In this review
Verdict
The larger hopper is the reason to step up
A pellet grill can manage the fire only while pellets keep reaching the auger. The 21 pound hopper gives more than four times the capacity of the 500FB2's 5 pound hopper, so it needs attention less often during a long cook.
How many hours that buys depends on the set point, weather and pellets. Treat the capacity as margin, not as a guaranteed runtime. Start with enough dry fuel, follow the manual's check schedule, and stay able to respond throughout the cook. A larger hopper reduces refills; it does not make an outdoor fire safe to leave unattended.
The upper rack is part of the 747 square inches
The 747 square inch total covers both rack tiers, not one continuous cooking surface.
The upper tier is useful for ribs, thighs, buns and finished food that needs gentler heat. Plan the 747 as a main deck plus a shelf. If you are still deciding which size class you are shopping in, what size pellet grill you need works through the usable space.
Searing without a sear burner
Searing is the standing weakness of pellet grills. A thermostat and a fan make convection heat, and convection heat browns food politely. Crust comes from fire sitting directly under the meat. The Flame Broiler is the answer to that: a lever that slides a plate aside and opens a slot onto the fire.
It works, and it works the way open flame always works. Fat drips, flame jumps, you stand there with tongs and a strong opinion about timing. The controlled range tops out at 500°F, so everything above that comes from the lever and your attention rather than from the control board. If your picture of searing is a dedicated burner doing the job while you make a salad, no pellet grill is that, including this one.
Confirm assembled size before delivery
A grill this size arrives as a carton and becomes a wide machine on legs. The available retail dimensions describe the carton. Measure a floor model or confirm the assembled dimensions with Pit Boss if the route to the patio includes a side gate, steps or a tight turn.
Plan the delivery too. A pellet grill with a full hopper is not a one person carry, whatever the one person believes. Pick the parking spot first, walk the route to it, and book the second pair of hands for delivery day. Guessing off a carton number is how a grill ends up living in the garage, being a table.
Check the moving parts when it arrives
Pellet grills fail in boring, repeatable ways. Igniters die. Augers jam on pellets that have taken on damp. Probes drift, and the grill goes off chasing a number that is not the number down at the grate. None of that is exotic and none of it belongs to Pit Boss in particular. It is the standing cost of a fire that feeds itself.
So check the dull things while the packaging is still on the driveway. Follow Pit Boss's exact first-start procedure and stop if ignition or pellet delivery does not behave as the manual says. Look down the lid line and across the hopper for shipping dents. Move the Flame Broiler lever only as the manual directs. A part that binds is a far easier warranty conversation in week one than in year three.
Pellets and cleanup supplies
Pellets are the running cost and they are not optional. Buy them by the bag, keep the bag sealed, and keep it off a concrete floor, because damp pellets swell and can jam an auger. Follow the manual's fire-pot and ash-cleaning procedure only after shutdown, unplugged and completely cold. An ember and an ordinary vacuum are a dangerous combination.
Add a decent instant-read thermometer for the food itself. The controller manages the cooking chamber. It cannot tell you when a brisket or chicken is done.
The 700FB2 or the 500FB2
The decision inside the FB2 pair is only about how long your cooks run. The two share the controller, the range, the searing lever and the warranty. The 700 adds cooking space and a hopper sized for a cook that outlasts an evening. Pit Boss 700FB2 vs 500FB2 walks the numbers side by side, and the 500FB2 review covers the smaller one on its own terms.
The smaller grill wins whenever the larger hopper would sit mostly empty. Buy the 500 when your cooks stay short enough that frequent hopper checks are no burden. If you are cross-shopping outside Pit Boss entirely, Traeger Woodridge Pro vs Pit Boss 700FB2 sets those two against each other.