Stampede About to buy one...do you regret not getting the RT-700

[Dickeltiger]

Hey guys, just joined and I'm about to purchase one of the Rec Tecs. From my research they seem to get the best reviews out of all the pellet smokers within this price range. I'm coming from a Weber genesis (which I've sold). I still have my WSM and PK Grill. Debating between the 590 and 700. I would probably do better size wise with the 590 since it is mainly the wife, daughter and myself. Sometimes have small parties etc where I will need to cook more. I really like the look of the 700 better with the smokestack. Do any of you that have the 590 regret not getting the 700, and if so why?

Thanks!

 

[Infantryman]

I was in the exact same situation you are decision wise, I went with the RT-700. From my past BBQ purchases I was convinced I only needed a particular size only to be wrong. So I went bigger. For the small amount of extra $$$ it seemed sensible to me. My rationale was its always better to have more room than you need and as you mentioned it just looks better with the stack!

 

[NC Spuds]

The 700 is heavier gauge and has double the warranty, if that’s a concern to you.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

Went 700 also, 6yr warranty* love every thing about it.

 

[BethV]

I have the RT-590. It's just me and my husband and we do have a large grill we use for regular grilling. I picked this size because it had a nice footprint. After discovering I really love cooking on this, I wondered if I should have maybe gotten the RT-700. I watched an Instagram Q & A with Rec Tec and that question came up. What I got out of it was that the Bull is more "manly" if you know what I mean. It's a buffed out, cool looking smoker. The grate area is not that much bigger. I think they said like 6 inches bigger. But a lot of people like the way it looks.

I was trying to decide if I give my 590 to the kids and get the 700 or just keep what I have. My rational for keeping what I have is that I have yet to be hindered by the size of the grill. It has supported all the big cooks I have had. I've done three ribs and a brisket on it at the same time. And I have added 6 extra shelves for my beef jerky by purchasing jerky racks. I also bought a small additional shelf that goes across the back of the grates for when I need it (so far I have not needed it).

Basically, there is nothing I have yet to be able to do on this size grill. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably get the RT-700, just for the reason that it is so cool to look at, and is a slightly bigger grill. But so far (new since March), I love my RT-590 and have had no problems other than a sketchy probe that needs to be wriggled around to work. And Rec Tec took care of that in a jiffy.

 

[bfletcher]

I'm not qualified to offer input since you asked for 590 user feedback but I'm like you; the smoke stack really appealed to me. I have several smokers but none had the stack. To me, it's just fun watching the thin blue smoke wisp from that stack, lol. I have another smoker with the Drowndraft technology but it's difficult to see the smoke (though maybe the 590 is not like that).

The only item I cook occasionally where I don't know if the 590 would be too small would be racks of ribs. When I do them, usually several of them go on and I don't like to cut-down racks in order to make them fit in a smoker. So if the 590 would not accommodate this I would be disappointed. Having said that, both the 590 and 700 share a 20" depth, but I'm just not accustom to laying-out racks of ribs in that orientation.

Plus, someday I may want to add the cold smoker to the 700.

Good luck!

 

[mooncusser2k]

I bought a 700 also but pondered the 590 for a while and for similar reasons. In the end, the heavier construction, longer warranty, added space, and stack won out.

Admittedly the 700 only has about 6 inches more room, but I've already done cooks that filled the grates. So I'll never regret buying a bigger unit. I also don't understand RT's choice for the 590 vent covers to be a separate accessory purchase. I feel like they should be included, and knew we'd buy them, which reduces the savings. Plus the missus prefers the single stack look.

At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with either unit. I'm sure you'll be happy with what you choose.

 

[Bmoredunks]

I went with the 590 and no regrets. My thought was it’s $300 difference in the price...which on its own is not that bad. However, by the time I finished with all of the add-ones, my price was now past the price point of the 700 and the commie state of Md taxed my order on top of it! So my decision was based more on “final price” rather than just the grill itself. i didn’t really need a bigger grill and I figured if I want a smoke stack I could add the mod seen on here which looks really cool And still save a few $$$s
Situation here is me, wife and son who will be moving out soon. I have yet to fill the grill.

No regrets on my purchase!

 

[Blues1]

700 all the way. Don't "wish I would have" later. You may not need the bigger cooking area much...but when you do...either way, both great units.

 

[Buttah Butts]

I went with the Bull. I looked into the 590 but thought the extra warranty and the larger size was worth it. The only regret I have is not buying one sooner!!

 

[Mastertech59]

I would recommend going with the RT700. On all of these pellet grills you loose a couple of inches of cooking area both in the front and back due to the size of the drip pan, you don't want the meat drippings to get down in the lower part of any of these grills.

 

[sweetride95]

If it's a question at all, get the 700.
The 590 is plenty for my situation. I actually like the venting setup on the 590 versus a stack.

