New to Pellet Smokers -- Need Advice on which one to buy....

[theschiznit]

Hi All, I've been using a stick burner for several years and looking for a set and it and forget pellet smoker.  I'm killing myself in research and can't make a decision. Looking to spend right around $1,000 and if I buy another smoker after this one, the wife may hurt me. My main criteria is i'm looking for something that could 6 racks of ribs flat, enough clearance to put in a Turkey or stand up some beer butt chickens (not all at the same time), decent smoke flavor and consistent temp. I have mainly been looking at The Traeger Pro Series 34 Blue, GMG Jim Bowie and the Louisiana Grills LG1100.  Also been toying with the Yoder YS640 but its a little more than I want to spend. 

Treager Pro: It's been the defacto for a long time it seems, know folks who have em and love em, 2 meat probes

Traeger Cons: Seems like the more hardcore pellet smokers don't love the brand and heard about auger jams, bad customer support and other equipment failures

GMG Pro: I like how tall the main box is, wifi is a nice addon, good price point

GMG Cons: Doesn't seem sturdy

Louisiana Grills Pro: Good amount of cooking surface, lots of add-on options, i like the air flow for smoke in the back

Louisiana Grills Cons: Just painted and heard it rusts, inconsistent temps, not fan that that fire is on the side vs center so concerned about even temp across the cooking area

Yoder: Still researching but seems like a good option. Not sure many racks of ribs i could get on there but heard the smoke is good and looks really solid. 

Would really appreciate any help, I just can't seem to make a decision based on the reviews I have been reading and what I have been seeing in the forums. If there are other factors I should be thinking about please let me know too. BTW, weather isn't an issue where i live, its pretty much warm and sunny all year long. 

Thanks!!

 

[jaymacs]

i recently just went through the same dilemma. I researched for hours upon days upon weeks, couldn't settle on one. I'll give you my experience. I had decided on a Yoder YS640. Went to a dealer and had one on the floor sold and none in stock. I did get to put my hands on it and i loved it. Bad news was I wanted one now and i was already teetering about the price so I passed. Went to another dealer that specializes in Traeger, GMG, and Memphis. I knew Memphis was out of my range so never even looked at those. I ended up buying a Traeger 34 elite bronze for 899. Got it home, did the initial firing and burn and then cooked a mess of food and I loved my purchase. Saved some money, got a pit with some decent cooking area, and i loved the way it performed. Next morning went to put a brisket on and control panel had failed. Got ahold of Traeger and they offered to send a new panel out after diagnosing it as a bad panel. I took it back to where i purchased it and upgraded to a Pitts and Spitts pellet grill. They are local to Houston but i believe will ship anywhere. It was more expensive than the Yoder YS640 but its made with a little heavier guage steel than the Yoder, plus they are using a Pellet Pro control panel that promises to keep temps within a 5 degree variance from set temp. I have now cooked on mine every day since i got it, mine has never been more than 3 tdegrees from set temp. Thats like 10 days straight of smoking or grilling. They have a trap door drain pan like the Yoder so you can grill. It also has 1200 square inches of cooking area with 2 slide out racks. I love it , best purchase ive made in a long time. If i was strictly limited to 1000 dollars though, i would of bought a Rec-tec. Just my 2 cents.

 

[bregent]

How often do you think you'll be cooking on it? 

Have you tasted food cooked on a pellet grill?

 

[theschiznit]

JayMacs, Thanks for the info.  I will take a look at the Pitts and Spitts too.  Not a fan of the RecTec just because of the clearance.  It looks like a pretty small cook box and not sure I could get a turkey in there. 

 

[theschiznit]

 
How often do you think you'll be cooking on it? 

Have you tasted food cooked on a pellet grill?

Bregent, hopefully a lot.  Cooked out every other weekend in the spring, summer and fall on the stick burner but to much work these days with two kids running around.  Hoping i can even do some mid-week cooks if i get a pellet smoker. 

I have had ribs, brisket, and smoked salmon off of Traegers that friends have.  Pretty good flavor, the smoke isn't all that deep or heavy for my tastes but just hoping i can get a good smokey flavor into the meats. 

 

[bregent]

 
Bregent, hopefully a lot.  Cooked out every other weekend in the spring, summer and fall on the stick burner but to much work these days with two kids running around.  Hoping i can even do some mid-week cooks if i get a pellet smoker. 

I have had ribs, brisket, and smoked salmon off of Traegers that friends have.  Pretty good flavor, the smoke isn't all that deep or heavy for my tastes but just hoping i can get a good smokey flavor into the meats. 

Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the lighter smoke profile before making an investment. Some folks that come from charcoal/stick burners are never happy with the smoke flavor that pellets grills provide. 

If you think you're going to be using it often, you might want to reconsider your upper $$ limit. A lots of folks I know use their grills almost daily, and probably spend $300-$500/year - and maybe more -  on pellets. Since a pellet grill is much easier to use than a stick burner, you may find you use it much more and with the grilling and baking capability, it can replace other appliances you now are using. So when you consider the total cost of ownership, the original purchase price may not be as much of a factor as you thought. Unfortunately, that will give you many more options and makes your decision even harder :)  

 

[gr8day]

Smokin Brothers Traditional 30 would fit your bill, comes with an Ortech Controller which isn't as advanced as a PID but it works well and puts out some good smoke. They are American made and built to last, they also have the SB Premier Grill 30 which has a Savannah Stoker Controller and also comes with a insulated firebox which help conserve pellet usage. 

