Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: rwalters on January 07, 2018, 04:31:24 PM
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I must admit, I am intrigued! Wondering if anyone here has any thoughts, opinions or experiences they could share?
http://pittsandspitts.com/pellet-grills/
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I think Smokeasaurus has given that one "the hairy eyeball"...
I can see from the pics that they are using the same manufacturer for their controller as Rec Tec, and Louisiana. And they stainless looks nice...but at this price point - I would want the entire grill body to be stainless.
Pitts and Spitts has a reputation for providing good quality wood/charcoal burning offset cookers. And - so does Yoder.
My concerns that - having owned a Yoder..(I am making a qualified statement - not picking on them, nor intentionally bashing them...I am only sharing my actually ownership experience...) and seeing that they did not fully grasp the difference in HOW the cooker would function if powered by an electric fan and glow rod - vs - a traditional fuel source such as wood or charcoal....hot spots, variations in cooking temps end - to end not grate...and overwhelming pellet consumption plagued my Yoder experience. Couple that with dozens of firmware revisions as they chased the problems.....well - it ruined me on the brand. I loved the construction of the unit. You will never rust out or burn out a Yoder. But, you may find that the companies that are relatively new to pellet grill manufacture have some..."growing pains" - that translate into a less than ideal user experience.
This is why I am a MAK user now. I have owned a number of different pellet grills. MAK just gets it right.
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I think Smokeasaurus has given that one "the hairy eyeball"...
I can see from the pics that they are using the same manufacturer for their controller as Rec Tec, and Louisiana. And they stainless looks nice...but at this price point - I would want the entire grill body to be stainless.
Pitts and Spitts has a reputation for providing good quality wood/charcoal burning offset cookers. And - so does Yoder.
My concerns that - having owned a Yoder..(I am making a qualified statement - not picking on them, nor intentionally bashing them...I am only sharing my actually ownership experience...) and seeing that they did not fully grasp the difference in HOW the cooker would function if powered by an electric fan and glow rod - vs - a traditional fuel source such as wood or charcoal....hot spots, variations in cooking temps end - to end not grate...and overwhelming pellet consumption plagued my Yoder experience. Couple that with dozens of firmware revisions as they chased the problems.....well - it ruined me on the brand. I loved the construction of the unit. You will never rust out or burn out a Yoder. But, you may find that the companies that are relatively new to pellet grill manufacture have some..."growing pains" - that translate into a less than ideal user experience.
This is why I am a MAK user now. I have owned a number of different pellet grills. MAK just gets it right.
Thanks for your reply! As a VERY happy MAK owner, I couldn’t agree more with your MAK statement. Not really sure what it is about this Pitts and Spitts that grabs my attention... but I am always interested in hearing about the experience/thoughts of others.
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Yup, I have checked out the Pitts and Spitts. While I would take one of their stick burners in a heart-beat.......I would stay away from this one.
The characteristics of a stick burner is so much different than a pellet grill.
Another awesome manufacturer of stick burners is Gator Pits. Ritch now has a pellet grill for sale.
While Yoder is at 10 gauge with their body..Pitts and Spitts has gone to 7 gauge on theirs and the Gator Pit offering is at 1/4 inch thick like their wood smokers.
This means you better get a part time job to afford pellets because these offerings are going to be pellet hogs.
If you are going to spend this kind of money, go MAK or at least Blazin and Rec Tec.
Not bashing these manufacturers, they make stick burners I would love to have on my patio, they just flat out missed the mark on their pellet grill offerings.....and
no matter how many revisions they make to their software nothing is going to help with that super thick metal................
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I would also like to add that I would love to have a pellet grill that is made in the Lone Star State.......but not these pellet hungry underperformers.....
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I had some interaction with their Houston-based marketing guy when they were rejiggering their v1.0 models like the 2436 to the new Maverick line. They added an extended lid version called the Maverick 2000 that gives them 2000 sq. inches of cook space (20" tall top with 3 full racks). The accessories he mentioned included a Yoder-esque trapdoor drip pan and an extended table top. No WiFi option when I spoke with him. I thought I saw on one of the FB pellet groups that they were creating a proprietary controller ... that was kind of a deal breaker for me, like the Yoder; I just don't want the ambiguity of update processes and inability to upgrade to a third party PID controller like Savannah down the line; if they're using an more common PID system that would have answered that concern though.
It's undoubtedly a great looking smoker, and I gave it some serious thought along with Yoder and Blaz'n (all ended up in that low-to-mid $2000 range). Ultimately, I buy Smoke's argument about sustaining temps/thermal mass and the impact on pellet consumption. Both the Yoder Comp Cart and the Pitts & Spitts Mavericks are built to survive a zombie apocalypse and will undoubtedly make some very happy owners, but in addition to them being very proud of their product (as evidenced by the price point) I didn't want to have take buy stock in a pellet manufacturer just to smoke a brisket.
