Rider Pellet Grills - Auger Maintenance | Oklahoma Joe's®

[@rjh3216]

Apparently, the auger motor isn't strong enough to push out a few old pellets. Oklahoma Joe had to make a 13-minute video to show customers how to fix it yourself. I keep my grill in a shop, out of the moisture, and every time I fire up the grill the auger is stuck. You can hear the weak auger motor binding and stop without any pellets in the hopper. Sometimes the temperature is hard to control and I think it has to do with a weak auger motor. It's time to fix the problem, Oklahoma Joe.

[@denniswood231]

Oklahoma Joe has to address this issue...a stronger motor and a reversing feature would cure this problem. Only a two year warranty compared to Pit Boss with a five year warranty. Do you see Pit Boss putting out a video how customers have to tear apart their pellet Grill...no you don't...nor Traeger...that tells you there is something seriously wrong here.

[@n0yxl]

It's really nice to see a manufacturer doing in depth how-to video's for the end user. I'm pretty impressed with the thought that went into the design and maintenance of this grill.

[@ktcat1]

Thanks to this video, I was able to clear a jam in the auger. It was pretty easy. I'm very happy with my Oklahoma Joe's Rider.

[@PeterRabbitts1]

Very surprised and pleased to see a manufacturer in depth how-to. Thanks guys! GRILL ON!!

[@jarvise.8166]

Haven't had a problem with the auger, but I've had to replace the igniter on an annual basis. When I ordered a replacement igniter, took forever to get it from Oklahoma Joe's. Gave up, ordered one on Amazon, had it the next day. In addition I can't pull up my model DLX 1200 on their website. When I decide to get a new pellet grill, doubt it will be Oklahoma Joe's. I do agree... excellent video on fixing auger jams.

[@rosieclarke4147]

If you could go a video on assembly that would be great. I know a few persons have but directly from OJ would be great

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Here you go, kzbin.info/www/bejne/omKWdp-blrWfh6c.

[@gregorydandy460]

This video is FANTASTIC!! Had a major auger jam and this video was GREAT to see how to disassemble, remove the auger, and thereby clear the jam!! Kudos Oklahoma Joe’s!!!!

[@stephanearl1440]

I understand Oklahoma Joe has upgraded the auger motor. I hope so... I'll get mine next Wednesday...

[@RobAinbinder]

Thanks for posting this. Nice walk through on this important procedure. 💪

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Hey, Rob. Glad it was helpful.

[@rosieclarke4147]

I also appreciate how your watchband is the OJ colours

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Possibly done on purpose 👌

[@DanielnFuller]

Great video. One of the best walk through videos I’ve seen. It helped me out. Had my first jam after about 3 weeks. But I do live in very high humidity. Love the grill and I will take the advice and of running the pellets out.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Glad it helped.

[@Hardnox1911]

Good info. I have found that using a small pair of vice grips on the auger and wiggling it back and forth helps clear a jam. Further, I first dump the pellets and then run the grill on high to clear the auger after I am finished grilling. No more jams.

[@mattt5946]

I would ask that since most of these companies that make these pellet smokers seem to make them with crappy screws, if Oklahoma Joe could atleast make ALL of the screws in their smokers with screws with heads that could be removed with both a screw driver and a socket set. I've had a stick burner by Oklahoma Joe and it was fantastic, but I sold it when I moved to Colorado, then I sold the Pit Boss pellet smoker when I moved to Missouri and it was awesome. So far with this Oklahoma Joe pellet smoker I've had nothing but problems.

[@mdemartile]

In the 10 years I've used my old Traeger, I never had an auger jam. I'm buying this grill in twI weeks.

[@tategerald5188]

Terrible. I’ve owned mine just over a year. Can’t use any kinda of hard pellets like hickory. Stuck with soft wood pellets or I get jams. Now I got to empty auger every time. That now has caused an issue we’re the Ben just fills with pellets and want light. Most time I got to light it with a torch. This video is spin control!

[@coveyjt1]

Also, you need to let people know to use something (I use a stick) to push the ash out of the firebox into the dump can. If not, sometimes it will not ignite the pellets and you will have a firebox full of pellets.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Thank you for your suggestion. We recommend that you wait until your grill and the ash are completely cooled before removing.

