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[RoadRunner18]

Greetings to all!  This is my first post, but I have been cooking on a Traeger for the past 5 years or so.  I currently have a Timberline 1300, and I am considering adding a Yoder640S Competition to my stable.

I have a couple of questions that some of you more experienced Yoder owners may be able to answer.

1.  Can someone tell me the total length and width of the cooking surface on both shelves.  I ask this because I normally utilize 20" x 12" Aluminum pans in my cooks, and I need to know if 2 pans will fit on the lower grill depth-wise.  From what I gather on the Yoder Website, the main grill is two - "16" x 20" grill grates for a total of 32" x 20" which would meet my requirements, so long as the actual depth of the cooking surface is really 20."  On my Timberline, the main grill grate is 34" x 16" which limits my capacity.  I know the upper grill grate is 15.5 x 28," but it would also be helpful to know if a 20 X 12 pan can fit on the upper grill grate depth-wise and still close the lid. 

2. Is there any kind of a seal between the lid and the grill body?  Nothing mentioned on the website.  I see some of the competition is using a gasket (Traeger Timberline models) or a nomex tape (Blaz'n Grill Works) seal.

3.  No pellet removal door?  Seems unusual on such a high end smoker.

4. I see on the Yoder Website that their controller is made by FireBoard.  Can I assume that all the benefits of the FireBoard2 thermometer are built into the controller of this smoker?

5. On other forums some owners say these Yoder Smokers are Pellet Hogs.  Do most of you use the thermal jacket during cold weather only to retain heat; do any of you use the thermal jacket all year round?

6. How is the YS640S for getting up to and holding target temperature? 

The closest Yoder dealer to me is approximately 60 miles away, and I plan to visit them on Tuesday.  Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated! 

Thanks for your time!

[Canadian John]

 Welcome to Pellet Fan!   I am not much help to you re Yoder.  Hopefully your questions will be answered soon.  Just curious as why a Yoder. What is the attraction?

[RoadRunner18]

My Traeger 1300 will be used exclusively for tailgating.  I am looking for a new Smoker for my patio  I am looking for a solid, well made smoker that meets my requirements.  I have done research on REC TEC, Blaz'n Grill works, and Smokin Brothers, and because of capacity, thet don't meet my needs. Originally I wanted a smoker that was double-walled (insulated) and that would be a preference if it met my requirements.  Blaz'n Grill Works  meets that requirement but the grill grates are 2-1/2 inches apart, with a depth of 17-18 inches.

[02ebz06]

Memphis Elite is large, double-walled, but pricey.

[pmillen]

Regarding the comments on Yoders burning an unusually high amount of pellets:

It takes quite a bit of heat to get that thick, heavy metal up to temperature.  The pellet consumption is noticeable on short cooks and doesn't seem as high on long ones.

[RoadRunner18]

I'm sure it does.  That's why I asked if folks used their thermal blanket all year round

[iflyskyhigh]

1.  Can someone tell me the total length and width of the cooking surface on both shelves.  I ask this because I normally utilize 20" x 12" Aluminum pans in my cooks, and I need to know if 2 pans will fit on the lower grill depth-wise.  From what I gather on the Yoder Website, the main grill is two - "16" x 20" grill grates for a total of 32" x 20" which would meet my requirements, so long as the actual depth of the cooking surface is really 20."  On my Timberline, the main grill grate is 34" x 16" which limits my capacity.  I know the upper grill grate is 15.5 x 28," but it would also be helpful to know if a 20 X 12 pan can fit on the upper grill grate depth-wise and still close the lid. 

2. Is there any kind of a seal between the lid and the grill body?  Nothing mentioned on the website.  I see some of the competition is using a gasket (Traeger Timberline models) or a nomex tape (Blaz'n Grill Works) seal.

3.  No pellet removal door?  Seems unusual on such a high end smoker.

4. I see on the Yoder Website that their controller is made by FireBoard.  Can I assume that all the benefits of the FireBoard2 thermometer are built into the controller of this smoker?

5. On other forums some owners say these Yoder Smokers are Pellet Hogs.  Do most of you use the thermal jacket during cold weather only to retain heat; do any of you use the thermal jacket all year round?

6. How is the YS640S for getting up to and holding target temperature? 

I've had my Yoder since last August. Zero buyers remorse. I originally purchased a GMG, the big new one, Jim Bowie I think. Anyway it leaked grease all over my patio after the first cook. The "nice" Chinese grills aren't that much cheaper than the Yoder all things considered so I took it back and got the Yoder. Which is what I wanted in the first place. I should have just saved myself the time and heartache and ordered the Yoder first. I looked at the same grills you are looking at and still decided on the Yoder. I just don't think there is a better pellet grill out there right now. The construction and function are top notch.

