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.
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Topic: Considering a Yoder YS640S (Read 3717 times)