[@forangedawg2068]

I found cleaning the ash out is crucial in maintaining my Oklahoma Joe!

[@jimfink3843]

Had my first jam 6 weeks after purchase...frustrating. Spent an hour with a hanger only to get slight movement in the auger after turning it on and off. Had to take everything apart and didn't find anything suspicious. I keep it covered and on a covered deck all the time. Drain the pellets after every use but don't run it "dry" after every cook so I guess that's what is necessary.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Sorry to hear that. Please follow this link (bit.ly/2VQqS7p) or give us a call at 1-866-239-6777, and we will be able to assist you.

[@JPMCuisine]

I run mine for about 10 minutes after I’m finished cooking to clear the auger. I don’t know if this is a good idea but I felt like there would be less of a risk of clumping or damp pellets if I cleared it out after every cooking. Sounds like a beefier motor with more Low end torque or a way to manually reverse or run the auger might be less invasive.

[@davelyons2601]

I’m going to start doing the same thing. I purchased a new grill less than a month ago and had my first jam. I made sure I was using good pellets and I also live in dry weather conditions, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. Ultimately, I had to take the auger hopper off because the jam was significant. After I cleared the pellets in the auger and put everything back together “correctly”, the damn auger wouldn’t turn at all. I think my motor burned up or something did. Very frustrating to say the least. So..I took the grill back to Lowe’s and traded for another OK Joes grill. If it happens again, I’ll go to a Trager.

[@JPMCuisine]

Dave Lyons I just got a traeger today. Took the Oklahoma joe back to Lowes and went to Home Depot to pick up the pro 34

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

We recommend this.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

We're very sorry to hear this. We value you as an Oklahoma Joe's customer and want you to enjoy using your smoker. Please follow this link (bit.ly/2VQqS7p) or give us a call at 1-866-239-6777, and we will be able to assist you.

[@Yahtahey]

Oklahoma Joe's Smokers I called yesterday and was on hold 10min then the system hung up on me. Called back and after 10min on hold the system hung up on me. I’m glad I found this video today thanks. You might need to let someone know you 800# issue.

[@neonpeonu]

Now do a video on how wildly the temperatures vary in the smoker from what it says on the dial setting... mine runs 25-35 degrees hotter than what I set the dial for. Set it for 225 and it will run 250 to 265 consistently. It’s an issue for customers that trust the dial and display for the temp setting and don’t use calibrated external probes.

[@NicolasMartinez-tf3jx]

First time using my Oklahoma Joe pellet smoker today, and at the end of the cook about eight hours later, it started feeding too many pellets, and the fire went out. I checked the ash tray and there was hardly any ash in it, so I dumped it out and put it back in. I tried to vacuum out some of the pellets, but couldn’t get my vacuum nozzle through the heat deflector.

[@BigChucksBbq]

Awesome grill great video

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Thanks 👍

[@joyouscry]

That’s great except the 600 doesn’t come apart that way if the legs are mounted on the hopper.

[@bharper00]

I took the 4 bolts out of the hopper housing but still unable to pull hopper housing off

[@holywarz]

This worked for me. What would you suggest we do in order to not have jam up's in the future? I live in AZ, so I know it's not moisture effecting the pellets.

[@kellyschwarz2810]

So how did you get the quick drop handle out of the auger housing so you can even remove the Hopper housing? Mine won't budge even kinda!

[@Ronmailhot921]

Did you ever get a response to your post? The pull handle on my OJ pellet grill will not pull out to empty the hopper? Thanks in advance.

[@crushingstuff777]

Love the grill , great investment 👌😋

[@jasonhollinger9513]

My grill is less than two years old and my auger just won’t turn. I tried to register it when I bought it for warranty purposes, but when entering all the information correctly, it still wouldn’t let me register it. And now the auger issue is happening and I’m tasked with having to find a receipt that is long gone or get with my bank to find all purchases. Very frustrating.

