Any Stampede Owners Near Madison WI/ South Central WI?

Luscombe

Well-known member
Messages
63
Location
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
Grill(s) owned
  1. Stampede
I will be purchasing either an RT700 or RT590 in November. I am on the bubble about which model.
The RT700 has more acreage than my wife & I really need. Shoot, we could probably get by with the RT340 since there are only two of us.

We do have the kids and grandkids over frequently, that means six of us. We also frequently have friends over and sometimes groups of 6-8, up to 10-12 at holidays. My son has the RT700 so I naturally thought that would work for us too. After cruising this forum section it seems like the 590 would be more than enough for us. I have never seen one up close and would like to visit someone who owns a 590 and lives within 100 miles or so of Madison.

Any Wisconsin RT590 owners out there I could chat with or meet in person?

I know the 700 has a larger area, optional front shelf and optional smokebox. The smokebox is not a feature I desire and don't think even having the capability to add it is necessary. The front shelf on the 590 is an easy mod and I would do that myself. Based upon some posts here, there looks like sufficient grill space with the shelf to cook for 10-12 people. I have a small and large BGE and use both frequently for simultaneous cooking at different temps. I have never run out of room on them. I have had to be creative in stacking grills and meats but they have high domes.

It would be great to be able to meet up with someone near me to see how the 590 is working for them. Yes, I do grill/smoke all winter so either one would get a winter insulated cover; stock for 900 or welding blanket for the 590.

Thanks in advance!
Feedback appreciated.
 
Get the 700....If sure if you ask your son he would say the same thing. Not to mention if you encounter a problem your son is a phone call away and the 2 of you can share recipes and techniques. Which will be identical since you both have the same model.
Not to mention you cant let your son have "Bigger" bragging rights then you...LOL

You will love it I promise. I really love mine!!
 
If you've got both the wallet and the real estate (front to back as well as side to side) on your patio the 700 would be fine. As for your party size concerns/interests, I've done enough pig meat (ribs and butts together) in one session on the 590 to feed 20, and it wasn't crowded in the chamber.
 
The 700 is a good buy because it is built better with thicker steel, a wider more stable base, and a larger hopper.

That said, the cooking surface is the same depth and only 6" wider, so it's not a huge difference in what you can cook. About one rack of ribs difference. If you're looking to save money and/or space, the 590 will probably suit you fine.

RT-590: 30"x19.75"
RT-700: 36"x19.75"
 
The 700 is a good buy because it is built better with thicker steel, a wider more stable base, and a larger hopper.

That said, the cooking surface is the same depth and only 6" wider, so it's not a huge difference in what you can cook. About one rack of ribs difference. If you're looking to save money and/or space, the 590 will probably suit you fine.

RT-590: 30"x19.75"
RT-700: 36"x19.75"
Can you elaborate on the thicker steel part? Are you talking about the thickness of the stainless steel cooking chamber or the hopper and related powdercoated carbon steel or both?

I am a bit challenged by the real estate as this will go on my elevated deck next to my BGE set up. I would like to retain one of my two BGE's for high temp searing. I could live with the small. The deck will get a bit congested. Not sure I can deal with all three on the deck. The assembly is modular so I can remove either and switch them around with some effort. I was thinking about removing the small and putting the large on the left and the RecTec on the right. That would make the total length 9'-0", table 4'-6" and RT700 4'-6". Seems over the top. The RT590 would bring that down to about 8' total. Still quite a bit.

There are design aspects of the 700 that appear to be more reliable and elegant.
I do like the shorter length of the auger on the 700. And it seems the exhaust design is maybe more efficient on the 700. The 590, 3 vent holes in the back lid vs one circular vent hole on end of the arch on the 700. Wonder if that allows the 700 to get to higher temps.

Feedback on either one is they both cook great so maybe no difference.

Still, I would like to see a Stampede in person.

