Real Grate Space product guide
Traeger Woodridge Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker (TFB86MLH)
A connected household with an outdoor GFCI outlet and 20 inches to spare
The base Woodridge gives 860 square inches across three grates, a 24-pound hopper, a 500°F ceiling and WiFIRE app control, with grease and ash collecting in one slide-out keg. Traeger's own comparison chart shows Keep Warm, Super Smoke and the pellet sensor belong to the Pro models, not this one.
Listing checked . Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Published specifications
- Maker specs: 860 sq in total, 500°F maximum, 24 lb hopper, WiFIRE controller
- Manual: 20 in minimum clearance to combustibles, outdoor use only, GFCI required
- Maker specs: 50 L x 27 W x 46 H in; weight given as 138 lb by Traeger, 181.6 lb on the listing
- Manual: two wired probe jacks plus two Traeger wireless probes; one wired probe included
- Manual: EZ-Clean grease and ash keg checked before every cook; firepot ash about every 20 hours
- Warranty: 10 yr body/legs/hopper cover, 3 yr controller and grates, 1 yr probes
Fit and limits
Strengths
- One slide-out keg collects both grease and ash, with disposable liners
- WiFIRE controller takes two wired and two wireless probes and updates its own firmware
- Traeger publishes model-specific part numbers for nearly every component
Caveats
- Warranty is void if you do not buy from a Traeger Authorized Seller
- Traeger and the listing give different assembled weights, 138 lb against 181.6 lb
- Keep Warm, Super Smoke and the pellet sensor are listed for the Pro models, not this one
The base model of a four-grill series
The listing gives model and part number as TFB86MLH, and Traeger's Woodridge support guide lists TFB86MLH as the US model, TFB86MLHC for Canada and TFC97XLHI for Europe. That is the plain Woodridge, the entry model in a series that also includes the Woodridge Pro, Pro+ and Elite. All four share the same 860 square inches of cooking area, so the differences are features and storage, not size.
Traeger's own comparison article says the base Woodridge has WiFIRE connectivity, a fully digital controller, a wired meat probe, compatibility with wireless probes, the EZ-Clean grease and ash keg, a hopper clean-out door and P.A.L. accessory rails. It says the Pro adds Keep Warm Mode, Super Smoke Mode, a pellet sensor and a bottom shelf. In other words, the features that mark the step up are absent here.
Amazon's included-components field lists the grill, a meat probe, a user manual and assembly instructions with tools. No cover is included; the manual tells owners to always cover the grill when not in use with a Traeger grill cover bought from Traeger. Assembly is required and uses a separate Assembly Guide; Traeger's support page warns that the legs are not interchangeable because the front leg carries towel-rack bolt connections.
860 square inches, but the split between grates is not published
The manual's parts diagram shows three cooking surfaces: an upper grill grate, a lower grill grate and a ModiFIRE grate. Traeger's replacement-parts list for this model matches that, with a large main grate, a small main grate and an upper grate as separate part numbers. Neither the support specification table nor the manual pages we read states how many square inches each grate contributes, so we cannot give you a main-versus-upper split for this grill the way Traeger does for some older models.
What Traeger does state is the total: 860 square inches, with a maximum temperature of 500°F. The listing bullet gives a working range of 180°F to 500°F. The manual notes that the upper grate is removable and can be stored on the back of the grill when you are cooking something tall like a turkey, which is the practical answer to how much of that 860 you can actually use at once.
The hopper holds 24 pounds of pellets. The manual instructs owners to use only Traeger hardwood pellets, saying the product was developed and tuned with them. The warranty text is worded differently: it voids coverage where fuels other than wood pellets designed for wood pellet grills, or wood stove heating pellets, have been used. Those two statements are not the same rule, so read both before filling the hopper with another brand.
Twenty inches of clearance, outdoors, on a GFCI-protected circuit
The manual requires a minimum of 20 inches from the grill to any nearby combustible, and lists wooden railings, home siding, window frames, furniture, trees and trash receptacles as examples. It forbids operating the grill indoors, under a combustible ceiling or overhang, or on combustible floors or surfaces, and it tells owners not to store a cover or anything flammable in the space under the grill. It also says to contact local building or fire officials about restrictions and inspection requirements.
The manual repeats, in capitals, that ground fault circuit interrupter protection must be provided on the circuit or outlet used to operate the grill. This is a mains-powered appliance with a fixed power cord, listed as replacement part KIT0257 for the US and Canada, so the siting decision is about an outdoor outlet as much as it is about clearance.
Traeger gives the assembled size as 50 inches long by 27 inches wide by 46 inches high. The Amazon table agrees on dimensions. Weight does not agree: Traeger's support page says 138 pounds, with a metric figure beside it that does not correspond to that number of pounds, while Amazon's table says 181.6 pounds. Treat the weight as unconfirmed and get help lifting it into place.
