I'm saying goodbye to my Blaz'n Grand Slam. I still believe they're great grills but I'm just not happy with mine.

1. The paint is wearing really hard, even though my grill is under a covered deck and doesn't get wet.

2. I get all kinds of smoke in my pellet hopper and the next step is to dismantle the auger and try to clean it out. I've already tried cleaning it and letting it run dry (multiple times) with no luck. I just don't have the time to deal with this.

So, I've put my grill on craigslist and I ordered a Rec Tec Bull. I'll miss the pro shelves on the Grand Slam but I think the extra space makes up for it.

 So goes the pellet pit learning curve.. Most of us have learned a lot from our first pit, leading to what we hope will be the ultimate..All the best to you and the Rec Tec!

Interesting, if I was to switch from my RecTec it would be for a Blaz’n.

My RecTec RT-680 has held up well, the outside looks almost like the day it arrived. I’ve updated it with the ceramic igniter and firepot as well as the WiFi controller so it’s close to a Bull.

I’ve had no issues with it other than replacing 1 hot rod. By the time the 2nd one went the ceramic was out and I switched to that. I work with Ben their General Manager and he takes good care of whatever I’ve needed promptly usually same day.

I’ve used it some 12 months a year since I got it and it just works. I should add I don’t grill with it, just use it as a smoker.

I’m sure you will be satisfied with yours and wish you the best with it.

The blaz’n wasn’t my first pit. I was really hoping it’d be my last.

While I’m not thrilled the rectec is made in China, I do think it’s going to live up to my expectations.

The blaz’n wasn’t my first pit. I was really hoping it’d be my last.

While I’m not thrilled the rectec is made in China, I do think it’s going to live up to my expectations.

I'll bet you will miss the easy clean out fire pot on the Blaz’n most of all.  My son likes his Stampede and says that the air flow thru the fire pot is good enough to keep it from loading up.  He cleans the firepot about every 4th cook.  My own Blaz'n has held up very well, and no external paint problems since I made the mods (see previous threads).  However, if and when I make a change I will go for the Rec Tec also.
 

You can always run the hopper dry and then run a few slices of fresh bread through it, it will usually catch any sawdust and force it out if that is the culprit for the smoke in the hopper!  Paint going bad, in my experience if it aint SS, does not matter what manufacture, it is gonna wear.

My Grid Iron is outside all year long and has held up great. Ive never experienced your problems, so yours could be a lemon as is everything manufactured by humans. Think of everything you purchase, some perfect and others not so much. Good luck on the RECTEC. That was my second choice and i think its a decent pit...

I agree with Bentley. I have an old offset smoker that I've repainted several times. Looks brand new for awhile, then it looks like its been used. I've repainted my Blaz'n once because of a grease fire (totally my fault). FYI: The powder coat was not effected at all by the grease fire.  I have a stainless steel gasser; everytime I use it, I have to clean it with stainless steel cleaner to make it shine! Seems to cook better, Ha! Good luck with your new grill!

While I’m not thrilled the rectec is made in China, I do think it’s going to live up to my expectations.

It's been three months.  How has youre experience been with the REC TEC?

I love it.

I believe rec tec has the best controller in the business. Easy to calibrate, great temp stability.

The grill is really well built. The use of stainless in the body is great and everything has a great fit and finish. 

The grill has performed very well for me. I’m thrilled to own the bull. I thought I’d miss the quick dump of the fire pot but I don’t. I’ve only had to clean it out twice after running over 160# of pellets through it.

My only gripes are minor:
* the light is useless. Wants you’ve cooked a couple of times, the lense is black with smoke.
* I wish it were a taller cook chamber

I had some auger fires at shut down off and on but that stopped when I had the control reprogrammed (sent it in to Tim) with the new shut down algorithm.  I was free of that (almost always) problem, but still decided to go for the new Stampede.  Have never been happier.  I think you will be happy with the Bull (now the 700).

I had some auger fires at shut down off and on but that stopped when I had the control reprogrammed (sent it in to Tim) with the new shut down algorithm.  I was free of that (almost always) problem, but still decided to go for the new Stampede.  Have never been happier.  I think you will be happy with the Bull (now the 700).

