Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 Digital Charcoal Grill & Smoker Combo Expired

This is a great grill. Definitely a good deal, although Walmart tends to clear these out on clearance at the end of the season, sometimes less than $150

I bought the 800 series in March after much research and debate between this or a pellet grill. I was on the fence for almost a year. I've enjoyed grilling; but, wasn't one of these fanatical, "keep my grill in the garage" guys. Coming from a less expensive 5 burner gas grill I am amazed at how easy these are to use and how good the food comes out. The first thing I made on the grill was a rib-eye. I smoked it at 225 till it got to 100F internal and then pulled it off cranked the temp up to 475, then tossed it back on and finished my sear. Pulled it off and let rest. Got to about 135-140F and served it. OMG, the best stake I ever made. It was a thing of beauty. Since then, I've done the same method to burgers, smoked a few pork butts, a brisket, jerked ribs, and lots of chicken.

Neighbor has a Pit Boss pellet smoker and I can tell you the flavor is hands down better on this. His smoke flavor food is great don't get me wrong; but, if you're on the fence.. get off and come to the MasterBuilt side.

I bought the 800 for the griddle. Its not the easiest griddle to use; because, you can't vary the surface temp like you can with a stand alone griddle. But, you'll get the hang of it.

I got the following mods day one from LSS-Mods:
Hopper Cover
Ash Bucket Grate
Fan protector
Grate Hook Multi-Tool

In my opinion the hopper cover from LSS-Mods is a must have. It is the best design by ease of use. It is absolutely the best of the mods I have so far. The Ash bucket grate is a must have if you want to put lump wood under the hopper for smoking. It allows the ash to fall into the bucket and not pile up around the wood. Honestly, the fan protector isn't necessary. The grate hook tool has been handy to lift the grates and swap them out with the griddle; but, be ready with gloves cause, you're sill going to have to set them on something and grab the vent housing.

After using this grill and smoker for a few months, I will definitely be getting the manifold cover, water pan, and pan holders from one source or another before the fall grill season in Florida. I'm also waiting for the warranty to run out before getting the rear vent slide from Klotesmods.

Pros and Cons of the gravity series of MasterBuilt grills:
Pros:

Easy to use
Great flavor
Dozens of upgrades/improvements available from LSS-Mods.com and Klotesmods.com
800 series has the griddle


Cons:

Heavy/bulky pieces makes assembly difficult on your own
Packaging - nearly all of it is wrapped in greased plastic; but, the grease is like super sticky. The bubble wrap on the griddle just stuck to it. I ended up leaving it out in the sun and scraping it with a razor blade. I tried dawn and even that didn't break it down. Just had to get it wet and scrape it with my fingernails to get all of the little bits off. It took way too much effort and time. Also, like others, the glue on the paper insert on the lid is ridiculous. I had to gently scrape it with a razor after hitting it with the heat gun. It never really fully came off and I scratched the inside of the lid.
You will use a lot of charcoal and expensive charcoal; because, you'll want to use this thing.
The heating duct isn't stainless steel and you have to keep it well oiled if you store outside. Even with the cover if you're in a high humidity environment like Florida.
People are going to want you to smoke things for them (pro if they pay?).

Sorry, this was long; but, I'd say these are a deal at any price at or below retail. Hopefully, this helps someone.

I got a 560 last year for $150 and especially at that price it's incredible. It would be a bargain at 4x that.

Good:
Awesome smokey flavor you can't get on pellets
Gets properly hot, which most pellet grills will not
Can be modified to run on a USB battery (the spot I wanted to use it in doesn't have power)

Bad:
Build quality is a little cheap
Prone to grease fires if you don't keep it clean
Mine leaks grease out of one corner sometimes
The app is kinda junky. It's fine, it's just not terribly nice to use.