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[Canadian John]

 What you are asking relates to what shoes do I buy..It is extremely personal.

 Some considerations could be; service*,parts availability, ease of maintenance (a must for a pellet pit),finish ;paint and powder coat can be scratched leading to rust. Stainless isn't maintenance free, but close depending. Warranty. Size - height/width /depth. Tables/shelves. Double walled for cool and cold weather. Does it look right to you?. Have you seen one in person?

 * If you are new to cooking with pellets, there is a learning curve that combined with any pit problems makes life more difficult. Communicating with factory service can be a big help.

I would send you my magic wand if I had one.

[okie smokie]

Its your decision and you can do as you choose.  But your 1st paragraph of your very 1st post is about Blaz'n and how you wanted to look at purchasing a pit from them and because you did not get a response from them at probably their busiest time of year, you say they are not reliable.  Yes you ca do this, but I personally know these people.  Have met with them, been around them and they are friends.  And yes their product and customer service is top notch  And yes, I don't like people coming on my site and belittling my friends!  So now you know my feelings!

Good luck with your purchase.

Gentlemen, the emails that went unanswered were sent a little over a week and a half ago, I believe. I thought it was Tim I was speaking with but can’t say for sure. Again, debating blaz’n support wasn’t the intent of the thread and isn’t a path I wish to go down. Those that have them say the support is phenomenal, my experience is otherwise, there is also more than one post on reddit about blaz’n leaving someone in the cold when inquiring about a purchase. Perhaps I just had bad luck, or maybe my money just isn’t green enough, rather than dwell on it I am moving on. I only mentioned them initially to explain why they weren’t being considered and to head off the inevitable recommendations. The beauty of the capitalist system is I have other options that I’m sure are more than happy to take my money. The intent of this thread was to get honest opinions and feedback on those options.

Agree with Bentley.  I suspect the email was wrong.  Tim is easiest to just talk to.  Just call Blaz'n and ask for Tim tomorrow.  I have gotten great service from him and last week had my first hot rod failure after 2.5 years. Called Tim and one is on the way as we speak. All their new units have the Ceramic starter on them now so that is added incentive. 
Good luck and welcome to PF.

[lyork]

I ended up making a spreadsheet with all the pros and cons of about a dozen different units.

Ross77.....could you share that spreadsheet with us please??

[Ross77]

The data has likely changed as this is over a year old now. Items highlighted in green are positives, red are negatives based on my personal criteria.

[Vision]

At first I thought the same as you on the looks of the mak 1 star.  As months went by I got over it and bought one. I made the right choice.

Want the best and to cry once? But the mak and you'll love it. It's a league above the other cookers and this will be obvious quickly. You can add on accessories as needed. I only have the front shelf and full grate.

[TLK]

Thanks gtsum, my cousin has a Yoder (I’ve never seen it in person) and is what initially turned me onto the higher end grills beyond Rec Tec. The reason I’m not considering Yoder is, they seem to have finish/rust issues from my research and everyone says they are pellet hogs. I plan to use this regularly including our Michigan winters so, pellet consumption is a real concern. I have also read mixed reviews on their proprietary controller and would kind of like to go with a Roanoke which seems to be regarded as old reliable. Memphis is simply out of my price range, I would love to have one and they are definitely the top of the list. What about the mak do you feel makes it stand out above the others?

Thank you everyone for your feedback thus far!

You are correct on the yoder. Mine has rust after 8 months. Not a major deal, but irritating at the same time. It does suck some pellets down too. Again not a big deal for me as I buy em by the pallet.

[/quote]

turned my yoder into a "built-in" (3-4 years ago) so it lives outside year round in Central Ohio.  I keep a cheap cover on it when not in use.  Not a single spot of rust on it anywhere. 

[lyork]

Thanks for the spread sheet. I’d like to think a pellet drop feed is safer than the standard feed style. I’ll add that to the list of pros and cons.

On the Yoder, rust is going to be an issue just like any steel that’s subjected to the elements. Keeping it touched up will be an ongoing battle.

[okie smokie]

Thanks for the spread sheet. I’d like to think a pellet drop feed is safer than the standard feed style. I’ll add that to the list of pros and cons.

