Spending your hard-earned money on a higher-quality pellet grill like Traeger is a major financial investment. If you're wondering if such a pellet grill is durable, you've come to the right place! 

If want to know how long do Traeger grills last, you'll be surprised to learn that they can last for much longer if there's proper care and maintenance. In this guide, we compiled all the top tips and tricks to make your Traeger grill last. 

Traeger Grill's Life Expectancy

Traeger wood pellet grills last 10-15 years if cleaned and maintained regularly.

Normally, most pellet grills have 5-10 years of life expectancy. A gas or charcoal grill is fairly similar in terms of duration.

A pellet smoker, which functions differently from the grill, lasts for 6-10 years, while cheaper pellet grills tend to last shorter at 2-3 years.

Traeger Warranty Period and Coverage

The Traeger wood pellet grill has a 3-year warranty period, with free customer service in the first year.

The warranty covers replacement and repairs on the components of this barbecue grill, such as the hot rod, auger, fan, control panel, and structural defects.

Top Traeger Grill Maintenance and Care Tips

To find out how long it takes to make Traeger grills work, let's talk about how you can take good care of them.

Tip #1: Cook the Meat Over the Grease Tray

Roasting vegan sticks or fruits on a pellet grill for wood-fired cocktails doesn't drip off grease, but fatty foods such as smoked turkey or beef brisket do.

The grease tray, located beneath the cooking grate, helps catch all those drippings, feeding them into a small bucket beside the grill.

Carefully cook marinated meats as long as the tray is underneath there. Never cook along the edges of the surface where there is no drip tray coverage!

Tip #2: Clean the Base Regularly

Unlike a gas grill where grease could just be scraped off, cleaning a pellet grill may need more work.

It's recommended to clean the base area every 2-6 cooks, depending on cooking time and temperature. To do this, remove the grates, grease tray, and heat deflector to reveal the base area where the firepot is located.

Expect plenty of ash build-up and sawdust from the wood pellets, so use the vacuum and suck them all out to prevent any dangerous incidents in the future.

Is a Traeger Grill Worth it?

Compared to charcoal or gas grills, pellet grills promise an enhanced cooking experience for home BBQ enthusiasts, but Traeger's offers more than that!

Compared to competitors such as Grilla Grills, Z Grills, and Camp Chef, high durability and more advanced features make Traeger grills worth it.

And for a better experience, we recommend you use Traeger pellets for flavors with a pure hardwood taste.

Do Traeger Grills Rust?

Like any other cooking machine made of steel, Traeger's pellet grill can rust over the inside and outside if not regularly taken care of.

Even though they last a long time, they can’t defeat rust. A solution to this is to invest in a grill cover, which gives you protection against pre-mature rusting, ensuring the grills are more durable for the long run.

Can Traeger Grills Explode?

A Traeger grill can explode if grease seeps beyond the grease tray down to the base area near the fire pot, creating a risk of a potential hazard.

The same also applies in the case of an unexpected power outage and when too many wood pellets are fed into the firepot in a user error situation.

Traeger Grills’ Top Special Features 

The inventors of the original wood pellet grill, Traeger leads in innovation with their trademark features such as:

Also sold are their own crafted specialty pellet blends with a range of flavors from Texas beef to Mesquite, which has a robust pellet flavor.

Unlike other pellet mills that add in recyclable wood, only natural elements in the Traeger pellet mills bind together to create hardwood pellets with a richer, lighter smoke flavor.

Traeger Units Component Failure

Pellet grills require powerful performance for low and slow smoking and cooking. But what happens if they suddenly stop working

Hot Rod Failure

The hot rod is a heating element responsible for setting the pellets on fire. It's also the most frequent among the pellet grill's components when malfunctioning.

When running on extreme heat constantly for a long time, there is a high chance for the hot rod to not work anymore, and as a result, it will need a replacement costing $20.

If the grill is used every other day at lower cooking temperatures, the life expectancy of the hot rod will last up to 6 or more years. Otherwise, consistent daily use translates to a shorter duration of 3 years or less.

Fan Failure

The convection fan is built inside the machine, powered by an electric motor to bring air to the fire.

However, there is a chance that it can break down within 5 years using pellet grills. Causes may include rusting on the fan blades and a faulty motor.

There are replacement fans that are easy to assemble, and they usually cost $30.

Auger Failure

The auger is an oversized screw situated between the pellet hopper and the fire pot, with its main purpose to transport the pellets at the rate of 1-3 pounds per hour.

It's the second most frequent component to break down with the hot rod.

The auger may cause a jam and break down if:

Replacement parts for this component may cost around $100 since the auger and its compatible motor is sold separately.

Control Panel Failure

The control panel is tightly sealed within the pellet grill as it handles all of its operations.

It also doesn't break down as often as the rest of the components.

But there may be a rare occurrence where a sudden power surge or a fault within the chipboard may cause the panel to stop working.

Structural Failure

The structural failure of Traeger pellet grills will occur if the frame itself shows signs of falling, and it will depend on how you store it and the climate where you're in.

It's best to store the pellet grill indoors. A protective cover will also do the trick of preventing outside elements from affecting the body.

Also, pellet grills last longer in dry climates, but in humid places, especially near open bodies of water, the life expectancy decreases greatly.

Conclusion

How long do Traeger grills last? Ultimately, it all comes down to three very important things:

1. Keep your cooking area spotless by regularly cleaning, especially every few cooks

2. Store the grill properly, so there's less risk of damage

3. Follow all the tips we've enumerated above so your Traeger grill will have more chances of living a longer life.

We hope you've learned something valuable from this Traeger pellet grill guide. Happy grilling!