Impressions Of 1250 over first 10 months

[y22man]

Greetings All,

I have mixed reviews of the RT1250. I love the cook with the 1250, which is the most important aspect of the grill. I have had 2 Treager grill, Pro22(loved), upgraded to more grill space to the Select(hated). I have been smoking since 2011. Finally got fed up with Treager select and its issues. After Looking for a far I landed on the RT1250. Here are some things I would like to mention so far.

What I like:

Wifi on the grill. Super convenient and always work so far. Adjustment from the app is wonderful
Grill space on the lower grill.
Great flavor. The smoke and flavor is I think better or the same than the Treagers, could be cuz I am justifying the purchase.

What I do not like:

Hopper size. Like the larger hopper but make so it holds 45 or 50 lbs. I hate still having a small amount of pellets at the bottom of the bag.
1250 cover. It is horrible. It is to big in some places and to snug where it should not be. It is a pain in the butt to pull off and put on.
The smoke hat is too big. Everytime I open the lid, it rubs the smoke hat, taking off the finish. Trying to bend it away fills like I will bend the smoke elbow or worse.
The top rack. I wish there was a little more space between the top rack and the top of the grill. Personal preference.
Temp graph in the app is not accurate. It stays flat. I have a grill grate probe. It fluctuates temp. Not as much as the Treagers, but still 15* on either side of the setting.

What I hate:

The drum leaks grease. Not sure how the grease got in the bottom of the drum. Probaly poor foil wrap on the drip pan(My bad). But for what everything I read Rec Techs build is amazing. Open a support case and the problem will be fixed. I open a ticket, and I was told go buy some high temp caulk from a auto store and recaulk it. Oh, and I will send you a matt so grease does not get grease on the pavers. Thanks for the mat, It works as designed. What would have rather had was the seam resolved professionally.

They say they stand by their grills, but in my case I would ague they don't, and just try to appease the customer.


I do not have the adult easy bake oven I wanted. I am still very happy with my decision.

 

[Mike]

@y22man thanks for sharing your thoughts on your RT-1250!

Sounds like most of your dislikes are mostly personal preferences, which everyone is going to have a difference preference, so that's a given.

One comment on the hopper size, given that the majority of pellet bags are sold in 20 and 40 pound bags. A 40 pound hopper is a perfect fit and no use in a 45-50 pound hopper as then you would be adding 1 1/2 or so of a bag. A single 40 pound bag fills the hopper and lasts a long time (depending on cooking temp).

As for your "hate", sounds like customer service did a good job trying to make it right. Sent you a free grease mat as well as provided a quick and easy fix that can be done for less than $8.00 using a tube of high temp rtv sealant.

 

[Gonefishin]

Welcome to the forum, sad/glad you hate/love your 1250.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Welcome to the love/hate club. For the money - it's probably as good as it gets. I've even seen complaints on other boards by owners of $4k grills that get fed up and get rid of their grill. You're 10months in, I guess you're keeping it.

 

[y22man]

@y22man thanks for sharing your thoughts on your RT-1250!

Sounds like most of your dislikes are mostly personal preferences, which everyone is going to have a difference preference, so that's a given.

One comment on the hopper size, given that the majority of pellet bags are sold in 20 and 40 pound bags. A 40 pound hopper is a perfect fit and no use in a 45-50 pound hopper as then you would be adding 1 1/2 or so of a bag. A single 40 pound bag fills the hopper and lasts a long time (depending on cooking temp).

As for your "hate", sounds like customer service did a good job trying to make it right. Sent you a free grease mat as well as provided a quick and easy fix that can be done for less than $8.00 using a tube of high temp rtv sealant.

You are not wrong as for the preferences. I would disagree with the hopper size. I know I always had this problem. But, would be cherries is to have it a little bigger than the largest bag, If you go to 40, go a little bigger to accommodate the last little bit from the previous bag.

You right, I spend almost $2000 on a grill, to have it leak. It is only $8.00 sealant. But a Manufacturing defect from the factory is just not right.

 

[Waterboy]

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with you that you should not have to caulk a brand new grill. Somehow recteq needs to work on their quality control. At the least they should have added some compensation to you for your having to caulk your brand new grill.