The app, the probes, and one feature listed two ways
The controller is Traeger's WiFIRE unit: a dot-matrix display, a selection dial, an ignite and shutdown button, a timer, two wired probe jacks and support for Bluetooth wireless probes. The manual says you can connect two wired probes and two Traeger wireless probes, and that a probe icon turns blue when a goal alarm is set and flashes when the goal is reached. Only one wired probe is listed as included; wireless probes are separate purchases and pair one at a time within about three feet of the controller.
Setup runs through the Traeger App and a home Wi-Fi connection: the manual's onboarding sequence is connect to the app, then season the grill. Firmware updates arrive through that connection, and the manual says keeping the grill connected is how it receives them. If you do not want a connected grill on your network, this model's headline feature is the part you would be leaving unused.
One feature is described two ways in Traeger's own documents. The manual's feature page says that once connected, the Traeger App lets you enable Keep Warm Mode, and a later page explains Keep Warm as a temperature shortcut. Traeger's Woodridge Series comparison article lists Keep Warm Mode only under the Pro, Pro+ and Elite, not the base Woodridge. The manual is written for the series and the comparison article is model-specific; confirm with Traeger before buying on the strength of that mode.
One keg for grease and ash, checked before every cook
This series replaces the old bucket-and-trough arrangement with an EZ-Clean grease and ash keg that slides out from under the grill body and takes a disposable liner. The manual says to check it before every cook and empty it when full, and warns that failing to empty it could result in a serious fire. Grease reaches it through the drip tray and a grease drain chute, and the manual says how often the whole system needs cleaning depends on the fat content of your food, sometimes after every cook.
The manual's schedule is otherwise: before each cook, clear the drip tray or change its liner; after each cook, scrape grates and grease while warm with a non-metal scraper and reinstall the ember shield; monthly, check the firepot, vacuum out ash, scrape creosote from the backsplash and the back of the lid, wipe the cavity and clean the grease drain chute. Firepot ash cleaning is separately put at roughly every 20 hours of cooking, cold only.
Two further care points matter for storage. The manual says to cover the drip tray only with genuine Traeger drip tray liners, because foil or other materials can affect performance and damage the tray or grill. And if the grill lives outdoors, keep water out of the hopper, because wet pellets swell and jam the auger. Pellets come out through a release door on the back of the auger box, into a bin you supply.
Ten years on the body, three on the working parts
Amazon's warranty field says 10-year limited warranty, and the manual's table backs that up in tiers. Body, legs and hopper cover are ten years against rusting through. The controller, auger motor, auger and fan are three years for material and manufacturing defects, as are the drip tray, ember shield and heat baffle. Enamelled grates are three years against rusting through. The hot rod, cord, RTD and thermocouple are one year, and the wired and wireless meat probes are one year against rusting through.
As with other Traeger grills, the stated remedy is replacement parts and nothing more. Traeger may send new or refurbished parts at its discretion, expects the owner to fit them, and puts labour charges and freight to ship parts on the owner. Approved returned parts must be sent prepaid and become Traeger's property, and the company may ask for photos, phone calls or video chats to validate a claim.
The warranty is void if the grill was not purchased from a Traeger Authorized Seller, if it is resold or traded to another owner, if third-party parts or accessories are used, if the wrong fuel is used, if it is used commercially, if it is not maintained per the instructions, or if it is modified without approval. Paint damage from grease fires, UV exposure, normal wear and warping of the drip tray, ember shield or heat baffle are excluded. Check the seller and the condition of the offer you pick.
Check the current listing
Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Primary sources
- Traeger Support Woodridge Support Guide: model numbers, specifications, replacement parts
- Traeger Woodridge owner's manual (document T14815), supplied with the listing
- Traeger Support Woodridge Series Grill Comparison
Primary sources checked .
Compare with
- Traeger Pro Series 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker (TFB57PZBO, Bronze)
An outdoor spot with 18 inches clear on every side and a GFCI outlet
- Green Mountain Grills Trek Prime 2.0 Portable Wi-Fi Pellet Grill
Camping, tailgating and small cooks where 12V power is available
- Z Grills ZPG-7002C Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
A sheltered outdoor spot near a grounded outlet, with help on assembly day
- recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Grill
Direct-flame searing and weeknight grilling on one 380-square-inch grate
- Pit Boss PB700FB2 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker (SKU 11087)
A yard where three feet of clearance on the sides and back is realistic
Side-by-side pages, this model next to: Traeger Pro Series 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker (TFB57PZBO, Bronze), Green Mountain Grills Trek Prime 2.0 Portable Wi-Fi Pellet Grill, Z Grills ZPG-7002C Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Grill, Pit Boss PB700FB2 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker (SKU 11087).