20180828_064510.jpg
 
The 590 cooking chamber is 18 gauge stainless steel while the 700 is 14 gauge. That's over 50% thicker on the 700. I don't know if it affects performance, but the 700 should be significantly sturdier.

As far as temps go, I've had my 590 over 550 degrees a few times in warm weather. Haven't used it in the cold yet. I got the all weather vents and had to use RTV sealant on them because they fit so poorly. They don't look great but they do the job.
 
The 590 cooking chamber is 18 gauge stainless steel while the 700 is 14 gauge. That's over 50% thicker on the 700. I don't know if it affects performance, but the 700 should be significantly sturdier.

As far as temps go, I've had my 590 over 550 degrees a few times in warm weather. Haven't used it in the cold yet. I got the all weather vents and had to use RTV sealant on them because they fit so poorly. They don't look great but they do the job.
So if you had to do it over would you still get the Stampede or spend the extra for the Bull?
I am really on the fence about this!
 
Unless you're going all pellet cooker and ditching the BGE's, then you aren't hurting for grilling real estate.

I do moderately big cooks from time to time. 15-20 people or thereabouts.

If I had just one cooker, it would be tough for me to get it all done.

I have a Stampede, a 22in WSM, a Kamado Joe, and a 22in Weber Kettle in my main lineup. I have another WSM, an 18 in, a 26 in Weber Kettle and a Weber Genesis gasser, at a second home.

My main lineup serves me well. I can run a brisket and pork shoulders all night on my Stampede, get up in the morning with the brisket and pork shoulders still running and put ribs on my WSM, or KJ while the brisket and shoulders are finishing out, put wings on my 22in Weber kettle with the Vortex, put vegetables on the Stampede after I take the brisket and shoulders off of it, and have everything ready for guest at around 1:00PM-2:00PM.

The real beauty of having so many cookers, is being able to run things at different temps at the same time.

However if I were making the decision to go all in on pellets, and all in on one cooker well then I'd buy a Bull.

If I were planning to utilize all of my cookers, running at smoking temps, and grilling temps at the same time, well then I do just what I do now. Make use of multiple cookers, each offering their own advantages and no pun intended, each "bringing something to the table", and skip the Bull.

Bottom line...looking at the two BGEs that you already have, I'd use them and add a Stampede to the stable. If you need the extra cooking space, which has already been mentioned is not that great over the Stampede in the Bull, well then not only do you already have it, but if you need to smoke and grill, or even smoke, grill and sear at the same time, you would have all of the bases covered.
 
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So if you had to do it over would you still get the Stampede or spend the extra for the Bull?
I am really on the fence about this!

I'd still get the 590 because so far it's performed great. But I don't cook for big groups, so far only up to 7. Maybe I'll cook for 10-12 someday, which it will do fine. So while I'd prefer the 700 because it is better built, it wasn't and still isn't worth $300 to me. It is to some people, and I doubt they regret buying it. I rarely regret spending extra money for better quality, after I have spent it.

I agree with SlowmotionQue, if you are keeping one or both of your eggs, the size of the 590 shouldn't be an issue.
 
I should also mention, if you have a place that sells Traeger go check out the Ironwood 885 or Pro 780. Their bottom grate is about the same size as the Stampede, 19x30. I've seen those in stock at my local Ace. Or a Pit Boss 700 at Menards has a 19x27 main grate.
 
That's it. :D

I started out with the 22in kettle. Moved and left it at the old house. Bought a new house and bought my first stick burner. Got rid of it and bought a 26in kettle. Then shortly after, bought the Genesis gasser to go with it. A few years later, I moved it to another home and I bought my first WSM, the 18in. Less than two yrs later, bought the Kamado Joe Classic and moved the 26in Weber Kettle to that second home. About 2yrs after that, bought the 22in WSM and moved the 18in WSM to my parent's house, replaced it at this house with the 22in kettle. Bought the Stampede, intending to buy the trailblazer.

My current lineup at this house is the Stampede, the 22in WSM, the 22in Kettle, and the Kamado Joe Classic.

