Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Pellet Grills and Smokers => Topic started by: MoHuka on May 04, 2014, 09:21:36 AM
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I am seriously thinking of getting a pellet grill/smoker and was hoping to stay in the $1000 range. I was set to go with the REC TEC until I looked at the YODER 640. I would have to pay for shipping on the RT and be able to pick up the Yoder at the dealer so it makes my cost nearly the same (+/- $1300)
I was wondering what my trusted brothers and sisters on this forum might have to say???
Thanks as always for any guidance....
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I'm not sure..but I think Tee had a Yoder at one of the gatherings..I cooked pizza on it and everything was just fine. I know the rec-tec is fabulous because I have cooked on them too. Good luck choosing..Pam .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
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If all were equal I would choose the RecTec's over all the rest because of its looks.
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I don't have a pellet grill, however I've cooked on both the rec-tec & yoder 640.
For smoking BOTH are fine cookers!
I'd give the edge to the Yoder for grilling however.
A
Since I grill more often than smoke I'd go with 640
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I think I remember Smokesourus saying the fuel consumption of the yoder was a bit more than normal and had to purchase the insulating blanket. I like the competition 640 on that rolling orange mega cart :)
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Having owned both:
The Yoder is built with heavier material - *BUT* that does not meant that it will "hold heat" any better than a thinner pit. Steel is almost "thermally transparent" - it soaks up BTU-s then passes then right thru to the outside. So - thicker is not an advantage. In fact-the thicker the steel-the longer to heat up the pit! ( You must overcome the cold thicker steel using more BTU's than thinner steel )
My Yoder pit would use 1.25 to 1.5 lbs of pellets per hour at 250F. If I turned it up all of the way - it would burn 5 lbs. per hour!
The pit design - with the rectangular fire pot on the extreme left makes it difficult to- if not impossible to have even temps across the pit. That is not necessarily a problem - unless your objective is to load the pit - and leave the door closed, and not have to move meat around...Bearing in mind that it can take a pit 20 minutes - sometimes longer - to recover from BTU loss from opening it and fiddling with the cook.
The controller is "proudly" a Yoder design.....And, that sounds good at first. But - they continue to have firmware updates ( those must be installed by you waiting for a programmer to arrive - which can be weeks. Then you have to remove the left end of you pit, and plug this thing in correctly, and not short out anything...P.I.A. ) - even now after the pit has been out on the market for approx. 3 years. Why? Because Yoder has always been an "in-house" pit builder and has a great history in offset pits. But - when they moved into pellet grills, it is my opinion and experience that they really should have reached out to an already successful design - built by companies that know pellet grills....There are 4 companies that make pellet grills which use the same controller manufacturer - who will tailor their controller to suit the pit design....
Pellet grills operate under significantly different ideals. We can't say different physics, or principles - but...ideals. Like a different manner of managing airflow/air throughput. The very method of feeding or fueling the fire. And on...and on.
In short - the Yoder controller is not where it needs to be - in order to compare favorably against other manufacturers. The body of the pit will out live you. It is the heaviest built unit on the market. But, there is more to a pellet cooker than just heavy metal construction....
I think you should also consider the MAK 1- Star. There are several users of them here - and it is a great cooker. ALL American made too....Sparky1 and Tenthunter - and others can give you input on that one.
Synopsis:
What I had hoped would be reliable, and temperature steady...well...it just wasn't. And it became an issue to feed the beast if I wanted to run it above 350F.
So - I sold it. I now own both a Rec-Tec, and a MAK 2 Star General. Love both of them for different reasons. If you are looking to spend the amount of money that A Yoder YS-640 will cost - I recommend the Rec Tec. .
If you want to budget for a little less - the Rec-Tec is probably the best deal on the market for "features per dollar". Lots of space, a light in the cook chamber, 40 lb pellet hopper. And - just looks really nice. Even my wife thinks it looks nice on the deck. And the controller is top notch. Spot on temps. And - all of the key internal components are made for thick stainless steel ( fire pot, heat deflector, drip pan..)
Lastly - about the 500F top temp of the Rec Tec vs the 600F of the Yoder....
If you put Grill Grates in the Rec Tec - it will produce sear and grill marks as well as any cooker. You will not see any real difference in the cooking. I do steaks with beautiful sear marks all of the time on the Rec Tec.
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The Camp Chef Pellet Grill is a great grill for the price and is very good on pellet consumption. The Rec Tec and Yoder are fine pellet grills, but the features and quality of the Camp Chef make it hard to beat..............
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Just my little 2 cents, you have an SRG so you don't need a grill. I'd go for the Rec-Tec due to cost and it's a heck of a smoker and built like a brick tank
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Thanks to everyone for the input...all good information as expected. I did go look at the Camp Chef as suggested and it in fact has some great features at a reasonable price. I am a sucker for Amazon customer feedback and the Camp Chef does not fair so well, especially compared to the Rec Tec. I like the internal and external shelves with the Yoder but Teesquare makes a lot of good points about other aspects.
If I was to pull the trigger at this moment it would probably be the Rec Tec. I have a couple more weeks here in Saudi to read up before making a decision. I have the Bradley for cold smoke and sausage, a Weber Genesis with Grill Grates and a SRG. Wife says something has to go to make room for the Pellet Grill so Tommy, I am afraid the SRG will be the first to go. If the pellet grill ends up being a do all grill/smoker then maybe the Genesis as well.