The 1250 was a poor attempt, in my opinion, at adding a second shelf that many of us with 700s wish we had. The newer grills (think Flagship) have an oval barrel which gives them more headroom on the second shelf. As a 700 owner I would buy a Flagship grill if I were buying today.

The vent cap should not be rubbing on the door when you open it. You may need to loosen the door hinges and adjust the lid to the left a hair. Again you shouldn't have to but it’s better than rubbing the paint or bending anything.

As for the hopper size I agree with @Mike. A 40lb bag fills it nicely but even if you are topping off the hopper I just roll up the top of the partial bag and store it in a plastic storage container.

I hope you continue to enjoy cooking on your recteq and get the few issues you have resolved to your satisfaction.

 

[Mike]

But, would be cherries is to have it a little bigger than the largest bag, If you go to 40, go a little bigger to accommodate the last little bit from the previous bag.

My RT-700 also has a 40 pound hopper. I have never had a single issue emptying the entirety of a 40 pound bag of pellets in it, so I guess I'm not seeing the issue here. That is, unless your hopper isn't completely empty when you are trying to empty another 40 pound bag into it.

The "leak" in reality is only an issue because you've done something wrong. Either your cooks are not over the drip pan or your foil job is to blame, maybe both. Instead of customer service saying "put your cooks over the drip pan, problem solved" they sent you a grease mat (assuming for free) and even provided an additional inexpensive "fix" for your issue.

Get a tube of RTV sealant, squeeze along both sides of the grill and you're done. It takes longer to take the grill grates and drip pan out than it does to re-seal the grill. Plus you can then call yourself a "professional rtv sealer"

 

[Greg Jones]

Great suggestions here to address the issues. Some may soon be asking for tips on how you got the WiFi to work!

 

[SmokeZilla]

Thanks for your feedback. We can all gain from your observations. I’ve run my Bull for 35 consecutive hours (briskets for 20hrs then pork butts for another 14 plus warm up time of 1 hour mostly between 225-260F and didn’t need to refill. I pull off that routine at least 4 or 5 times a year for my larger parties. True, I only had about 5lbs of pellets left but I get pretty good burn times because I use higher quality pellets (OEM and others).

Great observation on the leaking. I think RT may know about leaks. If I remember correctly, my manual suggested leaving the ash in the bottom of the chamber and let it collect for a depth of 1-2” spreading it out across the bottom of the barrel. They claim this helps prevent rust and is a great insulator for keeping the temps stable but perhaps you found the real reason, to prevent barrel leaks. I can’t say their real motivation since I have had mine well “insulated” since “birth”. Either way, I don’t think the proper corrective action for a leaking unit is a mat. That is customer no-service in my opinion. My suggestion is for you to take a picture/video of the leak and ask the matter to be escalated for resolution. I‘m not a plumber (but I did play one once for Halloween) but if I had a leak I wouldn’t kick the proverbial can down the road and think the mat would be a permanent solution.

I have heard of misaligned lids due to mishandling and improper assembly. I also remember someone mentioning their shipment did not include the gaskets that go between the chamber and chimney and that caused an interference fit. Did you get the gasket?

I also agree on the top shelf. I looked and thought it was a nice attempt but it sure won’t let me put a full packer brisket or a 7 bone prime rib roast up there. I opted for a large RT shelf and two small shelves. They give me the versatility I need and worst case scenario, I can retract their legs and use them over an aluminum pan or use my cheapo homemade stanchions and adjust the height based on my cooking needs.

In general, I am hopeful RT is monitoring feedback from their customers and improving their products. Keep us apprised as you continue your journey. I consider your feedback to be consistent with a Public Service Announcement for us legacy RT owners and a blessing for anyone considering joining the RT family.

I apologize for the length of this mesaage but I just wanted let you know we may be harsh but it is all for the love of the smoke. If you give us time, I am sure you will always feel welcome.

 

[C. Keeper]

Adult Easy Bake? I only knew about the Easy Bake for men, thanks for the info.

 

[Motodad1776]

Adult Easy Bake? I only knew about the Easy Bake for men, thanks for the info.

I can live with that moniker.

