Customer reviews from traegergrills.com
Traeger Grills - Tailgater 20 Wood Pellet Grill - Black
Average customer rating
3.9
(114 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 114 reviews
5 Stars
69
4 Stars
11
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
13
1 Star
16
64%of customers recommend this product.
(
9 out of
14)
Customer Reviews for Traeger Grills - Tailgater 20 Wood Pellet Grill - Black
Posted by: Scott Dickenson
from Corydon Indiana
Verified Purchase:Yes
I like a lot about how easy it is to use. But there are big holes that allow way too much smoke and heat to vent out with no option to cover them and allow it to hold heat or smoke better temps are all over the place. Alittle bummed about it cause if it held the heat and smoke better it would be the coolest pellet grill I’ve ever worked with as I am a professional chef. Seems like yall added an affordable option but made it alittle to cheaply.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, April 30, 2024
Hi, and thank you for reviewing the Tailgater 20. All Traeger smokers are designed to allow a specific amount of smoke out for proper airflow. Even the chimneys that are present on some models aren’t intended to be adjustable, with the screwed on caps simply being removable for cleaning inside the pipe. Otherwise, there should be a ¾” gap between the bottom of the cap and the top of the chimney whenever the grill is in use. As for the Tailgater, the non-adjustable back vent eliminates the possibility of temperature issues caused by airflow, so if the grill is not holding heat properly (i.e., running cool), definitely reach out to Traeger Customer Service so an agent can look over everything with you and make whatever adjustments that are needed.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
1
Don’t recommend buying.
on July 19, 2025
Posted by: Anonymous
from Reidsville NC
I’ve had mine 1 year. It’s been used less than a dozen times and the control panel doesn’t work. The temperature knob does whatever it wants ehen I turn it. If I turn it down the set point might go down, but it’s more likely to actually go up. Only way I can set a temperature is on the app. The grill is a piece of junk snd I’d never buy it again. Oh if you’re looking to get a smoke taste from the grill, forget about it. You’ll definitely need to buy a flavor bar if you want any smoke flavor.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, July 19, 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Randy. It sounds like your grill's control panel may have a calibration or component malfunction, especially with the inconsistent behavior from the temperature knob. If the panel isn't responding accurately, we recommend performing a factory reset on the controller and checking for any available firmware updates via the app. Regarding the smoke flavor, it's possible the grill is operating at higher temps or not utilizing the Super Smoke feature effectively, using pellets with higher bark content and cooking at lower temperatures may enhance the smoke profile. If you’d like help getting the most out of your grill or need support with the control panel, please reach out to us at 1-800-TRAEGER, where our team is available to assist you.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
5
A great grill
on April 1, 2020
Posted by: Rodney paul
from Lena louisiana
I got one of the first to come out been for years in Louisiana ,Colorado just about every weekend and more the it just play out about two months ago just waiting for sure going to buy another so please with my I bought my daughter one 8 years ago still going strong
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
5
Exceptional Grill
on March 31, 2020
Posted by: Chris Hall
from Chewelah, Washington
My wife bought me a Traeger for my birthday and what a gift! Smart lady, I use my grill every chance I get. Spectacular results for delicious food that we get to share often. I would recommend this grill to anyone
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
3
The drip trays are made very cheap. Made
on November 5, 2023
Posted by: Anonymous
from White bluff Tennessee
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have bought three drip trays in the last 3 years he drip tray a year and clean every two cookings these things are expensive and I'm thinking about getting rid of this one and just going back to church over something cuz I can't keep affording this I'm buying one from heard this Tim
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, November 6, 2023
Hi, and thank you for your feedback on the Tailgater 20. Depending on what is happening with your tray, you may not have to worry about it as much as you think. If the concern is regarding some light surface rust, while this will usually take quite a while to occur, it is not necessary to replace the tray since it never comes into contact with food. If the issue is more related to warping, which can eventually happen over a good bit of time, as long as the grease flows out to the bucket and doesn’t pool on the tray, or end up dripping off to the side, then it shouldn’t be a problem. There is a quick test that you can do to confirm the proper channeling of liquids/grease, which is simply to slowly pour a little water on the highest side of the tray (left side for Tailgater) and verifying that it drains into the bucket. If you prefer, you can even call Traeger support and have an agent help with this test and answer any other questions that you may have.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
1
Junk
on June 14, 2025
Posted by: ShawnFW
from Ohio
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Broke out of the box. No power to unit. Not impressed with this supposed great product of a traeger. Glad I did not buy a large one
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, June 17, 2025
Thanks for sharing this with us. It’s definitely uncommon for a grill to have no power right out of the box. We recommend checking if the outlet used is a GFCI and whether it may have tripped. You can also take a look at this article for a few steps that might help: https://support.traeger.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407219868187-Power-Issues-on-Non-Connected-Pellet-Grills.
If you're still seeing the same behavior, we’d be glad to assist further. Feel free to reach out at +1-800-TRAEGER or through https://support.traeger.com/hc/en-us.
If you're still seeing the same behavior, we’d be glad to assist further. Feel free to reach out at +1-800-TRAEGER or through https://support.traeger.com/hc/en-us.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Posted by: Dinah
Verified Purchase:Yes
Haven’t fired it up yet. It’s all together and ready
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
3
It's ok
on February 26, 2024
Posted by: Anonymous
I have had this grill for a number of years and I can only say it's ok.
Temperature control is spotty, at best and uneven. And the metal hinges on the lids broke within 18 months. A hot lid came off in my hands suddenly when I opened it and almost burned me.
I was able to patch it back together but it's loose now and a little scary.
Temperature control is spotty, at best and uneven. And the metal hinges on the lids broke within 18 months. A hot lid came off in my hands suddenly when I opened it and almost burned me.
I was able to patch it back together but it's loose now and a little scary.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, February 28, 2024
Hi, and thanks for your review of the Tailgater 20. Regardless of how long you’ve had the grill, you can still call Traeger support for assistance. Even on older models, we should be able to determine the cause of temperature issues and provide a way to correct them. Depending on the extent of the uneven fluctuations, it could simply be related to the startup procedure or perhaps something a little more involved, like an airflow issue. However, if the swings are less than 25 degrees from the set temperature, it might not actually be a problem at all. As with all pellet grills, Traegers cook by an average temperature, and the median of the high and low will be very close to what the grill is set to. When you have a little time, why not try calling Traeger Customer Service. An agent can go over any questions you have and possibly even make some recommendations that will improve your Tailgater’s performance.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com