Pellet smoker advice

[Daphatgrant]

Hey everyone, first time posting here but certainly not my first time visiting. Lots of great knowledge on here so many thanks for all the great info to start.

I'm in the market for a pellet smoker. I had a Brinkmann electric barrel smoker for about 6 years before it finally gave up the ghost. I did get good food off of it but there was very little I could do to control temps.

I've been looking at Traeger for a long time now but was recently introduced to the Yoder lineup and think I may have switched my plans. I went through the first 5 pages of threads here and didn't really see many mentions of Yoder. I saw a ton of Rec-Tec recommendations along with some others. I'm curious if Yoder wasn't recommended for any specific reasons? If not would you guys recommend getting a Yoder? I'm specifically looking at the Y640s.


Thanks for the help!

Tldr:
1. Thanks for all the great info on here!
2. Any reason not to pick up a Yoder Y640s?

 

[3-2-1]

I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I looked at several different smokers with the criteria being I just wanted a Smoker, didn't need something to cook burgers and steaks on, just smoke foods. Wanted a good range in temperature control, didn't care for wifi crap, just wanted a smoker not a deep fryer where seconds count. I wanted a big hopper because I didn't want to worry about running out of fuel (pellets) in the middle of night smoking a brisket and one of the most important requirements was a water bath in the smoker for a source of moisture preferably under the meat. And of course I wasn't interested in paying big bucks either but wanted something reputable.
There's all sorts of pellets smokers out there but the water bath really narrowed the crowd. Even a awesome BBQ company like Weber made a mediocre smoker but still it was kind of cheesy for being a Weber and no water bath.
I was at Costco and there was treager but there was also this vertical stout and compact looking beast smoker sitting next to the treager for $599. It was a brand called Louisiana Grill and it met every single requirement with 2,059 sq inches of grills/rack space spread over 6 adjustable shelves, 60 lb pellet hopper, temp range 150F to 450F, 2 temperature probes and a fat water bath covering the majority of the cabinet just above the burn pot heat diffuser.
This a vertical smoker and it is bad ass if you know how to run a pellet smoker. Just read the manual and don't think you know how to prime, run, and shutdown a pellet smoker or you are liable to complain about something. Don't leave the hopper full of pellets during winter when its damp out, vacuum out smoker turds (pellet pellets after being burnt dust lol). Smoker came with a cover!!
Plus it's Costco which has a sweet return policy if you are not happy!

Smoke On

 

[WoodFan]

I had a Traeger first and switched to a Yoder, I will own the Yoder for the rest of my life...lol I can tell you the Yoder is built to last! I have the Y640s and its very nice. Built well the Traeger is very cheaply made compared to Yoder..

 

[Chasdev]

The best low cost Pellet burners are CampChef.
Lots of makers offer higher price cookers but few offer higher quality and features.

 

[kruizer]

^^^^^what he said^^^^^

 

[Winterrider]

Yep, Camp Chef or Recteq are the 2 main discussed in here. Yoder is more $$$ but a "very" quality smoker. Many happy owners.

 

[mike243]

I will put my Austin LX up against the CC any day and twice on Saturday lol

 

[Buttah Butts]

Im very happy with my rec teq 700, much better than GMG and Traeger. I dont have any experience with Yoder but have heard great things about them

 

[Fueling Around]

I got a Masterbuilt pooper from Sam's for under $200 It has been very reliable.
Son-in-Law got a Cabelas (re-branded Louisiana ) and not reliable.

 

[schlotz]

You will find many here are partial to the smoker they use, which stands to reason. People's buying is predicated on individual decision points, e.g. size, $$$, controller, materials, etc... Because a number of folks buy a specific brand, it may or may not be a good indication of how any particular smoker will work for you. It's best to establish what your needs and expectations are for a unit and then match them up to each model you look at. There will be pros & cons for each and you'll have to sort them out against your priorities.

 

[bigfurmn]

Yoder is over looked here a lot I believe due to price. If you like what you know about it go for it. There are plenty of happy Yoder owners here. As many as Traeger? No but they don't sell as many. I'm cheap and freely admit it. I have a Pit Boss. Works great for me. Is it as well built as a Yoder, not even close. If that's what you like and it works for you, go for it!

 

[sandyut]

Tec Teq is my vote, because that was what my mass research led me to. Yoders are very good and made my short list. but didnt buy one. had my RT700 for two years - all ways rock solid, always on point. customer service is second to none.

 

[JZ_Focus]

I love my RecTeq RT700. I've had it for about 4-5 months now and I use it constantly (at least 2-3 times per week). Big selling points for me were the 6-year warranty & all stainless construction. This thing is built like a tank. And when I say that their customer service is incredible, that may be an understatement. I had my original meat probes not hold calibration, so they sent me a new set without any issue. I tried calling their tech support off hours one day to which no one answered, but the very next morning they called me back to make sure I wasn't having an issue, even though I didn't leave a message. I have been nothing but impressed with the quality & support from RecTeq.

 

[sandyut]

I have been nothing but impressed with the quality & support from RecTeq.

Same! Two years in and love it as much as day 1!

 

[dacfan]

Rec Teq is made in china, Yoder is made in America.

 

[sandyut]

Rec Teq is made in china, Yoder is made in America.

this discussion point has been made before. its likely not every part in the yoder is 100% US made. not sure dont care. if this matters - factor that into the decision. I based my selection on features, quality, etc.

 

[Inscrutable]

Rec Teq is made in china, Yoder is made in America.

As is your Camp Chef (made in China). Both good and crappy stuff is made everywhere. Try finding a car with every part 100% made from raw materials and assembled in US. Products just have to stand on their own intrinsic quality and features.

But yes, there are a handful of pellet grills made here. All quite expensive. Yoder, MAK, and Cookshack come to mind. Might be a few others.

 

[3-2-1]

There's Made in America, Built in America, Assembled in America and Produced in America....I think it's all marketing ploy. If there is any electronics in the product you can beat no IC's, capacitors, resistors and all those parts are not made anywhere here in the states. While maybe the raw steel for the smoker cabinet is all purchased here and cut, bent, welded etc here in the USA but the raw steel could very well be purchased from overseas, the distribution channel would need to be checked. Very very very few products are all 100% USA sourced material and actually entirely from the USA.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

this discussion point has been made before. its likely not every part in the yoder is 100% US made. not sure dont care. if this matters - factor that into the decision. I based my selection on features, quality, etc.

There's Made in America, Built in America, Assembled in America and Produced in America....I think it's all marketing ploy. If there is any electronics in the product you can beat no IC's, capacitors, resistors and all those parts are not made anywhere here in the states. While maybe the raw steel for the smoker cabinet is all purchased here and cut, bent, welded etc here in the USA but the raw steel could very well be purchased from overseas, the distribution channel would need to be checked. Very very very few products are all 100% USA sourced material and actually entirely from the USA.

Exactly.

The whole "made in America" thing is in many instances, nothing more than marketing hype.

If every single item on the circuit board of any electronic item, every wire, every screw, washer nut and bolt, every caster made with plastic manufactured in the U.S., it's a rarity.

And even if it were, it would not influence my purchasing decision to the point to where it was deal maker.

 

[mike243]

Didn't Mac or another of the upper end just move to china?