My Yoder Smokers YS1500 has arrived! (Very picture heavy)

nucornhusker said:
Ron, I'm more than happy to. There is an abundance of info about the YS640, but not the YS1320/1500. Back when I was making my initial decision before I bought my YS640 the beginning of this year, I was spending hours deciding if I wanted the YS640 or YS1320. I could find all the info I wanted about the YS640, but I had to really work hard and piece together little bits of information about the YS1320. Don was great and answered every question I had (and if you ask him, there were a lot). The owners were out there, but they weren't posting the way YS640 owners were. If there had been info like this thread out there at that time, I may very well be a YS1320 owner as well as many of the past cookers in my signature still.

Due to the low amount pictures out there and owners talking about it, I went with what was safe for me, the YS640. Now don't get me wrong, I loved my YS640. What triggered all of this was I was stuckburning one day this summer (because I hadn't used it since I got my YS640) and I was growing more and more frustrated with a cheap offset everytime I used it. I had just come back from a tour of the Yoder factory and understood exactly what the flawed points in my stickburner were after seeing them made right. I came to the realization that I only use two of my cookers 95% of the time, the YS640, and the Kamado Joe. So if I was able to sell my cookers, I was able to cover most of the cost of the YS1500. So I purged them and ordered the YS1500.

As I look at my cooker situation now, I'm so glad I did what I did. It's nice have a deck and patio again instead of a cooker museum (most here may disagree with me on that point). I have the step-up versions of the cookers I used the most and added space at our home where space is limited. I'm thrilled with the YS1500, I really can't say how happy I am, and that is not in anyway a slight to the YS640, it's a compliment to the YS1500. It really suits me well. Clearly I was happy with my YS640 if I was willing to sell all of my cookers and pay more money for something very similar. If money wasn't an issue, the YS640 would still be on my deck and getting regular use.

The point of this thread is not to gloat, or show off, I want to pay it forward. I want info out there about this cooker that I wish had been out about the YS1320 at the time I was looking to buy this past winter. I feel a little like a braggart or a show-off by posting what I do sometimes, but that is not my style or motive. I just want to post info and pictures I wish I would have had at my disposal back when I was struggling with my YS640 vs. YS1320 decision.

I'm honored that you find this as a tool to help prospective owners. That is EXACTLY the intent of this thread and what I want it to be. I hope I can help many others who are struggling with a decision like I was.
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One of the pleasures of selling " higher end " BBQ equipment is dealing with customers who have done their homework and are always wanting to know if I have cooked on a particular model or if I know of someone that has. I cook on each Mfg of Smoker I sell but not necessarily each model. The 1500 is in a class of itself and sure looks like it justifies it's price tag. I will be referring prospective customers to this thread. Thanks again nu
 
HookEcho said:
They also make extremely good stick burners on comp carts, if your a stick guy. I have both and between the 2, I love the flexibility I have.

They can paint it any color you want, heck we thought doing a flame job for the paint but decided that was well over the top. One thing to keep in mind, the paint will get nicked, scratched etc....its just life dealing with something that is that big, bulky, and weighs that much, so dont paint it with a color thats hard to touch up.

Also, they can cut logo plates out with just about any logo/wording you want on your pit. Something to keep in mind. Here is what I mean....

BBQ11.jpg

and the back....
BBQ10.jpg


Sorry for the thread jack....lol
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WOW, sweet looking smokers. Love the name plates. :thumb:

Have we ever met?
 
Well thanks to this thread, I'm ordering a YS1500 tomorrow from Tom @ Yoder.

I've decided on:

YS1500 with a Silver Cart
2 x Probe Ports (one on each side of the chamber)
Direct Grilling Option (Grill Grates)
Modified Smoke Stack so that a portion can be removed to fit in my trailer
YS sign on the counter weight
400lbs of pellets

Looks like it will be a 4-6 week wait. Please keep up the posts and pics, it will help hold me over until I get this thing. Thanks for this thread, it was a huge help in deciding on my next toy, I mean cooker.
 
unixadm said:
Well thanks to this thread, I'm ordering a YS1500 tomorrow from Tom @ Yoder.