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Great food for thought guys! Any other thoughts and opinions are welcomed :)
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This Pellet grill is on my list,, from what I saw it is worth it, maybe not after what has been said here today :(
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I had some interaction with their Houston-based marketing guy when they were rejiggering their v1.0 models like the 2436 to the new Maverick line. They added an extended lid version called the Maverick 2000 that gives them 2000 sq. inches of cook space (20" tall top with 3 full racks). The accessories he mentioned included a Yoder-esque trapdoor drip pan and an extended table top. No WiFi option when I spoke with him. I thought I saw on one of the FB pellet groups that they were creating a proprietary controller ... that was kind of a deal breaker for me, like the Yoder; I just don't want the ambiguity of update processes and inability to upgrade to a third party PID controller like Savannah down the line; if they're using an more common PID system that would have answered that concern though.
It's undoubtedly a great looking smoker, and I gave it some serious thought along with Yoder and Blaz'n (all ended up in that low-to-mid $2000 range). Ultimately, I buy Smoke's argument about sustaining temps/thermal mass and the impact on pellet consumption. Both the Yoder Comp Cart and the Pitts & Spitts Mavericks are built to survive a zombie apocalypse and will undoubtedly make some very happy owners, but in addition to them being very proud of their product (as evidenced by the price point) I didn't want to have take buy stock in a pellet manufacturer just to smoke a brisket.
You hit on 2 things that I too believe are important in a decision of this magnitude.
We need to encourage innovation....But we also need some way to determine when a manufacturer is "guinea-pigging" on it's customers. That was what it felt like with a Yoder, for me.
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This Pellet grill is on my list,, from what I saw it is worth it, maybe not after what has been said here today.
I have to agree with what’s Being said… 7 gauge is an insane thickness to manufacture with. I can’t imagine this thing really has the ability to hit the 600° top temp that they advertise on anything other than a 125° Arizona summer day… lol. But it sure does look like one heck of a sweet pellet grill :-)
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I had some interaction with their Houston-based marketing guy when they were rejiggering their v1.0 models like the 2436 to the new Maverick line. They added an extended lid version called the Maverick 2000 that gives them 2000 sq. inches of cook space (20" tall top with 3 full racks). The accessories he mentioned included a Yoder-esque trapdoor drip pan and an extended table top. No WiFi option when I spoke with him. I thought I saw on one of the FB pellet groups that they were creating a proprietary controller ... that was kind of a deal breaker for me, like the Yoder; I just don't want the ambiguity of update processes and inability to upgrade to a third party PID controller like Savannah down the line; if they're using an more common PID system that would have answered that concern though.
It's undoubtedly a great looking smoker, and I gave it some serious thought along with Yoder and Blaz'n (all ended up in that low-to-mid $2000 range). Ultimately, I buy Smoke's argument about sustaining temps/thermal mass and the impact on pellet consumption. Both the Yoder Comp Cart and the Pitts & Spitts Mavericks are built to survive a zombie apocalypse and will undoubtedly make some very happy owners, but in addition to them being very proud of their product (as evidenced by the price point) I didn't want to have take buy stock in a pellet manufacturer just to smoke a brisket.
You hit on 2 things that I too believe are important in a decision of this magnitude.
We need to encourage innovation....But we also need some way to determine when a manufacturer is "guinea-pigging" on it's customers. That was what it felt like with a Yoder, for me.
... "guinea-pigging" on it's customers.
That’s a disturbing thought, especially at this price point!
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I guess I'm missing it, thought these were all great grills.....
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Tom, just because folks identify possible concerns doesn't mean that these smokers don't have their merits ... every smoker has pros and cons, obviously. The Pitts & Spitts Maverick line, like all Yoder products, are built incredibly well ... good materials, solid welding, great aesthetic value. I truly believe that many folks will find them to be top tier machines and sing their praises on many a message board (Yoder devotees go from coast to coast). But well built can easily become overbuilt and well thought out can become over-thought.
I've done 4-5 cooks on a Yoder YS640 and the temp swings made me a little crazy. It chewed through pellets even in mild and warm temperatures in Southeast Texas ... you need a ton of energy to keep that much steel up to temp. Their proprietary controller is great ... but they lack the consistency of PID technology and the updating process is cumbersome at best. Heck, that last one will be solved if/when they add a WiFi component. Their comp cart is sexy as all get out, and they do have solid customer service.
Pitts & Spitts, like Yoder stick burners, do a truly amazing job with conventional equipment. They made some choices on their pellet line (moving the burnpot a bit more towards center, tons of high quality stainless, ability to mount papertowel roll or butcher paper roll on the smoker, roll top lid for shelf functionality, etc.) that are smart plays in my book and will provide some genuine utility. Like Yoder, being American made will carry a ton of weight with a lot of folks (myself included). The chatter I saw about a proprietary controller worried me but they are using a decent PID as of now. But, like Yoder, that 7 gauge and 10 gauge construction will take a ton of energy to maintain temps just like the Yoder.