The Stampede is the workhorse, but for a big cook, and I've done 3 this summer, I won't hesitate to use all 4 of them at the same time.

I considered the Bull. But my Stampede gets most of the smoking chores. Especially the overnight smoking chores. It's not uncommon for me to grill and smoke at the same time. It's tough to do that on the same cooker.

The other cookers get the grilled oysters, the ABTs, plank salmon, wings, and vegetables, and other things that I'm cooking at temps which would be well above smoking temperatures.

These are usually cooked at or around the time that things are near to coming off of the pellet smoker, but may still be on it and may have a good bit of time left to go.

If that happens, well then I have to "wait" to get started on the other foods if everything is going to go on the pellet grill.

Here's my last cook. Brisket and pork shoulder go on the night before on the Stampede, a couple hrs before I turn in. Usually around the vicinity of 09:00-10:00PM is when they go on. Make the ABTs and put them in the fridge then turn in. Get up at 7:00AM light the 22in WSM and put ribs on it at around 8:00 while the Stampede is finishing off the butt and the brisket.

Pull the brisket and the butt, wrap and put them in the cooler when they are done. Come back about an hour later and pull the pork apart and put it away while the ribs are running. Run the ribs and at around 1:00 PM or thereabouts, I'll wrap them and into the cooler they'll go.

Shuck the oysters about 30 mins before the ribs are finishing up. But before that, fire up the Weber Kettle and the KJ. The oysters I do in cast iron oyster trays. Dozen at a time. Usually two trays. so usually 24 oysters or therabouts. The ABTs I do on cooking mats. Couple dozen of them too.

Pull the ribs, and into the cooler they go.

Put the ABTs and the oysters on the Kettle and KJ. I'm bringing the heat on the oysters. 500° or more. The ABTs are running hot too. Around 400°-450°.

Around the time guest show up, the first tray of oysters are coming off. And the ABTs. Immediately the second trays of each go on. When the guest are wrapping up on the last two trays of appetizers, I sneak over to the coolers, get my cutting boards, and break out the brisket, ribs and retrieve the pulled pork. Vegetables, salads, desserts, my wife usually takes care of. But as for the vegetables, she or I would have put them onto the already warm from the brisket and butt Stampede, but turned up to about 300°-350°. They'll go on in their serving dishes and we'll let them ride until done.

My guest eat appetizers, and move directly from that on to the main course and vegetables without having to wait. Plenty of variety. Something for everybody.

There is no way I could get all of that done with just one cooker.

If the original poster is looking for recommendations, I'm from the school which embraces the theory: "it's better to have multiple cookers than to have one "big" cooker, because certain foods need to be cooked at different temperatures."

Thus I'd recommend the Stampede because he already has two BGEs.
 
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That's it. :D

I started out with the 22in kettle. Moved and left it at the old house. Bought a new house and bought my first stick burner. Got rid of it and bought a 26in kettle. Then shortly after, bought the Genesis gasser to go with it. A few years later, I moved it to another home and I bought my first WSM, the 18in. Less than two yrs later, bought the Kamado Joe Classic and moved the 26in Weber Kettle to that second home. About 2yrs after that, bought the 22in WSM and moved the 18in WSM to my parent's house, replaced it at this house with the 22in kettle. Bought the Stampede, intending to buy the trailblazer.

My current lineup at this house is the Stampede, the 22in WSM, the 22in Kettle, and the Kamado Joe Classic.

The Stampede is the workhorse, but for a big cook, and I've done 3 this summer, I won't hesitate to use all 4 of them at the same time.

I considered the Bull. But my Stampede gets most of the smoking chores. Especially the overnight smoking chores. It's not uncommon for me to grill and smoke at the same time. It's tough to do that on the same cooker.

The other cookers get the grilled oysters, the ABTs, plank salmon, wings, and vegetables, and other things that I'm cooking at temps which would be well above smoking temperatures.

