Traeger Woodridge vs Weber Searwood XL 600
$899.99 for 860 sq in and 500 F, against $1,199 for 972 sq in and 600. The base Woodridge has no Super Smoke; the Searwood ships SmokeBoost and two probes.
We pick the Weber Searwood XL 600 Pellet Grill
The Searwood is worth the extra $300 or so. The base Woodridge leaves Super Smoke to the Pro at $1,149.99, so heavier smoke means dialling between 165 and 225 by hand. The Searwood has SmokeBoost at 180, a 600 ceiling, 630 sq in of primary grate against 520, and two probes against one. The Woodridge's real edge is cover: ten years against rust-through, with an RTD sensor Traeger names outright.
What actually differs
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A smoke setting against a smoke instruction
Weber gives the Searwood a mode that holds 180 F so smoke has time to land. Traeger's answer on the base Woodridge is advice to cook between 165 and 225. The button itself arrives one model up.
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A bigger hopper, or one that reports its level
The Woodridge holds 24 lb and empties through a clean-out door for a quick flavor change. The Searwood holds 20 lb and sends a phone alert when it runs low. Weber also packs a second probe; Traeger ships one.
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Only one maker prints the size
Weber publishes 45.75 by 50.50 by 23.00 inches, plus 13.75 inches for the lid to open. Traeger prints no dimensions for the Woodridge, and names no grate or body material. Weber names its grate metal twice, two different ways.
How they score, category by category
The Traeger Woodridge scores higher in 2 categories, the Weber Searwood XL 600 in 2 categories. 2 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge 8.0Weber Searwood XL 600 9.0 Better by 1.0Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 9.0A 180 to 600 span with no large sheet diffuser is unusual reach for an auger-fed cooker.
Why the Traeger Woodridge scores 8.0
An RTD sensor and a 500 F ceiling serve patient cooking, but Super Smoke Mode is reserved for the Pro.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge 7.0Weber Searwood XL 600 7.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Traeger Woodridge scores 7.0The headline ten years protects sheet metal from rusting through, and nothing else on the grill is covered past three.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 7.0Weber covers the cook box for five years, and everything that burns or fails for three.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge 7.0Weber Searwood XL 600 8.0 Better by 1.0Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 8.0157.80 pounds, a porcelain-enameled lid and stainless Flavorizer bars, but the grate metal is printed two ways.
Why the Traeger Woodridge scores 7.0
138 lbs reads as settled, but Traeger names no grate or body material and prints no size anywhere.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge 9.5 Better by 0.2Weber Searwood XL 600 9.3Why the Traeger Woodridge scores 9.5A full-color display, WiFIRE control and a wired probe in the box, with nothing else to buy before the first cook.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 9.3
A fuel gauge that alerts you at low pellets, two probes, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, all included.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge 8.5 Better by 0.5Weber Searwood XL 600 8.0Why the Traeger Woodridge scores 8.5$899.99 buys 860 sq in, but the ten years guards against rust and the smoke feature still costs $1,149.99.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 8.0
$1,199 buys probes and connectivity, but the cover is $94.99 and the front table another $99.99.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge 9.0Weber Searwood XL 600 9.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Traeger Woodridge scores 9.0The grease and ash keg, hopper clean-out and staging hooks each answer a chore owners actually resent.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 9.0Grease and ash pull out together from the front, rather than from under a loaded cabinet.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Traeger Woodridge | Weber Searwood XL 600 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.0 | 9.0 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.0 | 8.0 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.5 Better | 9.3 |
| Value (12%) | 8.5 Better | 8.0 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.0 | 8.3 |
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 by number, want the ten-year rust cover and the 24 lb hopper, and $899.99 is the ceiling.
Check price →You want a smoke setting, a second probe and enough heat to sear, and the extra $300 is there.
Check price →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.