Do Not Buy the Traeger Ridgeline XL at Costco

I hate to be “That Guy” who is always raining on parades but I have some information about the Traeger Ridgeline XL on sale at Costco that I think people might appreciate knowing.

The TL;DR version is, the Traeger Ridgeline XL at Costco looks like a great deal but, chances are, it will leave you with Buyer’s Remorse.

If you have already bought the Ridgeline XL then you should know that you have a pretty decent smoker and grill which you will enjoy for many years.  But, please hit the back arrow on your browser now because if you keep reading it will just make you sad.

All of the issues with the Ridgeline XL are related to the overlap of products and prices in the Traeger product line.  I am not bashing Traeger grills in general in this review. Traeger makes fine products and the Ridgeline XL is no exception.

As an Amazon Associate I make a commission for any products purchased through links on this page.  Any prices mentioned in this post are based upon Traeger MSRP and Costco Warehouse pricing and do not necessarily reflect pricing on Amazon.

Why the Ridgeline XL Looks Like an Amazing Deal

The Ridgeline XL has 780 square inches of grilling space, the D2 WiFire controller, an 18 pound pellet hopper and a side mounted smoke stack.

In fact, when you look at the core specifications of this grill you will realize that the Ridgeline XL is the same grill as the Traeger Pro 780.

The Ridgeline XL comes with three upgrades over the Pro 780 which are:

• Included Traeger Grill Cover ($73 value)
• Included Front Mounted Shelf ($75 value)
• Textured Grip on Front Handle (Unable to buy separately) 

Here is where the value proposition comes into play:

• The Ridgeline XL, with its three upgrades, costs $849 at Costco
• The Traeger Pro 780 costs $999 at Home Depot (Link to check it out)

The Ridgeline XL, with over $150 dollars worth of upgrades, looks like an absolute slam dunk of a deal at Costco!

While the Ridgeline XL is an absolute bargain over the Pro 780 the core issue is that the Pro 780 is an outdated product and you can buy a better Traeger than either of them for less money.

In my opinion, Traeger is trying to clear out its inventory of Pro 780 grills by dressing them up and selling at a discount for Costco customers.

Why the Ridgeline XL is the Wrong Traeger to Buy

When it comes to technology, features and price the Pro 780 has been around the middle of the pack in the Traeger lineup for a few years now.  In 2025, Traeger introduced the Woodridge series which effectively displaced the Pro 780.

In fact, if you head over to the Traeger website you will see how much they are promoting the Woodridge and that the Pro 780 is barely mentioned.   The Woodridge Series consists of three models:

• Woodridge (Base Model)
• Woodridge Pro
• Woodbridge Elite

I want to draw your attention exclusively towards the base model Woodridge. The base model Traeger Woodbridge is less expensive than the Ridgeline XL ($799 vs $849) and has several features which make the Woodbridge a serious upgrade over the Ridgeline XL.

Why the Traeger Woodbridge is Better Than the Ridgeline XL

I am going to ignore the grill cover and front shelf that come with the Ridgeline XL in this comparison.  The front shelf is a nice idea but I never use the front shelf on a pellet grill and I can get a generic grill cover for $30.

I want to focus on the core functionality of the grill, not on a few shiny add-ons that Traeger threw in a box.

There are several smaller differences that are worth mentioning as they all point to the Woodbridge being the better grill.  These details are:

• Pellet hopper size
• Amount of grilling area
• Warranty
• Upgraded controller

While these differences are real, they are minor in comparison to the two major issues which are:

• Smoke Flavor
• Ease of Cleaning

Let’s dive in and take a look.

Minor Reasons Why The Woodbridge is and Upgrade

The Pellet Hopper

The Ridgeline XL comes with a pellet hopper that can hold 18 pounds of pellets.  The pellet hopper on the Woodbridge holds 24 pounds of pellets.

This is one of those Traeger details that has always infuriated me 🙂

Traeger will tell you that for their grills to perform in optimum fashion then you need to use Traeger pellets.  Sure, fine…it’s a joke but I will play along.  The thing is, on Traeger pellets come in 20 pound bags and a full bag will not fit in the 18 pound hopper of their lower end grills.