These are usually cooked at or around the time that things are near to coming off of the pellet smoker, but may still be on it and may have a good bit of time left to go.

If that happens, well then I have to "wait" to get started on the other foods if everything is going to go on the pellet grill.

Here's my last cook. Brisket and pork shoulder go on the night before on the Stampede, a couple hrs before I turn in. Usually around the vicinity of 09:00-10:00PM is when they go on. Make the ABTs and put them in the fridge then turn in. Get up at 7:00AM light the 22in WSM and put ribs on it at around 8:00 while the Stampede is finishing off the butt and the brisket.

Pull the brisket and the butt, wrap and put them in the cooler when they are done. Come back about an hour later and pull the pork apart and put it away while the ribs are running. Run the ribs and at around 1:00 PM or thereabouts, I'll wrap them and into the cooler they'll go.

Shuck the oysters about 30 mins before the ribs are finishing up. But before that, fire up the Weber Kettle and the KJ. The oysters I do in cast iron oyster trays. Dozen at a time. Usually two trays. so usually 24 oysters or therabouts. The ABTs I do on cooking mats. Couple dozen of them too.

Pull the ribs, and into the cooler they go.

Put the ABTs and the oysters on the Kettle and KJ. I'm bringing the heat on the oysters. 500° or more. The ABTs are running hot too. Around 400°-450°.

Around the time guest show up, the first tray of oysters are coming off. And the ABTs. Immediately the second trays of each go on. When the guest are wrapping up on the last two trays of appetizers, I sneak over to the coolers, get my cutting boards, and break out the brisket, ribs and retrieve the pulled pork. Vegetables, salads, desserts, my wife usually takes care of. But as for the vegetables, she or I would have put them onto the already warm from the brisket and butt Stampede, but turned up to about 300°-350°. They'll go on in their serving dishes and we'll let them ride until done.

My guest eat appetizers, and move directly from that on to the main course and vegetables without having to wait. Plenty of variety. Something for everybody.

There is no way I could get all of that done with just one cooker.

If the original poster is looking for recommendations, I'm from the school which embraces the theory: "it's better to have multiple cookers than to have one "big" cooker, because certain foods need to be cooked at different temperatures."

Thus I'd recommend the Stampede because he already has two BGEs.
What's your address and when is your next Cook?
 
LOL:D

My wife and I do a lot of entertaining. Usually starting in late April then going across the summer.

As far as my next big cook and when it will be, well, she can tell you better than I can. And even she might not know yet.:D
 
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So I have been giving this a lot of thought. There are a couple of things about the 590 that push me towards the 700. I do think there is sufficient capacity in the 590 for my needs and yes I will keep my BGE's for simultaneous grilling at different temperatures. So I do not require the additional 6" of grill width.

The 590 has 3 vent holes on the top in the back. My grilling/smoking location is on my elevated deck and it can be very windy and I do grill when temperatures are below freezing. I have seen some comments about temp swings in windy conditions with the 590's. Not sure what to expect in my area during colder temps and windy conditions. Have not seen any similar comments about the 700's. The 700 has one side vent chimney with a roof. :)

The 700 has an optional insulated cover, the 590 is a DIY welding blanket.
The 700 has an optional front folding shelf, the 590 is DIY.

I believe the auger on the 700 is shorter than the 590 as it feeds from the back instead of the side. Just an observation that shorter may be more reliable long term.

My goal is to eliminate the fussing around during cooks so either grill will meet that goal. I also would like to not have to fiddle with DIY modifications in order to use the grill as I intend. I do enjoy DIY solutions but I have enough projects to keep me occupied.

Pretty sure I will end up getting the 700. I feel like the 590 would probably be ok but I don't want to commit to that unless I can find a Wisconsin owner to speak with. I would consider the extra cost for the 700 to be an insurance policy.
 
Your post just goes to show that different people have different needs or wants.

If you are in the cold, and want the custom fit blanket, and if you are concerned about temperature shifts in the cold with the vents vs the smoke stack. If you want or need the front shelf, well then all of this is leading in the direction of the Bull for sure.

