No MCS, No Research, No Survey of "The Pit", No Guilt From The Spouse…

[Sid P]

but a new Traeger Tailgater still landed on our porch today. Turns out the LW won it in a contest.


People seem to like it just fine, but I don’t really have a use for it 🤷♂️. Why couldn’t it be a WSCG S6?

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Play with it a bit, then donate it to someone

[MBMorgan]

Hmmmm. Leave it sealed in the box. Sell or trade it in for what you really "need" ... and find a way to thank the LW profusely.

[Sid P]

Yep, that’s the plan.

[Oak Smoke]

Wow Sid way to go. If life gives you a Traeger-trade it in on what’s you want! New in the box should be a great way to trade.

[Sid P]

Thanks Lynn!

[RonB]

The only thing I ever won was a box of candy - when I was on a diet.

Congrats. I'm with MBMorgan sell it unopened and buy whatcha want.

[scottranda]

I won a free haircut once. I cut my own hair 😭

[Sid P]

Thanks Ron!

[Draznnl]

Wow, a nice little prize there. I too would keep it sealed in the box and sell or trade to get the cooker you want.

[58limited]

I have an older one that was given to me. Its a nice little cooker but a bit small to do anything big like a pork butt. I use mine for small things like stuffed quail, steaks, or salmon. I think of it as a quick start smokey convection oven.

[Sid P]

The specs say there’s 300si of cooking space, which should be enough for a decent sized pork butt. Is height the problem?

[58limited]

I find that in mine at the grate level, even with the temp control and convection current, the bottom of bigger pieces of meat resting on the grate get over cooked - radiant heat from the baffle I think. Mine is an older unit (Gen 1), maybe the newer Gen 2 units don't have that problem.

[Smoker_Boy]

58limited - Put a couple layers of wrinkled-up foil on the baffle.
That should help a bunch.

[DavidNorcross]

Man Sid that is quite a surprise. Like others, if you dont want it, sell that thing and get something else.

[Mosca]

That is most excellent… Under $600, no 1099!

I wouldn’t know what to do with it, either. I agree with sell it in-box.

[Mosca]

Going by the box, there’s only one “Tailgater” in the model line and their website says retail of $479.99.

https://www.traeger.com/pellet-grills/portable/tailgater-black

[Mosca]

Further disclaimer!

“I am not a tax attorney, nor an accountant. The lack of a 1099 does not absolve the gift recipient of the responsibility of reporting any prizes or contest winnings as income.”

[Sid P]

Mosca "The lack of a 1099 does not absolve the gift recipient of the responsibility of reporting any prizes or contest winnings as income.”

Whoever wrote that has a lively sense of humor.

[realdocBBQ]

Nice win, necessity or not! Congrats!

[Sid P]

Thank you.

[LA Pork Butt]

I can’t ever recall winning anything that was a drawing. I always thought if I did it would be something less than the big one, and I should have saved that one win for something like the lottery. I guess you might be thinking why couldn’t that win be for the Pit 1st prize. Well, while it isn’t the same nor ideal, selling it and getting what you really want has a lot of merit. My theory is that MCS is drive by the desire to experience cooking on a different cooker, So, if you haven’t experienced cooking on a pellet smoker the second place suggestion is cook on it for the experience and then sell it.

[Sid P]

Hey Sunny, I have a Grilla Silverbac pellet cooker which apparently never made it into my gear list.

[Jfrosty27]

I’ve never won anything. I mean nothing! But if I ever do win something I’m sure it will be something that I don’t need or even want. That’s how my luck runs. 🤷♂️
But good for you Sid. It’s always nice to be a winner of any kind. 👏🎉🎊

[Sid P]

Thanks Jim. I didn’t win anything for 50 years, and then 8 years ago I won 4 prizes at a charity golf outing, including a week in Lake Tahoe and 4 box seats to a Cubs game!

[Smoker_Boy]

Yep, I have never won anything either.

[HawkerXP]

Congrats!

[Bad Hat BBQ]

How cool is that.....

with my luck, the only surprise is when my neighbor's mail gets delivered to my house!

[Thunder77]

I’ll take it!