 

[Bizutch]

I can appreciate both sides of the coin here. Buddy bragged about Recteq support & US made quality 3 hrs away so those 2 things were key & their chefs do fantastic videos for a guy who knows nothing of grilling (they are a cheat code for me).
The sealing issue, a lot of folks are crazy self sufficient & can DIY the world. So it's nothing to them & zero issue.
Others want their money to eliminate all issues.
Me, I'm in between...not handy at all. But I love quality over quantity. I also give a really long leash to local companies working constantly to improve product. I'd hate to have to caulk anything but it's cheap and I'll get over it and be a happy camper once I DIY it.

The cover issue..tough one. Putting a giant tarp on a chimney attachment is a lose/lose for everyone. Would almost be better to have a hole in the tarp and separate sleeve/Velcro attachment for the chimney.
In the end, I'll take that live guy on the phone 1000 times over who even knows what to put in a crack over a Phillipino call center reading a script after a wall of automated prompts.

 

[TheRicker]

From the original post, and the various responses, I’ve got to wonder if the welded angle of the smokestack is 90degrees or something less. Otherwise, adjusting the lid maybe the answer. But I can’t otherwise image why the smokestack hat would be hitting the lid.

I’m also concerned about your drum/barrel gathering so much liquid grease that it would leak. That makes me wonder about the grease trough that drains to the grease bucket. Is it properly welded and level that it isn’t draining all the grease into the bucket? Is the entire unit on a slope whereby grease would drain into the drum as opposed to the bucket? I don’t have any grease in my 700 except what drips down the front and back of the lid when the lid is closed. And most of that builds up on the front and back metal that the grills rest on.

On my second Traeger, about 5 years ago, I had multiple grease fires as the grease trough drained in the back right corner more than in the bucket. Glad I got it from Costco. I took the burned up unit back about a year later…full refund…which went towards my RT-700 purchase. But the experience made me more aware of how grease should flow.

I typically use foil on my drip pan. And I do put the foil over the edges. I haven’t noticed that putting grease in my drum.

I’ve had good support from RT. I’m not getting a sense that’s the case with your situation. Grease shouldn’t be getting in your drum and leaking out.

I hope something from all of these responses helps in some way…and that RT tech support makes a better effort to help you.

 

[TheRicker]

I’m assuming the 1250 is pretty much the same as the 700…except you’re getting the bells and whistles that were add-ons for the 700.

Regarding the cover for the 1250…From my experience with my 700 cover, my most consistent success has been lifting it up from the controller board/shelf end first…and getting it over that corner of the hopper lid first. Then I work my way lifting the middle and then the smokestack end last.

I put it on in the reverse order…over the smokestack and the hopper lid closest to the smokestack and work my way towards the controller board/shelf end. It gets a little tight getting over that hopper lid corner. But make sure you create enough slack readjusting from the smokestack end and the front (at the horns) to get over that corner of the hopper lid without sounding like you’re ripping it. Yes, it takes a little finagling (sp?) but I’ve had consistently good results doing it that way.

RT-700 / old man user tips…
…take the grease bucket off before putting the cover on. I’ve had a bucket with grease come off when removing the cover…shamefully more than once.
…Secure the grease bucket in a safe place if you store it with grease in it…as much because of spills as for fire safety.
…put some sort of shop tough paper towel or rag in the grease drain outlet when you don’t have the grease bucket in place.
…I use grease bucket liners. Be careful which ones you buy. I got some from Amazon recently that don’t quite fit the bucket I have. I have bought some bigger ones since. I just checked my Amazon orders…I’m not seeing the orders. I’ll post them later when I find them.
…I keep a small fire extinguisher nearby anytime I do any outdoor cooking or when using flammables.

 

[Motodad1776]

I use the Trager foil buckets as a bucket liner, fit is good enough and they are readily available. No question that the RT's need to be on a level surface for the grease to flow correctly, I have a small level used to find the best level spots on the driveway and garage.

 

[Greg Jones]

Buddy bragged about Recteq support & US made quality 3 hrs away so those 2 things were key…

Your buddy is mistaken about one point-all recteq grills of BFG size and smaller are not made in the USA. The‘ve always been 100% made and assembled in China. recteq used to sell a couple of monster grills where a USA weld shop fabricated the body, but all the electronics, burn pot, auger, etc., we’re still imported from China.