I recently bought an Ortech TR-100 controller to replace my Traeger 180 controller in my Traeger 07E pellet smoker. It basically works the same as the Traeger controller; it feeds pellets continually to reach a set temperature and then falls back to the smoke setting (idle run time) until it gets a few degrees below the set temp and then starts feeding continuous again. The smoke setting is controlled by P#’s, P0 thru P15 with the Ortech. If P0 is selected then the auger is on for 15 seconds and then off for 45 seconds each increase of the P# will increase the auger off time by 10 seconds and should decease the temperature by about 10 deg. F. What temps you get in smoke mode is largely effected by ambient temps.
I like the rotary switch to select the P#’s and the fact it will go up or down. With the Traeger you had to change the P#’s through a small hole with a paper clip or small probe to a push switch and they would only go up and had to wrap around at P10 to get back to P0.
When starting the smoker in smoke mode I like the flashing periods that indicate the hot rod is on for ignition. It also flashes the LED temp reading if it is below 150 deg. I don’t need this; if it’s below 150 deg. I know you could have flame out. When starting the LED readout stays below 150 deg. for way too long. With the Traeger controller as soon as I had ignition and the startup smoke cleared it was climbing above 150 deg.
It looks to me like they have dampened the actual temperature displayed to act more like your home oven. I monitor my grill level temperature with a Maverick Et-732 and the actual grill level temps are 40 to 50 more than the temperature displayed. I have a ham on the smoker right now set at 300 deg. and the grill level temp is at 354 deg. With my old Traeger my grill level temps would run 20 to 30 deg. above displayed temps.
My old Traeger controller still worked at 3 ½ years old but some of the LED’s were out and it was hard to read actual temps. I wish for another $15 I would have bought another Traeger 180 controller. I can make do with the Ortech but as soon as Billy Merrill has his Savanna Stoker PID controller ready I will have one on order.
Smokin Don