If you buy the Ridgeline XL then you will end up with a bunch of bags of pellets that have a few pounds left inside because the hopper can’t handle a full bag. It is annoying having these almost empty bags sit around and I suspect it is a way to make you want to upgrade to a higher end grill after you have used one of their cheaper grills for a year or two.

In contrast, the 24 pound hopper on the Woodbridge is the perfect size.  When you see you are down to your last few pounds of pellets in the hopper of the Woodbridge you can simply pour in a new 20 pound bag and you are good to go!

More Grilling Area

The Ridgeline XL has 780 square inches of cooking area spread across an upper and lower cooking surface while the Woodridge offers 860 square inches.

In all honesty, the 780 sq in on the Ridgeline XL is more than enough for just about anybody but some folks are hooked on the “Bigger is Better” idea so I just wanted to point out that the Woodridge is the larger of the two grills.

Better Warranty

The Ridgeline XL has a 7 Year limited warranty compared to 10 years for the Woodridge.

Neither warranty will cover the bubbling, peeling paint and resulting rust that occurs on the body after you crank the temperature up to 500F for an hour.

Latest Generation Controller

The Ridgeline XL has the older D2 controller which is absolutely excellent.  The D2 controller offers precise temperature control, is wi-fi enabled and has a strong track record of solid performance.

The Woodbridge has Traeger’s latest and greatest controller.  From what I have read it offers all of the benefits of the D2 controller AND is compatible with wireless Bluetooth enabled meat probes.

Major Reasons Why the Woodbridge is an Upgrade

Alright..thanks for sticking with me.  Here is where the big differences between these grills come into play.

Better Smoke Flavor

One of the biggest complaints about pellet grills in general is that they do not produce as much smoke flavor as you get when cooking with charcoal or wood.  This is simply the result of the wood pellets burning so clean that they just don’t produce as much smoke.

The Woodbridge is designed to provide more smoke flavor than the Ridgeline XL.

On the Ridgeline XL any smoke produced by the burning pellets goes “Up and Out” through the smoke stack mounted on the top of the side of the smoker.  This limits the amount of contact between the limited amount of smoke and the meat in the cooking chamber.

In contrast, the Woodbridge does not have a smokestack.

Instead, the outlet smoke vents on the Woodbridge are located in the BACK of the grill at about the same level as the cooking surface.

The rear mounted vent placement forces the smoke to circulate around the meat, increasing contact time, before it can exit the cooking chamber.  Below is a snapshot of some Traeger marketing material that illustrates the circulation effect in the Woodbridge.

Easier to Clean

This is one of those details that new pellet grill owners will dismiss as trivial but experienced pellet grill owners will recognize as massive.

The new EZ Clean system on the Woodbridge is a massive upgrade over the Ridgeline XL for two reasons:

• Easier Ash Clean Out
• Much Better Grease Collection System

On older Traeger grills, in order to clean out the wood dust and ashes you have to carry an extension cord and a Shop Vac out to the grill, then use the Shop Vac to clean out the interior chamber.  This is something you MUST do every few cooks to prevent wood dust accumulation and prevent uncontrolled fires.  It is a pain in the neck to haul around the Shop Vac.

Also, on older Traeger grills, the grease collection system consists of an open bucket located on the SIDE of the grill.  The grease collection system works but has some major flaws.

Because the grease is collected in an open bucket it is an easy target for animals.  Dogs have been known to knock it off the grill during a cook while rats and raccoons can be attracted after a cook.  Because the bucket is located externally on the side of the grill it is also very easy to knock off when you are putting on or taking off the cover.

Traeger addressed these problems on the Woodridge by making a closed grease collection system that is located underneath the grill body.  Animals cannot reach the grease system and you will never accidently knock it off.

The grease collection bucket on the EZ Clean system also doubles as an ash collection system so all you need to do to clean out the wood dust and ashes is use a few paper towels and push the debris into the bucket.  You no longer need a Shop Vac to clean out the ashes!

Wrapping it Up

Like I said earlier, if you have already bought the Ridgeline XL then don’t sweat it.  The Ridgeline XL is a fine grill that, with some practice, will make great barbecue.

If you are still shopping for your grill then I do suggest you head over to Amazon and check the latest price on the base model Woodbridge.  Chances are that you will save some money and walk away with a nicer grill.