Dave's Camp Chef Woodwind 36 WIFI Experiences


 
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Dave is back with another smoker thread and I hope this one is a bit less eventful than my EX6 thread. I ordered the Woodwind 36 WIFI today which was released during the past few months, along with the OEM cover, front shelf and the side kick accessory. Total cost with The side kick replaces the right side shelf with a 30k BTU LPG burner assembly which comes with a heavy steel griddle. I didn't really need the griddle, but having a side burner allows me to sell my Camp Chef 4 burner Somerset stove and accessories, thus giving me some space back on my patio. The griddle will also come in handy, though I have a large Cuisinart 360 XL griddle for outdoor flat-top cooking.

Getting back to the Camp Chef, I selected it over the Rec Tec because liked the design of the Camp Chef a bit more. It seemed to offer better direct grilling, pellet dump, ash dump and the ability to add an accessory onto the side of it. I also like the design of the new WIFI controller, the four included temperature probes and their iOS app.

I don't have an ETA as to when it will arrive, but I'd expect I'll have everything within a couple of weeks. Once it gets here, I'll start updating this thread with my experiences.

If it's early in 2020 and you decide to order from Campchef.com, I used coupon code CCW5 for 5% off. YMMV.

Chris approved this thread even though it's not about a Weber product.
 
Look forward to how it works out. One thing I still prefer about the Rec Tec RT-700 is the rear mounted hopper and short auger. Weber copied that but apparently unsuccessfully.

I will be especially interested in the construction and how well the controller works for you. I hope you do not need more customer service, but I do wonder what theirs is like. Oh, and how much $?

Thanks for all you have posted. We will all enjoy hearing about and seeing this new try.
 
With tax and the discount, it was $1224 from Camp Chef direct. The cover and front shelf with tax/shipping was around another $150.

I've used Camp Chef's support in the past because I've owned a lot of their products. They were quite helpful and shipped out replacement parts quickly.

Hoping for the best!
 
CAMP CHEF WOODWIND 36 WIFI RECEIVED AND ASSEMBLED...

I received the grill today from Camp Chef direct, along with the Sidekick and front folding shelf. I'm writing this while I go through the burnin cycle at 350 degrees for about 30ish minutes. I'm then going to cook a marinated pork loin at 250 degrees, Smoke 10 until 130. I'm then going to remove it, bump the smoker to 350-400 with the direct grill function and sear it.

Assembly of this versus the Smokefire is much more tedious IMO. There is really no comparison from the instructions to the procedures. It's not hard, just time consuming. Everything fit together pretty well with the exception of the Sidekick. One screw hole gave me some issues. It's just a lot of odd angles. I didn't install the hopper guard because I'm not dumb enough to stick my hand down by the auger, but I'll keep it should I get bored some day. lol.

In terms of build quality, the Smokefire again wins out. While the Woodwind is nice, it has some cheapness about it. Thinner metal, the door fits really poorly, the handle on mine for the door is manufactured incorrectly, so one side is about 1/2 longer than the other. It was packed well, but FedEx did manage to bust some stuff loose inside of the cooking chamber, creating some dents on the backside of the smoker. All of these issues will be brought up to Camp Chef later this evening and I'm pretty confident that they'll fix me up and likely credit me a bit for the dings, since I'm not going to go through replacing the body of the smoker. Design wise, it's functional and has some nice features, like the ash dump, direct flame slide diffuser, etc. It reminds me more of a GMG or lower level Traeger, but that's what I was expecting. The Smokefire has a higher quality feel about it, but we've seen that feel and function don't always go hand in hand.

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In terms of the setup of the controller and app, it was easy. It needs to do an update, but I'm going to cook my dinner first. Overall, if Camp Chef takes care of a few of the issues (or I do what I do and fix it myself) and it cooks well, I'm going to like it. The side burner is a huge win, because I get rid of my outdoor stove. That's awesome in itself. The front shelf isn't anything special, but is very functional. The controller display is very nice and the app seems decent. Let's get a cook underway and see what happens.

Please note that this post was edited to put the initial build up front. I'll skip to the last page of this thread to provide further updates.
 
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I watched a video and don’t think I’d like that slotted drip pan, be hard to foil.
 
Pick up a drip tray from the older Lux. I can’t guarantee it will fit, but I’ve been debating a Woodwind 24 or a SmokePro SG and have thought about trying the old tray without the vents.
 
When I did my pork butt on my Camp Chef PG24MZG I have the slotted tray and used a drip pan underneath the PB and it didn't appear to affect the temps.
 
I chatted with Camp Chef this morning because my order still shows as processing. I was going to cancel and order from Amazon, but they said it should ship today and be here on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Their chat support was great though. Very friendly and helpful.
 
I'm also trying to decide between the Woodwind and the RT-700. Weber has pissed me off so bad, I'm done with them, even if they do get the Smokefire right. And I'm one who has praised them for years. They're not what they used to be.

i'm more interested in low and slow, since I have the Genesis for searing. Overall build quality, longevity and support are what concern me most. Really looking forward to your opinions on the Woodwind.
 
I liked the controller, four probes and chamber design a bit better on the Woodwind versus the RT-700. I also liked that it included an upper cooking grate by default. Hopefully it will show up soon and I'll get it together as quickly as I can. I'll split my time this week doing some fabrication work for the Smokefire, versus testing the Woodwind.
 
Hey, you can choose to go ALL OUT and GO BIG with this 3-shelf beast of a pellet grill:

www.rectecgrills.com

RT-2500 BFG Pellet Grill

THIS AIN’T NO GAME. The RT-2500 BFG is the king of the mountain in pellet grilling, and you won’t find more bang for your buck anywhere or at any price. By focusing on flavor, convenience, and versatility, the RT-2500 makes all other grills obsolete. Additionally, our commitment to superior...
www.rectecgrills.com www.rectecgrills.com
 
That's almost the grill I bought form Rec Tec, but I had a 'odd' experience with them, so I decided not to buy it. I had the whole shebang in my cart ready to order. RT-2500.

I used to own a Woodmaster D1400 which was a triple fire pot pellet smoker. That thing was a beast.

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Probably the closest I've owned to the RT-2500. It had 2,000 square inches of cooking space.
 
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