On the Yoder, rust is going to be an issue just like any steel that’s subjected to the elements. Keeping it touched up will be an ongoing battle.

I doubt that the yoder will ever rust thru even if you don't repaint.  (unless you are in sea air or monsoon atmosphere).  Keeping it in use helps, and it should have a cover. On the other hand Rustoleum grill paint is very helpful and does not require much prep.  Just a little sanding and and wet rag, and then spray and use it the next day.

[Ross77]

Wow.  That shouldn't happen on an expensive pellet grill like that.  Perhaps they need to use a better exterior paint or coating process.  Do they just paint it or is it powder coated?  They do have a 10 year warranty on the body of the grill.

[rwalters]

This is after owning it for 10 months. I have a cover and sometimes use it and other times not. I’m in central va, so bot on the coast with salt, etc. hasn’t went through a winter yet. You can see the discoloration of the metal from heat. The internal sides of the cook chamber should be reinforced here imo. I’ll clean it up in the spring, as this is the only complaint I have with the yoder




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Oh man!! I can see now why the Memphis is whispering your name

[rwalters]

This is after owning it for 10 months. I have a cover and sometimes use it and other times not. I’m in central va, so bot on the coast with salt, etc. hasn’t went through a winter yet. You can see the discoloration of the metal from heat. The internal sides of the cook chamber should be reinforced here imo. I’ll clean it up in the spring, as this is the only complaint I have with the yoder




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Oh man!! I can see now why the Memphis is whispering your name

Exactly:).

This is my only complaint about the yoder. Performance wise, it’s fantastic. Great smoke profile and ability to sear almost as good as my kamados..and lots of space to cook stuff. It just shouldn’t rust like that so quickly imo. Zero rust anywhere else on the cooker


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Curious...what other grills do you own? I love my MAK a lot!!!... but for serious grilling/searing power, I have not found a setup that outperforms my 26.75 Weber kettle w/ Slow n Sear. It flat out rocks for that duty.  And you know the ruggedness of the kettles porcelain finish...darn near bullet proof with high temp cooking.

[Bentley]

Cosmetic issues have never bothered me if the unit performs the way I expect.  But I can see how it troubles some.  5 minutes with a power brush and some engine block paint and you would probably be good for 2 years!

[okie smokie]

Cosmetic issues have never bothered me if the unit performs the way I expect.  But I can see how it troubles some.  5 minutes with a power brush and some engine block paint and you would probably be good for 2 years!

I agree. It seems that most of the more active PF's have pits that are less than pristine.  Some even look downright nasty.  If you go into the pit area of most of the successful BBQ joints in my area, most of the pits are heavily stained.  Those with the commercial stainless pits are a bit cleaner, but the old stick burners are usually layered with creosote, drippings and other unknowns.  It sort of suggests that it is hard to be an immaculate Q chef and be a winner at the same time. (Apologies to the exceptions).  I'm sure that keeping the grates clean is more important and I am sure that is done universally (except for my son who refuses to go to that extreme).  All in all a good topic for discussion but----

[rwalters]

Cosmetic issues have never bothered me if the unit performs the way I expect.  But I can see how it troubles some.  5 minutes with a power brush and some engine block paint and you would probably be good for 2 years!

As much I I enjoy a clean pit exterior, which I feel adds to a nice overall clean backyard, I absolutely agree... that rust on the Yoder would be a cinch to fix.  I must confess that I have OCD when it comes to keeping the exterior of my pits clean.

[rwalters]

Cosmetic issues have never bothered me if the unit performs the way I expect.  But I can see how it troubles some.  5 minutes with a power brush and some engine block paint and you would probably be good for 2 years!

I agree. It seems that most of the more active PF's have pits that are less than pristine.  Some even look downright nasty.  If you go into the pit area of most of the successful BBQ joints in my area, most of the pits are heavily stained.  Those with the commercial stainless pits are a bit cleaner, but the old stick burners are usually layered with creosote, drippings and other unknowns.  It sort of suggests that it is hard to be an immaculate Q chef and be a winner at the same time. (Apologies to the exceptions).  I'm sure that keeping the grates clean is more important and I am sure that is done universally (except for my son who refuses to go to that extreme).  All in all a good topic for discussion but----

Great post! But I have had some pretty good Q from clean pits...lol...including mine