You guys are making me indecisive!!!

[Michigan0626]

Two years ago I bought a Smoke Vault for father's day (great deal).  I cooked up two slabs of baby backs for my father's day meal.  I hated to process so much that was my last cook on it.  I adjusted literally a millimeter clockwise and the temp rose 50-75 degrees. Millimeter to the right, and it dropped 50-75 degrees. I did this infuriating dance for 6 plus hours. I knew right then I will eventually get a pellet smoker.

Now I am in the final stages of deciding what I want. For over a year I KNEW I wanted a Rec Tec 680.  It has the be the absolute best value in pellet smokers.  Then a couple months ago they came out with the 700 with Wi-Fi and meat probes.  FOR THE SAME PRICE!  That made the value simply unbeatable. So, as of last week, I was going to get the RT-700 for $1200 and I was 90% sure I would have swung for the competition cart for an extra $300.  It makes it look so much stronger and durable.

And then all of YOU horrible people!    MAK grills this. MAK grills that. You guys have placed the seed of doubt and its driving me crazy.  There is no way I can justify spending $2700 for the MAK 2. I can do a lot of overtime and come up with the money, but I can't make that purchase and not feel guilty to my family. I also know with the accessories, it will easily be over 3k. And I had been completely discounting the 1 Star due to size.  Then I came across another plea for help and someone put up a picture with 8! Boston Butts on that sucker. What I desperately need to know is, will it a complete packer brisket?  Brisket is thee item I intend on learning to cook. 

So, a 1 Star runs 1700, vs $1500 for a Rec Tec with a cart.

1 Star with the double rack comes to 858 square inches.
Rec Tec with the large grate comes to 1052 square inches.

Rec Tec has double the hopper capacity. Plus I love how it is on the back, greatly reducing augur length, ie durability.

I am almost there with the MAK, but the extra $500 ($200) is a big hurdle. I need something that adds value/features to the MAK to make the final decision. (If you cannot tell, it's not that I'm cheap, I'm value driven and I do believe in the law of diminishing returns)

See what your MAK Grills evangelizing has done!

[GusRobin]

I would relook at what you get for each price.
Then compare what additional accessories you need or want  (is the look of the competition cart really worth $400?) and then compare the pricing. I am a firm believer in setting a budget and then buying the best you can afford. If you determine what you need and buy the best one that provides it you can't go wrong and with be happy with either one.

[TentHunteR]

For over a year I KNEW I wanted a Rec Tec 680.  It has the be the absolute best value in pellet smokers...  And then all of YOU horrible people!    MAK grills this. MAK grills that.

I believe in the end, when all is said and done, that a MAK is the absolute best value in pellet smokers.  I'm not just saying that. I TRULY believe it! 

1 Star with the double rack comes to 858 square inches.
Rec Tec with the large grate comes to 1052 square inches.

That 858 sq inches is pretty much all USABLE space (because of the lid design).  It's not just all about grate size; you also need to consider head space.

Trust me when I tell you, if I can cook enough pulled pork for 160 hungry band kids & staff on my 1 Star, you have no worries about it holding enough food!



And I haven't even mentioned the other options such as the griddle & FlameZone (which you can upgrade to as budget allows).

[Pappymn]

Cry once. Buy the Mak


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Hub]

There are a lot of well made and capable pellet cookers out there but too many potential buyers just go along with the crowd and wind up with something that doesn't fit their needs.  Model and make myopia overrides common sense.  The chances are amazingly good that you may be overlooking what you really need to see.  Figure out what fits you best then go shopping for it without worrying about popularity.

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=21541.0

Hub

[Michigan0626]

I don't know much about the flame zone.  I don't really have an intent on searing using the smoker. I have Cook-Air "LRC", its my go to searing machine. I also have the Camp Chef Flat Top griddle for burgers and breakfast.

The cart is not a necessity. But its $100 off when purchased together. I don't have a patio or deck to put it on, and I would fear a leg snapping over uneven ground.

All I really need is a smoker and a cover. That is $1300 for the Rec Tec. For the MAK with the extra grate would be around $1900. 

Will the MAK hold a full packer brisket? Or just separate the point and flat. Smoke them on their own grate. This wouldn't be a bad idea. Double the tasty bark. Plus I don't like hunks of fat.

That 600 bucks could get me the cart and the smoker box. Just niceties though.

This wasn't really me making responses to people, but more trying to talk out all the points to myself.

[teesquare]

Plus I love how it is on the back, greatly reducing augur length, ie durability.