However one other thing that I don't believe has been brought up. Or if it has been brought up, well then I overlooked it

The Bull, because it has it's hopper on the back, is "thicker" front to back.

In other words, when you push it against a wall when not in use, it's going to stick out further and take a larger footprint on your deck than the Stampede will when it is pushed up against a wall, or deck rail for storage. 32in for the Bull. 23.5in for the Stampede when measuring the exterior dimensions from back to front. In terms of width, the Bull is 54in wide, the Stampede 44in wide.

If your deck space is limited, well then this might be a consideration to take into account when making your decision.
 
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I haven't grilled in the cold yet, but I did smoke on one particularly windy day and while the 590 had no issues maintaining temps, the pork butt I was cooking took quite a bit longer than I was expecting. I suspect this was from the wind blowing over the meat. I have since sealed the lid which should help with that. It is something to consider as it stands to reason that a smokestack should reduce wind entering the cook chamber, but you may still need to seal the lid.
 
I haven't grilled in the cold yet, but I did smoke on one particularly windy day and while the 590 had no issues maintaining temps, the pork butt I was cooking took quite a bit longer than I was expecting. I suspect this was from the wind blowing over the meat. I have since sealed the lid which should help with that. It is something to consider as it stands to reason that a smokestack should reduce wind entering the cook chamber, but you may still need to seal the lid.
I do plan on sealing the lid. Figured that would hold in the heat and smoke and prevent dripping and staining on the front.
The wind concern is an issue for me.
 
When you cook in the cold, a few things happen. Some are just as, if not more influential than lid leaks and smoke vents or smoke stacks.

Among them is the fact that heat is lost from the cooking chamber, not just through leaks, but through the exterior, the skin if you will.

This is the reason why you'll see blankets for WSMs, and Bulls, etc.

So it takes more fuel to maintain the same chamber temps because of this heat loss when the weather is cold, and in effect cooling the exterior of the cooking chamber. At the extreme, imagine cooking inside of a grill which was encased in ice. It would take it longer and require more fuel to maintain heat inside of the cooking chamber.

A very good explanation on some of the science, is here. https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...p-and-firing/how-grill-and-smoke-cold-weather

When I cook in the cold, I know going in that it is going to take me longer, and it is going to take more fuel in order to maintain cooking chamber temperatures. I've noticed no unusual temperature swings when cooking on my Stampede in cold weather. I got it in the winter, and I have been using it over winter, spring and summer now.

What I have noticed though is temperature swings when it is in direct sunlight on a hot summer day. This requires either changing the feed rate, or better yet, simply moving the grill out of direct sunlight in 98° weather.

You mention cooking in the "wind". Presumably cold wind. Well, the "wind chill" in addition to just the wind breeze itself, is going to play a role. You of course know that "wind chill", makes it "feel" to humans like it's colder than the actual temperature. It plays a role on all surfaces though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_chill

"A surface loses heat through conduction, evaporation, convection, and radiation.[1] The rate of convection depends on both the difference in temperature between the surface and the fluid surrounding it and the velocity of that fluid with respect to the surface. As convection from a warm surface heats the air around it, an insulating boundary layer of warm air forms against the surface. Moving air disrupts this boundary layer, or epiclimate, allowing for cooler air to replace the warm air against the surface. The faster the wind speed, the more readily the surface cools."

So "vents" vs a smoke stack, and one offering an "advantage" over the other, well I would only ask, "How much actual heat is escaping by rising straight up and through a smokestack vs 3 vents?

It's not just smoke coming through that smoke stack, but heat is of course coming out of it too.

Long story short, whichever you decide on, if you are going to be smoking in very cold weather, then you'll either need a blanket, or you can look to greater fuel consumption than it would take to maintain smoking temperatures in warmer weather.

If you want the custom made blanket, well then I believe that there is one for the Bull.
 

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