Honestly, this controller is amazing! The price was good, installation was easy, and the functionality is better than I expected. Compared to the old controller I took out, this thing holds temperature way better. I would recommend getting an Ortech TR-100 if you’re looking for a new controller for your old smoker.
I would recommend getting an Ortech TR-100 if you’re looking for a new controller for your old smoker.
The Ortech TR-100 has a lot of features I was looking for in my grill. I love the versatility of the controller and the start-up and shut-down features. The digital temperature readout and temperature probe are new to me. They represent a wonderful new touch for this old smoker.
One of the main bummers I was experiencing was with the limited 3-switch temperature control of the old controller which really limits the control you have over the temperature. The Ortech I installed has 8 temperature settings with a lot of settings within the traditional ‘smoking’ temperature ranges.
Start-up and shut-down prove to be much easier and more hands-off with the new controller. Not only do I save time but I gain a little peace of mind.
I replaced the controller in my old Traeger. It’s ‘I don’t know how many’ years old and had a 3-switch temperature controller until recently. The controller was still working but the temperature control just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore.
With the old controller I had 3 levels: Smoke, Medium, High. Which really equated to about: ~185F, 300F, 500F; respectively. It’s hard to do a long cook at a set temperature in between any of those temperatures without constantly having to switch the controller. So I was looking for something with more control.
I found the Ortech TR-100 on Amazon and decided to try it out. After receiving the controller, it only took about 45 minutes to install it and required only a flat screw driver and a Phillips screw driver. Check out the linked video above for a time lapse of the install process.
Even though my old Traeger didn’t have a thermometer in the cook box, I was happy to find it had the correct mounting and routing holes regardless. A few cable ties later and the install is complete.
Overall the TR-100 worked great; 10/10! From start-up to shut-down I was impressed with the new feel and performance of my pit.
During start-up, the TR-100 was able to heat the grill up within a matter of a few minutes. I could tell the controller was really cranking the fan and auger to get the grill started up quickly. Compared to the original controller, I’d say it took half the time to heat up.
Cooking performance was awesome also, check out the comparison image below I made with my Fireboard temperature graph. You can tell that with the old controller, the temperature was sporadic and made big swings. With the new controller, the temperature swings are still a bit larger than I’d really prefer. However, the swings are much smaller and more consistent than the old controller.
Shut down was also a dream. In the old-controller days I’d set the controller to ‘smoke’ for ~30 minutes then try to remember to make it back outside to turn the grill off. Then again, later, head back out to roll it in the garage after it cools down. Now I just tell it to shut down and come back 10 minutes later to a cold grill. Too easy.
