Customer reviews from traegergrills.com
Traeger Grills - Tailgater 20 Wood Pellet Grill - Black
Average customer rating
3.9
(111 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 111 reviews
5 Stars
67
4 Stars
10
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
13
1 Star
16
58%of customers recommend this product.
(
7 out of
12)
Customer Reviews for Traeger Grills - Tailgater 20 Wood Pellet Grill - Black
Customer Rating
5
Extremely happy.
on September 20, 2022
Posted by: Howard L
Have had mine for years now and could not be happier. Have called customer service for suggestions and they are always polite and kind. Reliable and puts out great smoked meats.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Posted by: Ben Alexander
from Dallas, Texas
Verified Purchase:Yes
Brand new and has trouble maintaining temperature even though auger is full of Trager Applewood pellets and the temperature outside is fair, so it’s difficult to find good time for cook… against what was advertised.
Response from traegergrills.comBy TRAEGER, November 14, 2022
Hey Ben. Thank you for posting your review of the Tailgater 20. We truly appreciate the feedback. To ensure proper temperature control, please make sure we are using the correct start-up steps. This model should be ignited with a closed lid, and setting the temp on the controller directly to your desired cooking temperature for preheat. Also, make sure we are fully running the shutdown cycle after each and every cook we do, before flipping the power off. Keeping the grill clean and degreasing after every 2-3 cooks will help make sure we stay cooking properly as well. These grills have an acceptable temp window of -/+25F in either direction of the set temp to be considered accurate. We do cover our new grills for 3-years from the purchase date. That warranty ensures we keep you up and functioning properly. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, 7 days a week, from 6am-10pm MST, and we'd be more than happy to check over your Tailgater's temperature control with you.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
3
Bad engineering on handles
on January 3, 2023
Posted by: Kansas Mike
from Kansas
Grill works great but have the cheapest handles on the ends to pickup and carry very flimsy
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger, January 4, 2023
Thank you for taking the time to review our Tailgater 20. We are stoked to hear you are loving the grill. We want to ensure the handles are screwed in properly to make sure they are tightly screwed into the grill. When moving the grill, picking the left side up with the handle will allow you to utilize the wheels for easy moving, and if needed have a buddy assist with loading it into a truck for tailgating. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns from 6 AM - 10 PM MT, 7 days a week, and one of our team members will be stoked to help.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
2
Not really impressed. Hard to travel with.
on August 28, 2024
Posted by: Anonymous User
from Lincolnton, NC
Bought this about a year ago as my wife and I are full time campers. The folding feet is a very bad design. The large will has broken several screws during transport. I thought it would be easier and less stressful. I was wrong. Other than that it works good.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, August 29, 2024
Hi, and thanks for your review of the Tailgater 20. The wheels of the Tailgater should be able to transverse most outdoor surfaces without issue, including parking lots, driveways and even many natural flat surfaces as long as there are not obstructions larger than small rocks. For transporting over rougher ground, it’ll probably be easier to just have two people carry the grill to avoid any difficulties. However, if the overall size of the Tailgater is more than you need, there is a smaller alternative that should still work good for two people. The Traeger Ranger is a tabletop model that is very easy to carry and does not have any wheels or legs. Although your main grate will be reduced from 20" x 15" (Tailgater) to 16" x 11" (Ranger), it may be an option to consider if portability is the most important factor.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
2
Temperature isn’t accurate.
on September 4, 2024
Posted by: Anonymous
from Atlanta, Ga
Grill won’t stay at programmed temp. 225 is 240-250, 250 is 265+. Very frustrating.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, September 5, 2024
Hello, and thank you for reviewing the Tailgater 20. All pellet grills will fluctuate a little due to the way that they create heat entirely with burning wood. However, the swings shouldn’t be more than 25 degrees, and it shouldn’t always be in just one direction either (i.e., not just above or below the set temp), unless there are some external factors involved, like very high wind or other extreme weather conditions. If you find that your grill isn’t working within these parameters, which based on your description, it may not be, then the variance should be correctable. But this is not something that you need to figure out on your own and Traeger Customer Service is available to help 365 days a year. When you have some time, and are with the grill, please give us a call at 1-800-TRAEGER, and one of our agents will take it from there.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
2
Bad performance
on February 16, 2025
Posted by: Larry Harkin
from Casa Grande Arizona
This will not stay fired up at the 80 setting. Been that way since day one. I have owned it for 8 years and while it works fine at 225 and higher the smoke setting and the 180 sitting is useless
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from traegergrills.comBy Traeger Grills, Traeger, February 19, 2025
Hi, and thanks for your feedback on the Tailgater 20. Assuming you are referring to the 180 setting, as is mentioned later in your review, this is actually an option on a different model grill than the reviewed one from this page. However, regardless of the grill, they should be able to maintain their set temperatures, whether it be at the low or high end of the settings, as long as the grill is reasonably clean, and quality pellets are being used. But if you believe that these are not related to your concerns, please reach out to Traeger Customer Service for assistance at 1-800-TRAEGER, even if your Tailgater is no longer under warranty. In the meantime, as long as you can still operate the grill at 225 (or the Smoke setting, if it does not have the same results as 180), this is still within the range of the ideal smoking temperatures, which is where blue smoke production is at its highest level for adding flavor to your food.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com
Customer Rating
1
Always broken
on November 27, 2025
Posted by: Charles Neal
I have owned this grill for just over 1 year and have had to replace the temperature probe multiple times along with the control panel going out once and unsurprisingly it is acting up once again. Even when it is functioning correctly it will not hold a steady temperature and will not get hot enough to sear. I will be switching over to recteq very soon.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting traegergrills.com