Traeger Ironwood 885 vs Traeger Pro 575

Traeger

Traeger Ironwood 885

$1,400

4.4★ (2,600)

Traeger

$700

4.5★ (8,200)

Quick take: The Traeger Pro 575 costs $700 less; the Traeger Ironwood 885 offers more cooking space (885 vs 575 sq in).

✓The D2 controller holds your set temp within roughly 5-15°F once it settles, which is plenty accurate for ribs, brisket, and pork butt without babysitting
✓Super Smoke mode genuinely cranks up smoke output at low temps (under 225°F) and gives noticeably more bark and smoke ring than the old Pro series
✓The downdraft exhaust and double-sidewall insulation help it hold heat better than older Traegers, so it recovers faster when you open the lid
✓WiFIRE app is the most mature in the category and lets you adjust temp, set probe alarms, and monitor cooks from your phone anywhere
✓885 sq in over two racks easily handles two pork butts plus a couple racks of ribs, so it's a real family/party-sized cooker not just a weeknight grill
✓The built-in pellet sensor warns you before the hopper runs dry, which saves you from the dreaded stalled-out overnight brisket cook
✓TurboTemp gets it up to cooking temp in about 10-15 minutes, faster than many competing pellet grills
✓Cleanup is straightforward thanks to the EZ-clean grease and ash keg, and the porcelain grates wipe down easily

✗WiFi connectivity is the number-one owner complaint - the grill regularly drops off the network mid-cook and you have to re-pair it through the app
✗Like all pellet grills it tops out around 450-500°F, so you won't get a true steakhouse sear without a separate cast-iron skillet or GrillGrates
✗At roughly $1,400 it's expensive for powder-coated steel, and many feel Recteq or Camp Chef give you more grill for the money
✗Pellet consumption is on the higher side, especially in cold weather where the single-wall areas leak heat despite the marketing about insulation
✗Some owners report the auger jamming or the hot rod failing after a year or two, and Traeger service can be slow to ship parts
✗The 3-year warranty trails Recteq (6 yr) and Camp Chef, which feels stingy at this price point
✗Temperature swings of 20-30°F are common during the initial heat-up and after lid openings before the PID re-stabilizes
✗It needs 120V power and the controller electronics are a known failure point, so a true 'set it and forget it' overnight cook is a small gamble

✓It's the most accessible entry into the Traeger ecosystem and frequently goes on sale at Home Depot for $400-$560, making it a great value buy
✓The D2 controller and single meat probe make hands-off ribs and chicken genuinely easy for a complete beginner
✓WiFIRE app control means you can start, monitor, and shut down the grill from the couch or the store
✓575 sq in fits about five racks of ribs or four chickens - enough for most families without being huge
✓Quick 15-minute startup and reliable auto-ignition get you cooking fast on weeknights
✓It's lightweight at 128 lbs with all-terrain wheels, so one person can reposition it on the patio
✓Smoke flavor at the 180-225°F range is solid for a budget pellet grill, especially with the optional smoke setting
✓Parts and accessories are everywhere and the huge owner community means troubleshooting any issue is a quick search away

✗Single-wall construction means it struggles to hold temp in cold or windy weather and burns through pellets fast in winter
✗It tops out around 450-500°F and has no real sear zone, so steaks come out grilled rather than seared
✗The same WiFi drop-off issues as the rest of the lineup plague it - the connection is flaky and the app loses the grill mid-cook
✗Only one meat probe is included, which is limiting when you're cooking multiple proteins at once
✗Temperature can swing 25-30°F around the set point, more than premium PID grills, so it's less precise for delicate cooks
✗The powder-coated steel body and grease management feel cheap, and the bucket-style grease catch is messy to empty
✗No pellet-level sensor, so you have to manually check the hopper to avoid running dry on long cooks
✗Owners report auger and hot-rod failures after a couple seasons, and the 3-year warranty is shorter than budget rivals offer