I've decided on:

YS1500 with a Silver Cart
2 x Probe Ports (one on each side of the chamber)
Direct Grilling Option (Grill Grates)
Modified Smoke Stack so that a portion can be removed to fit in my trailer
YS sign on the counter weight
400lbs of pellets

Looks like it will be a 4-6 week wait. Please keep up the posts and pics, it will help hold me over until I get this thing. Thanks for this thread, it was a huge help in deciding on my next toy, I mean cooker.
Click to expand...

Wow.

Congrats on the cooker! You will love it, and I can't wait to see some of your cooks on it. The next 4-6 weeks will be some of the longest of your life. :tongue: However, the wait will make the arrival that much more sweet!

I'm very curious about how it will cook with the GrillGrates. I didn't order any because I use my KJ for most direct cooks, but I really want to see how this cooker performs with those grates.

Again, congrats!
 
Thanks. The YS1500 should be a good fit for me. I may buy the stainless lower grates from Yoder at some point - however adding them now pushed the price above my budget so I figure I can do without that option for now.

I'm not sure how it will grill, but I've read pretty much nothing but good things about Grill Grates. I don't grill very often but I figured for the price it would allow me to the option and give me some extra flexibility with the cooker.

Now I just need to sell my other pellet cookers while I wait for this new one.
 
Thank you so much for such a detailed write up. That thing seems amazing!!
You may have me thinking about a pellet pooper and I'm a charcoal/stick man myself.

"I don't usually make biscuits on my cooker, but when I do I use my YS1500"

Just had to put that in there :laugh:
 
I called Tom this morning and ordered the YS1500. I cannot wait! What a difference a "thread" makes because a week ago I wasn't going to buy anything!

Now I need to sell my other cookers while I wait for this thing to show up.
 
Diesel Dave said:
Thank you so much for such a detailed write up. That thing seems amazing!!
You may have me thinking about a pellet pooper and I'm a charcoal/stick man myself.

"I don't usually make biscuits on my cooker, but when I do I use my YS1500"

Just had to put that in there :laugh:
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I'm a stick guy too, and I still plan to get a stickburner or two down the road. This I really feel that this pit is a "stickburners" pellet pit. It's as close to a hybrid of the two as you get, and you get similar results with less effort. Now I get food the way I want it to taste without all of the effort. It's almost cheating. :icon_blush:

unixadm said:
I called Tom this morning and ordered the YS1500. I cannot wait! What a difference a "thread" makes because a week ago I wasn't going to buy anything!

Now I need to sell my other cookers while I wait for this thing to show up.
Click to expand...

I saw your other cookers for sale posted elsewhere this morning. I'm glad this thread was helpful for you and I hope you find it worth you efforts, I know I did.
 
unixadm said:
I called Tom this morning and ordered the YS1500. I cannot wait! What a difference a "thread" makes because a week ago I wasn't going to buy anything!

Now I need to sell my other cookers while I wait for this thing to show up.
Click to expand...

Congrats Man!! :clap: If you don't mind me asking what do they charge for the big YS plate on the counter weight?
 
nucornhusker said:
. . . I really feel that this pit is a "stickburners" pellet pit. It's as close to a hybrid of the two as you get, and you get similar results with less effort. Now I get food the way I want it to taste without all of the effort. It's almost cheating.
Click to expand...

Tasty, tasty cheating! :razz:
 
BuckN BBQ said:
Congrats Man!! :clap: If you don't mind me asking what do they charge for the big YS plate on the counter weight?
Click to expand...

Tom wasn't sure, so we're targeting around $100. He'll let me know so I can approve adding it to the order or not.
 
That was what took me the longest to decide, because it doesn't make it cook better. But I'm really glad I did it. It's looks awesome and it does actually help the counterweight a bit also.
 
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