Pit Boss 850 DX Review: The Wi-Fi Catch

A grill listing that says "Built in Wi Fi" reads like a finished feature, the kind you switch on and forget. On the 850 DX, the fine print sits in the owner manual instead of the listing.

The Pit Boss 850 DX is a pellet grill that Pit Boss says is available exclusively at Lowe's, with 840 sq in of cooking space, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a lever for direct-flame searing. We think it suits a Lowe's shopper whose home network can offer a 2.4 GHz signal, and it is a poor fit if you were counting on the app.

The manual attaches a condition to that app. It also names who handles the problem when the condition isn't met, and that isn't Pit Boss.

The Pit Boss 850 DX is the DX Series model, item 11077, with manual model PB850DX. Every spec below belongs to that model alone. The Navigator 850 and the Pro Series 850 are different grills with their own manuals.

Our Pit Boss pellet grill roundup covers the directly sold line.

Built-In Wi-Fi Comes With a 2.4 GHz Condition

Pit Boss's product page says the built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth pair with the Pit Boss Grills app. You can then monitor temperatures and adjust settings from your digital device.

Pit Boss's owner manual adds two lines the listing leaves out. The app needs a 2.4 GHz signal to connect. Any Wi-Fi issue should go to your internet service provider, because Pit Boss's support team cannot offer Wi-Fi troubleshooting or assistance.

Put those together and your router becomes the first thing to check, before you order. Stand where the grill will sit and ask whether your network reaches that spot.

If your network can't offer a 2.4 GHz band where the grill will sit, don't count on the app. If it can, setup runs through Bluetooth first and Wi-Fi second. Our Pit Boss Wi-Fi setup guide walks through the stage that most often stalls.

Cooking Space and Hopper Size

Pit Boss's product page lists 840 sq in of porcelain-coated cooking space and a 21 lb hopper. The manual's spec table gives the fuel capacity as 21 lbs, so the two documents agree. The manual's cleaning schedule below covers how to care for the cooking grates, and hopper care follows it.

Grate space decides how much you can cook at once. The hopper decides how long the grill runs before a refill. If you want a bigger hopper than 21 lb, you are shopping a different grill. Our Grill Size Calculator turns grate area into a guest count.

Temperature Range, Control and Readout

Start with the temperature range. The manual lists 180 to 500°F, and Pit Boss's product page says programmable PID control runs that range in 5°F increments. That gives you a 180°F floor for low-and-slow work and a 500°F ceiling for the indirect side. Anything hotter comes from the Flame Broiler lever below.

That lever is a different mode.

If you wonder how far to trust the readout, the manual gives you only a troubleshooting step. If the control board readout is far from the grill thermometer reading, a dirty grill probe is often the issue. It gives no accuracy tolerance for the readout.

Treat the controller number as Pit Boss's reading of the grill's probe and keep that probe clean. Check a surprising number against a separate thermometer before you act on it.

Flame Broiler Searing and Pit Boss's 1,000°F Claim

Pit Boss's product page says the Flame Broiler lever switches the grill to direct-flame searing "up to 1,000°F for a high heat finish." That is Pit Boss's rating. The "up to" makes it a ceiling for the lever, not a promise about what any steak sees on the grates. The PID range tops out at 500°F, so the lever is the only route to open flame beyond it.

One 850 DX owner on r/pelletgrills said the grill has a level where you can sear and cook over open flame like a grill, and liked having that next to a pellet cook. That is one owner's account of the lever, not a pattern across owners.

The lever has a cost in upkeep. The manual puts the Flame Broiler on its own cleaning schedule, covered below.

Meat Probes and Keep-Warm

The product page says the grill has two meat probe ports and one probe included. If you plan to run both ports, you would need to source a second probe yourself. The manual describes the end of a probe-guided cook. Once MPC reaches the target temperature, the control board automatically drops the grill to "L" / Low, 180°F, to keep food warm until ready to serve.

That behavior is useful and easy to forget. The food still sits inside the grill for as long as you leave it there.

Cleaning Schedule

The manual splits upkeep into three cadences:

• After each grill session: burn off excess on the cooking grates and clean them with a brass wire brush, and empty the grease bucket with a cloth and soapy water.
• Every 2 to 3 grill sessions: scoop out the burn pot and use a wet/dry vacuum on excess debris.
• Every 5 to 6 grill sessions: scrape the Flame Broiler main plate with the slider. The manual says not to wash it.

The "do not wash" line on the Flame Broiler plate stands out, since the grease bucket gets soapy water and the grates get a brush.

The hopper has its own care steps. The manual says it includes a clean-out feature: a drop chute on the back of the hopper lets you empty the pellets into a pail, and a long handled brush or wet-dry vacuum clears the excess pellets, sawdust and debris for a complete clean-out. The manual also recommends running the grill on an empty hopper until the auger tube empties if the grill will sit unused for an extended period.

Warranty and Weight

Before you buy, read the warranty wording closely. The manual says the grill carries a 5 year warranty against defects and workmanship on all parts. It adds a 5 year warranty on electrical components. Both run for the length of use and ownership by the original purchaser.

Pit Boss's product page uses looser language: "Select wood pellet grills include up to a 5-year limited warranty." We treat the manual as the 850 DX's statement. The page's "up to" and "limited" don't name this model.

The manual's spec table gives the weight as 136.7 lb. That is a stated spec, so plan where it will sit and who helps you move it before delivery day.

Value Without a Price Tag

We leave the price out because retailer prices move, and the live number sits on the Lowe's listing. Since the grill is exclusive to Lowe's, that listing is also the one to check for stock. What we can weigh is the spec sheet: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, 840 sq in, a 21 lb hopper, two probe ports, a direct-flame lever, and parts and electrical coverage.

Most of that list works the same for every buyer. The app is the part with a condition, so value depends on whether you will use it. A buyer with a 2.4 GHz network gets the full list.

A buyer without one pays for a feature the manual leaves to them to solve.

Our Verdict

If you shop at Lowe's and your router can broadcast a 2.4 GHz network where the grill will sit, the Pit Boss 850 DX is the one we would point you to. It offers grate space, a 21 lb hopper, a searing lever, and a five year warranty on parts and electrical in the manual. We rest that on what Pit Boss documents, not on cooking with it.

Skip it if the app was the reason you were looking. Pit Boss tells you in writing that Wi-Fi help is not on offer.

The question that decides this purchase is not grate size. It is whether the grill can join your network without Pit Boss's help. If you are weighing app-connected grills across brands, our Wi-Fi pellet grill guide and the Pellet Grills guide cover that decision.