Yoder YS640 vs MAK

Mcc1972 said:

Really struggling with this. If any bretheren who have had both would be willing to let me call them and ask a couple of questions please send me a PM.

Thanks

Chad

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I don't have any experience with the MAK but I have experience with the YODER. I can tell you the pros and cons of the YS640 if you want to hear them.

JMSetzler said:

I don't have any experience with the MAK but I have experience with the YODER. I can tell you the pros and cons of the YS640 if you want to hear them.

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I know I would like to hear the pros and cons of the Yoder. Thanks!

I have been using a Yoder YS640 for close to a year, and in my opinion, there is only one con, and that is the paint. It hasn't been that big of a problem for me, but I have seen a lot of complaints about it, and for the price, they should really resolve the issue. In my case, the only paint issues have been on the front of the cooker. I have several spots where paint has peeled off. In my case, I believe it is from pulling the top shelf out too far, and letting grease and sauce drip down the front. Yoder claims they use their paint, so that it is easy to fix, and that is true. They provided me with the paint, to fix mine. I haven't gotten around to it, but it shouldn't take no time to sand it down, and re paint the small area. I should mention, that I keep mine on a covered deck, and keep a cover over it, when not in use. Other issues, that I have heard people talk about, are pellet consumption, and wheel issues on the standard cart. I have not had the pellet consumption issue, that many talk about. I don't know how much of that is because I have the thermal jacket, and how much of it is that Yoder has fixed their software. I just know that I use about 1.5 to 2 lbs an hour depending on cooking temps. I have the comp cart, so I can't speak to the wheel issues. Also, to me if you get the Yoder, I would get the 2 piece diffuser plate. It should be standard issue. It makes accessing the firepot, and direct grilling much easier.

As far as operation, it has been pretty much flawless. It is a very good smoker, and gets hot enough for grilling. If I could change one thing, I wish the bottom grate pulled out, for easier access. The one issue I had with tthe cooker in many, many cooks, is one time the igniter did not light the pellets, and I had to clean the fire pot out, and start over. It was my fault. You have to unplug the cooker in between uses, so that it resets itself. The owners manual tells you this, but one time I didn't, and I had a problem.

I have no first hand experience with Mak, but I believe it to be a very good cooker. My final decision was between Mak and Yoder. I personally liked the looks of the Yoder better. I liked the heavier steel of the Yoder. I think the 1 thing that separates Mak from Yoder is the the Programmable controller. If that is something that you would use, to me it would be a plus. I just really don't like the idea of having an unattended fire going, while I sleep, so it didn't appeal to me. I have been there, and it is a tough decision. Luckily I don't think there is a wrong choice. Just go with the one you like the most.

Onebadshredda said:

I know I would like to hear the pros and cons of the Yoder. Thanks!

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Thanks for that. I hadn't heard of any of those issues.
I do need something that will hold up in a humid, salty environment. I would think most of the higher end models will put out a quality paint or powder coat that will do that.

I can't say for sure, because I love my Yoder, but if I lived in a corrosive environment, I would probably lean Mak, or Memphis, just because of the Stainless.

Onebadshredda said:

Thanks for that. I hadn't heard of any of those issues.
I do need something that will hold up in a humid, salty environment. I would think most of the higher end models will put out a quality paint or powder coat that will do that.

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My yoder after 6-8 months of use in Virginia




Memphis Elite





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I spent a year on this very thing. I bought a Camp Chef Woodwind last fathers, actually was a gift from my wife. Right after I bought it I discovered the Yoder pellet grill and would have easily spent the extra dough for the Yoder. The Camp Chef was about $1000 bucks at that time as I got it with the sear box which I never used. So for the last year I gathered info on a handful of high end pellet grills, talked to owners of these grills, watched videos and finally made up mind and the MAK 2 Star General was the grill for me. 6 months ago it would have been the Yoder YS640 on the comp cart, but that all changed when I started reading more about the MAK grills.

Oddly enough it is fathers day a year later and the freight company just dropped off my shinny new MAK 2 Star General this afternoon. Got it partially put together but as I said in the running pellet thread on here is that this thing is a tank. I knew that but getting my hands on it and seeing it in person is more than I thought. I thought the MAK looked a little less commercial grade than the Yoder, but not the case at all. Love the stainless steel and it is solid. You can feel the lid to the grill is solid, but glides like silk opening and closing. Just all around from the grill inserts to the nuts and bolts to put it together is just quality.

