Traeger Ironwood 885 vs Westwood XL
Around $1,008 for the insulated Ironwood 885 against $799.99 for the Westwood XL. 885 sq in to 823, a 500 F ceiling to 450, and a pellet sensor to none.
We pick the Traeger Ironwood 885 Pellet Grill
Take the Ironwood 885; around $208 buys most of what the Westwood XL leaves out. The XL is the biggest Westwood: 823 sq in, 180 to 450 F, and an 18 lb hopper nothing watches, with no Super Smoke and no insulation, for $799.99. The Ironwood brings 885 sq in, 165 to 500 F, Super Smoke across the bottom band, double side walls and a pellet sensor on a 20 lb hopper. The catch is the paperwork: three years and Legacy status, against seven years on the XL's body.
What actually differs
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More grate in a narrower cart
885 sq in in 54 inches of width, against 823 in 56. Both tiers are larger on the Ironwood, 570 and 315 against 540 and 283, so the extra area is usable rather than counted.
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The XL's fuel problem is the Ironwood's feature
Our Westwood XL review's central complaint is a bigger barrel fed from 18 lb with no level warning. The Ironwood carries 20 lb and a sensor that messages you as it thins. Neither publishes a burn rate.
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A mode for smoke, not just a lower number
On the XL, more smoke means turning the dial down toward 180 F. The Ironwood goes to 165 F and runs Super Smoke from there to 225 F, inside insulated walls the XL does not have.
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Seven years on rust, or three on everything
The XL's seven years covers the body against rusting through only; its auger and controller get three, the igniter and RTD one. The Ironwood gives three years across the machine. Resale ends the cover on both.
How they score, category by category
The Traeger Ironwood 885 scores higher in 2 categories, the Westwood XL in 2 categories. 2 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreTraeger Ironwood 885 9.0 Better by 2.0Westwood XL 7.0Why the Traeger Ironwood 885 scores 9.0Super Smoke opens at 165 F where the current $1,399.99 Woodridge Pro Plus waits until 185 F, behind insulated side walls.
Why the Westwood XL scores 7.0
The smaller Westwood's 180 to 450 F range and controller, with no Super Smoke and no added insulation, so the same score.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreTraeger Ironwood 885 6.5Westwood XL 7.0 Better by 0.5Why the Westwood XL scores 7.0Traeger's table gives the 7 years to sheet metal against rusting through; the auger, fan and controller get 3.
Why the Traeger Ironwood 885 scores 6.5
Three years is Traeger's shortest term, it needs an Authorized Seller on the receipt, and resale kills it outright.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreTraeger Ironwood 885 8.5Westwood XL 8.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Traeger Ironwood 885 scores 8.5Porcelain coated steel grates, a stainless shelf and double-walled construction, on a barrel whose steel Traeger still declines to name.
Why the Westwood XL scores 8.5Shelves rated at 40 and 60 lb and a standard accessory rail, on a body whose material Traeger never names.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreTraeger Ironwood 885 9.0Westwood XL 9.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Traeger Ironwood 885 scores 9.0A pellet sensor, a cleanout trapdoor and 5 F steps from a phone remove the two chores cheaper Traegers keep.
Why the Westwood XL scores 9.0The full WiFIRE controller, app and probe support, held back only by a build the maker wants two people for.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreTraeger Ironwood 885 8.7 Better by 0.2Westwood XL 8.5Why the Traeger Ironwood 885 scores 8.7Around $1,008 buys insulation and Super Smoke from 165 F, where Traeger's $1,399.99 Woodridge Pro Plus lists neither, at the same 500 F ceiling.
Why the Westwood XL scores 8.5
$799.99 buys 823 sq in where $699.99 buys 653, though not one extra feature row comes with it.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreTraeger Ironwood 885 7.5Westwood XL 8.0 Better by 0.5Why the Westwood XL scores 8.0A hopper clean-out door and lift-out internals, against a drip tray whose warping Traeger excludes from cover.
Why the Traeger Ironwood 885 scores 7.5
The hopper empties without tools, but Traeger's own chart marks it absent for the EZ-Clean grease and ash keg.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Traeger Ironwood 885 | Westwood XL |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 9.0 Better | 7.0 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 6.5 | 7.0 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Value (12%) | 8.7 Better | 8.5 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 7.5 | 8.0 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.2 | 7.8 |
Both reviews are scored on the same six weighted categories, on the same 0 to 10 scale, and each reason is the one that review gave. A category is marked better only where the two differ by a tenth or more. How we score →
Where the spec sheets differ
Quoted from each maker's own specifications, as each review records them. Figures the two products publish identically are left out, so only the differences are listed.
Which one is for you
You smoke long and low, want the sensor and the insulation, and accept a discontinued model.
You want the most grate for the least money on a current grill, and mostly cook by day.
More head-to-heads
Every score and figure on this page comes from our own reviews of these two products, linked above. We have not tested them side by side in one place; the comparison is between two full reviews, each built from the maker's published specifications and documentation. Prices move, and the ones quoted are the ones each review checked on its own date.