The best pellet smokers in Australia: Pit Boss 850 Pro, Lexington, 3 Series and Traeger Pro 575

Every pick below is a Pit Boss from Bunnings. That isn’t a deal: Bunnings doesn’t pay us a commission, and Pit Boss’s Australian site lists Bunnings as its only stockist. They’re here because, on paper, they give the most grill and the longest warranty for the money. The picks’ prices are what Bunnings charged on 9 November 2026 (other models on 23 October), in Australian dollars including GST.

Questions to ask before buying a pellet smoker in Australia

• Do you have a power point in reach? The auger, fan and igniter run on mains power. Weber’s Smoque manual says earthed outlet only, no plug adaptors, and an extension lead of no more than 4 metres (Weber Smoque manual).
• Is there room around it? Pit Boss says at least 91.44 cm from combustible constructions, with the back vents clear (Pit Boss Australia). Weber says 60 cm from combustibles for its Smoque and lists wooden decks and patios among them, and never under ceilings or overhangs (Weber Smoque manual).
• Can you use it on a Total Fire Ban day? NSW bans BBQs burning wood, charcoal or heat beads outside on those days (NSW RFS). Pellets are wood, so treat a pellet grill the same way. Check your own state’s rules.
• Which pellets can you use? Traeger says food-grade wood pellets of any brand are fine for its warranty, but heating pellets are not (Traeger).
• Will the smoke bother the neighbours? In a Queensland community titles scheme, occupiers must not use a lot in a way that causes a nuisance or hazard or unreasonably interferes with another lot (Queensland Government). Those rules are about occupiers generally, so ask your committee if you live close to the neighbours.
• What happens after the warranty ends? Consumer guarantees apply automatically and last a reasonable time for the product, on top of any maker’s warranty (ACCC). Keep the receipt.

What a pellet grill does well, and what it doesn’t

A pellet grill is a wood-fired oven with a thermostat. An auger feeds hardwood pellets into a fire pot, a fan keeps them burning, and the controller holds the temperature you set. That makes it the easiest way to smoke a brisket or pork shoulder for twelve hours without minding a fire.

Searing is the weak spot. Most pellet grills cook with hot air, not flame. The Pit Boss Navigator and 850 Pro get round it with a slide plate that opens to the fire. If you already own a gas BBQ, a vertical cabinet like the 3 Series does the smoking and the gas does the searing.

Running cost: about $1.80 an hour low and slow

Pit Boss publishes a burn chart in its Australian brochure: about 0.45 kg of pellets an hour at 120°C and 1.2 kg at 260°C. At Bunnings’ $36 for a 9 kg bag, that’s about $1.80 an hour for a low-and-slow cook and $4.80 an hour flat out. Cheaper pellets exist: Samba’s 9 kg bag was $29.98 at Bunnings. We didn’t find an hourly figure from Traeger or Weber for the grills below, so we haven’t costed them.

Warranty is where the brands differ most

A pellet grill has an auger motor, a fan, an igniter and a controller, and the warranties treat those parts very differently.

• Pit Boss: five years on all parts and five years on the electrical components (Pit Boss Australia).
• Traeger: three years on the grill and one year on parts in Australia (Traeger Australia).
• Weber Smoque and Searwood: five years on the cook box, three years on the electrics, grates and burn pot (Weber).

How much space you need

Pit Boss quotes two numbers. The Navigator’s main grate is 3,503 cm², which Pit Boss says holds about 30 burgers, and the upper rack takes it to 5,484 cm² (850 sq in). The Lexington has 3,384 cm² over two racks, which is plenty for four people. The 850 Pro has the same cooking space as the Navigator, for a crowd or two briskets at once.

The competition

We looked at these too. Each is a fair buy for someone, but not the one we’d pick first. Prices checked 23 October 2026.

• Pit Boss 850 Navigator ($883 at Bunnings, 9 Nov). The 850 Pro’s cooking space and five-year warranty without built-in app control, and a bigger 12.7 kg hopper, with a cover in the box. No longer a pick.
• Pit Boss Pro 4 vertical ($963 at Bunnings). Bigger than the 3 Series (6,948 cm²), with a 29 kg hopper, Wi-Fi and a cover. Worth $264 more only if you smoke big batches often; most home batches fit the 3 Series.
• Weber Smoque ($1,399 at BCF and Weber). Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in and Weber’s service network, but it costs $259 more than the Pit Boss 850 Pro for less cooking space (3,832 cm² in total), and Weber covers the electrics for three years, not five.
• Weber Smoque XL ($1,699 at Weber). The bigger Smoque, with the same trade-off at a higher price.
• Weber Searwood 600 ($1,899 at Weber). The one to buy if searing matters as much as smoking: Weber says it runs from 80 to 315°C, and it comes with a sear grate. At more than twice the Navigator’s price for less space (4,181 cm²), it’s for people set on Weber.
• Weber Searwood XL 600 ($2,199 at Weber). More room, same reasoning.
• Traeger Pro 780 ($1,981 at Appliances Online). The bigger Pro, with the same trade-off.
• Traeger Woodridge ($1,899 at Traeger). About the Navigator’s size (5,548 cm²) with app control, for more than twice the price.
• Traeger Woodridge Pro ($2,399 at Traeger). More space again and Traeger’s Super Smoke mode. A lot of money for a first pellet grill.
• Traeger Ironwood 885 ($2,899 at Traeger). Traeger’s premium range, for people who smoke every weekend and want Traeger. More than three times the Navigator’s price.
• Traeger Pro 22 ($1,099 at Traeger). Traeger’s entry grill: a three-year warranty and a smaller grill than the Navigator, for $216 more.
• Traeger Ranger ($899 at Traeger and Appliances Online). A tabletop pellet grill for a caravan or powered campsite. Too small to be a household’s main cooker.

Still deciding between pellets, charcoal and offset? The smoker guide compares every style by effort. Need a cover? See the pellet grill cover guide.