Yoder, Pitt and Spits, trager, blazin... etc.

sandyut · Mar 14, 2017

Hi all Pellet smokers,

I've been lurking on this pager for a few days...

I've been using a Weber Smokey Mtn 14" for going on 3 years. Overall, I have figured out how to get some good product out, but its hands on and small. I am thinking about an electric pellet smoker.

Trager seems to have enough bad reviews that its not a fav. A few of the others in the same price range seem to have about the same ratings..mostly good with a few real bad. enough to make me hesitate. BUT a guy I work with swears by his..

The yoder looks petty bomb proof. But they call it a grill and not a smoker...sounds like a novice question, I am not afraid to ask it - I feel like a novice still. Is it both? Does any use it for both or just primarily smokin? Any idea what the electrical draw is?

Leaning towards a Yoder...

I am looking for a smoker that will last me a very long time and be hands off and reliable. Not sure really hat else to consider. Help will be appreciated.

bregent · Mar 16, 2017

There's really no standard naming convention when it comes to pellet poopers. Some call them smokers, others call them grills. The Yoder is a great smoker that easily gets hot enough to grill on, and I believe has an option (extra cost?) to do direct flame grilling. Are you planning on using it to primary smoke, grill, or both? What's your budget? How many people do you typically cook for?

jtrainor56 · Mar 16, 2017

I have had my Yoder YS640 for three years now and although some may call it a grill, it's really a smoker that can grill as long as you purchase the Grill Grates and go for the two piece diffuser plate, it's a lot easier to remove the hatch than the entire diffuser. That said, I have never grilled on it, don't see the need to. I bought it as a smoker and that's how I use it, if I need to grill i use a grill.

I looked at just about every pellet smoker before I bought my Yoder and hands down I would do it again if I had to. Before my local BBQ store went out of business he carried five of the major brands except the Yoder and after comparing them to the Yoder, I knew what I going with. You may want to look at the Yoder YS Fan page on facebook, a lot of the members use it for both.

sandyut · Mar 16, 2017

bregent said:
There's really no standard naming convention when it comes to pellet poopers. Some call them smokers, others call them grills. The Yoder is a great smoker that easily gets hot enough to grill on, and I believe has an option (extra cost?) to do direct flame grilling. Are you planning on using it to primary smoke, grill, or both? What's your budget? How many people do you typically cook for?

Usually 2-4 people, I like to use my food sealer for leftovers. Right now I cant smoke in the winter the small Weber just wont stay hot enough.

Budget...Like to keep it under 2K delivered. Not afraid to pay for quality. If I can buy it once and love - it worth the investment.

Use would be primarily smoking. I have a good sized Weber genesis for grilling.

Many thanks.

sandyut · Mar 16, 2017

jtrainor56 said:
I have had my Yoder YS640 for three years now and although some may call it a grill, it's really a smoker that can grill as long as you purchase the Grill Grates and go for the two piece diffuser plate, it's a lot easier to remove the hatch than the entire diffuser. That said, I have never grilled on it, don't see the need to. I bought it as a smoker and that's how I use it, if I need to grill i use a grill.

I looked at just about every pellet smoker before I bought my Yoder and hands down I would do it again if I had to. Before my local BBQ store went out of business he carried five of the major brands except the Yoder and after comparing them to the Yoder, I knew what I going with. You may want to look at the Yoder YS Fan page on facebook, a lot of the members use it for both.

thank for the positive review! I get the feeling most people love their Yoder. They look real solid. I would use it for smoking only.

gr8day · Mar 16, 2017

If you are looking for a Grill and Smoker for a small family there is none better than the Cook Shack Fast Eddy's PG500 or PG1000.

sandyut · Mar 16, 2017

I've also considered a Mak 1 star. My butcher is a dealer here. so that could be an advantage. I haven't talked to them yet, but I shop there ALOT...I would hope that helps the price but who knows.

bregent · Mar 16, 2017

I would add Blaz'n and Firecraft to the mix as well. The PG500 as GR8Day mentioned is worth checking out if you think you might want to retire your Genesis - it's a great smoker and grill.

gr8day · Mar 17, 2017

sandyut said:
I've also considered a Mak 1 star. My butcher is a dealer here. so that could be an advantage. I haven't talked to them yet, but I shop there ALOT...I would hope that helps the price but who knows.

