Hi All:
I had no intention of buying a new smoker but when a good deal comes along you just cant pass it up.
I have had my old dependable Treager Lil Tex for 12 years and it has served me well.
I bolted a 3/4 steel plate to the deflector, added a front shelf, added an upper rack, installed a Savannah Stoker controller and a shelf between the lower legs to give more support.
My wife went to Costco and sent me some pics of what she found.
They were selling the Texas Elite for $599 after the Treager road show.
That didn't get my interest until she showed me the pic that the Elite 34 was marked down to $420.
I drove my truck up there to get it.
The reason that it appealed to me was because I bought the cold smoker attachment for my Lil Tex and it has served me well also.
This would bolt on to the new smoker. $200 add on.
I wanted a FEC 500 but they priced themselves out of my budget.
So after a few days of assembling and cleaning, I am now good to go with my new set up.
The unit was damaged when I got the box home.
It appears that it was hit in the handle on the pellet hopper and was bent so the controller had about a 1/2" gap on the left side.
I called Treager and they put me on a video call so they could see the damage.
They are sending me a new pellet hopper next week.
Kind of a PINTA to change it out but for the price, I am not bring it back to Costco.
I took the cold smoker from my Lil Tex and spent several hours cleaning and re-painting the cover.
This is the only reason I considered the Elite. It saved me $200 and they don't sell the cold smoker any more.
I think I am good for the next 12 years. I don't need all the fancy stuff because what I have had worked well.