Pit Boss 500 FB2 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker

Pit Boss 500 FB2 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker

By Pit Boss · Pellet Grills · Kitchen & Cooking

  • 518 sq in cooking area
  • Flame Broiler direct-flame searing lever
  • LCD digital controller, 180-500F range
  • Pellet-fired grill and smoker, FB2 series

Lowest price seen
$520.89
from $520.89 at Rplumber · Checked Oct 9, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A mid-size pellet grill on the lower rung of Pit Boss’s FB2 series, with 518 sq in of cooking space, a Flame Broiler sear lever and a 5-year warranty. Check the hopper and the assembly before you buy: 5 lb of pellets means refilling during long cooks, and owners say it takes two people to build.

Strengths

  • 518 sq in across two grates is enough for a family or small gatherings.
  • The Flame Broiler lever sears steaks and burgers over direct flame, no side burner needed.
  • Five-year limited warranty, longer than Traeger’s 3-year and Camp Chef’s 3-year.
  • Digital controller and P setting let you adjust pellet feed for conditions.
  • At $399 it undercuts most pellet grills on price.

Weaknesses

  • The 5 lb hopper needs topping up during long brisket or pork-shoulder cooks.
  • Multiple owners call assembly hard, effectively a two-person job.
  • Cleaning under the drip tray is awkward.
  • No WiFi or app connectivity on this model.
  • Single-wall construction limits how well it holds heat in cold weather.

Verified specifications

ModelPB500FB2, SKU 11086.
Fuel100% hardwood pellets.
Cooking area518 sq in total (373 main + 145 secondary).
Temperature range180–500°F in 5°F increments.
Flame Broilerdirect-flame searing up to 1,000°F.
Hopper capacity5 lb.
ControllerLCD digital with a P setting.
Meat probes2 ports, 1 probe included.
Cooking gratesporcelain-coated steel, 2 tiers.
Exteriorpowder-coated steel.
Cooking modessmoke, bake, braise, roast, grill, barbecue, char-grill and sear.
Dimensions39.3 × 23.6 × 45.3 in.
Weight90.4 lb.
Electrical110V, 60Hz, 5 amp service with a 3-prong grounded plug.
Connectivityno WiFi or Bluetooth.
Included1 meat probe, solid bottom shelf, 2 inline wheels, grease bucket (foil liners not included).
Warranty5-year limited.
Full research notes and sources

Hopper and long cooks

The 5 lb hopper is the most-cited limitation. It is small for a full-sized pellet smoker, and owners say it forces refills during a brisket or pork shoulder, which eats into the set-and-forget appeal of pellet cooking. For comparison, the 700 FB2 and 850 FB2 carry 21 lb hoppers. If long unattended cooks are your thing, the bigger FB2 models or a Navigator-series grill are the ones to look at.

Searing and temperature control

The Flame Broiler lever slides a plate aside so food cooks over the fire pot, and the P setting trims auger feed to suit ambient temperature, humidity and pellet type; P-4 is the default. A temperature swing of about +/-25°F is normal on this class of grill. The lever only pays off if you place food directly over the grates, and grease buildup on the shield can cause flame-ups when you cook with direct fire.

Assembly, cleaning and upkeep

Owners describe assembly as very difficult without a second person, so line one up before delivery. Routine care is simple but regular: clean the burn pot before each use, empty the grease tray and bucket, and vacuum ash from the fire pot. Auger jams happen when pellets take on humidity and swell, so keep them dry. There are no side shelves, side burner, grill lights or spring-assisted hood.

Parts, running costs and what owners pay

Pit Boss sells replacement igniters, auger motors, control boards and temperature probes, and third-party parts exist too; the brand’s forum has active threads on error codes, auger jams and board swaps. Fuel is the recurring cost: Pit Boss sells 20 lb bags of hardwood pellets for $12.99, and there is no pellet lock-in, so any hardwood brand works. You will also want foil liners for the grease bucket, which are not included. Pit Boss lists the grill at $399.99, and BBQ Guys and Home Depot list it at $399.99 as well. In Canada it runs $549.00 CAD, down from $599.00. The larger 700 FB2 is listed at $549 and adds 747 sq in and a 21 lb hopper.

Is it worth it?

At $400 or under, the 500 FB2 is a strong value: the cooking area, Flame Broiler and 5-year warranty are hard to match at the price, and the small hopper and fiddly assembly are fair tradeoffs. Between $400 and $500 it is merely fair next to the 700 FB2. Above $500 this model is weak value, since bigger hoppers, WiFi and better controllers become available. The Flame Broiler lever and the warranty are the main differentiators; the 5 lb hopper and lack of connectivity are the main drawbacks.

Which model this is

This page covers the Pit Boss 500 FB2 Series Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker, model PB500FB2, SKU 11086, in matte black. Do not confuse it with the 700 FB2, 850 FB2, Carbon Series 500 or the Navigator series, which have different hoppers, cooking areas or WiFi. Some listings wrongly call the 500 FB2 WiFi-connected; the FB2 series has no WiFi, and only Navigator and Competition grills do. The US Amazon listing is ASIN B0D7D9PJZ7.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Parts and stores:

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