1. I can't get the dimension for you right this minute. It's 113º outside right now and I'm not going out there with a tape measure. But I'll look as soon as I can. But, it's big. I've had an 18 pound brisket, 2 7 pound pork butts, and couple racks of ribs on it at one time...with room to spare.

2. Yes there is a Nomex type seal all the way around the body where it meets the lid. Combined with with the weight of the lid it seals up tight.

3. I don't care about the pellet door. I found a combo of pellets I like and that's what I burn. Don't see the need to change them. When it runs down I just fill it back up and keep on trucking. I have a smoke tube that I use almost every cook. I put different types of pellets in if I'm looking for a different flavor profile. Go with the top two-three pellet brands. Stay away from he Tragers and other similar pellets.

4. The Fireboard is the best controller out there. Full stop. All functionality is in place with the Yoder. I'm buying a Fireboard 2 Drive with the fan for my Kamado Joe Big Joe III ASAP.

5. I don't find it to be a pellet hog. I read that as well before purchase and just decided it was worth it if it was. But it's not. 3/4 pound/hr or less for low smoking, up to maybe 1.5/hr for high heat stuff. Seems pretty much on par with everything else. If it does use more than the other I guess I wouldn't really know. Seems pretty reasonable though.

6. The YS640s operates a little different than other pellet grills and it can cause people to lose their xxxx if they don't understand what's happening. The programing of the Yoder is designed to mimic the way their offset smokers function. When you start it, it will overshoot your temp. This is why they tell you to give it half and hour to stabilize (much like a charcoal grill). You will see small fluctuations in temp throughout the cook, but again, they are small and just like a charcoal grill. BUT if you look at the average temp in the Firebaord app over the length of the cook it's almost always spot on what you had it set at. ALL other pellet grills to some extent are doing the same thing, but their controllers and designed to "hide" this from you to make it look like it's holding 225º for 10 hours without budging. It' s not. It's just averaging it out. So long story long, the Yoder holds temp perfectly as designed and makes amazing food.

I read all the other complaints like I'm sure you have. Take them with a grain of salt. I live in the desert and I still have a couple tiny tiny rust spots where it got grease or food or water or something on there. Who cares? It's a grill. It lives outside in an unforgiving environment. It's meant to be used and abused. I am 100% sure this grill will outlive me, and if I'm concerned about it I can sand it out and paint it (they give you the paint!). When people say they are built like a tank they aren't kidding. I like having quality heirloom type items. Hence the Yoder and Big Joe. To me it's worth the little extra money now. When you amortize it out over the life of a quality product it's chump change.

Any other questions let me know.

[protege2k]

Greetings to all!  This is my first post, but I have been cooking on a Traeger for the past 5 years or so.  I currently have a Timberline 1300, and I am considering adding a Yoder640S Competition to my stable.

I have a couple of questions that some of you more experienced Yoder owners may be able to answer.

1.  Can someone tell me the total length and width of the cooking surface on both shelves.  I ask this because I normally utilize 20" x 12" Aluminum pans in my cooks, and I need to know if 2 pans will fit on the lower grill depth-wise.  From what I gather on the Yoder Website, the main grill is two - "16" x 20" grill grates for a total of 32" x 20" which would meet my requirements, so long as the actual depth of the cooking surface is really 20."  On my Timberline, the main grill grate is 34" x 16" which limits my capacity.  I know the upper grill grate is 15.5 x 28," but it would also be helpful to know if a 20 X 12 pan can fit on the upper grill grate depth-wise and still close the lid. 

2. Is there any kind of a seal between the lid and the grill body?  Nothing mentioned on the website.  I see some of the competition is using a gasket (Traeger Timberline models) or a nomex tape (Blaz'n Grill Works) seal.

3.  No pellet removal door?  Seems unusual on such a high end smoker.

4. I see on the Yoder Website that their controller is made by FireBoard.  Can I assume that all the benefits of the FireBoard2 thermometer are built into the controller of this smoker?

5. On other forums some owners say these Yoder Smokers are Pellet Hogs.  Do most of you use the thermal jacket during cold weather only to retain heat; do any of you use the thermal jacket all year round?

6. How is the YS640S for getting up to and holding target temperature? 

The closest Yoder dealer to me is approximately 60 miles away, and I plan to visit them on Tuesday.  Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated! 

Thanks for your time!

Hope this helps:

1.  The pan works as the slide in 2nd shelf pushes to the back, otherwise the door would not close.  So 15.5” deep is safe for door closure and shelf width is 28”, less wide than the bottom due to side rails holding the shelf.