These criticisms won't be a deal breaker for a lot of buyers; hell, Yoder even markets some of these concerns in a way that makes them "value added" features. At the end of the day, most of us go with our gut and our wallet ... I just like to add in a little logic as well to keep me from having buyer's regret. Go play with one at a dealer if there is one near you ... if it strikes your fancy, pull the trigger.
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I guess I'm missing it, thought these were all great grills.....
That ALL..."work".....
But, you have to consider what is important to you - and what is not. Once you are comfortable with that decision - it does not matter what anyone else thinks. Kinda like getting married ;) :D :D :D
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Tom, just because folks identify possible concerns doesn't mean that these smokers don't have their merits ... every smoker has pros and cons, obviously. The Pitts & Spitts Maverick line, like all Yoder products, are built incredibly well ... good materials, solid welding, great aesthetic value. I truly believe that many folks will find them to be top tier machines and sing their praises on many a message board (Yoder devotees go from coast to coast). But well built can easily become overbuilt and well thought out can become over-thought.
I've done 4-5 cooks on a Yoder YS640 and the temp swings made me a little crazy. It chewed through pellets even in mild and warm temperatures in Southeast Texas ... you need a ton of energy to keep that much steel up to temp. Their proprietary controller is great ... but they lack the consistency of PID technology and the updating process is cumbersome at best. Heck, that last one will be solved if/when they add a WiFi component. Their comp cart is sexy as all get out, and they do have solid customer service.
Pitts & Spitts, like Yoder stick burners, do a truly amazing job with conventional equipment. They made some choices on their pellet line (moving the burnpot a bit more towards center, tons of high quality stainless, ability to mount papertowel roll or butcher paper roll on the smoker, roll top lid for shelf functionality, etc.) that are smart plays in my book and will provide some genuine utility. Like Yoder, being American made will carry a ton of weight with a lot of folks (myself included). The chatter I saw about a proprietary controller worried me but they are using a decent PID as of now. But, like Yoder, that 7 gauge and 10 gauge construction will take a ton of energy to maintain temps just like the Yoder.
These criticisms won't be a deal breaker for a lot of buyers; hell, Yoder even markets some of these concerns in a way that makes them "value added" features. At the end of the day, most of us go with our gut and our wallet ... I just like to add in a little logic as well to keep me from having buyer's regret. Go play with one at a dealer if there is one near you ... if it strikes your fancy, pull the trigger.
All good points! Thank you !
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I guess I'm missing it, thought these were all great grills.....
That ALL..."work".....
But, you have to consider what is important to you - and what is not. Once you are comfortable with that decision - it does not matter what anyone else thinks. Kinda like getting married ;) :D :D :D
Thanks Tee!
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When we were doing pellet consumption testing on the Yoder, we had the 300 buck thermal jacket on the darn thing in the summer and it still ate pellets like they were going out of style.
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When we were doing pellet consumption testing on the Yoder, we had the 300 buck thermal jacket on the darn thing in the summer and it still ate pellets like they were going out of style.
That’s crazy! I am really glad I asked about this new Pitts and Spitts. As nice and BIG as it looks, there are a couple of things, including the gauge of steel used, that have caused me to lose interest.
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In fact we also were testing a Camp Chef (before it came out) and a Rec Tec 680. They outperformed the Yoder easily.
Not bashing on Yoder and Pits but that thick metal is just not useful in the pellet grill world................
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In fact we also were testing a Camp Chef (before it came out) and a Rec Tec 680. They outperformed the Yoder easily.
Not bashing on Yoder and Pits but that thick metal is just not useful in the pellet grill world................
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Thanks Smoke! , for some reason I thought it was the other way that you wanted thicker metal so it would regulate better once it was heated. What I think your telling us is that you are wasting pellets to heat metal when it is thicker just to get to temp so you can cook meat. Just use the pellets to cook meat, correct? What about the Bkazin Grill that was on my list too? Thanks
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Well, I think that HighOnSmoke and SavannahSmoker will be your best sources of info on this; that being said, I did pull the trigger on a loaded Blaz’n Grid Iron and had it delivered just a couple of days ago. I had a house built over the summer and wanted a top tier pellet smoker for the backyard. I had a short list of factors and Blaz’n hit more than any other out there for me:
- stable cooking temps and moderate pellet consumption (double wall construction was a plus)
- durable structurally and paint (Blaz’n’s parent company does industrial powder coating and metal work)
- PID controller (I believe the same controller as Memphis and RecTec)
- 1000+ sq. inches of cook space
- WiFi option
- comp cart option
- easy clean-up
I’ve found it to exceed most of my preconceptions and, while I want to dial in the P settings with the help of some Blaz’n owners, it’s very solid right out of the box. The slide out burnpot is awesome and makes cleanup a breeze. The cooker is VERY sturdy and the comp cart is stable over uneven ground and turf. WiFi install/setup was a piece of cake. The Pro Shelves option gave me well over 2000 sq. inches of usable cookspace (I do mostly wings and ribs for personal gatherings and team events). For what I wanted, it was the right choice and tallied up under $2400 (and that was with pretty much every option plus a brutal shipping charge to Texas).