 

[Ozark Griller]

Hey guys, just joined and I'm about to purchase one of the Rec Tecs. From my research they seem to get the best reviews out of all the pellet smokers within this price range. I'm coming from a Weber genesis (which I've sold). I still have my WSM and PK Grill. Debating between the 590 and 700. I would probably do better size wise with the 590 since it is mainly the wife, daughter and myself. Sometimes have small parties etc where I will need to cook more. I really like the look of the 700 better with the smokestack. Do any of you that have the 590 regret not getting the 700, and if so why?

Thanks!

It is just myself and my wife and granddaughter we went with the 590 and have not had any regrets, we had a pitboss 340 and there just ain't no comparison . But I still do like the look of the smoke stack on the 700.

 

[BethV]

Here is a photo of 3 racks of ribs and a brisket on the RT-590.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I have no regrets not getting the 700 over my 590. The RT590 is plenty big for my needs and I also have other grills as well, and so no need for the Bull at my house. The 590 is almost overkill for me.

 

[ModernRec]

I was on the fence between both, opted for the 590 because the size is more then enough for my family. I have yet to max it out as far as cooks, so I'm glad i went with the 590. Also enabled me to splurge on accessories, comp cart, shelf, all the gadgets. There all fantastic grills, i just sealed my lid and i think i love it more!

 

[sweetride95]

I was on the fence between both, opted for the 590 because the size is more then enough for my family. I have yet to max it out as far as cooks, so I'm glad i went with the 590. Also enabled me to splurge on accessories, comp cart, shelf, all the gadgets. There all fantastic grills, i just sealed my lid and i think i love it more!

+1 on the lid seal. Amazing difference it makes in how the grill feels. The no smoke residue is a nice bonus.

 

[Uncle Bob]

So......I get a little geeky about stuff that some don't think is important...…..and mostly they're correct. On the grate size thing, the 590 is actually fraction of an inch deeper than the 700, but 6 inches narrower. I love the pic @BethV showed above. You can feed a lot of folks from the 590. Want to see it another way? Cut out a piece of cardboard or butcher paper, 6"x19.5" and lay it on the table. Now envision how many extra slabs of ribs, or 8# butts, or briskets you can fit in that space that might actually take 3-5 burgers depending on how big/small you make them. Yeah, extra real estate is nice if you need it, but the reality is thin. As for the thicker material argument I don't buy that as pretty near every dimension that RT tech has given members who've reported here has been wrong by actual measurement here in the field. I don't think they train their people well in metal gauge knowledge that isn't common interest in the general world. Some have been told the body of the Bull is all 304 stainless............…..it's not, it's 430. Not bad, just not as good. It's stated above that the warrantee on the Bull is double the Stampede, no only half again more...………..I only mention that to show how misinformation gets out there easily. It's a genuine plus for the 700, but since most of the components are nearly the same either actually or very similarly, it's a low risk deal.

The 700 does have more brag and cool factor, looks more like a smoker than just a grill. If that's you thing, easy choice. In the end I took the 590 because it had a smaller footprint, particularly to the back. Having the pellet bin on the back would have eaten up aisle, path, whatever you want to call it, space on the patio. Small thing, but for my situation I put value on it and didn't feel like I either gave up anything, nor would have gained enough extra. But then, I've got 11 cookers, so I'm way off the normal scale.

 

[MaxDraft]

So......I get a little geeky about stuff that some don't think is important...…..and mostly they're correct. On the grate size thing, the 590 is actually fraction of an inch deeper than the 700, but 6 inches narrower. I love the pic @BethV showed above. You can feed a lot of folks from the 590. Want to see it another way? Cut out a piece of cardboard or butcher paper, 6"x19.5" and lay it on the table. Now envision how many extra slabs of ribs, or 8# butts, or briskets you can fit in that space that might actually take 3-5 burgers depending on how big/small you make them. Yeah, extra real estate is nice if you need it, but the reality is thin. As for the thicker material argument I don't buy that as pretty near every dimension that RT tech has given members who've reported here has been wrong by actual measurement here in the field. I don't think they train their people well in metal gauge knowledge that isn't common interest in the general world. Some have been told the body of the Bull is all 304 stainless............…..it's not, it's 430. Not bad, just not as good. It's stated above that the warrantee on the Bull is double the Stampede, no only half again more...………..I only mention that to show how misinformation gets out there easily. It's a genuine plus for the 700, but since most of the components are nearly the same either actually or very similarly, it's a low risk deal.

The 700 does have more brag and cool factor, looks more like a smoker than just a grill. If that's you thing, easy choice. In the end I took the 590 because it had a smaller footprint, particularly to the back. Having the pellet bin on the back would have eaten up aisle, path, whatever you want to call it, space on the patio. Small thing, but for my situation I put value on it and didn't feel like I either gave up anything, nor would have gained enough extra. But then, I've got 11 cookers, so I'm way off the normal scale.

So, what is the 590 made of? 430? I'm considering the 590 or the 700. Trying to understand the pros/cons, too.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

I've never said: "I'm having too much fun." " I have too much beer in the fridge" or "my bbq is too big".

Something to keep in mind, the area of these pellet grills that is most practically used is only the size of the drip tray. On the Bull, that's about 16" front to back and about 33" left to right.