2.  As stated previously, yes.

3. There is an optional diffuser that has the door, and I was a fan since they released it.  Although, not mandatory by any means.

4. Yes, my first time using FireBoard and I am a fan, great product and as far as I know has all of the functionality - however max 2 probes, note that pit temp utilizes the built in pit probe (so 2 for your use, pit probe cannot be used for other purposes.

5. I use the Thermal jacket, makes life even easier as almost nothing outside the pit really affects the consumption.  For me the Thermal Jacket saved a lot on pellets, due to outdoor temperature swings in fall/winter day to night, rain, etc without one. 

6. Hold is what it does well, that is as an average, it will slightly fluctuate to maintain the set temperature through wind, rain, snow - I have done many long cooks and the data backs up that it is steady.  It is the thickness of steel, construction, and design - does a great job.

Side note, my grill is over 8 years old and I have kept up with the upgrades to the latest YS640s, for me that has been over 10 separate improvements, the guts are still good as new.  Made in the USA and they answer the phone!!!

[RoadRunner18]

Greetings to all!  This is my first post, but I have been cooking on a Traeger for the past 5 years or so.  I currently have a Timberline 1300, and I am considering adding a Yoder640S Competition to my stable.

I have a couple of questions that some of you more experienced Yoder owners may be able to answer.

1.  Can someone tell me the total length and width of the cooking surface on both shelves.  I ask this because I normally utilize 20" x 12" Aluminum pans in my cooks, and I need to know if 2 pans will fit on the lower grill depth-wise.  From what I gather on the Yoder Website, the main grill is two - "16" x 20" grill grates for a total of 32" x 20" which would meet my requirements, so long as the actual depth of the cooking surface is really 20."  On my Timberline, the main grill grate is 34" x 16" which limits my capacity.  I know the upper grill grate is 15.5 x 28," but it would also be helpful to know if a 20 X 12 pan can fit on the upper grill grate depth-wise and still close the lid. 

2. Is there any kind of a seal between the lid and the grill body?  Nothing mentioned on the website.  I see some of the competition is using a gasket (Traeger Timberline models) or a nomex tape (Blaz'n Grill Works) seal.

3.  No pellet removal door?  Seems unusual on such a high end smoker.

4. I see on the Yoder Website that their controller is made by FireBoard.  Can I assume that all the benefits of the FireBoard2 thermometer are built into the controller of this smoker?

5. On other forums some owners say these Yoder Smokers are Pellet Hogs.  Do most of you use the thermal jacket during cold weather only to retain heat; do any of you use the thermal jacket all year round?

6. How is the YS640S for getting up to and holding target temperature? 

The closest Yoder dealer to me is approximately 60 miles away, and I plan to visit them on Tuesday.  Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated! 

Thanks for your time!

Hope this helps:

1.  The pan works as the slide in 2nd shelf pushes to the back, otherwise the door would not close.  So 15.5” deep is safe for door closure and shelf width is 28”, less wide than the bottom due to side rails holding the shelf.

2.  As stated previously, yes.

3. There is an optional diffuser that has the door, and I was a fan since they released it.  Although, not mandatory by any means.

4. Yes, my first time using FireBoard and I am a fan, great product and as far as I know has all of the functionality - however max 2 probes, note that pit temp utilizes the built in pit probe (so 2 for your use, pit probe cannot be used for other purposes.

5. I use the Thermal jacket, makes life even easier as almost nothing outside the pit really affects the consumption.  For me the Thermal Jacket saved a lot on pellets, due to outdoor temperature swings in fall/winter day to night, rain, etc without one. 

6. Hold is what it does well, that is as an average, it will slightly fluctuate to maintain the set temperature through wind, rain, snow - I have done many long cooks and the data backs up that it is steady.  It is the thickness of steel, construction, and design - does a great job.

Side note, my grill is over 8 years old and I have kept up with the upgrades to the latest YS640s, for me that has been over 10 separate improvements, the guts are still good as new.  Made in the USA and they answer the phone!!!

1.  Can someone tell me the total length and width of the cooking surface on both shelves.  I ask this because I normally utilize 20" x 12" Aluminum pans in my cooks, and I need to know if 2 pans will fit on the lower grill depth-wise.  From what I gather on the Yoder Website, the main grill is two - "16" x 20" grill grates for a total of 32" x 20" which would meet my requirements, so long as the actual depth of the cooking surface is really 20."  On my Timberline, the main grill grate is 34" x 16" which limits my capacity.  I know the upper grill grate is 15.5 x 28," but it would also be helpful to know if a 20 X 12 pan can fit on the upper grill grate depth-wise and still close the lid. 

