I told my wife it was like buying a laser printer. If you buy a bag of pellets, they threw in a 2-star for free. It wasn't the actual deal, but it's what I told my wife.

Hardly ever post but do alot of lurking. So out of curiosity I had to call yesterday after I saw that it was coming a close today. Been thinking of getting a pellet smoker for a bit over a year. Was talking to caleb about the 1 star. And then talked to the mrs for final mission approval. Kind of a last minute decision and a little more than I was planning to drop on a unit. Ok maybe alot more. However she said ok so then I was like, hey I wonder what kind of deal the 2 star is��. So after talking to caleb twice yesterday I mulled it over most of the day and decided to give him a call back. Had about 40 minutes to closing time and took the plunge on the 2 star. Never thought I'd spend that kinda money on a unit but it was a pretty awesome deal. Now the wait begins. She should ship out Monday and make the long journey to ME. Thanks for putting this on and the folks at Mak were great to deal with. Cant wait to get her up and rolling.��

Congratulations, and welcome!

You're gonna love it!

I would like to personally thank MAK for this opportunity! A big thanks to Rob for helping me out with this thread. I’m mostly a lurker & don’t post much. So when I started this thread, I didn’t know what to expect. It blew up! Totally exceeded my expectations. So happy that this worked out for everyone involved! I know I am excited to start this journey into pellet cooking with one of the best cookers out there. Thanks again & I hope everyone that got involved enjoys their new grills!!

Thanks for the input, there's a DSG no more than 15 minutes from my house!

Who knew there were that many closet pellet heads?!? [emoji41]. Congrats to you all and wow...28 MAK’s sold...very impressive!


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Congrats to everyone! That's gotta be a record. Im sure the brethren have never bought that many cookers from 1 manufacturer in that short of a time span. I just had leftover pork chops from the Mak. So good!

So what's on your wishlist that you're getting with your store credit?

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And...missed by that much! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3c2501ee35.jpg

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Very glad you started this thread!!! Turned out to be a brilliant idea/plan that ended up benefiting a lot of brethren :)

Guessing your wife tells you the shoes were free with the purchase of shoe laces. ;-)

Personally, I did not care for LJ as they did not work well for me. But I believe that I am in the minority as lots of MAK guys swear by them. I currently use Bear Mountain (same brand MAK will send you a bag of) and have really taken a liking to them. I have also used Cookin’ Pellets Perfect Mix and have had great results with them. If you do go with Cookin’ Pellets (they ain’t the cheapest) you’ll find the best pricing direct from their website on their mini bulk orders (straight to your door). I have also tried BBQ’rs Delight which have been great.

I’d suggest you find something local that gets overall great reviews, give them a try and if you like them just stick with them. If you can get LJ at Rural King or somewhere else for Rural King pricing, there’s surely no harm in trying a few bags :)

Yeah, she's a great shopper! Very frugal!

Congrats to all the new MAK owners! This thread has been a thrill to spectate and watch unfold. Bet your butts if I didn't have my Yoder I would have joined you guys.

A "top quality" pellet cooker makes a great deal of difference and I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. You all did great. Now post up some damn cooks and stop lurking. No excuse now that you guys own a top notch cooker.

28 sold is very impressive, especially at the price point these sell for. Congrats to everyone who bought one.

Lumberjack Pellets work great in my 2 Star.

Good to know. I'm stocking up since they're on sale @ $6.99/20lb. Never priced pellets until this week though - don't know how good of a deal that is? How many pounds of pellets does a longer smoke use? Say brisket or pork shoulder.


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$6.99 is a great price and Lumber Jack pellets are where it’s at for me!

$6,99 is an amazing price! Sooo wish I could find that pricing in my neck of the woods. As to how long will a bag last? Depending on outdoor ambient temps, you should average about 1lb/hr at the lower smoking temps. The MAK’s are not pellet hogs.

Thanks for the replies. Robb - do you have a Dick's Sporting Goods nearby? That's where I got $6.99 with the price match.


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I do, about 5 miles down the road. That said, I am an outlier when it comes to LJ pellets. I have a couple of other brands that I have come to prefer. Mainly because of the lesser ash. I know I am in the minority, as lots of guys love and swear by LJ. That said, $6.99 for 20lbs is a crazy good price for pellets.

Looking like LJ for me too. Lowe’s has pit boss & Weber but they want $16 for 20#. Rural king has LJ on sale for 8.88 for 20#. I can get pit boss @ Menards for $15.99 for a 40# bag. Don’t know anything about pit boss???

Between those 2 choices, I’d definitely go w/ LJ. If I try LJ again, I will go with one of their blends vs a single wood type which is all I have tried. Seems most of the guys that rave about LJ are using a blend. At least those I have talked with. LJ really is a very reputable and well loved brand.

Yeah. I’m going to give the char hickory a try. Supposed to get hot. & the competition blend. The nearest bear mountain is over an hour away. I don’t think the drive would be worth it.

I got the competition blend. Once my MAK gets here I'll give some thoughts on them. This will be my first pellet experience, so won't have anything to compare.


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I purchased Bear Mountain pellets at the advice from Caleb. He said they really watch the moisture content of the pellets and they have had good luck with them.
The shipment didn't get here in time for my inaugural cook, so I purchased one bag of the comp blend from LJ locally. After a couple cooks with the Bear Mountain and LJ I'm really liking the Bear Mountain. To me, it smells like I'm using wood chunks, not pellets.

Some brand/types definitely can smell different. To me, they are ALL intoxicating... lol.

I noticed this as well. Bear Mountain smells the best and has the least ash of all pellets I've used.

Have you smelled Cookin’ Pellets Perfect Mix? Oh my!!! :)

Sort of regret not getting one especially since I have $1000 in gift cards I could have applied. I do have quite a few other things that I can spend the money on though and some of them should really be a priority so I held off. Congratulations to all who got in on this. I look forward to seeing your cooks and experiences with the Mak.

If I could only get someone in my area to participate in a group buy of Cookin' Pellets.....


Anyone in Northern VA, DC or MD?

There's a Cookin Pellets dealer south of me an hour+, not far from Wooster, called and they told me $29 and change for a 40# bag of Perfect Mix. I'm guessing you have a high opinion of them.

I usually run LJ but cookin pellets are my favorite. For $30 they would be my go to.

I love Cookin’ Pellets! You can get them cheaper if you buy 15 bags. $390 delivered to your door. Each bag comes in its own cardboard box. They store nice and neat if you have the room. Or perhaps you can find another pellet guy in your area that wants to go in on an order.

I missed it... Anyone mind PMing me what they paid for the 2* so I can sulk and drink my sorrows away?

Best to call MAK directly. They were kind & very clear that we are not to share the pricing.

I did. Spoke with Caleb. No chance of an extension.

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