Grills & smokers · owner-verdict comparison

Pit Boss 850 Navigator vs Weber Smokey Mountain 18: what real owners say

Real owners rate these about evenly: 75% of 20 Pit Boss 850 Navigator owners recommend it, vs 76% of 339 for the Weber Smokey Mountain 18.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Pit Boss 850 Navigator

75%of 20 owners recommend
75% recommend · 10% neutral · 15% don't
Full owner report →

Weber Smokey Mountain 18

76%of 339 owners recommend
76% recommend · 12% neutral · 12% don't
Owners praise
  • Easy to use, forgiving, and beginner-friendly
  • Holds steady temperature for hours, nearly set-and-forget
  • Solidly built and lasts for many years
Owners complain about
  • Too small to fit large briskets or full racks of ribs without trimming
Full owner report →

What Pit Boss 850 Navigator owners say

“STILL ROCCCKING WITH THE NAVIGATOR 1150 AND 850”
— @VietKieuLongNguyen on YouTube
“Just picked one up Black Friday at Academy for a great price and have already grilled on it a few times, Great Product!!”
— @Intoxacajun on YouTube
“I have a Navigator 850G over a year old. Have replaced 4 control boards and 2 grill probes. Waiting on igniter. Does anyone have any ideas why they keep going bad?”
— jcbitsme on Pit Boss Grill Forum

What Weber Smokey Mountain 18 owners say

“the 18 is an engineering masterpiece for several reasons”
— @Hoosier-Dave on YouTube
“Best $40 I've spent”
— @chriscooper1657 on YouTube
“I usually find a slight acrid taste to the food so I'll give this approach a try (assuming cleaner smoke).”
— @ants7075 on YouTube