Pros
- The easiest set-and-forget experience — automatic pellet feeding and PID control need little attention
- Best-in-class WiFIRE app — reliable remote monitoring, temperature control, and guided cooks
- 780 sq in handles family-sized cooks (6 rib racks or 6 whole chickens)
- Huge brand ecosystem — wide accessory compatibility, parts availability, and 365-day support
Cons
- Tops out around 450–500°F — can’t properly sear without a workaround
- Powder-coated painted steel (not stainless) is rust-prone over time, especially uncovered
- Short 3-year warranty — well below the 6-year Recteq and even Traeger’s own pricier lines
- Documented weak points — auger jams and RTD-probe/D2-controller failures; a replacement controller is a big fraction of the grill’s cost
Specifications
- Type
- Wood pellet grill / smoker
- Cooking area
- 780 sq in (two-tier)
- Hopper
- 18 lb with trapdoor
- Controller
- D2 with WiFIRE (best-in-class Traeger app)
- Temp range
- 165°F–500°F (~450°F effective for searing)
- Construction
- Powder-coated painted steel (not stainless)
- Probe
- 1 wired meat probe
- Warranty
- 3-year limited (short for the class)
Performance
On its core job — easy, hands-off smoking — the Pro 780 delivers, and that’s why it’s our beginner pick. The D2 controller and WiFIRE app make low-and-slow brisket, ribs, and chicken about as foolproof as barbecue gets, and the app is the best in the category. The limits show at the edges: the roughly 450–500°F ceiling means no real sear without a separate cast-iron workaround, there’s no Super Smoke mode like Traeger’s pricier grills, and temperature can swing in cold or windy weather, since there’s no insulated double wall at this price. It cooks well within its lane; it just has a narrower lane than the rivals.
Build Quality
Build quality is the Pro 780’s real weakness and the main reason it scores low. The body is powder-coated painted steel rather than the stainless a same-priced Recteq uses, so it’s more prone to rust over the years, especially if left uncovered. More concerning are the documented failure points: auger jams from damp or low-quality pellets, and RTD-probe and D2-controller faults that throw error codes or wild temperature readings — and a replacement controller costs a sizable fraction of the grill. The 3-year warranty is short for the class. Parts and 365-day support are easy to get; you just may need them sooner than with sturdier rivals.
Value Assessment
Value is a problem at full price. At $999.99 the Pro 780 asks nearly the same money as the Recteq RT-700, which gives you all-stainless construction, a far bigger hopper, a 700°F sear ceiling, and double the warranty — so on hardware-per-dollar the Traeger loses badly. What you’re actually paying for is the easiest app experience, the biggest brand, and in-store availability, which have real value for a nervous first-timer. But reviewers increasingly note it’s a hard sell at MSRP; catch it on a meaningful discount, or step up to Traeger’s longer-warranty lines, and the math improves.
Who Should Buy It
Beginners who want the simplest possible entry to wood-pellet smoking and prize the best app and biggest brand — and who’ll cook mostly low-and-slow, keep the grill covered, and ideally buy it on sale.
Who Should Skip It
Anyone who wants durable stainless build, real searing heat, or a longer warranty for the money (the Recteq RT-700), plus buyers after gas convenience (the Weber) or a do-everything ceramic cooker (a kamado).
Final Recommendation
The Traeger Pro 780 is our Best for Beginners pick on the strength of its ease and class-best app — but it’s our lowest-rated grill for honest reasons: a rust-prone powder-coated body, a low sear ceiling, a short 3-year warranty, and documented auger/controller issues. If the easiest app-driven start matters most, buy it on sale; if you want more grill that lasts longer, the Recteq RT-700 is the better pellet buy for similar money.