 

[bregent]

I'm pretty sure you can get the Savannah Stoker as an option on both 24 and 30 Premier. But most folks are happy with the Ortech - keeps good temps without bells and whistles. 

 

[jtrainor56]

If you have the money go for the Yoder, if not go what's in your budget. I have had my YS640 for three years now, smoke all year round. In fact I am doing a whole bone in ham this weekend and will pull it like a pork butt. We just went through a blizzard in PA, about 20" and in the teens this morning, but I have a path dug on my deck to get to my smoker, so I'm smoking!

 

[smokin218r]

I really like my Rec Tec.

Even heat, consistent temps, and pretty good smoke.

If I'm looking for more smoke, I fire up the tube smoker.

My .02

 

[gr8day]

Check out Smoking Brothers Pellet Grills, made in the USA and a good bang for the buck.

 

[schlotz]

Schiznit, I subscribe to the 'buy once, cry once' scenario. A few more dollars can be well spent up front in that you don't ending up buying again. With an upper shelf, the MAK 1 Star will do what you want.  Personally have a 2 Star. In all my research a few years ago I kept coming back to the fact that I just couldn't find a dissatisfied MAK customer which lead me to choose them.  After owning mine for 3 years I can honestly say I'm yet another completely satisfied customer.  

Matt

 

[theschiznit]

 
If you have the money go for the Yoder, if not go what's in your budget. I have had my YS640 for three years now, smoke all year round. In fact I am doing a whole bone in ham this weekend and will pull it like a pork butt. We just went through a blizzard in PA, about 20" and in the teens this morning, but I have a path dug on my deck to get to my smoker, so I'm smoking!

thanks jTrainor.  How many racks flat can you get on your Yoder, cooking area looked a little small from the pics i saw online..  Only bad thing I read on it is people's have caught the box on the fire, due to clogging. Besides that i really like all the aspects of the grill. 

 

[theschiznit]

 
Schiznit, I subscribe to the 'buy once, cry once' scenario. A few more dollars can be well spent up front in that you don't ending up buying again. With an upper shelf, the MAK 1 Star will do what you want.  Personally have a 2 Star. In all my research a few years ago I kept coming back to the fact that I just couldn't find a dissatisfied MAK customer which lead me to choose them.  After owning mine for 3 years I can honestly say I'm yet another completely satisfied customer.  

Matt

Thanks Schlotz.  I think the Mak is a little outside what i'm looking to spend unfortunately. 

 

[theschiznit]

 
Smokin Brothers Traditional 30 would fit your bill, comes with an Ortech Controller which isn't as advanced as a PID but it works well and puts out some good smoke. They are American made and built to last, they also have the SB Premier Grill 30 which has a Savannah Stoker Controller and also comes with a insulated firebox which help conserve pellet usage. 

Thanks Gr8day.  Looks like an awesome grill but no local dealers in Southern California. 

 

[gr8day]

They will ship and their shipping rates at least to FL anyways was very reasonable, after I factored in not having to pay State Tax it added less than $100 to the overall cost. They have a lot of good video's on youtube, if you want to check them out.

 

[jtrainor56]

 
thanks jTrainor.  How many racks flat can you get on your Yoder, cooking area looked a little small from the pics i saw online..  Only bad thing I read on it is people's have caught the box on the fire, due to clogging. Besides that i really like all the aspects of the grill. 

I only smoke baby backs and I have gotten as many as 8 racks on the main grill and 6 on the second rack. 

Those people that had hopper fires were caused by user errors. If you order the YS640, get the two piece diffuser, it has a door that you can remove to get to the fire grate. A lot of people come from other pellet grills like the Traeger and you always see the line " well I didn't have to do that with my (insert name) pellet smoker". Well this is not a Traeger, or Rec Tec or whatever. Yoder and Don Cary spent a boat load of money testing these things and if you follow their manual you will have no problem.

1. Always unplug the unit after it competes it's shutdown - the controller needs to be reset after each use!

2. Remove the ash and any unburnt pellets from the fire grate. Great reason for the two piece diffuser.

3. Once shutdown is done leave the lid closed for a couple of hours. There are still embers that will re-ignite, trust me on this one. This thing take a long time to cool down.

 

[smokin in simi]

Thanks Gr8day. Looks like an awesome grill but no local dealers in Southern California.

If you are willing to travel to Simi Valley, BBQ HQ sells Smokin Bros in SoCal, as well as GMG and Pitts&Spitts

 

[kruizer]

No one has mentioned the Camp Chef Smoke Pro LUX. That one has more room than my Oklahoma Joe Highland stickburner and is well within your budget. It get rave reviews from the people that own them. If you order direct from Camp Chef, you get free shipping and some other items. If you are a veteran, you will get a substantial discount.