2. Is there any kind of a seal between the lid and the grill body?  Nothing mentioned on the website.  I see some of the competition is using a gasket (Traeger Timberline models) or a nomex tape (Blaz'n Grill Works) seal.

3.  No pellet removal door?  Seems unusual on such a high end smoker.

4. I see on the Yoder Website that their controller is made by FireBoard.  Can I assume that all the benefits of the FireBoard2 thermometer are built into the controller of this smoker?

5. On other forums some owners say these Yoder Smokers are Pellet Hogs.  Do most of you use the thermal jacket during cold weather only to retain heat; do any of you use the thermal jacket all year round?

6. How is the YS640S for getting up to and holding target temperature? 

I've had my Yoder since last August. Zero buyers remorse. I originally purchased a GMG, the big new one, Jim Bowie I think. Anyway it leaked grease all over my patio after the first cook. The "nice" Chinese grills aren't that much cheaper than the Yoder all things considered so I took it back and got the Yoder. Which is what I wanted in the first place. I should have just saved myself the time and heartache and ordered the Yoder first. I looked at the same grills you are looking at and still decided on the Yoder. I just don't think there is a better pellet grill out there right now. The construction and function are top notch.

1. I can't get the dimension for you right this minute. It's 113º outside right now and I'm not going out there with a tape measure. But I'll look as soon as I can. But, it's big. I've had an 18 pound brisket, 2 7 pound pork butts, and couple racks of ribs on it at one time...with room to spare.

2. Yes there is a Nomex type seal all the way around the body where it meets the lid. Combined with with the weight of the lid it seals up tight.

3. I don't care about the pellet door. I found a combo of pellets I like and that's what I burn. Don't see the need to change them. When it runs down I just fill it back up and keep on trucking. I have a smoke tube that I use almost every cook. I put different types of pellets in if I'm looking for a different flavor profile. Go with the top two-three pellet brands. Stay away from he Tragers and other similar pellets.

4. The Fireboard is the best controller out there. Full stop. All functionality is in place with the Yoder. I'm buying a Fireboard 2 Drive with the fan for my Kamado Joe Big Joe III ASAP.

5. I don't find it to be a pellet hog. I read that as well before purchase and just decided it was worth it if it was. But it's not. 3/4 pound/hr or less for low smoking, up to maybe 1.5/hr for high heat stuff. Seems pretty much on par with everything else. If it does use more than the other I guess I wouldn't really know. Seems pretty reasonable though.

6. The YS640s operates a little different than other pellet grills and it can cause people to lose their sh_t if they don't understand what's happening. The programing of the Yoder is designed to mimic the way their offset smokers function. When you start it, it will overshoot your temp. This is why they tell you to give it half and hour to stabilize (much like a charcoal grill). You will see small fluctuations in temp throughout the cook, but again, they are small and just like a charcoal grill. BUT if you look at the average temp in the Firebaord app over the length of the cook it's almost always spot on what you had it set at. ALL other pellet grills to some extent are doing the same thing, but their controllers and designed to "hide" this from you to make it look like it's holding 225º for 10 hours without budging. It' s not. It's just averaging it out. So long story long, the Yoder holds temp perfectly as designed and makes amazing food.

I read all the other complaints like I'm sure you have. Take them with a grain of salt. I live in the desert and I still have a couple tiny tiny rust spots where it got grease or food or water or something on there. Who cares? It's a grill. It lives outside in an unforgiving environment. It's meant to be used and abused. I am 100% sure this grill will outlive me, and if I'm concerned about it I can sand it out and paint it (they give you the paint!). When people say they are built like a tank they aren't kidding. I like having quality heirloom type items. Hence the Yoder and Big Joe. To me it's worth the little extra money now. When you amortize it out over the life of a quality product it's chump change.

Any other questions let me know.

Thank You iflyskihigh for the good information.  If it does cool down, the grill dimensions would be appreciated.

[RoadRunner18]

Greetings to all!  This is my first post, but I have been cooking on a Traeger for the past 5 years or so.  I currently have a Timberline 1300, and I am considering adding a Yoder640S Competition to my stable.

I have a couple of questions that some of you more experienced Yoder owners may be able to answer.

1.  Can someone tell me the total length and width of the cooking surface on both shelves.  I ask this because I normally utilize 20" x 12" Aluminum pans in my cooks, and I need to know if 2 pans will fit on the lower grill depth-wise.  From what I gather on the Yoder Website, the main grill is two - "16" x 20" grill grates for a total of 32" x 20" which would meet my requirements, so long as the actual depth of the cooking surface is really 20."  On my Timberline, the main grill grate is 34" x 16" which limits my capacity.  I know the upper grill grate is 15.5 x 28," but it would also be helpful to know if a 20 X 12 pan can fit on the upper grill grate depth-wise and still close the lid. 