Can you elaborate on that a bit?  I don't have auger fires, but if I'm grilling at over 400 degrees the pellets that are added after the shutdown cycle ignite and burn down.  Seems like a bad idea, it should add pellets before the cook, not after.  Even if they don't burn, they are in the way if you clean the pot out.  I can't imagine why they would design it that way.

I had some auger fires at shut down off and on but that stopped when I had the control reprogrammed (sent it in to Tim) with the new shut down algorithm.  I was free of that (almost always) problem, but still decided to go for the new Stampede.  Have never been happier.  I think you will be happy with the Bull (now the 700).

Can you elaborate on that a bit?  I don't have auger fires, but if I'm grilling at over 400 degrees the pellets that are added after the shutdown cycle ignite and burn down.  Seems like a bad idea, it should add pellets before the cook, not after.  Even if they don't burn, they are in the way if you clean the pot out.  I can't imagine why they would design it that way.

I was speaking of my Blaz'n.  It did not preload pellets at shutdown.  It did so at start up.  My RecTec 590 on the other hand has a strange (to me) shutdown.  It blows fan (auger is off) only for 5 minutes to use up most of the pellets in the pot, and then turns fan off and auger back on for 30 seconds to "preload pellets for the next cook".  I would think that that would allow the still hot coals to ignite them.  However, with the fan off, it allows the new pellets to smother the residual beneath them (most of the time).  Occ. the new pellets smolder a while also, but there never seems to be any auger fires. Weird but it works. 

I had some auger fires at shut down off and on but that stopped when I had the control reprogrammed (sent it in to Tim) with the new shut down algorithm.  I was free of that (almost always) problem, but still decided to go for the new Stampede.  Have never been happier.  I think you will be happy with the Bull (now the 700).

Can you elaborate on that a bit?  I don't have auger fires, but if I'm grilling at over 400 degrees the pellets that are added after the shutdown cycle ignite and burn down.  Seems like a bad idea, it should add pellets before the cook, not after.  Even if they don't burn, they are in the way if you clean the pot out.  I can't imagine why they would design it that way.

I was speaking of my Blaz'n.  It did not preload pellets at shutdown.  It did so at start up.  My RecTec 590 on the other hand has a strange (to me) shutdown.  It blows fan (auger is off) only for 5 minutes to use up most of the pellets in the pot, and then turns fan off and auger back on for 30 seconds to "preload pellets for the next cook".  I would think that that would allow the still hot coals to ignite them.  However, with the fan off, it allows the new pellets to smother the residual beneath them (most of the time).  Occ. the new pellets smolder a while also, but there never seems to be any auger fires. Weird but it works.

Gotcha, I misunderstood which grill you were talking about.  And I guess I wasn't clear, I also have a Stampede and that's what I was referring to.  I'll probably call RecTec about it.  I doubt they can do anything, but perhaps they can at least fix it in future firmware releases.   

I had some auger fires at shut down off and on but that stopped when I had the control reprogrammed (sent it in to Tim) with the new shut down algorithm.  I was free of that (almost always) problem, but still decided to go for the new Stampede.  Have never been happier.  I think you will be happy with the Bull (now the 700).

Can you elaborate on that a bit?  I don't have auger fires, but if I'm grilling at over 400 degrees the pellets that are added after the shutdown cycle ignite and burn down.  Seems like a bad idea, it should add pellets before the cook, not after.  Even if they don't burn, they are in the way if you clean the pot out.  I can't imagine why they would design it that way.

I was speaking of my Blaz'n.  It did not preload pellets at shutdown.  It did so at start up.  My RecTec 590 on the other hand has a strange (to me) shutdown.  It blows fan (auger is off) only for 5 minutes to use up most of the pellets in the pot, and then turns fan off and auger back on for 30 seconds to "preload pellets for the next cook".  I would think that that would allow the still hot coals to ignite them.  However, with the fan off, it allows the new pellets to smother the residual beneath them (most of the time).  Occ. the new pellets smolder a while also, but there never seems to be any auger fires. Weird but it works.

Gotcha, I misunderstood which grill you were talking about.  And I guess I wasn't clear, I also have a Stampede and that's what I was referring to.  I'll probably call RecTec about it.  I doubt they can do anything, but perhaps they can at least fix it in future firmware releases.

When I cook over 400* I always turn the temp down to around 300 or less and let it slow down while we eat dinner.  Then turn it off, and have not had any problems. Let me know what they say at RT.