Again, thanks to all for the guidance....folks on the forum are fantastic
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The Rec-Tec; it is a fine cooker. If cost were the biggest factor, then Rec-Tec is most likely what I would go for. In my opinion they are the best of the imported grills.
However, if you can swing a couple hundred extra bucks, then take a serious look at the MAK 1 Star. Trust me when I tell you there is a reason the MAK's are priced where they are.
The MAK's are literally second to none in both quality and innovation. The features and build quality of the MAK makes it more than worth the extra $$. There is no better and more versatile controller on the market, period. And the add-on/upgrade features that MAK offers are incredible.
Oh yeah, shipping is included in the price.
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I just happened to go by the new Cabela's in Greenville SC the other day. And - they have a Camp Chef that is private labeled for them. It looks exactly like the one on the Camp Chef website. Same features, etc.
"Features" - are a great way to entice us to buy things - aren't they? But they are also a way to distract us from other potential frustrations that we may have with the product.
And - different manufacturer's use different features to attract different customers. I would recommend that you carefully think about the manufacturer's reputation, warranty and how practical the features are for you. There are features on all products that just never really work out as practical - and we have all experienced that.
Without "bad-mouthing" Camp Chef, I will tell you that I have never seen a grill with an oven door/lid that was as thin and "flexible". as this one. ACW3 was with me and we both looked at it, and decided that you would have to install latches, or a heat resistant bungee cord to hold the lid shut. The metal was thinner than can be believed. You could easily bend it without any tools. But - that is only one thing...And - you could work around that with some planning and fabrication, should yours share that issue.
Smokeasaurus had used one and liked how it cooked. If you plan on keeping your pellet grill a long time - the choice deserves really researching the brands you are considering - and looking beyond a some price differences in order. Take your time - and compare them well.
I think the Camp Chef compares more closely to Traeger, and Green Mountain in it's build. The Rec Tec, Yoder and MAK are significantly heavier built units, and fit and finish is on a different level. That is part of the price difference I suppose.
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If I was to pull the trigger at this moment it would probably be the Rec Tec. I have a couple more weeks here in Saudi to read up before making a decision. I have the Bradley for cold smoke and sausage, a Weber Genesis with Grill Grates and a SRG. Wife says something has to go to make room for the Pellet Grill so Tommy, I am afraid the SRG will be the first to go. If the pellet grill ends up being a do all grill/smoker then maybe the Genesis as well.
Again, thanks to all for the guidance....folks on the forum are fantastic
Say it ain't so ??? Well if you have to
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Don't be so quick to toss aside a cooking device. If one has been singled out as the "one to go" cook some of her favorites on it, she may have a change of heart. I'm going thru the same thing right now. To get a PBC I'm supposed to ditch my Big Easy but....my sweetheart loves the potatoes that come off that cooker. I'm likely towin this one....we'll see.
Good luck !
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The Green Mountain door is more sturdy than the Camp Chef. While the Camp Chef door is lightweight it did not hinder the cooking qualities of the grill.
I do not think any of the above mentioned grills will let you down. My brother has a Rec Tec and loves it. I have reviewed the Yoder, Camp Chef and GMG and liked all of them as well. Mak is at the top of the food chain when it comes to pellet grills.....as they say....buy quality and cry once..................
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Have you looked at or considered the Blazin Grill Works pellet smokers? I had my choices drilled down to the Blazin Grand Slam Pro and the Yoder YS480 (smaller grills due to space restrictions). I received a ton of good info on this forum and purchased the Grand Slam Pro in large part due to the lack of info I could find on the YS480 (although there is more info available on the YS640). My Grand Slam shipped last Friday so I am hoping to have it by the end of this week so I can fire it up for the first time over the weekend. With all of the info I have read on this site it sounds like both would serve you well. Good Luck!! I look forward to hearing which pellet grill you get. There are so many solid options it makes for a difficult decision.
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Since cooking space is important, one thing to consider is the actual useable cooking space (in cubic inches) and not just the advertised surface cook area.
The MAK 1 Star's seemingly smaller size is deceptively roomy, for example.
Initially the Rec-Tec has 680 Sq. In. of surface cook are, HOWEVER... when you take into account the round barrel style cook chamber, at it's highest point, the center (from front to back) has about 9 1/4" of head room. Taller food will start bumping into the lid when you push it to the back or front. As far as I know they do not offer a second tier rack.
The MAK has 380 Sq. In. initial surface area, BUT is has a lot of head room (9 1/4 in at the lowest point and 12+ in. at the highest), and because it has straight-sided walls, when you add the MAK upper rack you end up with 760 sq. inches of useable surface cook area. I hope this makes sense.
I know, for example, with the upper rack, the MAK 1 Star will hold 8 pork butts or 4 whole shoulders at one time.
BUT make no mistake, you will pay more for the MAK.
Again, not trying to knock Rec-Tec. They have a lot of good going for their grills, and their warranty is great! Just trying to give a true head to head comparison and accurate info. I hope this helps.
Cliff
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The Green Mountain door is more sturdy than the Camp Chef. While the Camp Chef door is lightweight it did not hinder the cooking qualities of the grill.
I do not think any of the above mentioned grills will let you down. My brother has a Rec Tec and loves it. I have reviewed the Yoder, Camp Chef and GMG and liked all of them as well. Mak is at the top of the food chain when it comes to pellet grills.....as they say....buy quality and cry once..................
Solid advice
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I have a box for that SRG :D :D :D
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I have a box for that SRG :D :D :D
This member might be looking for another SRG. ::)
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=9062.msg119933#msg119933
Moderator note: Corrected link