Smoking Pellets Question

I have a lot more success with sawdust than pellets but others report the opposite of what I experience. When I try to do a pellet & sawdust combo, I put a hand full of pellets in a ziplock baggie and smack it several times with a mallet to break them up a bit. I use Green Mountain pellets and much prefer them to Traeger pellets. The first thing that I recommend that you do when you get your items is to do a dry test to see if it will stay lit. Use a small plumbers propane torch to light your fuel. I keep the torch on it for a good minute or more and then lightly blow on it like a punk until you see a solid cherry glow.