The other impressive thing is the wifi, however I did not get that but I am going to add it later on. It is really cool. I was impressed with that it will remember your cooks and you can pull up a previous cook and it will cook it identical to the last time you did that cook. I guess if you nailed something, you have the memory in the grill to do it again. The thing is nuts. Looking forward to finishing up putting it together. It is not a two person job, but you need another person to lift it out of the box. I guess the Yoder wins in that department as I believe they come fully assembled, but honestly it is not that hard probably takes an hour or say 3 beers.

I love my yoder but regret it’s purchase. My gripe is the paint. Mine is approximately 3years old, lives covered under my patio and covered in rust. I started to dismantle it to have it sandblasted and resprayed but got so mad at how unacceptable the paint and rust was i stopped. I have forsaken yoder and look forward to its replacement. However the function has been terrific and I use it 3-4 times a week. Too bad they can’t/won’t do better on the paint. Rust is a very common complaint and kept me from buying one of their offsets. I’d look else where.

I’ve had my MAK 1 Star for 2 years. I’ve had no problems with the external paint. I keep it covered so it looks as good as when I bought it. My decision also came down to MAK & Yoder.

I went with the MAK because of the controller & the option for wi-fi connectivity. The installation instructions for the wi-fi module was sparse & frustrating but support is outstanding & they will walk you through it over the phone.

I also had to send my controller in a few months ago for a firmware upgrade. The need for the upgrade wasn’t apparent right away as I was experiencing problems with the auger. I ended up having to remove the auger & the fan before MAK’s support suggested that I send the controller to them (they also wanted me to send the thermocouple which would have been a beast to remove).

This process had me tinkering around with the electronic components far more than desired but it worked out & everything is humming again. If you’re set on a pellet smoker, then I can recommend MAK. The grill is built solid & the support is outstanding. They are a much smaller company than Yoder & they provide 1 on 1 support (you’ll talk or exchange emails with the same person instead of being handed off from 1 person to another).

Good luck with your decision!

Banjobob said:

I love my yoder but regret it’s purchase. My gripe is the paint. Mine is approximately 3years old, lives covered under my patio and covered in rust. I started to dismantle it to have it sandblasted and resprayed but got so mad at how unacceptable the paint and rust was i stopped. I have forsaken yoder and look forward to its replacement. However the function has been terrific and I use it 3-4 times a week. Too bad they can’t/won’t do better on the paint. Rust is a very common complaint and kept me from buying one of their offsets. I’d look else where.

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I recently ordered an offset & my decision came down to the Yoder Wichita & LSG’s offsets. The Yoder fell out of the running because I read a lot of comments about the Wichita’s quality. I also saw one of T-ROY’s videos & his Yoder Wichita offset was rusting badly after a year or so. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yoder YS640 has similar paint issues.

Banjobob said:

I love my yoder but regret it’s purchase. My gripe is the paint.

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Same here, mine was purchased in 2015. I have a love /hate relationship with this thing. The food off the cooker is great, but it is a needy beast as far as maintenance. Here is a run down of my experience to date:

Paint/Rust - had problems from the start. After initial seasoning the paint on the door frame was pulled off from where it fused to the door during the initial run. Yoder sent me a can of paint. They added a gasket in later models that should fix this issue. As time went on random spots of paint would flake off, with rust underneath. Ended up using an angle grinder and wire brush to take the paint off most of the front of the grill and the door. Repainted it, used a primer fro the same company that makes the paint - touched up areas have held up so far. Found more flaking paint when I took the grill out this spring - more sanding priming and painting. Looks like poor prep before they apply the paint. Would not recommend this grill in a damp or salty environment unless you like painting more that cooking.

Leaks - had issues with grease leaks from the right side of the body, really made a mess of my concrete patio. Yoder sent me some silicone - seems to have solved that issue for now.

Heat Deflector - had two of them warp, have not used the grill above 275. Bought the 2 piece deflector, that has warped a bit, but not like the one piece deflector. It's also a big piece of heavy steel and is difficult to remove from the grill.

Firebox Seal - there is a silicone bead between the firebox and cooker wall, you will need to replace this annually, usually right before you have a big cook planned.

