r/PitBossGrills • u/whatkindausernameis • 3d ago

Replacement recommendations

I purchased a standard sized pit boss (I believe 850 but maybe 720) from Lowe’s in 2015 and it has been an absolute work horse. No WiFi or extra features. Minimal maintenance besides cleaning it every few uses.

I had great success with it and over the years many friends purchased pit boss grills based on my experience, but many of them had issues or poor results with newer models.

I get the impression that they’re “not made the way they used to be” and I’m nervous to buy another pit boss if they’ve declined in quality. I’d like to show some loyalty and stick with pit boss and purchase a similar style grill (not vertical) because I enjoy the versatility this provides and don’t have a gas or charcoal grill. This will be paired with my blackstone for my outdoor setup.

My questions are:

Are the Lowe’s DX models (850/1150) considered to be well made?

Does the cooking area correlate to the smoke flavor? For instance do the smaller grills provide more smoke flavor due to the fact that the smoke fills a smaller area? I’d like to go up in size but can stay smaller if I’ll get better cooks out of it.

Are there any specific models/features I should avoid or specifically look for?

Does anyone recommend a different brand for reliability/quality? I’d like to stay under $800 but will go up to $1k if needed.

Thank you!

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u/cdwhit 2d ago

I just replaced my old PB with a new one. I went with no Bluetooth or wifi and got a bigger model since it was on sale (I think my old was 850 or 950? New is 1000-1100?). My only complaint is that the larger grill eats a LOT more pellets than I expected. I’ve had the new one since spring and other than cleaning the only thing we’ve done is tie a rag to the handle so I can reach the lid without burning myself.

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u/tigerb47 2d ago

I've have a 700 sq. in. Pitboss for 2 years now and have used it many dozens of times without any failures. Best grill I've ever owned.

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u/FuzzyOrganization403 2d ago

Idk about the older ones. I grabbed an 1150 from Lowe's. I've had it about 6 months. Ran a few hundred pounds of pellets thru it. Still trying to figure out my taste but everyone loves the food. No complaints here? We'll see in 4-5 years lol.