[@ryanhager924]

Mine jammed up and now the auger wont even try to move , I would have never bought this thing if I knew I would have had to take it apart every time I want to use it. Maybe they should use a stronger auger motor or something.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

We're very sorry to hear this. We value you as an Oklahoma Joe's customer and want you to enjoy using your smoker. Please follow this link (bit.ly/2VQqS7p) or give us a call at 1-866-239-6777, and we will be able to assist you.

[@Northwoods]

My Rider DLX is filling the fire pot with unlit pellets. It says d05 when I turn it on, I turn it on high and shortly after it will say "pre" then it will say er5

[@joyouscry]

So how do you remove the housing when the legs are mounted to it?

[@ericrose42]

Shame the green grounds weren’t mentioned. Destroyed a perfectly good ground wire motor to frame) based on this vid.

[@CrossroadsConnection]

I have not had an issue with auger jams, but I do get a significant amount of smoke coming back through the auger tube and into the hopper- anyone else experienced this? Startup and shutdown especially, but also during normal grilling. Charbroil support said that smoking is normal at startup, but this is smoke in the hopper and hanging around the grill, not in the grill chamber. Always run shutdown cycle, use dry pellets, empty ash cup, and empty pellets from hopper.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Hey, Jordan. We're very sorry to hear this. We value you as an Oklahoma Joe's customer and want you to enjoy using your grill. Please follow this link (bit.ly/2VQqS7p) or give us a call at 1-866-239-6777, and we will be able to assist you.

[@liamzakalwe9661]

I am now also getting this issue. When I called they told me it might be a pellet brand issue. I'm using the oklahoma joe pellets. It's always after about 15 minutes when the grill gets going smoke starts to pour out of the hopper and the grill loses temp. Its backburning through the auger.

[@gohanss78]

Did you ever find a solution to this? I'm having the same issue.

[@MichaelScott-fk8ut]

Did this. Took it apart. Cleared the auger. Started it up. Ran for about 5 minutes and the auger stopped turning again. 😢

[@harrylieberman2813]

I keep asking my auger is catching on fire all the way to the hopper. I have cleaned the unit out and heated it way up there to burn residue, and still its burning up to the hopper-another waste of 3 hours of cooking ribs today. This site keeps sending me to Auger Jam, not what i'm frigging asking, dang!!!!

[@mustangfootball2985]

Make a video on using the DLX in cold weather(North Dakota) .

[@1981benbauer]

Would it be possible to run the auger in reverse? This may be a good option in the future.

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

No, our current motor set up is not designed with a reverse gear, but thank you for the feedback as it will help us refine future products.

[@keithharan4195]

I followed the video but the auger won't budge- can't get it out. Any one have any ideas?

[@Yaheard32]

I’m having the same issue

[@alphabroshowpodcast8855]

Same

[@erikstone4263]

I've got a problem with my new Rider 900. Even at the lowest smoke setting (

[@darrenivey5697]

Has anyone had problem with unit won’t power on?? New machine. Upon delivery did a power up to test that it was working- no issue. Next day was planning to do prep and seasoning but could not get the unit to power on. Cords and outlets are all good to go. I am currently working with Char-Broil on solution but wanted to see if anyone else had encountered this issue

[@tomkiska2614]

Do they have an updated Auger motor replacement? Can you buy a better motor? Problems from day one!!!

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Yes, a motor replacement is available. Please follow this link (bit.ly/2VQqS7p) or give us a call at 1-866-239-6777, and we will be able to assist you.

[@bfcbro4493]

Mine has been miserable problems since day 1. Ive spent more time trying to get the auger to work than I have cooking with it. Worst purchase Ive ever made. Calling customer service is a laugh, 45 min to an hour wait every time.

[@yaboymayo1]

I think my auger over fills my firepot. My temp continuously climbs throughout my cook, what causes this and whats the fix?

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Hey, Sean. The Pit Control System is the brain of your Rider Pellet Grill. It uses proprietary algorithms to control and maintain your set cooking temperatures while avoiding temperature swings. Once you set your desired cooking temp, the Pit Control System takes care of the rest. It is equipped with two guidance features: 1.Timer Mode: indicates when a set cook time has elapsed 2.Temp Probe Mode: indicates when the internal temp of your food has reached a set target You can set the desired temperature in 25° increments for smoking temperatures. When using Smoke Mode, set the temperature between Low and 300°F in the white zone. When using Sear Mode, set the temperature between Low and High in the orange zone. Allow 5 to 7 minutes for the circular center grate to reach searing temperature range.