I'm a huge fan of the food that comes off this cooker, but honestly I have regular thoughts of moving to a Memphis or MAK, I figure they can't be harder to maintain and won't have the rust issues.

I gave in and bought a YS640 yesterday, delivery is set for Monday. I knew about most of its issues and went with it anyways.

Paint, no smoker will ever look the way it did when it was new without maintenance. Yoder has basically accepted this and used a design that allows for easy painting and a choice of paint that is easy to apply and find.

Pellet consumption, I just accepted this. Ill try different pellets for different producers and wood varieties for different seasons till I get my mainstays. Maybe buy a thermal jacket, maybe just use the 26 on really cold days.

Diffuser plate, I honestly though they fixed that. Hopefully it does not happen, if it does hopefully they stand behind their product.

At the end of the day, grills and smokers are going to be like a workplaces, they all have issues and suck in their own way at times. All that being said I may have gone in another direction if I had been living in the US, duties, shipping and the dollar just changed things.

My choice came down to the same two. I chose Mak 1-star because (1) I read about the Yoder paint issues, (2) the Yoder was more $ than the 1-star, (3) the Mak design with center firepot and grill-level exhaust louvres makes more sense to me for a pellet smoker than the Yoder’s end firepot and opposite end exhaust stack, (4) the Mak controller is the best IMHO, and (5) I figured the smaller volume of the Mak might make it smokier.

Looks from this thread that the Yoder’s are still having paint issues. I understand about the ease of repainting the Yoder, but I just find it unconscionable to have those sorts of paint issues within months after spending $2000+ on a smoker. Some of that paint is worse than my offsets, which have sat outside, uncovered, for 30+ years. I can’t understand why they don’t sort that — I see many folks passing up Yoder smokers because of that issue.

So far I love the Mak and have no issue with lack of smokiness and no need for smoke tubes, etc.

If you mainly want to grill, rather than smoke, you also should check out the Memphis. I concluded it probably is the best griller. But it costs $$$.

Good luck with your decision.

I've messed around with Yoders, but not nearly enough to comment on them.



I have a new MAK 1 star with the new funnel flame zone installed. I've been waiting for SOMETHING to complain about with this thing and it's just not happening. If you feed it good quality pellets you'll be rewarded.


One reason I went with MAK was they are 100% American sourced and built including the nuts, bolts and electronics. I had a hard time NOT supporting a company that could pull that off these days.

SmokePigTails said:

I gave in and bought a YS640 yesterday, delivery is set for Monday. I knew about most of its issues and went with it anyways.

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You will be pleased with the food you get off the Yoder. Store it undercover if possible and be sure to keep a can of touch up paint on hand.

I am getting ready to buy a new YS640 (possibly tomorrow). Does anyone know if the paint issues have been resolved on current builds? I will certainly inquire with Yoder about the issue before buying.

Yoder ys640 owner here. It's a beast. No paint problem with mine but if it makes you feel better they do warranty the body for 10 years so they must not be worried about them holding up. It fires up ramps to temp and holds it great. I used offset stick burners for a long time before this and my only regret is not buying one sooner.

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Onebadshredda said:

I know I would like to hear the pros and cons of the Yoder. Thanks!

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Pros:

It's built like a tank. It will out live the cockroaches.
It has a LOT of cooking space. More than I need in MOST cases.
The wheels on the competition cart make it very easy to move over terrain.

Cons:

Exterior finish issues.. paint flaking and rust. It's a constant touchup battle.

Takes about 40 minutes in most cases to get ready to cook on it. It overshoots the set temp by 100-150 degrees in most cases and then settles back down.

It's picky about what kind of pellets you use in it for longer cooks. The ash backup from some brands of pellets can cause problems in the Yoder.

I had problems with uneven heating in the cooking chamber... I got 60-70 degree temp variations from one side to the other. I installed a Don Godke Downdraft device on mine and solved that problem... down to about a 15 degree variation which is perfectly fine with me.


The Yoder didn't suit my cooking style very well. I got rid of it and I am replacing it with a Traeger Timberline.

These are some images of the yoder paint problems i have had. Mine sat under an awning uncovered but out of the rain for most of it's year here. I bought a cover for it when I moved it onto the deck, so it never got rained on...