Mak's are very nice and offer a lot of nice accessories.

scottma · Mar 17, 2017

I've had my Rec Tec RT-680 for almost a year now and its great. Built very well with a great warranty and it holds the temps perfectly at what I set it too.

sandyut · Mar 17, 2017

So many options...man its a touch call. Leaning to the MAK 1 Star. I like the size and reputation. The biggest thing I will smoke is a brisket flat or a butt or two. Most of the time its just two of us. the overall size of the MAK is perfect.

h8that4u · Mar 17, 2017

It is just me and the wife here, but once you fire up the smoker all of a sudden the neighbors from up to a block away are your new best friends. I would suggest going bigger than what you think you need,

sandyut · Mar 17, 2017

I've been using a 14" Weber SM (153 sq inches). Every option I am looking at has at least 3X the cook surface and rectangular. the Mak 1 is 429, YS480 is over 800-1000. Any of these will fell HUGE in comparison.

gr8day · Mar 18, 2017

sandyut said:
I've been using a 14" Weber SM (153 sq inches). Every option I am looking at has at least 3X the cook surface and rectangular. the Mak 1 is 429, YS480 is over 800-1000. Any of these will fell HUGE in comparison.

You can add an upper shelf on the MAK, I'd recommend the 3/4 to increase cooking surface. Things I like about the MAK are it is made with Aluminized Steel and has a high quality Powder Coated finish, the new Flash Fire Igniter lights pellets a lot quicker than a Hot Rod and should never fail unlike a Hot Rod which is going to sooner or later. I looked at a used YS480 that the owner claimed was only a year and a half old it had some rust issues, a wire wheel and some high temp touchup would take care of that but that won't be an issue on the MAK.

triumph65 · Nov 4, 2017

gr8day said:
If you are looking for a Grill and Smoker for a small family there is none better than the Cook Shack Fast Eddy's PG500 or PG1000.

Very hard to look at Cook Shack’s website and get a feel for the surface area to smoke. I’d like a unit that can handle 3 racks of ribs and a full packer brisket.

From looking at their website it’s not possible on the 500 or 1000 as part of the rack space is for direct grilling.

Looking at the Yoder YS640 now.

Ed Crain · Nov 4, 2017

I’ve only had my ys640 for about a month. The price hurt at first but now no regrets I love it feels like I’m neglecting an old friend (bge) but so much more room.

berettafan · Nov 5, 2017

What throws me about the Yoder is I’ve read several times the thick construction is a negative as it takes longer to get to temp. This seems completely opposite of what I’d expect. But if true then I’d think the goal is a reliable controller and grill space. The pg500 claims 3 heat zones. I already have a grill so that’s not what I’m after. The blazn looks good but nearly as much as Yoder. So confusing.

bregent · Nov 5, 2017

triumph65 said:
Very hard to look at Cook Shack’s website and get a feel for the surface area to smoke. I’d like a unit that can handle 3 racks of ribs and a full packer brisket.

From looking at their website it’s not possible on the 500 or 1000 as part of the rack space is for direct grilling.

Looking at the Yoder YS640 now.

Do you mean you want to fit the brisket and 3 racks at the same time? I don't think that would be a problem as you can easily get packer on top and 3 racks on the lower grill. Here's a post from someone that said they got 2 15lb packers on, although a bit tight.: http://smokingmeatforums.com/index....hoices-dont-know-which-is-best-for-me.177236/

Check out Youtube videos to get a better feel for the size. This video looks like they could have easily fit another rack of ribs next to the other two.

ross77 · Nov 5, 2017

I've had a Rec Tec RT-680 for a year and I love it. I use it to grill and smoke. I started with a WSM and while the flavor was outstanding it required too much hands on and the size wasn't ideal. I haven't touched my Weber gasser since. Grill Grates are a must if you plan on grilling with a pellet grill IMO.

Yoder, Pitt and Spits, trager, blazin... etc.

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