info and insight.
Disclaimer, this is based on my experiences with multi-brands and reviews and if you choose one I do get a kick back through the link if you buy. BUT, I try darn hard to not be bias, I get 10’s of thousands of peeps to my sites and want to be legitimate has a decent resource.
Quick Summary & Table Comparison
Traeger gets mentioned twice here because there are a ‘lifetime’ grill in my eyes. Once you have one it will roll on for decades. I feel they are built like this and designed like this to start with.
Traeger 575
Very strong history, since originally they invented pellet grill smokers! Traeger’s have always been visually nice to look at and solid. Traeger 575 recently got the WIFIRE upgrade as standard, so it can be controlled via an app on your phone. Compact, but still able to easily cook for 8-12 guests ( 4x Chickens in 1 cook easily). 1,600+ recipes are able to be instantly sent from your phone to the pellet grill programming.
Traeger Timberline 650 / Ironwood 850
Way more cook space than the Traeger higher cooking/standing height makes a big difference – a lot of other brands like GMG have lower and for most cooks that’s awkward! Who wants a sore back when cooking a feed? There are added convenience features for these to grills, and I think pellet grills are all about making cooking and smoking easier. These features are designed around this, as I will list below.
Z GRILLS – 10002E
3 Tiered (vs 2 above) Big, no technology like WIFI control but your ability to cook a massive feed (double the cooking size to the 575) DIY Temperature probe, because they don’t include any. Pellet grills smokers are outdoor smokey ovens, you set them up and leave them to do the work. Unless you are doing multi-stage temp changes this is for big gatherings and it keeps it simple and cost-effective. No tech, just a solid performer. (Z Grills are a new brand, but the owners/factories have been making pellet grills and smoker for other brands for like 20+ years!). For a similar price to the 575 you get to cook 7 chickens, if you have big parties!
That is it in a nutshell, now I’ll briefly go over the main difference and “Unique Selling Propositions” ie. points of difference the marketers like to you.
| Model | Cook Area | Grill | Smoker | Wifi | Build | Clean | Temp Probes | Hopper | Care |
| Traeger Pro 575 | 575 sq in | B | B | Yes | A | B | 1 | 18 lb | 3 years |
| Traeger 650 / 850 | 650/850 | A | A | Yes | A | A | 1 | 20 / 24 | 3 years |
| Z GRILLS-10002E | 1000 sq in | B | B | No | A | B | 0 | 20 lb | 3 years |
Ok – here are the pellet grills in detail – my goal here is to give you the confidence to get started on one of the most enjoyable cooking experiences you can have.
The A’s and why comes next.
Performance – Grill / Steak
Sometimes we just chuck the heat retention on top, no need to swap out – Traeger 575 
Damn Good Steak – Reverse Seared (A grill grate will upgrade any pellet grill steak performance). And this was just salt and pepper – rib eye on the bone!
Before 
After
The Trick with the 650 and 850, is a grill plate that can be lowered close to the open flame, therefore better direct searing, hence why they got the A on the scorecard.
Performance – Smoker
To perform low & slow smoking, all these grills do a great job. clean combustion and epic results
Some added features like the ‘super smoke’ mode on the 650 and 850 mean a fast feed of wood fired smoke, I’ve done this to things like sausage, and I’ve got a hunch it can boost the ‘smoke ring’.
The average temperatures will be similar and the most important aspect of smoking is reaching the internal target temperature, that why the probes do the work.
Maintaining desired low temp cooking/smoking temperatures, good feeding of wood fire pellets and knowing internal temperatures – the trio to success with nearly any low & slow project
Build Quality & Structure
The higher price point comes more insulation in the cooking area for the 650/850 – double walled. If you going to be winter cooks, you may want something that’s built to hold the temperatures. However, all these pellet grills can have added ‘winter blankets’ designed to insulated also.
The additional cost of the Traeger can been seem with upgraded wheels and body structure, 95 lbs for the Z GRILL 10002E @ 1000 sq inches vs Traeger 575 half the cooking side and weighs 124 lbs!
Height is anther factor these are all 54″ high, I’ve cook on Green Mountain Grills and noticed they are actually lower, so you end up hunching if you avg or taller height (I’m 5’11).
Ease of Cleaning
Burning off the crud (upside down grates is a good trick, need good heatproof gloves though). Scrap and scrub the grills, wait till cooled down, take out grills, deflectors, heat shield, scrap, and vac out around pit and firepot. (Oh and remove pellets so they don’t get damp, easier with a hopper cleanout chute).
This is standard cleanout, most neglect it. After at least every 3 or 4 cooks is a good idea I find.
Summary of USP – Unique Selling Propositions
So now I just will share the differences I have noticed that make a significance to each of the grills, so if you are interested in one of them – this might highlight contrasts.
Traeger Pro 575
Strengths
- Very Good All Round Compact Pellet Grill – Market Leader for a Reason
- Proven History with the inventor brand of pellet grill
- Quality finish and now with the gizmo tech like wifi and PID controller – ticks all boxes
- Pellet Hopper cleanout chute on the back
- Great sturdy build and finish, there is an investment into materials with Traeger and has always been (powder-coated finish for longevity)
- Handy rack holder around the back and an extra seam on the inside of the lid which keeps the smoke/heat in
The Traeger app interface is sleek and stylish, the whole brand and service are solid. It’s the reason why they have been so successful over the decades.
Traeger has some solid finishes that look pure class, here is a link to Traeger 575 (Black and Bronze).
Traeger Ironwood 650 / Timberline 850
Strengths
A complete tech genius – all the upgrades like:
- Pellet hopper Sensor
- Double Walled Insulation
- Super Smoke Mode
- Turbo Heat for Faster Start Up
- They are design with some asethetics (no chimney!)
or
Z GRILLS -10002E
Strengths
- Big, Simple, Sturdy
- Large cooking space at a reasonable price
- 3 Tier, Set and Forget Dial – Not a Computer like Traeger
- For someone who wants easy operation without the tech gizmos
If you aren’t concerned about wifi or other features and just want a solid no-fuss pellet grill, this could be for you.
Here is the direct deal through Z GRILLS for the 10002E