1. I HATE the reaching over the pit with a 40 lb. bag......It strains my back, and is not a convenience.

2. The part about.."greatly reducing augur length, ie durability" - is taken from a "marketing" statement, and has no bearing in truth - as a blanket statement about all other designs. Sure - there are really cheap pellet grills that have lightweight augers. Those may jam and "fail" by twisting/breaking I suppose. But for any of the better made pellet grills  - this is just not a problem.

And.....you really need to pick a spot of level ground for your pit - and leave it there if possible. I know about the "competition carts"...( a bit like fuzzy dice, or chrome wheels...yeah, maybe they look "cool" - but add nothing really for performance...) but honestly - you so not want to keep jangling all the parts around  - rolling a pit on un-even ground. Not good on the electronics, and you may find that your auger is more likely to get jammed because you are bouncing the pellets, compacting them.
Instead - why not get some 12"x12" patio pavers - pick a level spot and park it?

[TMB]

Welcome to the forum!    Tough choice, MAK or RecTec both are very good units!   

[Michigan0626]

So I found that a full packer is typically 20x12. MAK's are 22x19.5, so this satisfies one of my absolutes.

[teesquare]

ALL pellet grills work. But, some offer features you will want more than say - I would. And while we do have support more for some brands more than others - that is based on the individual's choices.

Hub's thread is an excellent read to help folks figure out how to evaluate their needs and wants.

AND - no matter what you choose you should know you are welcome here, and just as "accepted"  regardless of the brand you purchase.

[rwalters]

Won’t pressure you to buy one over the other. But what I can tell you from my own experience is this... I have cooked on 3 different pellet grills in my lifetime.  An older American made Traeger, an older MAK 1 Star, and now a newer MAK 2 Star.  IMO, the MAK runs circles around that ole’ Traeger I used to have. If you are looking for a pure smoker (vs smoker and grill), the MAK 1 Star in its stock configuration is a smoking machine. And yes, you can easily place 2 full packer briskets on it with the full upper grate in place. I was really surprised at the difference in smoke production with MAK vs old school Traeger. I have no experience with RecTec.

[smokeasaurus]

I did pellet consumption testing on a Rec Tec great pit.

Yes the short throw auger with the hopper on the back does help with longevity.

However, if a high quality motor is used like the MAK uses it does not matter where the hopper is at.

The auger on the MAK looks like you could use it to drill through rock.

Also, a 40 lb hopper makes the Rec Tec very top heavy. If you are moving it around and turn to sharply it will go over. Mine almost did!!

The 1 star has the Flame Zone as an added accessory.

Cry once and get the 2 Star. It will be the last pellet grill you will ever need to buy.

Take it from a guy that has cooked on at least 6-7 of other grill manufacturers before getting the best.

Here is my ongoing review of the 2 Star over in the MAK Grills sponsor section.

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=22061.0

[Tailgating is my game]

Like you I worry about the family too.  I also buy value. If the rest of the family does not care  about having the best I would stick with a value purchase. Now that being said I am not interested in a pg. Yes I almost bought a pb 700 but it was worth it for $150.00 maybe I could have got it for $100.00. NEW

TAKE a look at the money you might save & see where it could be spent/saved for other family members first.  So your needs & your family needs..............then buy & dont look back.

My two cents lol

[TentHunteR]

Will the MAK hold a full packer brisket?...

So I found that a full packer is typically 20x12. MAK's are 22x19.5, so this satisfies one of my absolutes.

Yep, like Rwalters already said, with the upper rack the MAK can easily hold two full packers. 



The pic I posted above was about 62 lbs of pork shoulders, and that was actually my 2014 MAK a Star. The 2017's are bigger.



It really boils down to what you want out of a pellet grill.   You have to decide whether it's quality, most features for the price, made in U.S.A., etc.,  then you will know which one to get.  Of the two you've mentioned, the Rec Tec offers more features and better quality than most in their price range, whereas the MAK's will get you the best build quality, durability, control, and versatility, but you are going to pay a little more up front.


Don't be afraid to keep asking questions... or thinking out loud on the forum here! 

[Jaxon]

Like you I worry about the family too.  I also buy value. If the rest of the family does not care  about having the best I would stick with a value purchase. Now that being said I am not interested in a pg. Yes I almost bought a pb 700 but it was worth it for $150.00 maybe I could have got it for $100.00. NEW

TAKE a look at the money you might save & see where it could be spent/saved for other family members first.  So your needs & your family needs..............then buy & dont look back.

My two cents lol

I am in this camp.
I've spent a lot on what I WANT.  Thinking more now about what I NEED.  Almost pulled the trigger on the GMG Davy Crockett till I realized that I can smoke a lot of food in the 9 or 10 cookers I have now.

I can't say what YOU should do because I usually go for mid-range stuff. If I were to choose for myself, I'd definitely be on the RecTec.
Keep us posted...