2. Is there any kind of a seal between the lid and the grill body?  Nothing mentioned on the website.  I see some of the competition is using a gasket (Traeger Timberline models) or a nomex tape (Blaz'n Grill Works) seal.

3.  No pellet removal door?  Seems unusual on such a high end smoker.

4. I see on the Yoder Website that their controller is made by FireBoard.  Can I assume that all the benefits of the FireBoard2 thermometer are built into the controller of this smoker?

5. On other forums some owners say these Yoder Smokers are Pellet Hogs.  Do most of you use the thermal jacket during cold weather only to retain heat; do any of you use the thermal jacket all year round?

6. How is the YS640S for getting up to and holding target temperature? 

The closest Yoder dealer to me is approximately 60 miles away, and I plan to visit them on Tuesday.  Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated! 

Thanks for your time!

Hope this helps:

1.  The pan works as the slide in 2nd shelf pushes to the back, otherwise the door would not close.  So 15.5” deep is safe for door closure and shelf width is 28”, less wide than the bottom due to side rails holding the shelf.

2.  As stated previously, yes.

3. There is an optional diffuser that has the door, and I was a fan since they released it.  Although, not mandatory by any means.

4. Yes, my first time using FireBoard and I am a fan, great product and as far as I know has all of the functionality - however max 2 probes, note that pit temp utilizes the built in pit probe (so 2 for your use, pit probe cannot be used for other purposes.

5. I use the Thermal jacket, makes life even easier as almost nothing outside the pit really affects the consumption.  For me the Thermal Jacket saved a lot on pellets, due to outdoor temperature swings in fall/winter day to night, rain, etc without one. 

6. Hold is what it does well, that is as an average, it will slightly fluctuate to maintain the set temperature through wind, rain, snow - I have done many long cooks and the data backs up that it is steady.  It is the thickness of steel, construction, and design - does a great job.

Side note, my grill is over 8 years old and I have kept up with the upgrades to the latest YS640s, for me that has been over 10 separate improvements, the guts are still good as new.  Made in the USA and they answer the phone!!!

Thank You Protege2K

[iflyskyhigh]

I can tell you that when it doesn’t go below 95° here in the summer, even at night, I hardly use any pellets!

Seriously though, it doesn’t really get any colder here than low 30’s in the winter. Freezes maybe once or twice a year. So I didn’t invest in the insulated cover.

The accessories I did get were:

Regular cover. I’m a cover guy. The sun here in the desert is brutal on things. I’d rather replace a cover every few years than replace or restore a grill. I actually had the strap on my first cover pull off and Yoder sent me another ASAP free of charge and paid return shipping on the defective one. Great customer service.

I also got the diffuser with the door. That’s a complaint I do have. Kind of nickel and dime xxxx that they don’t just sell the grill at an up charge with that as a option.  Now I have an the original diffuser that I never use just sitting around taking up space. The sell the competition cart and an upgrade option without making you buy the regular cart AND the competition cart?!?!? Why not do the same with the diffuser? Anyway, get it. It’s worth it.

I also got the grill grates and cast iron griddle. Love em both. Money well spent. My family loves it when I cook breakfast for dinner on the griddle.  And it doesn’t stink up the house like bacon and eggs. AND we don’t have to clean up the kitchen. Breakfast is messy! Steaks and burgers come out really well on the grill grates.

Think that’s it? I have so much grilling xxxx I lose track.


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[iflyskyhigh]

Memphis Elite is large, double-walled, but pricey.

I looked at the Memphis Grills here locally. They are nice, but I have no idea how in the world the justify that price. I thought the Yoder was expensive, but the Memphis is next level. And they just look like a nice gas grill. I like the fact the Yoder looks like a smoker. Or at least what I think a smoker should look like. There is a reason the smoke stack is offset on one end. Again it goes back to mimicking a true offset smoker.


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[BigDave83]

I don't own one, but they seem to make a great product also, and they have different sizes. Pits and Spitts. may be something you would want to check out for size. I do not know how the Yoder is made internally, but if the grates are 20deep you will probably not put a 20" pan in there that way as they would more than likely block the airflow coming up the front and back of the chamber.

[RoadRunner18]

These pans have an 18" bottom and 20" at the top of the pan, which can be bent inward.

Thanks for the Tips iflyskyhigh!  I'll be checking out the Yoder Smokers sometime this week.