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Masterbuilt 560 gravity review

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    Masterbuilt 560 gravity review

    Overall, very happy with it early on. Very easy to cook with, great results, cheap. I would say that the cooks I have done stand up to any I have done with anything else, and excelled with ease of use.

    Nice to try before spending a lot of money for something more expensive. Holds temp within a couple degrees, even in cold weather. I got some of the mods from LSS mods, manifold cover, drip pan brackets, ash grate and fan cover. At first I didn't think the manifold cover with the lip was worth it, but I found that the heat gets excessive in the middle of the back of the grill when the fan is on, so flare ups could be a concern without it.

    Did a toast test, see below. Figured the hot spots were due to how the fan blows, that was right. You could put a diffuser in the middle to front and back for about 6 inches centered and not have that. I didn't bother, it didn't hurt the cooks. The fan obviously does not run all the time. The heat evens out on the upper levels even with the fan blowing, so I used the middle level no problem. I cooked on the middle level, put drip pans on the main grate underneath, and easier to clean up then.

    One thing I noticed is it drips fat down out the left front a bit. My drip pans didn't cover everything. Some foil would take care of that. Shouldn't happen. Assembly and delivery were free (that was my tipping point), I don't see anything wrong right away, will investigate further.

    Too early to know if some of the common complaints are correct, but some were obviously user problems, some have been addressed by updates. Will find out I guess. For the price, a great product. Not looking for an heirloom. MCS, another type of cooker.

    This is the first smoker I have had that has any electronics, so not an expert in that area.


    Click image for larger version

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    #2
    Looks like the lower middle is the Hotspot, everything else looks pretty even. If the original problems have been taken care of should be a great grill/ smoker!! Need some pics of your cooks.

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      #3
      Thanks for the review. That gravity line has always interested me, but I could never bring myself to pull the trigger.

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        #4
        There’s a reason this thing has done so well despite several hiccups. I’ve looked at it numerous times, but just doesn’t fill a gap for me personally to pull the trigger. However, it would be the bomb for someone that loves a kettle, but wants the ease of a pellet grill. I’m just amazed no one has tried to make a $1500-2000 higher build quality version of it yet.

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          #5
          I have had the same front left grease dripping issue with the 1050. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of. DSS Mods has some GREAT accessories! I got the manifold cover, drip pan brackets and grate lifting tool and am very happy with my setup. Will add the ash grate and fan cover next.

          Comment


            #6
            More data ( on the 1050, but they are identical except for the cook chamber size).

            https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...sts#post862733

            build quality is not great, but much of it is minor if you are handy and know how to fix things (just bypass broken switches etc)

            I used mine every week for more for a year and it was a joy to cook on.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by glitchy View Post
              ,,,I’m just amazed no one has tried to make a $1500-2000 higher build quality version of it yet.
              This is what I expected to see by now, too. It's an obvious answer to "yeah pellets are convenient but the smoke profile is too light for me."

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                #8
                I would be very interested in a hardier built version of this. I love mine. Some nits are there to pick but I still love it.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Looked more at the dripping grease, out of the smoker. It has only dripped completely out on the front left, but the back left had built up a mound of grease outside of the pan underneath the smoker. This is a design flaw. Grease should be contained better.
                  I will put in foil ramps to direct it to the pan that was meant for it, there are two openings there that allows this to happen. Don't know if they need to be there for air flow, or what. I shouldn't have to worry about grease dripping all over my deck or sidewalk. No smoker I have had does this. When it happens again I will take pics and send it in to show them.

                  If other types of smokers have this problem I am unaware of it.

                  Comment


                  • IFindZeroBadCooks
                    IFindZeroBadCooks commented
                    Editing a comment
                    I’d check to be sure the smoker is completely level. I had some grease issues that cleared up once I leveled it.

                  #10
                  IFindZeroBadCooks It is level.

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