[@MrBabyBoa]

@@OklahomaJoesSmokers You didn't address Sean's question...

[@toweralan100]

Seems pretty bad that I have a jammed auger in Tucson in summer. 111 degrees here yesterday. The desert. New, intact pellets. I'd hate to think how many problems someone would have in Seattle with this unit. I'm not an appliance repairman, so I don't really like the idea of having to disassemble the thing. Guess I bought the wrong product. A Big Green Egg works every single time. I guess I will do the other shutdown method if I ever get the jam cleared. I wish I had known to do that kind of shut down from the beginning. When it worked, this was pretty great, but it is less than 6 months old and in a desert climate and is nonfunctional.

[@savagemaxx]

I am in Pacific Northwest. Only one pellet jam thus far. I store my pellets inside in food safe buckets. I have however had multiple other issues in the first 25 days. Lowes is going to swap out the unit as the parts are on back order from OJs. Love this grill so I am hoping this is a one off.

[@omarvalencia5299]

Anyone have issues with it not producing smoke? Seems like the blower is on high and just creating a wild fire. On smoke setting is more like an oven. I’ll called customer service but they just read off a script. Tried just about every pellet I could find tore completely apart to clean it. No help. First 2 time worked great then stored for a little over a year and now just sits.

[@Jfizzle813]

What is er2 mean I keep getting it in the middle of grilling N it's getting real annoying

[@jordantrejo]

What do I do for an ER2 error code

[@OklahomaJoesSmokers]

Great question. Error Code 2 means that there's an error with the ignitor. It's caused by the Pit Control system not detecting the ignitor or an ignitor malfunction. Here's what you can do: 1. Unplug the grill from the power. 2. Remove the Pit Control panel and ensure all wires are not damaged and firmly connected. 3. Reassemble and retry. If the error persists, please call, give us a call at 1-866-239-6777, and we will be able to assist you.at for assistance.

[@JohnSparkmanandBlackTopHerd]

Why can’t you show how to replace the igniter?

[@PracticeMakesPaper]

Offset FTW

[@rjh3216]

This video should be called "Oklahoma Joe's Auger Jam", "Oklahoma Joe's - Add 15 Minutes to Every Cook", or "Other Pellet Grills Don't Jam, What's Up Oklahoma Joe's?".

[@GMAC308]

My auger does not slide back and forth at all, rather jammed or not. Also it appears to be cast aluminum not painted. Not sure if it is a newer version or older version auger. Durn grill has jammed now twice after only 5 or 6 cooks. Bear Mountain pellets, new and dry, kept in the bucket. My Pit Boss never ever had a jam, regardless of how long the pellets stayed in the auger or hopper or left in a bag thrown in a corner. Never concerned myself with anything but the cheapest pellets. Never used any better brands like I am with this grill. Not happy. I can clear the jam with a lot of fiddling around with a wire or prying the auger up and down but I shouldn't have to do so. I would not recommend this grill. Two dinner parties ruined as I have had to shift to the electric stove as I didn't yet have experience clearing the jam. Is OK Joe's the FIAT/Chrysler of the pellet world?

[@db7152]

the reason they made this video is that they have a poorly designed delivery system that based on the video happens quite frequently. Perhaps they should redesign the new ones and offer (at no charge) an update that won't Jam. My son has had a Traeger for yrs and doesn't seem to have this problem. Won't be buying any more Oklahoma Joes products other that those required to keep mine gong !

[@beauhunter4567]

My grill burned up horrible customer service they sent replacement parts with zero instructions wire colors don't match will never buy another oj product

[@jameswilson1163]

May I say follow your instructions and the auger would not come out of my machine 😡So don’t know the issue but your instructions no work

[@db7152]

these things are a total POS !

[@rustykey9303]

Biggest piece of s*** I ever bought